Long Form Work History
I have been working computer and networking technology forover 10 years. Having used them atprevious jobs, I became interested and started working for a career working with computers.
Graduating from a computerized business systems course in 1992, I entered the industry working for Packard Bell. Crammed into a fast paced tech support position, I quickly learned detailed aspects ofconfiguring, troubleshooting, and connecting computers, as well as taking every learning opportunity I could. Within the first year I was promoted to a senior tech position, providing advanced technical help to other technicians and handling particularly difficult issues and customers. This also gave me great customer service experience and taught me how to deal with end users as well as fellow employees. I started working with management on programs to improve the quality and speed of our technical support process, and was soon promoted to the Internal Communications Team (ICT) dealing with critical issues and working as a liaison between tech support, management, and the engineering groups. I also started working weekends on my own consulting and repairing, building, and upgrading computers and installing small networks for individuals and small companies.
After loosing our building in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Packard Bell set up temporary facilities at their sister company, Reveal Computer Products. Soon after, Packard Bell moved to Utah, and I stayed in California working at Reveal. Starting over in a new tech support group for Reveal, I quickly worked my way into a senior tech position implementing new tech support strategies, then a position as the tech support liaison for the product engineering group. It was at this time I startedgetting involved with Networks and IT. I was soon promoted to an engineering position called "Sustaining Engineer" which was a one man operation working with the QCdivision. Iwould do quality assurance testing and ergonomics consulting with the engineering group, until the product met the QC group requirements. OnceI signed off on the product, I took over responsibility for that product line, figuring out post release issues and bringing them to resolution. We later expanded the sustaining engineering department and added another engineer. I also worked heavily with the QC director on projects organizing and documentingpolicy & procedure practices forthe Receiving, QA, Production, Software Development,and Hardware Engineering groups. After falling through on a sale of the company to Creative Labs, the company was turned over to another sister company, the CalAbco Corporation, who disbanded the engineering, QC, and many othergroups. CalAbco converted it to an OEM only hardware redistribution company, laying off about 75% of it's employees, including me.
Within a few weeks I took a position working for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena. My position was contracted through a company called User Technology Associates. (UTA) I was working for JPL as a network technician supporting about 280 users. I also started attending Microsoft MCSE courses. During this time NASA decided to outsource all of it’s IT and Technical Services. UTA got a large portion of that outsourcing contract and was tasked with setting up an off site facility and it’s network backbone connection to the JPL on lab facilities. (The “lab” is like a small city owned by JPL, with dozens of buildings, utilities, fire department, etc. They also have several off site buildings in the Southern California area, and about 8500 employees.) Still working on lab, I started working part time at the new UTA off site facility consulting and managing the network, communications, and electrical setup during construction.
Once the new facility was up and running, I was hired full time to be the Network Administrator for the new site and the near by UTA administration office’s. I configured Network services and Printers in a Microsoft domain running TCP/IP and IPX/SPX for clients using Microsoft Win9X, NT4, and Macintosh platforms. I was in charge of servicing, purchasing and maintaining all user and the network systems, documenting & controlling inventory, managing software licensing, updating and purchasing new phone systems, setting up and maintaining a web site and internet e-mail services. In late 1997 there were several lay offs and cutbacks at JPL and the number of user I serviced was dropping. Our director told me there was a possibility that I might loose that position, and that I might want to start sending out resumes.
I interviewed and was hired as a contractor by Symantec Corporation (Norton Anti-Virus, Norton Utilities, etc.) to work in their QA group of their Enterprise Solutions Division. I worked in the Enterprise Test Lab configuring networks and servers for testing of network distribution and management utilities for their enterprise software packages. I worked heavily with Microsoft Windows NT4, Win95, Win98, and Windows 2000, and lightly with Novel Netware. I tested the network management utilities, finding bugs and working with the development group to get them resolved. During the first 3 years I worked with several QA teams on several of the network management projects including the Norton Software Distribution Utility, Norton Antivirus Enterprise Edition, Live Update, and Quarantine products, specializing in user interface ergonomics, communication between components, network performance, and security. I then started filling in working on the under staffed Internationalization team. In that group I mock translated and tested the software on western European languages, configuring and localizing workstations and servers, plus non-standard hardware types. On my last project (Symantec Digital Immune System – Enterprise Solutions antivirus network management software)I wrote the QA test strategies for both Internationalization and Security.
I worked for Symantec for 3½ years and was promoted twice. During the last 5 months the company went through major management changes including the QA director and manager of my team. The new management wanted to cut my pay by 20K/year. I compromised by lowering my pay by 12K/year and going to a salaried position so there would be no over time costs. I also expressed my desire to get back into the networking related positions and out of the group doing the software Internationalization. They expressed dislike with my desire to leave the Internationalization group and asked that I remain in the position. I stayed for 3 more months, finished the QA test plan for the internationalization, and had it reviewed and signed off by all groups on the project and the International Engineering (Internationalization group) managers. Knowing that the language testing would not take place for several months, I again requested to move from the Internationalization position to a networking related component. They let me go, stating the reason was that I was not equally motivated to work on non-networking products, and this was not acceptable to them.
For the last few months I have generated and income by working as a Webmaster for several web pages, running my own web sites, and doing small office networking and computer work. Due to lack of available work and not getting the level of networking experience I’d like, I have decided to go back to a full time job.
Starting in June 2002, I will be looking for full time positions. I am also considering taking new certification courses and updating my skill set, and might consider some part time positions that are willing to work along with a school schedule.
Thank you for taking the time to read my elongated employment history. If your interested in having me interview for a position you need to fill, send me an e-mail and I’ll get back to you quickly.
Shane Zettelmier