Brian Nelson
Jr. Network Engineer
WWF
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Started off in college as one major and lost scholarships (due to not being focused in school).
Changed majors (Electrical Engineering to Information Science and Systems).
Multiple deaths in my immediate family.
Graduated Undergrad with a 3.2, beginning Grad program at UMUC.
Graduated from UMUC with my Fiancee.
Chose a job based on title and money, and not job role.
Got a job I love!
Became a CCNA.
Education
High School
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Bachelor
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
Morgan State University
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
Morgan State University
Graduate
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
University of Maryland-University College
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
University of Maryland-University College
Career
Jr. Network Engineer
I manage the networking infrastructure and system administration.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Non-Profit Organizations
Technology
Problem Solving
Day to Day
I respond to user requests that come in to my team (Network Services). I am responsible for creating new user accounts, patching and upgrading servers, securing various files on file servers, and maintaining our network infrastructure. I also create documentation, and manage the Macs for our organization.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Lots of research. Then, simply buy a book, and start studying. There is so much information and so many resources available, just stay focused. Look for internships, build a small lab (some you can do for free), and simply focus on getting better at your craft. Break something (your network) and try to fix it. Get involved with forums such as Spiceworks and ExpertsExchange. Learn what the experts are doing and how they got there. NETWORK!
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Teachers:
"That I should go where the money is and get into software development. "
