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Nigel Anderson on Rural Living, Remote Working, and Relentless Learning

October 30, 2023

Kathy Banach

Tucked away in the peaceful Irish countryside, our Star of the Month Nigel Anderson shares a slice of his life, his role at OnTheGoSystems, and what keeps his motivation ticking in a remote work setting.

Nigel, could you give us a glimpse into your life?

I’m English, but live in rural Ireland with my Irish wife, 2 teenagers, 3 cats, 4 hens, and a dog-shaped absence that we hope to fill in the new year. I’m surrounded by green, with coast and mountains nearby. 

Dublin’s city center is just a 40-minute drive away on a good day, ideal for catching live gigs. 

It is peaceful here with an abundance of space, though rural living has its drawbacks: tomorrow I need to replace the dirty water pump in our sewage system.

A view of Nigel’s home from the tree house he built for his kids

Based on your personal experiences, is there a piece of advice or a tip you’d like to share?

I wish I’d kept a journal all my adult life. By the time you get to my age, you’ve forgotten a lot – at least, enough to fill a cloud-based journal app with a generous storage plan.

Nigel reminiscing about his first computer at the Berlin Computer Games Museum

Can you tell us about the different hats you wear at OnTheGoSystems?

I’m lucky to have quite a lot of variety in my job. I work in support queues for both Toolset and WPML, handling more technical escalated issues in Toolset. On a daily basis, I also liaise with developers to prioritize work, and manage a support team.

My role requires a broad knowledge of our products, especially a deeper technical understanding of Toolset, which helps me tackle WPML issues better.

Shifting between Toolset and WPML based on workload keeps things interesting.

What skills are essential for success in your role?

It’s important to be able to juggle different tasks without becoming distracted and losing track of the bigger picture, so being well organised is a must. Even with the digital tools we have, I keep a pen and paper on the desk by my keyboard for scribbling notes.

A big part of my day is also interacting with customers and colleagues across teams, which requires good communication skills.

Nigel on his way to the Barbie premiere

What makes you proud as a member of the Support team?

Having a lot of patience and empathy is crucial when dealing with clients, and these attributes really shine among our successful supporters. What I’m most proud of is when our collective efforts are recognized by customers, who often express that they continue using our products because of the outstanding level of support they receive. It really drives home the value of what we do every day.

Nigel enjoying a hike in the nearby hills with his son

Any hopes and plans for the future?

I suspect I’m one of the older employees in OTGS, if not the oldest, but I still have plenty of appetite for learning, and employing what I’ve learned. I’m just getting started :).

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