I got my feet wet in the world of IT around 2006, helping clean infected PCs, building network cables, and making some SMB house calls. Over the years, that evolved into working with a whole host of different technologies, devices, and everything in between. One of the coolest places I’ve worked at was a smaller, private airport. I helped manage typical IT things – tape backups + Symantec Backup Exec (cringe), on-prem Exchange, on-prem Microsoft GP, etc., but I also helped maintain all the aircraft maintenance software which meant time in the hangers!
Another unique place I worked at was in the pharmaceutical sector. I got my first dose of actual sysadmin work there, along with the help from an MSP. I familiarized myself with VMware, an incredibly old PBX system with a web-GUI from 1999, wrote SSRS reports for a sketchy Russian-based inventory management system, and even helped write some SOPs for the packaging teams! After that I found a position in the hospitality industry working for a hotel chain. There, I learned how to work with Oracle databases (yuck!), more VMware, more Symantec Backup Exec…, and Fortinet firewalls. I also helped develop parts of our Salesforce environment and got my first taste of Cisco Meraki APs.
My current employment has me working primarily in the world of networking, which has allowed me to focus and learn a lot more than I’ve been able to in previous positions.
I love automation because I hate the repetitive grind. Whether it’s wrangling CSVs into something more useable, finding the limits of our vendor’s APIs, or even just building an import template for UPS WorldShip so other members of our team don’t have to slog through generating labels manually, I can’t get enough. One of the definitions of automation from Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is:
automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human labor
Automation Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster
…take the place of human labor. The idea around automating something is very popular in IT, however, I do think it’s an intimidating one for a lot of people. My goal has never been to automate away someone’s job. I want to make things more efficient while also taking away the possibility of human error. (Come on now, we’re not perfect and that’s OK!) One of the reasons I decided to start this blog is because historically, I have contributed very little, if anything, while consuming page after page of Stack Overflow, reddit, and every other forum post I can find. I won’t claim to be the best, or an expert, on any one thing, but I do think I’ve come a long way since the days of installing Malwarebytes and clicking ‘Scan now’. 🙂
My personal passions are ever-changing, but when I have time, I enjoy being outdoors fishing, grilling and enjoying a cold beer. I also like to dabble in the world of home automation, self-hosting, and handheld retro-gaming.