In this ongoing series, we speak with WP Engine\u2019s experts to learn more about their roles, areas of expertise, and contributions to the company\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this interview, we speak with Raphaela Kelly, aka Rapha. She\u2019s a senior technical support agent based in Galway, Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/han-solo-and-me-chilling-in-the-cantina-1-540x304.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/my-old-mug-1-490x540.jpg\")
Say hello to Rapha!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rapha is a gamer who enjoys life and immersive simulation games like Stardew Valley, The Sims, and Animal Crossing. She\u2019s also a vital member of WP Engine Ireland<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Originally from Esp\u00edrito Santo, Brazil, Rapha joined a student exchange program to Europe in 2019, where she met an Irishman who would later become her husband. After some international changes in residence\u2014including a couple of years back home in Brazil and a quick stint in Portugal\u2014she officially moved to Ireland in 2021, and applied at WP Engine shortly after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had been very active in the open-source community back in Esp\u00edrito Santo, so WordPress was already familiar to me,\u201d Rapha says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile researching potential jobs, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that WP Engine is highly rated by Great Places to Work<\/a> as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When she\u2019s not working or gaming, Rapha also enjoys spending time outdoors or taking in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI like taking a good walk. Living in Ireland, it\u2019s hard not to\u2014the place is absolutely stunning,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI live in Galway. I like that it is not a very big city, but it\u2019s very active. No matter the weather, there is always something happening in Galway, and walking down Shop Street<\/a> always provides a bit of entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though she lives just over an hour from the WP Engine Ireland office in Limerick, she still visits the bustling hub<\/a> to say hello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEveryone is very warm and supportive. We have fun together, and going to the office is always great craic<\/em><\/a>,\u201d says Rapha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlthough I work mostly remotely, I make a point of going to the office when I can to connect with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before joining WP Engine, Rapha had plenty of technical experience, including a background working with several technologies WP Engine integrates into our current platform configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had worked for Cloudflare previously, which made WP Engine even more appealing to me,\u201d says Rapha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorking with Linux, WordPress, and Cloudflare services makes me feel right at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, she provides expert advice to our customers as a member of our support team. As a senior technical support agent, her role often involves handling more complex issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think my experience working with open-source services, networks, and Cloudflare helps me understand things more easily, making me one of the go-to people for unusual cases,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt also helps that I love a bit of sleuthing. If there\u2019s something I don\u2019t know yet, I\u2019ll go learn it to help our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked what advice she would give to someone starting out on a career journey similar to hers, Rapha\u2019s advice mirrored that of her colleague, Julio<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAsk questions. Entering any IT field can be challenging, especially if you didn\u2019t start in IT,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome people are afraid to ask questions, but no one can know everything. Working in IT is a constant learning process, and asking for help is one of the best ways to get the hang of things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most challenging aspects of Rapha\u2019s role is not just the complexity of the issues she is tasked with solving but also the level of frustration that often accompanies this complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe cases I work on are technically challenging, but they\u2019re also often challenging on a social level. It\u2019s not easy to refocus a customer on resolving the problem rather than letting them dwell on their frustration,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe I am an empathetic person, and I do my best to put myself in the customer’s shoes every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Complex issues are often the ones most rife with opportunities to learn, and Rapha uses these moments to hone her own skills\u2014both from a technical and interpersonal perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have such a variety of customers, and I learn a lot from working with them to understand their specific needs and situations,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is usually a mix of technologies involved, which really keeps me on my toes. And because WP Engine is also constantly changing and adapting to more modern technologies, I learn a lot from our engineering teams as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even during the most challenging cases, when tensions are high and it\u2019s easy to feel defeated, Rapha remains focused on finding solutions and remaining positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t take it personally. If a customer is upset with an issue, our focus should be on resolving it,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s understandable to feel frustrated by a problem\u2014I feel it myself. But it\u2019s not personal, so we need to empathize and not let that frustration affect our problem-solving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n WP Engine is powered by people just like Rapha who work around the clock to optimize our platform and solutions to provide the best possible digital experiences on WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked to identify her favorite aspect of her job at WP Engine, her answer wasn\u2019t all too surprising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe people\u2014both our employees and our customers. We have a very diverse workforce and customer base, and I love that. Everyone has something unique about them, and I enjoy finding opportunities to connect with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to find out more about what it\u2019s like to work at <\/em><\/strong>WP Engine<\/em><\/strong><\/a>? Visit our <\/em><\/strong>careers site<\/em><\/strong><\/a> to see the roles we currently have open and check out <\/em><\/strong>our blog<\/em><\/strong><\/a> for more information about all the great people who work here!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From our award-winning customer support team to the engineers who keep our platform and services fast and performant, each one of WP Engine\u2019s more than 1,000 employees is vital to fulfilling our mission to power confidence online. We take pride in our team\u2019s expertise, whether in technical troubleshooting for WordPress sites, driving relentless innovation across…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":318,"featured_media":153638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[454,122,411],"tags":[1492],"class_list":["post-154601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","category-culture","category-finely-tuned-expert","tag-meet-the-experts"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/me-and-my-husband-in-a-supposedly-waterfall-in-Ireland-540x405.jpg\")
Rapha\u2019s career journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Words of wisdom: Focus on finding solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Powered by people<\/h2>\n\n\n\n