Michael Nunoo

Michael Nunoo is an expert network engineer from Watervliet, New York. His job is to make sure all the communications networking for his organization is fully operational and functioning smoothly. Michael Nunoo configures the software, the routers and switches, and makes sure everybody has access to the internet and connectivity to everything while in their place of work –even in a remote place where users wouldn’t normally be able to get a wifi signal.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

I am a network engineer for GDMS (General Dynamic Mission System). GDMS is the network engineering division of General Dynamic Mission Systems, a defense contractor that builds ships for the United States Navy.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

A usual day starts with me getting a ticket from any number of different vendors. What I do first is try to troubleshoot to see what the nature of the problem is. When I figure that out, I’ll document what happened and how long it took me to fix things in the process and then try to learn what other changes we need to implement so that the problem will not happen again. I might need to go to the labs and research the problem there to better understand if the solution I’ve created will work. If worse comes to worst and we can’t figure out the problem over the phone, I might have to travel to where the problem is.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I tend to brainstorm a lot. I focus very much on trying to make sure any process we are developing can be somehow be made better, particularly how something I might be working on might impact a different department. While I’m thinking about an idea, I like to push it out to my manager and also try to loop in different departments to get their input. It’s especially important in what I do because I definitely need feedback from the software and hardware people, and all the people involved in the system. This way you can have all the resources you need to make sure the final product works for everybody.

What’s one trend that excites you?

At GDMS, we often have new people and interns come in. We have interns that come in each semester- once in the spring and once in the fall. I really enjoy helping them get up to speed on what we are doing. I believe that there’s no one way of handling a project and I enjoy hearing the ideas of new people on what would make our job and company better. I really like the attitude of trying to help other people grow and I always consider the ideas they put on the table.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I always try to search for new tasks as soon as I am done with something. Right before I have completed the task I am working on, I send out an email that tries to set up the next one. This makes sure I can transition from one project to another.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Stay focused and trust the process no matter what ups and downs may come your way. You will definitely get there.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I am somewhat of an introvert, though many people do not see me that way because I also enjoy being with people. If I am not comfortable in a situation, I will often go back to being quiet and reserved.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

You should be accountable and take ownership of your mistakes. Use your time to learn and improve on your work. That’s something that is very important to me.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

I always try to advance myself outside of my current job. Part of that is enrolling in school and studying to get higher certifications in my field. That keeps me on my game. I’ve always tried to push myself to the next level with education.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

When I came to my current job, I did not ask enough questions about how my new employers operated their systems. My mindset as an engineer was totally different from the way they had their systems constructed, and I made some mistakes. The way I was able to fix it was by taking ownership and being clear about how things went wrong. We reviewed documentation and were able to get things back up in a couple of hours. It reminded me to make sure you fully understand whatever new situation you are taking on before starting your work.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

As a network engineer, I’d like to be able to create a system that automatically updates a new system. Something with one or two clicks that will update everything instead of just having to make changes manually. That would definitely be nice. It might put us out of a job, though!

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I spent about that much recently for my admission fee to grad school.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Gears software makes correlating documents a very easy process for me.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I recommend the book, Relationship Goals by Michael Todd. Every relationship in my life is different and this book helped me understand how to work within them. It has really helped me in my interactions with other people.

What is your favorite quote?

“Never look down on my today, for my tomorrow’s will not be the same.”

Key Learnings:

• Stay the course.
• Be accountable.
• Strive to better yourself.