Name
Jake Cheshier
Where did you grow up?
I grew up between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, California.
Where did you go to school?
Throughout grade school, I was in the Bakersfield Unified School District until I was in 8th grade, when we moved to Tehachapi, where I graduated from Tehachapi High School in 2009. From there, I earned my degree in Construction Management at Bakersfield College.
Brag about your family.
My wife and I are from the same class of the same high school and hated each other throughout. After several years, we reconnected and now we have 2 cats and a 1 year old son who are all quite the handful. My paternal grandfather is originally from Jonesboro, AR, and he was the main reason we all decided to relocate here. Luckily my parents and he preceded us in moving out here by 2 years, so we do have a nice support system in place with lots of history and family unknown to us still in the area.
What do you do for fun?
After work, you’ll typically find me taking care of my son, playing video games on the PC, or writing and recording music in my home studio.
What was your first job?
I was a golf course marshal and general groundskeeper at Horsetheif Country Club in Tehachapi, CA.
What is your dream job?
Ideally, I’d be a guitar technician for a touring band while not living off Top Ramen.
What is something very few people know about you?
I am an ordained Pastafarian Ministeroni in the state of California and have performed 4 (legal) weddings so far under the grace of His Noodliness.
What quote/motto do you live by?
“I’ve been wrong before, and I’ll be wrong again.”
Tell us your Optus story. When did you start and what position? Have you moved positions/jobs?
I moved to the Jonesboro, AR area in November of 2019 and began searching for work in the area that would align with my previous career in construction management. I was working on getting my A+ certification and applied to Optus to become a Repair Technician, since I have experience with electronics. I was interviewed for that position and, a few weeks later, was called by HR and told the position was filled internally, but they wanted to interview me again for a position that was recently vacated by the internal fulfillment. I interviewed for round 2, which was for the Services Coordinator position and was thrilled when the position was offered to me. So far, I have stayed at this position, while also being offered the opportunity to begin working with the new UCaaS services team, which I am delighted to have joined.
What is your official job title?
Services Coordinator
What SHOULD your job title be?
Vice President of Hurry Up and Wait
Describe your day to day job.
Day to day I speak with technicians and customers around the nation in order to have service requests fulfilled and completed according to the standards that are set by Optus and our clients. I field calls, both incoming and outgoing, to ensure a consistent stream of customer service and reliability expected by Optus and the clientele we serve. If there’s a problem anywhere in between these parties, it is my job to look for an answer and ensure that at the end of the day when there is trouble remotely, it is taken care of correctly in a timely matter.
What is one thing that Optus does better than any other employer you have had in the past?
Optus cares about its employees and treats everyone on a level playing field when it comes to opportunity and recreation. The level of friendliness and communication between executives and floor staff is incredible and genuinely makes you feel that you work with someone instead of for someone.
Tell us about one learning or growth opportunity you have had while working at Optus.
With a background in construction, jumping into the telecom field has been nothing but a wave of new information and wading through uncharted waters I never imagined existed a year prior. It seems like every day there’s something new to learn, whether it’s how a customer prefers their work to be done, how a tech prefers to handle business, or how certain phone systems work. There is never a day where I can come to work and say, “well, I know everything, now what?”
What do you like most about working at Optus?
Being able to be myself in an office environment is huge. The morale that exists on the floor is constantly high and makes coming to work enjoyable.
Have you received recognition from Optus on a job well done? If so, what was the recognition?
I received a certificate of appreciation on July 2nd, 2020, for helping to receive a large purchase order into our warehouse, which is typically outside of my typical job scope, but I was moved to that department temporarily to help out the company where I could the most during the COVID downturn that affected the nation.
We like to say, Optus is like a family. Who at Optus is like family to you and why?
The Services Delivery team and Services in general are very welcoming and have made my transition to the mid-south easier, but in general, my supervisor Daniel along with co-workers Aaron and Whitney have become true friends, even helping me move and attempting to unseat me from the title of “Best Golfer on the Services Delivery Team,” although I still maintain that title.