TJ O'Connor: Light at the End of the Tunnel

Join us in The BreakLine Arena as we share tech industry insights, hear from industry titans and celebrate the stories of our amazing alumni community. In this episode we have the opportunity to hear from BreakLine alum, T.J. O'Connor.

T.J. O’Connor’s story is a reminder that there is light at the end of the military transition tunnel.

A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, TJ’s military service allowed him to hone his leadership, build a diverse set of professional skills, and gain exposure to a wide variety of roles.

With a background in Cyber Operations and Information Technology, one of his earliest roles was leading a 22-person Client Service Team.

Within three years, TJ became a senior leader of a 125+ person team responsible for the network design, vulnerability management, and system administration of a data center.

TJ went on to serve at the National Security Agency, lead Air Force recruitment efforts in the Pacific Northwest, and instruct our nation’s next generation of leaders as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Sciences.

Those who wear the uniform know that military service truly is a family affair. Spouses often endure countless career transitions, children navigate new school systems, and extended family often step in to provide an additional layer of support during the trying times.

After eight years of active duty service, multiple moves, and time away from a growing family, TJ and his wife Becky made the family decision to start an exciting new chapter by pivoting into the tech industry.

He was introduced to Datadog during his BreakLine Education programming and immediately fell in love with the company culture. Last month, with the support of amazing champions like Marissa Parillo and Margee Leach, TJ officially began his new role as a Customer Success Manager.

When asked about his experience thus far, TJ said, “Datadog provides me with an amazing opportunity to lead and drive impact across the organization as they expand their operations to the West Coast and in our home state of Colorado. The company truly invests in their employees’ growth and well-being. I can’t wait to see how this next chapter of my professional journey unfolds.”

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