Employee Spotlight: Rob Zielinski
At a company that’s growing as fast as A2U, few things can remain the same for any long period of time. While faces, location and service offerings have changed over the years, one steady-consistency woven into the fabric of our evolving story has been Rob Zielinski.
As one of A2U’s original employees, the combination of institutional knowledge and technical acumen that Rob contributes to our team is likely, only second to the company’s CEO who founded the business back in 2003. Rob is someone who has worked across different departments and has a strong understanding of both our IT consulting and cloud hosting services.
Despite the built-in stress and fast-paced climate that is sometimes associated with working in the IT industry, Rob maintains a calm temperament and always wears a smile. We can’t think of anyone else who is more deserving to be recognized as our “December Employee Spotlight” than Rob Zielinski!
Rob Zielinski, Technical Specialist
In the Q&A below, you can learn more about one of A2U’s original “A-players:”
Q: What’s your favorite part about your job?
A: I love technology and the fact there is always something new to learn.
Q: Do you have a personal philosophy or motto?
A: Never say “I can’t” because as soon as you say I/we can’t do something, you’ve already convinced yourself that you’ve been defeated before you even got started.
Q: What does leadership mean to you?
A: It embodies honesty, commitment and open-mindedness. And, you have to be able to know what your limitations are and have the humility to admit that you don’t know the answer sometimes. As a leader, it’s important to understand that there is always more than one way to complete a task – just because someone may not solve a problem in the same way that you do, doesn’t mean that their process is wrong if it renders the same end result.
Q: Tell us more about your background and what led you to this career path.
A: I’ve taught myself everything I know about this industry (I actually didn’t even go to college). I’ve literally worked my way from the ground, up to get where I am today. This is something that I am very proud to have achieved.
Q: Are you married? Do you have any children?
A: Yes, I married my high school sweetheart and together, we have five children: Noah (age 12), Aydin (age 8), Lily (age 6), Maddox (age 4) and Jace (age 1).
Q: What is the one thing you cannot resist?
A: Free food! : )
Q: Can you tell us something that might surprise us about you?
A: My wife and I became foster parents in our early twenties, and that led to the adoption of our second child.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you can share with recent graduates?
A: You have to be dedicated to your work and sometimes be willing to sacrifice personal time in order to learn new things. Without dedication and sacrifice, it’s almost impossible to keep up with technology and be successful in this industry.
Although Rob has worn many hats during his tenure at A2U, he currently works as a technical specialist in our IT Engineering department. To learn more about some of the technologies this department spearheads and/or to check out our newly expanded list of services, click here.