Living our Values and Leveraging Diverse Skill Sets: How Jonathan Atwood Built a Successful Career as a Customer Advisor at Rapid7

Last updated at Tue, 12 Dec 2023 20:07:51 GMT

At Rapid7, our Customer Advisors play a pivotal role at ensuring our customers understand their threat landscape – and feel confident in their security programs. By collaborating across various internal teams, strengthening customer relationships, and proactively seeking solutions and advocating for customer needs, Customer Advisors have a direct impact on the success of our business. To do this successfully requires a clear understanding of Rapid7’s core values and associated behaviors as well as an equal balance of strong technical knowledge and exceptional customer relationship skills.

Jonathan: “You need to create a strong relationship with customers to fully understand their needs and their business. You also have to be able to talk in detail about very technical scenarios. This requires having some experience or education in the cybersecurity field as well as the ability to relay information to our engineers and developers. Customers are extremely aware of the potential risks a security event may pose to their businesses, so it’s important their questions are answered in detail. This enables a clear understanding of what is happening in their environments.”

In addition to presenting and reviewing activity reports, Customer Advisors like Jonathan take a proactive approach to providing guidance and advice on all aspects of a customer’s security ecosystem.

Jonathan: “I may be asked to advise on reviewing the results of a recent Pen test, break down a bug or issue with a particular piece of code, or speak up if there is a storage container system they are using that I wouldn’t agree with or recommend.”

Jonathan also notes that the requirements for each customer can also vary depending on industry or field, based on specific security frameworks that may be in place that govern how they do business. Understanding these requirements helps provide additional guidance and shape recommendations for the unique needs of individual customers.

Jonathan: “HIPAA is a common example of a security framework. So if I have a customer who is in the medical field, I’m also thinking of the regulations in place for protecting patient health information and how to best advise them based on those specific requirements.”

While the role is dynamic and requires a wide range of skills to be successful, Jonathan says it’s the ability to see the impact of his work that he finds most rewarding.

Jonathan: “I’ve always had an aspiration to help people. In this role, I can feel the impact my work has on the customer as well as internally at Rapid7. When I have provided the right guidance and solutions and they are happy with our services, that leads to customer renewals and helps you feel like you're contributing directly to the success of the business.”

The responsibility for cultivating relationships isn’t limited to external customers. For Jonathan, building internal relationships helps him drive positive impact in his role and for his own development and growth.

Jonathan: “Collaboration is a huge part of Rapid7’s culture. You should never be afraid of reaching out to ask a question or to raise your hand if you need help. Any time I’ve reached out to someone with a question – whether it was big or small, in a team chat or a 1:1 conversation, everyone has always been willing to jump in and help.

“We talk a lot about our values as a company, and when it comes to those Rapid7 core values like Advocating for Customers, Challenging Convention, and Impacting Together, we all understand that having these conversations helps get us to the best possible outcome. Additionally, the events the company hosts to  bring people from different teams together are helpful in understanding how different teams operate and how you might eventually partner together in the future.”

An emphasis on collaboration and a deep dive of Rapid7’s core values are key elements of a new hire’s global onboarding program. The current program combines a mix of company education (culture, values, benefits processes, etc.) with programs specific to each person's role or team.

Jonathan: “Once hired, I would recommend fully taking advantage of the first few weeks of onboarding. A lot of content is self paced, and it sets a good foundation of how to be successful at Rapid7 as well as imparts information about our products and services. I also recommend new Customer Advisors become certified for InsightIDR. As an employee, you can take the test for free, and it gives you a great foundation to build on. This is also a great time to shadow some calls to get familiar with some common topics and questions that might come up.”

Throughout onboarding and beyond, Jonathan also states the importance of being eager to learn (reflected in Rapid7’s “Never Done” core value).

Jonathan: “For new hires in this role, come in with an open mind and be ready to learn and ask questions. This is a very complex role, and it can be stressful at times due to the nature of our industry. The more you recognize and seek the experience and feedback of those around you, the more successful you will be. Take advantage of opportunities to learn and grow throughout your time here – not just as a new hire.”

Rapid7 is continuing to grow teams in locations around the world. Learn more about career opportunities or browse all open jobs.