Tim Hobbs
Senior Platform Engineer
Capital One
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I started working right after high school, not in my field. Just wasn't ready to go to college.
Went to college after a couple of years because I was better focused and new what I wanted to do.
I found my way into a computer operator job and found that I liked it and I was good.
Continued to gain more experience and meeting different people in areas I wanted to work in.
Mentored with other people in the field and changed jobs a couple of times.
Stayed true to myself: sincere, honest, caring, open are traits that will be with you all your life.
Education
High School
Career
Senior Platform Engineer
I support / maintain software that runs on Mainframes.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Technology
Business
Working with Others
Day to Day
My work day typically starts at reviewing incoming emails from other teams and a team meeting. I would be logging onto the mainframe and making changes to the software tool, interacting with our user community, assisting them with various requests and issues that may arise.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Take whatever technology (computer) classes offered. Find a mentor. ASK questions. The path may not lead directly to a job in the Mainframe environment, but there are so many directions one can choose. Don't forget you can also change direction.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"One that I remember is 'don't work for that company, they are a seat shop.' Well, it is all in how you look at it. It was one of my favorite jobs and group of people to work with."
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
First-Generation College Student
