Lance Stewart's interest in computers started when he was in high
school in the early '80s. "I was interested in computer programming,"
he says.
When he attended college, he started as a computer science major. "I later
changed direction to management information," he adds. He graduated from Iowa
State University with a degree in management information systems.
Networking became big in the late '80s and early '90s, and Stewart
followed the trend. He is currently an e-mail and network administrator in
Los Angeles.
Stewart uses good communication skills to stay on top of the job. "All
you do as an e-mail administrator is communicate with other people," he says.
That includes setting standards and resolving issues. When something goes
wrong with someone's e-mail, you have to be able to explain it to them
in a way that they can understand.
"I think probably one of the most important parts of this job is the ability
to communicate, so business communication is the key to being a successful
e-mail administrator rather than computer skills," says Stewart.
He says without the business communication skills, your tech skills alone
aren't going to be of much benefit.
Stewart views variety as one of the rewards of this job. "There are so
many different aspects to what I do. I do a little more than an e-mail [administrator].
I'm also a network administrator."
Chris Earing is a systems engineer. He says he chose it because he has
always liked computers.
"I used them on a day-to-day basis and found myself always helping other
people with using computers," says Earing.
Nice salaries might make e-mail administration appealing. But you have
to be up for the challenges that come your way. Earing says some of his biggest
challenges come when he must he must deal with upset people.
"Dealing with someone who is really upset, calming them down and making
them understand that all is not lost," he says.
Earing knows that his job is one that makes a difference. "The impact of
IT [information technology] in the world is very huge. They are the people
who connect all these businesses together for e-commerce or any other business-related
communication. They are a must."
Shantena "Tena" Morales is a consultant in Houston. Part of her reason
for choosing this field was for the challenge.
"I found the day-to-day problems and issues that go along with e-mail support
extremely challenging," she says.
Morales feels the most challenging aspect of her job is disaster recovery.
"Whether it is a server with a corrupted database or an ongoing virus situation,"
she says.
But Morales adds that solving these problems is what she finds most rewarding.
"Although it may at times require long hours and intense pressure to return
systems to normal operations, it is very gratifying when you can accomplish
something in record time with no impact to your customers."
Her advice to anyone interested in becoming an e-mail administrator? "Take
the necessary classes, of course, but try to get actual hands-on training
by someone who can be your mentor. Even if all you can do is watch."
Morales enjoys her career because there is never a dull moment. She adds
that the pay is pretty good, too. "I consider it a blessing to be able to
help others like myself succeed in this profession. By that, I mean people
who wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity, given their educational
background."
According to Morales, you'll go a long way in this career if you have
on-the-job training or experience "coupled with strong troubleshooting and
analytical skills."