Edward Raj Selvarajoo: Never Stop Learning Something New
At ASW Global, we take pride in recruiting the most qualified people that will best fit our clients’ specific requirements. With his 10-year experience in various leadership roles, Edward Raj Selvarajoo from ASW Malaysia is proof that he’s the right person for the job as Service Level Manager for one of our client partners. We look forward to seeing him flourish in his role and in his career journey with us.
1. Hi Edward, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
I like to travel using my motorcycle. During the weekends, I always travel within Malaysia with my wife and friends. I also go fishing occasionally.
2. Can you tell us more about your role here at ASW? How many years have you been with ASW?
I’ve been with ASW for the past three years as a Service Level Manager. I’m in charge of Process Improvement, Incident Management and Problem Management.
3. Can you tell us what your career was like before joining ASW?
I came from the manufacturing industry at the beginning of my career. I worked as a Product Engineer in Western Digital before moving to IT in 2008 where I joined Hewlett Packard in Incident Management. In 2017, I moved to Dimension Data as Service Level Lead before I joined ASW in 2019.
4. What do you think was your “edge” versus other candidates for the role that you applied for at ASW?
I’d like to think it’s because of my experience and the knowledge that I gained from my previous jobs. Even though I didn’t start out as an IT person, I learned a lot from working in an IT-leading company where I worked with all technical support teams.
5. What do you like most about working for ASW?
Manageable, close-knit environment with friendly people. In ASW, the staff and the client are polite. Better working hours, too.
6. As a service level manager, how do you deal with challenges at work?
It’s mostly ticketing-related issues. The challenge I normally face is when the process is not followed by the engineers. I have to chase them to resolve the ticket before breaching the SLA and to update the ticket frequently.
7. What leadership skills have you learned to develop?
In my 10 years of different leadership roles, I’ve had to learn a lot about process development and getting the right people to solve the issues. For soft skills, I needed to improve how I communicate with the team, manage my time more efficiently, and inspire the spirit of teamwork.
8. How do you motivate or encourage the team?
I’m an Individual contributor in ASW. But I work with multiple teams to improve their working process. I use positive words such as “you’ve done a good job”, “you’re the best” and “thank you” to encourage them.
9. What project or task have you done at ASW that you are most proud of?
Before I joined ASW, the Backlog Incident tickets would reach as high as 800++. I managed to bring down the number to 200++.
10. What important lessons have you learned from working at ASW?
If you share your knowledge and teach or guide your team members, your life will be easier.
11. Thanks for your time! Is there any special message or advice that you’d like to share with your fellow ASW colleagues, especially for those who are aspiring for leadership positions?
Never stop learning something new and never keep your knowledge to yourself.