Interview of Compuwise - CompTIA Certified Technician

1. What is your current job role? As Systems Administrator I maintain the company network, T1 circuits for phone and internet, PCs, PBX, alarm system, cellular accounts and equipment, etc. I perform system backups, patch management, software licensing, and many various other jobs.

2. How did you get into IT? Driven by a deep personal interest in technology I first obtained an Associates degree in electronics that had some networking focus. I was hooked and continued to learn more about IT through self study for personal and professional satisfaction

3. Do you hold any certifications? If so, which ones? Right now I only have the CompTIA A+ Certification but I am working on Network +, MCSE and CCNA. I have had enough career advancement with my degree and A+ that I sometimes feel content to just see how far those achievements alone will take me but I am not really one to sit around and wait for something to happen. I have to keep pushing forward.

4. What do you like best about your job? The company I work for embraces technology. The industry we support is technology driven so we have to be also. It just comes naturally to apply this philosophy to all aspects of the business. This gives me a freedom to make better decisions and help grow the company.

5. What is your biggest career challenge? Overcoming the fear to just jump in and try something new.

6. How you keep up-to-date with current technologies and industry trends? It should come as no surprise that the Internet and web based media are the biggest sources of information for me on the latest Technologies. I get info via email, search engines, and even daily "techie" comic strips. I also frequent local brick and mortar book stores and their magazine racks.

7. Do you have any advice for other professionals who want to get into your field of work? Take every opportunity to learn whether it is through college, a tech school, seminar or self study through books or the Internet. Another point I like to stress is to never sell yourself short. You are your own best marketing team. If you don't confidently put your skills out there for everyone to see then no one else will.

8. What do you think is the greatest challenge IT professionals face today? I don't think this answer has changed much over the years but IT people are often under valued and under paid. Certifications can ease the mind of the employer so that they know they actually have a tangible asset (your knowledge); therefore, they can feel more comfortable paying a higher wage.

9. I think the next big or most exciting IT Trend right now is ... portable computing - Internet enabled phones and PDA's, pocket PCs - this technology is here to stay

10. The best advice I have ever received from a boss or co-worker is ... step back, take a deep breath, relax and know that you have the skills to resolve any issue if you put your mind to it and don't give up

11. As an IT professional, I never thought I would ... I never thought I would end up finding a passion for teaching - I have teamed up with a local company that teaches mainly Microsoft Office and data entry type courses. I signed on to be their A+ teacher and offer a month long course to prepare entry level technicians for the cert tests. We are also looking into becoming a Prometric testing center.

12. I pursued my first certification because ... personal interest and a desire to see if I "had what it takes" was originally what got me started on path to certification.

13. Without CompTIA or other certifications, I would be ... it is really hard to say what I would actually be doing. I just had a passion for technology and the CompTIA certification along with my Associates degree opened the door to that field.