1) Please provide a BIO about yourself:
Eric Hintz

I was born in Brookings, South Dakota. I went to school at South Dakota State University, where I studied German, French, Spanish, and Chinese. I was a database administrator for the college and graduated with a German degree. After looking for linguistics jobs prior to graduation, I realized I would make more doing IT work and I also enjoyed the IT world. My brother owned a computer training company, so I was fortunate to get a job teaching Microsoft Office classes. As I taught Office classes, I attended Microsoft classes at night. I took the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) exams along with the CompTIA A+, Network+, and I-Net+ exams. I taught Microsoft Office, database, networking, and CompTIA classes in South Dakota and later in Kansas City. A few years pass and I find myself in the much warmer Houston where I program primarily using X++ (Microsoft Dynamics AX programming language). I don’t miss the snow from South Dakota at all. I am working full-time and attending school at the University of Houston full-time. I will graduate in December 2008 with an M.S. IT Project Management: Information Systems Security degree. I have a few certifications, ranging from Microsoft to CompTIA to QuickBooks.

Certifications:

• Microsoft Certified Trainer
• Microsoft Certified Database Administrator 2000
• Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator 2000
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer 2000
• Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator 2003
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer 2003
• MCSA: Security on Microsoft Windows 2000
• MCSA: Messaging on Microsoft Windows 2000
• MCSE: Security on Microsoft Windows 2000
• MCSE: Messaging on Microsoft Windows 2000
• MCSA: Security on Microsoft Windows 2003
• MCSA: Messaging on Microsoft Windows 2003
• MCSE: Messaging on Microsoft Windows 2003
• MCSE: Security on Microsoft Windows 2003
• Microsoft Certified Application Developer (.NET 1.0/1.1)
• Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (.NET 1.0/1.1)
• Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician 
• Certified Master–Microsoft CRM 1.2 Installation & Configuration
• Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Professional in Microsoft CRM Customization 1.2
• Dynamics Certified Professional in Microsoft CRM 3.0 Installation and Configuration
• Dynamics Certified Professional in Microsoft CRM 3.0 Customization
• Dynamics Certified Professional in Microsoft CR 3.0 Applications
• Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Master–Applications for Microsoft Dynamics CRM
• Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Master–Installation & Configuration for Microsoft Dynamics CRM
• Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Master-Developer for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 
• Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist – Development Introduction in Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0
• Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist – Enterprise Portal Development in Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0
• Microsoft Office Specialist Master XP
• Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor XP
• Microsoft Office Specialist Master 2003
• Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor 2003
• CompTIA A+
• CompTIA Network+
• CompTIA I-Net+
• CompTIA IT Project+
• CompTIA Security+
• CompTIA Server+
• CompTIA IT Professional
• Certified Internet Webmaster Associate
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (certification has expired)
• Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor
• PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)

2) Please provide a detailed description of what you do as a professional, including your title, your function within your organization, if you’re a manager how many people report to you, etc.

Application Developer

I support custom applications, develop areas in Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0, manage Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and create custom applications when needed. My title is application developer, but I also help with server administration and database maintenance. I ensure the older custom legacy applications are supported and help transition the company to a new ERP package (Microsoft Dynamics AX).

3) Describe a typical day of the week in your job.

I first start off by looking at the stocks on msn.com and remind myself retirement is a long way away. I remote into a database server to verify critical database jobs succeeded and the server disk space is okay (just to make sure other system administrators are not putting files on the server). I have a list of development requests to complete, so I complete the critical ones first. I have one to two meetings each day, one consisting of a development status meeting, and another meeting verifying development requirements. After lunch I check the Dow again to see how the economy is doing. The afternoon consists of similar morning activities.

4) What part of your work do you find most rewarding? Why?

At work we are at the brink of technology. Often there are no solutions to a problem we see, so we have to create custom software to address the problem. My feedback is listened to at my company. It is a great feeling when my boss says he’ll talk to another manager regarding a concern or question, and the next day I receive a follow-up. I work with a great team, so if I have a question, most likely someone on the team can help me out. Many employees have worked at the company for more than 15 years, so I can always find an answer to a question. The other developer who is leading the Dynamics AX development issues is the smartest developer I’ve ever met. Microsoft releases patches to the Dynamics AX system, so we apply Microsoft’s code updates. The last time we applied updates, I asked why we didn’t merge all the code changes. His response was “Oh yeah, I found that bug and fixed it before Microsoft made a patch for it.” It’s a great feeling knowing I am on a great team!

5) What kind of training, education, or course work is required for what you do?

Programming experience with .NET is required, along with communication skills. Microsoft Dynamics AX experience helps tremendously, but a person can pick up Dynamics AX easier if they have object-oriented programming experience. My company works primarily with Microsoft products (a few legacy IBM AS/400 and Lotus Notes applications too), so any Microsoft experience is good. Being eager to learn new things makes the job much easier. Basic networking and database programming facilitates better X++ and .NET programming.

6) What kinds of prior IT and professional experiences are absolutely essential to get this kind of position?

Programming, basic networking, basic database management, good communication skills, Dynamics AX development, and the ability to take on new types of work are essential to this position.
 
7) What types of internships/part-time jobs would you suggest before entering this field?

An internship at a company with a team structure is beneficial. Many successful companies use teams, and if you have worked in teams before, the team environment will be easier to adapt to. If you want a network admin position, get an intern as network technician. If you want to be a super-geek developer, try to get an internship as a Jr. or assistant programmer. I started as a network technician, then database administrator prior to becoming a full-time developer.

8) What are some of the job possibilities for experienced workers in this field?

Microsoft Dynamics AX developer, .NET developer, network administrator, desktop support technician, database administrator

9)  If the work you do was suddenly eliminated, what different kinds of IT work do you feel you could do?

IT trainer, developer, database administrator, network administrator, backup administrator, server and desktop support

10) What is the best advice you could give to someone starting a career in the IT field?

Decide what part of IT you want to specialize in. Pick networking, database, programming, security, etc. Employers look at education, certifications, and experience, but experience has the most weight. But to get experience, you need to get started with education and certifications first. The CompTIA A+ certification was one of my exams I took. It isn’t a master level certification, but it helps you for your Network+ exam. If you are going for the Microsoft and CompTIA track (what I did), CompTIA certs count towards some Microsoft tracks. Try to get to entry-level IT position, so you can learn as much as you can. Perhaps you will advance at that company, but if that company does not work out, you at least have some experience for the next job.

11)  What in your mind are the most important benefits of the CompTIA IT Pro Program?