Meet Community MVP...
Mike Roethof
Hello Mike! So tell us a little on how you got started in your career and when was ServiceNow introduced to you?
After having finished my study on Information and Communication Technology, I traveled in Australia for a year, came back to the Netherlands, picked-up my holiday job at a plant growing station, and just put my resume on the Internet. Those days, after a few minutes you would receive a call for an interview already. That’s just how I rolled into the this world... October 31st 2007, I was still working outside sowing plants for the new season, November 1st 2007, I was suited up and behind a desk 😊.
Actually started out at a competitor of my current employer, and working on HP software in ITSM. Most colleagues who where working on BMC Remedy software switched around 2009 to... ServiceNow! I missed the boat at that moment as there was enough work on the HP side. Switched in 2011, to work for the largest bank in the Netherlands on HP software in Orchestration. In 2016, I was let go, luckily I already was in contact with my current employer, Quint Technology. At Quint Technology I started my ServiceNow journey, on the Geneva-release.
What do you do now? What is your favorite part of using the ServiceNow?
It’s just all over the place. Now for three months supporting a customers DevOps team, a customer in the Financial market, and working mainly on custom business apps. Previous assignment was six weeks of implementing CSM and setting up integrations at a company in Real estate, Construction, Infrastructure and Installation Technology. And next up will be doing the technical implementation of Virtual Agent at a company in the Energy market, and guiding the company on how to self build and maintain their Virtual Agent topics. So all over the place!
Already on day 1, or when Googling about ServiceNow already before day 1? ServiceNow Community pops-up all the time. And especially when trying to learn more, when browsing for similarities, when being stuck on an issue, etcetera: ServiceNow Docs, ServiceNow Developer or... ServiceNow Community! In most cases (related) questions have been posted in the past or articles and blogs have been written. It’s such a huge source of knowledge. You just need to get your hands on it and find your way on how to browse the ServiceNow Community.
What motivates you to participate? Why do you do it?
I benefited so much when starting on ServiceNow (and still do!) from using the ServiceNow Docs, ServiceNow Developer, ServiceNow Community, watching the Ask the Experts videos, TechNow, Live Coding Happy Hour, etcetera. I didn’t experience such a huge source of information out there for everyone on the previous products I’ve worked with. Early 2019, I decided to start contributing myself. Answering questions, writing articles, etcetera. I thought this could be fun, test your own knowledge and skill and because I benefited so much: let’s give something back.
And yes, it does take a lot of time to be so involved, and most of that is in my own spare time. Though what I didn’t realize when starting to contribute myself: following the ServiceNow Community more actively, also gives you a lot of inspiration and knowledge for free! Topics that you would think "interesting", or "hmm don't actually know, let's subscribe on this". Or answers given by others, which might be a better way to what I had in my mind. So by contributing yourself and following the ServiceNow Community more: it lifts your level as well!
How else do you participate?
I do limit myself to answering questions and posting weekly articles and blogs on the ServiceNow Community. Did present two Virtual Agent Academy live webinars recently, a lot of fun to do.
What would you say to encourage your peers to participate more?
By contributing yourself and following the ServiceNow Community more: it actually lifts your level as well. All for free, you only need to invest some time. So a win-win situation!
Any other interesting tidbits, stories, hobbies you'd like to share?
ServiceNow is almost a hobby 🙂
Besides working for Quint Technology, I'm spending a lot of my time in professional basketball. I'm a second assistant coach at Landstede Hammers. We are the current National Champions.
Thank you, Mike!
