1) Please provide a BIO about yourself:
Tom Cole
Montana State University – Great Falls
Great Falls, Montana

• 4 years at Oregon State University
• B.S. in occupational education from Southern Illinois University
• AAS in Technical management from Community College of the Air Force
• AAS in General Studies from Georgia Military College
• AAS in computer systems from May Technical College

• A+, Network+, RFID+, Security+, Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor, CST, CNST
• Going to boot camp next month for MCTS and MCITP- vista

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.

Computer Systems Analyst

• Responsible to the CTO for recommending all software packages. 
• Work with students, faculty and staff to customize software applications.
• Image classrooms. In a 4 man shop, we do a lot of each other’s jobs such as manage the Nortel phone system, configure laptops, work with servers, routers and switches.
• Instruct end users about configuration and use of software and hardware. Manage the REMEDY help desk system.

3) Describe a typical day of the week in your job.
Respond to level 2 work orders and work through them to a solution to the end users problem. Work with technical support for imaging software and installed computers. Test new software on non-production systems prior to production deployment. Troubleshoot network outages.  Coordinate work with my co-workers and the CTO.

4) What part of your work do you find most rewarding? Why?
Solving detailed technical problems.  Usually takes multiple tries at different solutions and sometimes different methods.  Have to be willing to not let initial failures get in the way of final success or stop the effort to obtain the solution.

5) What kind of training, education, or course work is required for what you do?
A degree in computer science or a related field. Knowledge of multiple computer systems and infrastructures.

6) What kinds of prior IT and professional experiences are absolutely essential to get this kind of position?
A proven track record of achievement in progressively more difficult positions (in my case in more than one company).  Book knowledge as shown by degrees or certifications.  The ability to manage even if not in a supervisory position, which is evidenced by the ability to both take and give instruction and guidance.

7) What types of internships/part-time jobs would you suggest before entering this field?
Anything in the computer field is helpful; from a 2 man shop to an international corporations IT shop.  The smaller the shop, the better the chances to do many things and learn on-the-job one-on-one.

8) What are some of the job possibilities for experienced workers in this field?
Lateral moves within an organization – from hardware and software specialists to programmer
Vertical moves within and outside an organization – our CTO started out here as a Server Administrator

9) If the work you do was suddenly eliminated, what different kinds of IT work do you feel you could do?
I could go to work programming Nortel phones, move to management, return to servicing computers, Teach full time instead of as an adjunct instructor

10) What is the best advice you could give to someone starting a career in the IT field?
Get the educational aspect as a number one priority.  You can obtain certifications and work internships in the summer or during the school year as a work study.  The benefit to work study is that you get paid for learning, internships often are unpaid.

11)  What in your mind are the most important benefits of the CompTIA IT Pro Program?
It allows you to show that you have the theory and practice of the material covered by that cert.  The Pro Programs most important benefit is the access to books for self improvement and the forums to discuss professional matters.