Harold Briones is a Project Manager in our Deployment Services division, working on Inside Plant (ISP) projects across many states in the eastern and central U.S. He’s been on our team since 2010 when he was part of our previous operating company, Fairhaven Partners, and has made a name for himself as a technical expert and respected team leader at Network Connex.

Tell us about your career path and what led you to your current role?

I started my career in the telecom industry by doing on-the-job training as a requirement in college in 2004 and 2006. After graduating from college, I started working as a planning and design engineer in 2008 back in my home country. In 2010, I decided to move back to the US and got a job at Fairhaven where I started as a level 1 technician where my only task was to pull cables. But because of my work ethic and willingness to learn, I became the lead technician in just a few months. From there, I led and supervised small, medium, and large projects.

While a technician and a lead/supervisor, I was exposed to different types of projects from installation and integration, upgrades, structured wiring, antenna and satellite dish installation and peaking, network device configurations, power, test and turn-ups, provisioning and commissioning, migrations, and many more. I have been fortunate enough to work for many different customers such as Scientific Atlanta, Cisco, Commscope, AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner (now Charter Spectrum), Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and DirecTV, either on headends, hubs, VHO/SHO, data centers, colos, etc. In 2019, I became a technical project manager and then, in 2020, my role changed to project manager. As a PM, my role includes planning, time management, communication, leadership, negotiation, problem-solving, budgeting, active listening, adaptability, collaboration, quality management, conflict resolution, prioritization, technical skills, and scheduling.

What kinds of education or on the job training have helped you be successful in your current job?

I have an associate’s degree in Electronics and Computer technology and a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering.  My formal education started it all and equipped me with the skills and knowledge that I need to be where I am at right now. I developed my technical skills by doing on the job and hands-on training. The experience that I gained through the years, both in the field and in the office, helped me to be successful in my job.

What characteristics do you think are needed to be successful in your role?

I think good work ethic, attention to detail, technical and engineering skills, problem-solving, effective communication, leadership skills, willingness to learn, organization, budgeting, team player, and adaptability will make one successful in my role.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Every day could be different for me. But, a typical day starts with checking my notes from the previous day to see where I left off. I also check what my meeting or call schedule looks like for the day. I then check the status of my projects which could include reviewing the scope of work, calling my team in the field to get updates, discussing the project, and seeing what support they need. Afterward, I have a quick glance at the financial side of my projects.

I move on to customer interactions, starting with making calls to customers to give project updates and let them know about any concerns. Next I’ll check emails and will run through those while prioritizing the most important tasks first. If we have any customer quote requests I’ll work those up and send out. I also review open POs and work with customers to get the next projects scheduled.

The last component of my day includes paperwork – I’ll prepare engineering documents, review SOWs, create BOMs, and order materials for upcoming projects. Once done, I can share project information and discuss upcoming projects with my leads or field supervisors.

What do you love most about what you do?

I am always grateful for this job and the people I interact with daily, who make it easy for me to do my work. I enjoy collaborating and exchanging ideas with customers and my team. I enjoy helping and supporting my team by giving them advice, and by sharing my knowledge and skills. I love the fact that every day presents me with different challenges. I like challenges, and they help me think of ways of how to overcome issues while keeping my focus.

How do you like to spend your time outside of work?

I love spending time with my family including playing with my son Gabe, taking him for a bike ride, running while I push him in his stroller, and a lot more. My wife, Myra, and I like to watch movies and TV series and we both love to eat.

I like to run— it’s not just exercise for me, it is also my stress reliever, confidence booster, helps me cultivate mindfulness, lets me practice setting a goal, then achieve and celebrate it, and be resilient. I also like playing basketball, playing video games, and watching sports like football and basketball.

Tell us a fun or surprising fact about you!

When I was in college, I played drums 🥁 (I wasn’t good at all 😂) with a band made up of college friends and classmates. We attended battles of the bands and occasionally performed at events.

Ever since I was a small kid, I have been fascinated with action figures. And in 2021, I started collecting them. They bring out the little kid in me!