Tell us about yourself and your journey into technology training.
I was in the I.T. field for 20 years and got a reputation for being the “instructor” type of I.T. guy. I enjoyed creating step-by-step instructions in visual format, explaining technical concepts in laymen’s terms to non-I.T. to help them, and documenting everything I could to make I.T. operations easier for everyone. I was a Systems Administrator when the Centriq Training Technical Trainer position was brought to my attention and I immediately thought “I would love that! But I guess you have to have a degree in teaching…..?” A technical recruiter felt that wouldn’t be a problem, and here I am loving my job with Centriq, two and half years later.
What tool / skill did you learn that was “life changing” ?
Hands down, the answer is “networking”. Once I was trained and certified in Cisco networking after being in I.T. for almost 10 years without networking knowledge, it was like the flood gates opened and I finally understood what makes networks and the internet actually WORK. This was a major revelation for me.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
Attention to detail. How PowerPoints look & read, and how my examples with live-annotations look, is kind of an obsession for me. I love it when students “get” what I’m presenting, and it makes all the effort worth it.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
Rollercoasters! I’ve been on the 3 tallest rollercoasters in the world, in Ohio (420 feet tall and 300 feet tall) and New Jersey (456 feet tall).
I like to draw and create electronic music in my spare time also.
What is your favorite Centriq memory or tradition?
My favorite Centriq “tradition” is what I see coming from the management staff: Supportive attitudes and friendly demeanor. This may not really qualify as a “tradition” per se, but I feel like it is in my own way – and I really appreciate it. I’ve held a number of I.T. positions where I was made to feel like I wasn’t appreciated, and I was never good enough, and I have NEVER experienced that from Centriq staff. So, THANK YOU to all my managers and co-workers!!!