Jeff Townes, BBA 2002
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Associate, Pariveda Solutions
Jeff Townes does not consider himself technical by nature. He became interested in technology when he discovered that software development would provide him with a rewarding, creative outlet to shape his interactions with the world around him.
As an undergraduate enrolled in the Business Honors Program, Jeff was not immediately certain where his interests would lead. While a sophomore, he selected Marketing as his major and landed an internship at the Motorola Communications Enterprise. During his internship, Jeff created a case study recommending the development of an intranet portal for Motorola’s key customers. After receiving a deaf ear for his pitch, Jeff returned to Austin still hooked on the power of portals to deliver a customer-intimate experience to users. Back at UT, Jeff switched to MIS after seeing that technology could "provide a challenging career, the chance to stay on the edge of change, and the opportunity to build systems and deliver solutions that users can not yet envision."
Jeff craved intense learning in a team-based environment, so he chose his current career with Pariveda Solutions because it offers rapid exposure to many industries and technologies, and because consulting is team-focused by its very nature. He gets great satisfaction from the challenge of designing and implementing solutions tailored to myriad client needs, and walks away from each project with tangible evidence of his work. Jeff says, "Nothing is cooler than watching users adopt software I’ve written and incorporate it into their lives...it’s surreal, and I feel like a big kid because I’m awestruck that my toy creations are actually useful to the ‘real world.’ It’s truly very rewarding." Jeff plans to keep "slinging code" and sharing his excitement about technology with new clients and employees, ultimately hoping to earn a spot at the table of leadership at Pariveda.
Aside from the fast-paced, rapid learning environment, the single most rewarding aspect of Jeff’s career is meeting new people and learning their stories. As a consultant, he has the opportunity to meet and work with teams of clients, vendors, coworkers, competitors and many other people from varied backgrounds. Because Pariveda Solutions is a young and rapidly growing consulting firm, Jeff has many opportunities to contribute and make an impact. For example, he has authored and delivered technical training classes; organized company social and community service events; and currently he is helping to shape their college recruiting program.
Jeff says that the MIS program introduced him to systems thinking, a structured approach for evaluating and solving each challenge presented to him in his career and his life. He notes, “Although technology tools change, systems thinking is a vital constant, and I credit the UT MIS program for equipping me with this skill.” Jeff’s most memorable MIS experience was watching a slideshow in Rick Byars’ MIS 333K class and seeing pictures of Rick’s “wilder days” on a whitewater rafting adventure in the Grand Canyon.
What advice does Jeff have for current MIS students and recent graduates? 1. Wear sunscreen. 2. Eat a healthy breakfast. 3. Most importantly, learn from those who have gone before you. "Take comfort in the fact that the system works-the veterans with ‘manager’ on their badge have probably earned it. When you begin your career, you are correct to assume that your ideas may be new, and you may have the ability to offer your employers a fresh perspective. At the same time, if your experience is like mine, your managers - the good managers - will shield some of the details from you so that you have time to ramp up, time to learn new skills and get your feet wet. Trust me. Your day will come, and you don’t want to rush it." Interested in working for a company like Pariveda Solutions? Jeff looks for candidates who are self-motivated, with high integrity, and have the ability to apply reason to solve problems - systems thinkers.
When Jeff isn’t spreading the wonder of technology to clients and colleagues, he enjoys traveling to new cities, meeting friends out on the town, and spending time with his girlfriend. He recently joined the Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce and started volunteering for the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.
