Hello folks!!
This week we have another Tech Trump Card release and I'm pleased to announce that it's the fab Cris Fernandez! I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Cris yet, but he has provided some great answers below, so I'm not going to waffle on, I'm just going to let you get to it.
Cris Fernandez ladies and gents!
Hey Cris!
So tell me...
What's a typical day look like for you?
According to my son, all I do all day is read and reply to emails. Most of my mornings are spent on Teams calls, providing technical support to my colleagues, and many days I help with requirements workshops. I use my lunchtime to go for a walk or a run. In the afternoons I try to prioritize focus time to do Power Apps or Power Automate Flows development.
What is your favourite Microsoft 365/Power Platform/Dynamics 365 app or feature, and why?
I'd say is Power Platform connectors. What really makes the platform so flexible is its ability to connect to literally anything. And if you don't have a connector for it, you can easily develop one. It is one of those features that is supporting the entire platform and it doesn't get enough credit for it.
What do you love most about working in the tech/Microsoft industry?
That I am able to use and choose from so many different products and services available, and combine them together to provide a solution to a business problem. The landscape of different options is overwhelming and fascinating at the same time. Services, Frameworks, IDEs, SaaS, PaaS, AI, Data, Integration, libraries, you name it!
How did you get into the tech/Microsoft industry?
I wanted to be a buildings Architect and I ended up being a Solutions Architect. I suppose I always enjoyed building things. I finished my Computer Science studies and landed my first job building Visual Basic applications. That pretty much put me in the Microsoft Technologies lane. Since then, I moved to different platforms and languages, but all of them under the same Microsoft roof. A few years back I attended a session where Marco Amoedo was presenting this new tool called Microsoft CRM 2011. The rest is history.
What single bit of advice would you give a newbie to the tech/Microsoft industry?
Stay curious. Keep asking constantly how things work. Get to a low level of detail. If you don't know the answer, research it. Take notes. Ask around. When you are starting, learning as much as possible must be a priority above all.
If you had an autobiography, what would you title it?
Read, Run, Love, Repeat
Name one hobby or other interest you have outside of tech.
Reading and Running are my things. I couldn't say which one I like the most.
Name one thing that you would like to have achieved within the next 5 years.
I became an independent contractor a couple of years ago, and I started my own company, Creativity Spark. I'd like to grow it as much as possible, and be known for the high value/high quality of services provided.
Do you have any role models within the tech/Microsoft industry? If so, could you name a few?
Satya Nadella, for his leadership and vision, Bill Gates for his Philanthropy work, Scott Hanselman for his communication skills, Scott Durow for his pro-dev in-depth Power Platform knowledge and Jonas Rapp for his community contribution.
Are there any sites that you would like to share with the community?
Is there a little note that you would like to add for the community?
I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the immense help I got from the community and colleagues, so if there is anything I can do to pay back, feel free to contact me.
Thanks so much Cris for taking part, the answers you have given are really awesome! I love the enthusiasm for what you do just beaming through your answers.
You heard him everyone, feel free to contact Cris and he would be more than happy to help where he can. And follow his socials and sites above! You won't be sorry.
That's it for this week folks, but stay tuned for the next Tech Trump Card next week!
Thanks for reading/listening!