Company: Aspen Consulting Inc., a Rolling Meadows-based information-technology consulting company
Salary range for this job: $60,000 to $85,000
Time on this job: 4 years
Previous job: I worked at MTI Vacations as a network administrator.
Age: 31
Education: Associate’s degree in applied science of electronics from DeVry Institute of Technology
How I got this job: When I found out a former business contact was starting his own business, I gave him a call.
Why I took this job: I prefer the variety of technologies I work with as a consultant instead of having a full-time position in a single-system environment.
Main responsibilities: I do storage management for small to midsize companies, which range from wholesale distributors to law firms. Companies that use several different softwares spend a lot of time backing up data from each one. I develop a centralized back-up system that allows people to save and store all their data from multiple platforms in one place in either a tape, CD optical or standard disk library. The main applications I use to create this are Legatos’ Networker and IBM’s ADSM. Information that clients are storing for short- or long-term retention includes financial data and spreadsheets. I help our clients determine the best storage management system for their particular environment and help them all the way through to implementation.
Best thing about the job: I’m continuously learning new technologies in a work environment of self-starters and thinkers.
Worst thing about the job: When the clients take their frustrations out on us.
My ideal next job: Management information systems director or system architect
Advice to job seekers in this field: Never take a job for the money. Take a job where you can gain experience in various skills. The more experience you have, the more marketable and more valuable you’ll be.
