I don't know if they do vehicle decals - I designed the hood graphic in Adobe Illustrator and brought it to a vinyl guy to help me with the side graphics - and I did this like 7 years ago.

 

That's the BEST reason to get into! If a career path can make you money to live on AND you have a passion for it, huge bonus!

I've had a passion for computers since I was born. My first was the ol' Commodore 64 (now just a foot note in history, but it was BIG in it's day, my first "word processor" which lacked spell check was Magic Desk and I printed on a dot matrix, tractor fed printer).

Since the 4th grade, I wanted to be a computer programmer (mostly focusing on video games, my how I have changed). When I began going to college, all my "basic" I.T. classes everyone wanted to be a programmer, so I side stepped a bit, went into "computer networking" and "server admin" a little more (but I still have a good grasp on programming that is valuable today, I'm just not a "seasoned" programmer and I deal in VB Script mostly). So the "inner child programmer" in me still shows. Best part about I.T., I have seen people "re-invent" themselves more then once. Right now some fear "the cloud" as an easier method to port off more I.T. jobs over seas. I think that's the "today scare". I think something in I.T. will change to prove that track is NOT what those people thing and our jobs will morph/evolve to something else. I.T. is about change, so be prepared to adapt.

 

Indeed, i never really liked the idea of being a programmer. But part of my degree is to take some programming classes and right now im taking a C# class and we're working in microsoft visual studio 2010. I must say i pick it up fast and find it rather amusing to be programming stuff. I have my eyes more set on an administrative position of some kind. I first got into computer stuff with repairing them, took 2 years of repair class. But theres only so much to be had there. And the good ol dot matrix printer, i'd use that thing just to drive everyone insane. i love em, so loud and obnoxious

 

Just from my experience, if I were to do things over again, I'd probably stick to my guns and be a computer programmer. In the end, what I learned is I have a knack for programming, if I would have stayed that route I think I could have been a darn good programmer and have better opportunities infront of me. I'm not unhappy where I'm at and again, I have seen I.T. people re-invent themselves (I could choose to do that myself someday).

I was helping "fix" computer problems for friends and family as early as the DOS 6.2/Win3.1 days, got TONS of experience beyond most average adults in the I.T. arena when I was in 7th grade on up (I just lacked networking, back then it was not as common and cheap to get your hands on as it is today with a NIC in all PCs).

You don't know the pain of a dot matrix printer until you hear someone print a crazy screen shot on an old Okidata by mistake (this printer can print any jobs technically, but it was dedicated for printing text transactions from stock trades). I had that displeasure last year at a Disaster Recovery test (in all honesty, beyond checking the printer worked it never got used and that accidental job sounded like it was killing it).

Sorry, I can go on forever with memory lane and various experiences. Find you niche in I.T., find what you like. I really advise NOT to stick as a PC repair guy (which you want some form of administration). PC Techs are a dime a dozen. My last employer sill-owed me into that roll WAY longer then I should have been (I will spare my complaints about that problem).

 

Thats what we had in school and old okidata and i can only imagine how printing a screen shot must sound. As much as i did like repairing computers i know there isn't alot money behind it and they're kind of at the bottom of the totum pole. I beleive i was looking to get a systems administrative job of some sort. Networking i have never been a huge fan of, especially making cables what a pain that is. Networking has alot more numbers and other stuff that i just cant quite wrap my head aroung. Have to see where i end up when graduation comes in a few years.

 

Worked for Netflix in California when thet started only 9 people in warehouse when they started in 1997 now look. Moved to Kansas work 4 days a week Mon thru Thur. at O'Reillys driving parts fun job semi retired getting my sol. security before it runs out. And working on Heartbeat Going to drags today hope to see John Force.

 

Well, right now I am a pizza girl for my step dads pizza shop in town. Do deliveries, make pizzas, etc. But I wanted to be a large animal veterinary surgeon, but not sure if that's for me anymore. Right now I'm enrolled in a community college to get my associates in science and arts to go to university of Michigan for dentistry.

No one in my family knows that I am actually currently enrolled at wyotech for their collision and refinishing program for the end of august! lol my dream is to be a car body girl and to do paint work on cars. can't wait to actually do something that I enjoy and get paid for it!

 

When I said "networking" I suppose I used that a bit too generic. What you referenced was "network infrastructure" (configuring/managing the routers, switches and other network back bone devices, planning out the TCP/IP subnets and such). I'm not a big fan of network infrastructure work (TCP/IP v4 is fairly easy, but I always mess up a calculation when "super subnetting" or whatever they call it now).

When I chose "networking", I was more in tune with the server side, what you consider "administration", setting up servers and the systems that run on them (such as Citrix, IIS, WSUS, VMWare and a host of other existing and new technologies, not to mention planning the server infrastructure and farms). I suppose I'm more interested in the server side engineering more then server side support.

As you said, you got a time ahead of you to hone in on more of what you want. Again, I.T. is a HUGE expanse! I worked for a large company that had TONS of I.T. workers and due to the size had to silo people by skills, now I work in a company that employees less people and an I.T. works has to wear a LOT of hats (and it helps me enjoy my job better that way).

 

I truely work for a real Mickey Mouse operation. I work at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida. I am about to complete my twelfth year of employment there. I work in the engineering department. I perform repair and maintenance on HVAC systems, commercial and residential kitchen equipment, plumbing, electrical, and anything else that may need repair. I have worked in EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Amimal Kingdom parks, and also six different resorts. I currently work at Disney's Port Orleans Resort. It is a really cool job that pays well.

 

Computer repair tech
Cook
Work on cars
Tryin to get a job fixing heavy equipment