What led me to IT

It’s important to first note that this isn’t my first go-around in selecting a major.  I have previously worked in the chemistry field, as a metallurgist, and also in various quality control inspector roles.  Chemistry, Mathematics and Pharmacology were the previous majors that I gravitated and aspired to.  Currently, however,  Information Technology is my selected major.  Pivoted over to a new major isn’t easy, especially when you have been out of school for a number of years.  It helps to have a major that you enjoy doing in your everyday life.  For me Information Technology is something that I immensely enjoy, from building new computers, fixing computers,  writing code, and solving the everyday problems people encounter with technology and software programs. 

Information Technology is also a major that is booming wherever you turn.  There are a number of  occupations within the Information Technology field.  According to the United States Department of Labor, the occupations are: Computer and Information Research Scientists, Computer, Network Architects, Computer Programmers, Computer Support Specialists, Computer Systems Analysts, Database Administrators, Information Security Analysts, Network and Computer Systems Administrators, Software Developers, and Web Developers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014).  A majority of the occupations require a Bachelor’s degree, with the exception of web developers which requires an Associate’s degree, and a computer and information research scientist occupation requires a doctoral or professional degree (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014).

After completing my Associate’s degree in Computer Programming from Augusta Technical College, the next step for me was to continue my pursuit for a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.  In reviewing the U.S. Labor Statistics, career websites, and job searches, it was clear that I needed to go further in my educational pursuits  and complete a Bachelor’s program in Information Technology if I wanted to obtain a job.  Given my current schedule and being a father of six children, it was important to find a college that had an online Information Technology Bachelor’s degree program.  Kennesaw, was a top choice for me to help me achieve my goals to complete my Bachelor’s degree and finally obtain a great job that is aligned with my passion in Information Technology.

Reference

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014, January 8). Computer and Information Technology Occupations. Retrieved September 26, 2015, from BLS.org: www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm

Searching

When I bought my first PC back in 1999, I knew the internet was for me. The ability to look up things from my home with a touch of a few buttons was completely fascinating to me. The early search engines were not so kind on my searches but then came Google. On a daily basis I look up about 10 things and they are all random items. I look up school subjects that stump me, upcoming technology and gaming items, sport trivia, and old television facts. I will use Google to find a site that I can rely on and go from there. Just last week, I was watching “Bewitched” on television. It was one of my favorite old show growing up, but I always wonder why there were two different husbands during the lifetime of the show. I found the obituary of one of the gentlemen, Dick York, on Time.com. I read that he had a back problem that forced him into leaving the show. When searching for items, I usually like to stick to known news sources like Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, and so on. I will pull up two articles to make sure they both match in the information.

Sometimes I’ll look up a recipe. This is almost like doing a research project. I have to pull up 5 or 6 different variations of the recipe. I do this because I feel that there are certain things I want with that recipe and I also want to see what other people do with their version. I made a chicken parmesan about two months ago, where I used the oven fry to the chicken, when I usually deep fry it. I looked to see what other people used as their coating. I looked to see the temperature differences. I saw where people used thighs instead of breast. I saw where someone had brined the chicken breast to make it more tender. It was all so interesting to me. Thank goodness I had the time to look at all of those differences! I liked it better deep fried, but the oven frying saved a lot of time while I cooked other things in order to have everything ready at the same time. My family enjoyed it, nonetheless, and that was all that mattered to me.

These are just a small subset of the searches for items in my life. I feel the web has a lot to offer for information, but sadly, I do see on social media where people will only stick to one source, and it is the one that fits their narrative. The world is not that narrow or shallow. I find it sad that will all the knowledge that can be found that people don’t open their mind to the possibility of something completely different.