Employee of the Year 2017: Eric Shen

The reigning Mr. Verz 2017, Eric has always been regarded as the most charming gentleman you’ll meet in the company. As Project Lead, everyone enjoys working with him because of his friendly and approachable nature. We had a quick chitchat with him and discovered what keeps him busy outside work, his childhood ambition, and his most rewarding experience in Verz Design.

HI ERIC! HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR JOB SO FAR?

Hey there. So far, so good! Work has been going well and it gets exciting day by day.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH VERZ DESIGN? CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS PROJECT LEAD?

I’ve been with Verz since July 2015 and basically, some of my main responsibilities include communicating the client’s requirements to the appropriate team members involved as we work on finishing a website project together. It’s my job to manage the entire team and provide assistance, when necessary.

DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY THAT YOU ONCE CONSIDERED TO BE YOUR DREAM JOB?

When I was young, I thought about becoming a professional Dota player but then realized that I wasn’t talented enough to succeed in that.

THEY SAY THAT YOU ARE THE MOST CHARMING GENTLEMAN AT VERZ, DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS? OR DO YOU THINK SOMEONE DESERVES THE TITLE TOO?

Wow, thank you. I think the characteristics that build up a gentleman include being tasteful, knowledgeable and gracious, and I’m not really sure if I fit those descriptions. I do know a lot of fine gentlemen in the company such as Nick, Waseem, Bernard, Igen, Will, and of course, Henry!

WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO DURING YOUR FREE TIME?

Usually, I just stay at home and binge-watch some videos or read books. If I have time, I try to work out in the gym or go for a swim.

DO YOU HAVE A MEMORY OF THE MOST CHALLENGING CLIENT YOU’VE HANDLED? HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD?

We used to have a client who lost her temper on me while we were discussing the project over the phone. I decided to keep calm and maintained communication via email instead of phone calls. Eventually, things got better from then on.

WHAT’S A WORKPLACE HABIT THAT YOU TRY TO IMPROVE FOR YOURSELF?

In the workplace, I’m all about focus – focus on my work and the client, that’s all.

During my free time, I try to read some books about project management, customer service, and I try to brush up on my programming knowledge in PHP, HTML, etc. Since technology is constantly changing, I have to keep up and educate myself for us to move forward.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD IN VERZ?

Personally, for me it’s both the pressure and the fun times I share with my colleagues.

With pressure, I believe all of us are feeling this in Verz, especially us in the project team. But I believe that with pressure, comes motivation and power. I always tell myself that I would rather be tried while I’m still young, rather than when I’m old.

Besides the tears and perspiration in Verz, I’m very fortunate to have met some of the nicest friends you can have in this company. We always have a lot of fun during lunch time and team buildings. They’ve become a memorable part of my life.

HOW DO YOU COPE WITH STRUGGLES OR DISAPPOINTMENTS AT WORK?

I used to eat a lot whenever I encounter any disappointments at work. During weekends, you will see me in steamboat buffets eating my worries away for 2 hours or getting dinner at KFC or McDonald’s. You might say that it doesn’t look like it because I’m slim, so I guess I’m lucky because I can easily lose the excess weight!

HOW DO YOU HANDLE WORK AND LIFE BALANCE?

I used to go home early since I get to finish my work latest by 6:45 pm, but it’s been quite busy these past few months. Nevertheless, I always try to find time for myself and enjoy as much personal time I can get.

HOW HAS THE COMPANY CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR PERSONAL AND CAREER GROWTH?

I learned a lot about project management here in Verz Design and it’s quite similar with the course I took in college – Business Information System.

Moving forward, I am aiming to get a PMP certificate and I believe that my current job here in Verz is honing me to excel and gather enough experience to get this certificate.

IF I ASKED YOUR WORKMATES TO DESCRIBE YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD SAY?

Mr. Verz 2017, innocent, quiet, and friendly

In moving forward and working towards continuous innovation and progression of the company, we always make it a point to recognize the passion, hard work and quality in service that our employees always strive to achieve. It is our duty to work well as a team and to commend certain employees that have stood out among the rest. Through this, we hope to achieve and inspire everyone to step up and work as one in bringing Verz Design to the next level. Here’s to excellence and innovation this 2018 and the succeeding years to come!