Thomas, a Linux engineer, joined SQUAD Toulouse in 2019.
For ethical and community reasons, he stopped using Windows in 2011 and has specialized in Linux.Let's take a look at his career and his passion for IT.
Can you introduce yourself?
Thomas, 38 years old, passionate, open-minded, extremely curious, combative, highly motivated once I have clearly defined my priority objective. People also say I am generous, sensitive, humble (not easy to prove amid a list of qualities I attribute to myself, admittedly), with a definite taste for debating ideas and exchanging views, "uncompromising," sociable, and... talkative.
How did you become a Linux system engineer?
I worked in several different jobs before landing my first job in this field, and as a self-taught person, I initially focused on positions as a Windows and network support technician. Then, I ran my own home computer repair business for individuals for four years.
Since 2011, I no longer have a Windows computer at home, more for reasons of ethical values and community spirit than for technical reasons. The only way to end the frustration caused by this gap between my personal computing and my professional environment was to shift my career towards Linux. Three years ago, I arrived in Toulouse and devoted myself exclusively to Linux positions.
Finding companies that would trust me enough to get me started in this field was not easy to "sell," despite successful technical tests. The road has been winding and bumpy, but as the old Japanese proverb says, "Such is life: fall seven times and get up eight times."
In 2019, I got my first job as a Linux engineer at a small subcontractor of Sierra Wireless, which met all my technical expectations beyond my wildest dreams, but was unbearable on a human level.
How did you hear about SQUAD?
In 2018, I had already fallen in love with SQUAD during a job interview with the manager of the Toulouse agency, but I didn't follow my instincts and made a different choice.
Last year, the opportunity arose again for a very exciting project at Orange in an environment with more than 18,000 Unix/Linux servers, offering all the technical challenges I was looking for.
I knew exactly what I wanted, and my manager really listened to me. So he offered me positions that matched my goals. I can finally have fun with Linux and learn every day in a pleasant, collaborative atmosphere, both at SQUAD and at the client's site.
What do you think the SQUAD spirit is?
Friendliness, proximity—everything seems designed to make employees feel comfortable and able to progress. All companies say this, but few actually do it, or at least, we often quickly reach the limits of this desire. These are the first words that come to mind, but I haven't been with Squad for very long, so my answer will undoubtedly be more detailed in a few months' time.
At SQUAD, training is a key lever for preventing expertise from becoming obsolete. How can we stay up to date in our professions?
Training plays a key role, but I'm stating the obvious here. Traditional, certified training is, of course, what comes to mind first. However, the importance of continuing education is too often underestimated in many companies.
Online training tools such as those provided by SQUAD are excellent. Mix Your Talent evenings, CTFs, and events organized by groups focused on a particular technology are extremely important.
For my part, the devices and tools deployed at home, or "homelab," also help me to learn continuously and respond to my new needs. It's a personal investment, in terms of time and resources, but it's also part of staying up to date.
This learning has always slightly preceded my professional developments. What do I want to become at work? What knowledge is required to get there? I ask myself these questions as soon as I finish a project. For a self-taught person, this is more obvious than for a technician who has received more conventional training.
Panda, lion, rhino... What is your spirit animal and why?
I would say the panther, although I don't claim to be as majestic and graceful. The main reason is that I have always felt quite close to felines: their independence, their calmness, their accepted solitude, their ability to take the high ground from a tree branch and observe what is happening on the ground with detachment, their repeated attacks on their prey until they achieve their goal, even if it means putting themselves in danger, like the cheetah, which even risks its heart giving out if its chase lasts too long...
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