WP Engine Employee Spotlight: Josh Garduna, Technical Support L2

For this Employee Spotlight I sat down with Josh Garduna, one of our very first Support Techs in WP Engine’s fast-growing San Antonio office, to find out more about his journey to WP Engine. Check out some of our conversation here:

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been in the IT world professionally for four years now. I’ve been working at WP Engine for a little over a year. I was fortunate to be one of the original employees (I was the fourth hire for San Antonio) to help start the WP Engine San Antonio office and see the office grow 500 percent since then. Seriously. Five-hundred percent!

How did you first learn about WP Engine?
I originally heard about WP Engine from a few friends of mine who had recently joined the company. They told me about the amazing culture, and the people were second to none. I heard they were growing like crazy, and it was going to be a BIG opportunity to learn and grow. I took a leap and never looked back!

What is your role at WP Engine?
As a support tech at WP Engine, we handle all types of WordPress related issues via phone calls, live chats, and tickets. I joined WP Engine as an L1 Support Technician and recently was just promoted to an L2! As an L2 I get to stretch my knowledge of our server infrastructure! I continue to increase my knowledge of the Linux command line and utilize bash scripting to automate tasks and help with problem resolution.

Do you have an office nickname? What is it?
People in the office call me Tuna. It was originally given to me by one of the trainers, Duke. My last name is Garduna. Gar-Duna, Duna, Tuna, you see where this is going. Haha. It’s definitely stuck, and I’m pretty sure some people only know me by Tuna!

If you could pick one theme for WP Engine to turn into a book about the company, what would it be?
Teamwork. We are so great at helping each other out, and holding each other accountable, and making this engine run smoothly! I have never worked with such an amazing group of people all so willing to help out!

How has WP Engine helped you in your career development?
WP Engine has allowed me to grow technically as well as personally. The managers here understand the balance between helping you grow as an employee as well as helping you grow as a person outside of work. It makes a big difference when the ones you spend most of your day with also care about the things happening to you outside of work.

If you could switch your job with anyone else within WP Engine, whose job would you want?
I love where I’m at right now, so I don’t really have an answer for this question. Haha!

What advice do you have for prospective WP Engine candidates?
First of all, whether you are in Austin or San Antonio, we’re growing fast! It can be crazy at times, it can be busy at times, but work hard and enjoy the ride because it’s been an unbelievable experience!

Second, never be afraid to ask questions! We’re all on the same mission, and we’re all here to help one another. I’ve never been at a place where everyone is always so willing to help. It’s one of my favorite things about WP Engine.

What do you find the most challenging at WP Engine?
Everything moves quickly around here. You have to really be willing to roll with the changes, and bring your best to work everyday! Although, the culture here makes that super easy.

What do you like most about WP Engine?
I love the willingness that everyone has to help one another.

What drew you to WP Engine originally? And how has WP Engine changed since?
The culture is what originally brought me to WP Engine. The people here are amazing. Even though we’ve grown to double the size since I’ve been here, we’ve continued to hire the most amazing people around!

What have you gained from working at WP Engine?
This job has pushed me to be a better person and employee and bring my best everyday. I’ve grown technically further than I ever thought possible in just over a year.

What is your proudest moment at WP Engine?
My proudest moment at WP Engine is when I won the SuperCharged Award.* That was the absolute coolest thing to happen here at WP Engine. I felt so honored and humbled to have been nominated by my peers and win that award.

*The SuperCharged Award is a peer nominated award given every quarter where five WP Engine employees are recognized for exhibiting our core values and going above and beyond!

If you think what Josh had to say sounds amazing, apply for one of our Technical Support roles in Austin or San Antonio today!

Be sure to stay tuned as we continue to explore and showcase the other people, positions, and career opportunities we have at WP Engine.