Brandon B. (he/him) earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems with a minor in data science from Oklahoma State University (OSU). He has been with Paycom for over two years, starting as an intern and transitioning to a full-time Database Administrator (DBA).
Brandon first heard of a career at Paycom through a college presentation and quickly knew he wanted to begin his career at Paycom. “The internship is what ended up selling it for me. I was able to learn so much because everyone here was willing to answer every question I had and even taught me things that I didn’t ask,” Brandon shared. “The culture that I experienced in that one summer made me come back for another internship and eventually come back full time.”
As an administrator, Brandon is committed to supporting clients and improving automation within the Paycom software. We caught up with Brandon to explore more about his role.
What does a day in the life of a Database Administrator look like at Paycom?
As a DBA on the infrastructure team, we take on tasks to stand up new databases to support our clients. On top of this, we also help troubleshoot database connection challenges.
I mainly help standup and maintain our production databases. I also help push automation initiatives by creating new automation for manual tasks and enhancing our existing automation.
What classes or experience prepared you for this role?
There were a few classes that helped me prepare for this role. The main four were Database, Systems Infrastructure, Ethical Hacking and Scripting Essentials.
Another experience that helped me was the job I had in college. I was a student help desk tech. This job helped me refine my troubleshooting skills and introduced me to ambiguous tasks, which are both important to know and have for a DBA role at Paycom.
What is something you learned or wish you would have learned before getting to Paycom that would’ve better prepared you?
I wish I would’ve gone deeper into data science because there’s always space to learn. After starting here, I noticed how much data can really help make decisions and identify issues before they cause problems. Knowing how to use data to answer questions is a powerful tool.
How does Paycom help you achieve your goals? Are there any personal or professional goals you’ve met or are hoping to achieve soon?
The main goal I have right now is to learn all that I can. Toward the end of my time at OSU, I realized how big the world of tech is and decided that I would do all that I can to learn and stay on top of the game. Working here at Paycom has given me ample opportunities to learn and sharpen my existing skills.
What’s one of your favorite Paycom memories?
During the last week of my internship, the DBA team took us out for lunch and gave us a big send-off. It was a great way to end the summer and my internship.
What advice do you have for someone going into this role?
My advice for someone going into this role is to be hungry and always improve yourself. The tech world is always changing, and if you don’t continue to learn and adapt, you’ll fall behind. Never be afraid to ask questions; that’s one of the easiest ways to learn!
Learn more about a Database Administrator internship.
