Get to know some of our talented authors featured in our author spotlights. Here you can see interviews, detailed biographies, and book summaries of some of the best in the industry.
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SEEGARS: I worked as both a photographer and custom dark room printer prior to my jump in IT. Even back then, my technical photographic skills were my biggest asset. I started working in photo labs and darkrooms at 16. In my early twenties, I was working at some of the best custom photographic labs around. I found this blend of photographic art and technical skill, to be a great blend for me. In the late 90's, traditional photographic labs took a big hit with the increasing quality and popularity of high end digital cameras and printers. The job market was tough for skilled technicians, so I decided it was time to make a change. I took one of those certification classes, and to my surprise, found I quickly grasped the technical concepts. I started reading technical books for my own enjoyment, and spending most of my free time working with and learning new technologies. It wasn't until a couple years later that I realized I had become a "geek", but by then it was too late, so my destiny is inevitable.
SEEGARS: First and foremost, I work full time at a University in the Washington D.C. area. Typically, Universities keep up with the standards of technology. This atmosphere allows someone in the IT field the opportunity to continually learn new technologies. Whereas these opportunities may be less available at other private companies. I was particularly lucky in this aspect by going to work for accredited University that specializes in technology and business. The Arlington, VA campus of DeVry University has more technology within its walls than most companies 10 times its size. Not only do I get to work with the absolute cutting edge technology, but the big software companies provide academic licensing, which allows for experience with the latest and greatest software. I also participate in various technology related groups. I'm a member of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (A.I.T.P.) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (I.E.E.E.). These groups help expose one to areas of technology that employment alone might not.
Consulting can also be a benefit, exposing you to a constant variety of technical challenges. Frequently changing environments and technologies make consulting an attractive way to earn a living and maintain your skill set.
Finally, lots of hard work. Technologies are continually changing, so it's important to update your skills set regularly.
SEEGARS: From the start, my goal for this project was to create a platform which would accurately measure the practical experience of a Helpdesk Technician. Measuring candidate's abilities for a Helpdesk position can be especially difficult. While certifications show certain qualities in a potential hire, they may not accurately portray real life experience and knowledge. My personal experience with certifications and other technical exams provided the background for which I wanted to improve on. I have found that often the questions are hit or miss, depending on factors such as a person's ability to memorize technical data, how much they studied for the test, and whether or not they happened to have come across a given scenario. I also find these questions could be answered within a minute if given access to the internet and a search engine, which is a common resource for most technicians. I don't always remember a specific syntax for a command, but I do understand when that command should be used. Are the results from these tests an accurate way to judge if someone is a good candidate for a particular job function? Sometimes, but often it's not. I wanted to design a bank of questions that evaluated a candidate's knowledge of Windows 2000 and XP, but more importantly, accurately rate their experience.
SEEGARS: Hiring Information Technology professionals can be very difficult for a number of reasons. For one thing, IT people are notorious for job hopping, but the section I designed questions for, Windows Helpdesk, is especially prone to having high turnover. I don't expect employees to stay more than 2 years, the market moves to fast for most people to stay beyond that.
With constantly changing technologies, traditionally valued employee traits are less important in IT hiring. You are not looking at a resume with long commitments to previous employers; their career can start out with half a dozen job changes in the first few years. How do you sort though all the applicants and get to just the ones that meet your needs for these revolving positions? Worst yet, what if you're hiring someone to write very specific functions for a particular program, for the reason that none of your current staff have the knowledge? How do you interview someone if you have no experience in the technology yourself? This is all too common and a difficult dilemma often facing small businesses. As a solution, I feel that this is one of the strongest benefits Reviewnet has to offer HR departments.
You can learn about Paul's company, PRS Consulting, L.L.C.
at www.prs-consulting.com.
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