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Guest Post: SCANA Internship

May 8th, 2013 | Posted by Carmen Harris in IT-oLogy Defined | Teach IT - (0 Comments)

Intern Jack Lee talks about his accomplishments this week at SCANA.

As the semester is getting to the end, the time for me and SCANA Corporation to go our separate ways is also coming close. I will be deeply sad on my last day of employment at SCANA, but right now, I just have to not think about it and try to make the best of it.

This week is a slow week, with not a lot of jobs for the Workstation Support Department. I have been imaging some old machines occasionally and wiping old computers twice a week. According to my supervisor, the last day of my Co-Op at SCANA Corporation will be May 10, which is the day before my graduation. My co-worker Michael Taylor also told me that SCANA is about to bring summer students in for a new batch of Co-Op employment. I even helped set up a new workstation for the summer Co-Op students. Thinking about my time at SCANA, I have really learned a lot new IT skills, and I hope I can use them during my future career.

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Women in IT Series: Elizabeth Austin Family Dollar Stores

April 25th, 2013 | Posted by Carmen Harris in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

E Austin headshot colorName: Elizabeth Austin

Job Title:  VP, IT Application Services

Company:   Family Dollar – Matthews, NC

What does your company do?   Discount Retail – 7600+ stores in 45 states

 Yes, but what do you actually do?  Help ensure that our stores are open and able to ring sales.

 Where did you go to college?   UNC Charlotte

What is your degree in?  Business Administrations

 Did you always want to work in IT?  I never considered IT as a career.  I was recruited at school by a major technology company.

 What is your favorite part of the job?   Working with our people and the variety of challenges we work with – technology, business, change.

Describe the work environment at your company.  Dynamic,  growth-oriented

 What qualities do you need to have to do your job?   Business acumen, relationship oriented, team player, decisive, calm under fire, enjoy problem solving

 What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT?  Importance of soft skills – communication, ability to work with business users and customers as well as team members.

 Any advice for students or professionals going into your field? Start building your people network early in your career process with community support and industry relationships.  Learn to use social media tools effectively and appropriately.

Personal hobbies and/or interests:   “Junking”, Collecting NC Pottery & Folk art

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Women in IT Series: Beth Nikolayevsky

April 23rd, 2013 | Posted by Carmen Harris in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

BethNikolayevsky Name:  Beth Poliakoff Nikolayevsky

Job Title:  Technology Delivery Executive

Company:  Currently working at Lender Processing Services (LPS).  Prior to LPS, I worked at Bank of America and Accenture

What does your company do?  LPS is a leading provider of mortgage and consumer loan processing services, mortgage settlement services, default solutions and loan performance analytics, as well as solutions for the real estate industry, capital markets investors and government offices.  I work in the Mortgage Origination Technology and Solutions group.

Yes, but what do you actually do?  I manage a portfolio of projects to ensure they are flawlessly executed on time, on budget, on schedule.  I oversee a team of technology project managers who run individual projects. We manage the technology components of the project (development, testing, architecture, etc) and partner with the client and business partners. On a day to day basis I could be doing anything from managing client expectations, delivering status of my portfolio to the organization, troubleshooting a high impact code issue, managing issues that were escalated to me or taking my team out to lunch for a job well done

Where did you go to college? What is your degree in?  The George Washington University.  BA in Computer Science with a minor in Business

Did you always want to work in IT?  I have always been stronger in math/sciences, and I began college on a mathematics major scholarship.  As a gift for getting the scholarship, my parents bought me the coolest laptop on the market.  That began my obsession with electronic gadgets – I would save my allowance to buy the latest and greatest of whatever was hot at the moment.  I didn’t love my math courses, and a friend joked that I should change my major to computer science since I was such a gadget junkie – I took his advice, and I never looked back!

What is your favorite part of the job?  Implementing a project.  To me, nothing is more rewarding than seeing something you have spent months working on and sweating over come to fruition. 

Describe the work environment at your company.  An environment where every employee, regardless of job rank, is expected to contribute and do the right thing

What qualities do you need to have to do your job?  Excellent communication, technology aptitude, leadership, organization and relationship building

What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT?  That everyone in IT is introverted.  I would not be able to be successful at my job without human interaction 

 Any advice for students or professionals going into your field?  Find at least one strong mentor or role model in the IT field and leverage their experiences and advice.  I have been really lucky to find great mentors over my career that have given me guidance on current roles as well as insight into professional development opportunities.

Personal hobbies and/or interests:  Spending time with my husband and dog, traveling, road biking, hiking, and enjoying the Colorado outdoors

 

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Women in IT Series: Tammy Moskites, Time Warner Cable

April 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Carmen Harris in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

TammyName:  Tammy Moskites

Company:  Time Warner Cable

Job Title: Chief Information Security Officer

What does your company do? Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) is among the largest providers of video, high-speed data and voice services in the United States, connecting more than 15 million customers to entertainment, information and each other. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers data, video and voice services to businesses of all sizes, cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers and managed and outsourced information technology solutions and cloud services. Time Warner Cable Media, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions. Time Warner Cable serves customers in the following 29 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Time Warner Cable employs more than 50,000 people.

Our Customers: 15.2 million customer relationships

12.0 million residential video subscribers

10.9 million high-speed data services to residential customers and a growing number of business customers

5.0 million residential Voice subscribers

28.9 million primary service units (the sum of video, high-speed data and voice subscribers for both residential and business services)

What do you actually do as  Chief Information Security Officer? I am the Executive leader of The Enterprise Information Security and IT Compliance organization.  My team’s role is to globally manage IT risks against the program, policy, technology, business and operational aspects of cyber and information security within the organization while effectively utilizing security experts to ensure a secure infrastructure, employee and customer data security.  We have multiple responsibilities.  With a collaborative, business focused direction, the information security team is sought after to be a partner and trusted advisor.  Successfully implemented, a business focused, Security Liaison approach to work on business solutions by not saying “no” to our technology, business and project partners, but by providing secure, risk based decisions—together.   In my first 18 months at Time Warner Cable, we have built a team of 92 full-time security professionals in addition to teams of security contractors (domestic and international); that oversee multiple functions including:  Identity and Access Management, IT Compliance, eDiscovery, Forensics, Risk Management, Cyber Security and Threat Intelligence, Security Operations, Architecture and Governance. 

Where did you go to college? What is your degree in?   I went to the Computer Processing Institute in East Hartford, CT.   Computer Automation Specialist (programmer)

Did you always want to work in IT? I attended the State University of New York  for Hotel and Hospitality management and after a year I decided that I wanted to get into computer programming (it was a hot area in the early 80’s).  So I left and attended the Computer Processing Institute and began focusing on my future.  I started my career off as an executive assistant and excelled to where I am today from dedication, hard work and great mentors – not to mention loving what I do!

What is your favorite part of the job? I love what I do each and every day!  The part I love the most, is watching my team grow and develop into amazing analysts, engineers and leaders.  I am excited to see the teamwork and their ability to build strong collaborative business relationships and maintain peak-performance with exceptionally high morale.  It clearly shows, we are not only doing the right things, but doing the right things – right!

Describe the work environment at your company. Time Warner Cable’s mission is to “Connect people and businesses with information, entertainment and each other.  Give customers control in ways that are simple and easy”.  To align our Mission and ensure we carry it out with passion, TWC created a set of core Values that we want to live by in all of our interactions, both inside and outside of the company.  These are the attributes that define what it means to be a Time Warner Cable employee—attributes we strive to live up to each and every day.   Our Values are; Excellence, Teamwork, Initiative, Innovation, Integrity, Inclusion, Community.  By just observing the actions of the employees, across the entire company, each and every person, live our Mission and Values every day.   

What qualities do you need to have to do your job? A combination of patience, leadership, passion and integrity. I lead by example and I am true to my principles and unwavering in my commitment to do the right thing for the company – and I will not compromise those values.

What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? The biggest misconception about working in IT is that all we do is IT!  Whether you are an individual contributor or an executive, not all of the positions require technology backgrounds.  Technology is an integral part of our lives and it is important that we have the business and communication skills that in turn will support Technology; it all about business enablement.

Any advice for students or professionals going into your field? In the information security arena, there are many different areas that you can focus on. You can be an expert in keeping systems from being attacked/hacked, risk management, application security, computer forensics, virus expert, policy, compliance and more! What makes it an exciting area to work in is that there are so many opportunities for many different types of skill sets; and they all do not require IT degrees!  If you want to focus on Information Security, Cyber Security or IT Compliance–there are a few areas I want to point out–make sure you study and learn more about the area of security that interests you.  Study doesn’t always mean that it needs to be your major.  Reading security books, blogs and attending conferences area a great way to learn more and will add value.  Another area that may add value is to find someone that does this for a living and shadow them or have them as your mentor. Information Security, Cyber Security and Compliance is an exciting field to work in.  If you like challenges, passionate, working as a team and more importantly are open to working in an ever-changing environment – this is the field for you!

Personal hobbies and/or interests:  I have been married to my husband, John for 25 years.  We have three (3) boys and five (5) grandchildren and one grandchild on the way!   Outside of my security career, I focus on my passion as an executive leadership mentor and coach.  I also write the food/recipe column for Palisades Living Magazine.  I enjoy spending time with my family, golfing, travelling, attending sporting events and I am avid cook.

 

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Women in IT Series

April 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Emily in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

Name: Amy McKeown

Company: Vc3 www.vc3.com

Job Title: Director, Service Delivery

What are some of your personal hobbies and/or interests?  CrossFit, Cooking, Photography, Gardening

What does your company do?  We provide a wide range of technology services such as Cloud Services, Consulting, Disaster Recovery, E-Government, Hosting, Unified Communications, Custom Application Development, Web Design, Education Software  to the public and private sector across the Southeast and beyond.

Yes, but what do you actually do?  At a high level, I get paid to learn and have fun. On a day to day basis, I am a Sr. Project Manager and responsible for delivery of our technical projects to our customers.

On a macro level, I pull information from engineers’ brains to create project plans, I schedule engineers and coordinate with our customers’ schedules, I rework project plans and reschedule, I create status reports, I adjust the schedule again and continue to keep us all on the same page, I talk to customers about how we can better service them and I adjust the schedule again accordingly.   J

 Where did you go to college? What is your degree in?  University of SC, Art ,Graphic Design

Did you always want to work in IT?  While in college, I really didn’t think of IT as a job. I had mapped out a career as a Graphic Designer.  I kind of fell into IT at my first “real” job at Renaissance Interactive.  I started building templated websites, then supporting the customers, then training the customers, then managing the customers….  

What is your favorite part of the job?  We are literally always evolving. Technology is ever changing and we are consistently trying to find the right technical solution for our customers.  

Describe the work environment at your company.  Fast paced.   High quality.  Focused.   Customer-centric.  Accountable.  Open environment.   Foosball table.  Flat organization.  Super smart.  Miniature Golf.   Competitive.  Fun.

What qualities do you need to have to do your job?   Humor, patience, solid communication skills, enthusiasm, empathy, accountability, problem-solving, creativity, commitment, intuition, flexibility and versatility, big-picture while also paying attention to the details, be willing to dig the trenches with the team and finally, did I mention that a sense of humor will go a long way during the stressful moments?

What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? I think there is a perception that everyone in IT is a big nerd who sits alone in a server room with no interaction with others and/or the opportunity to be collaborative or creative.   That’s simply not the case.  (ok, it may be the case for some individuals but certainly not us.)  We are constantly brainstorming, thinking outside the box and working together as a team, as well as with our customers, to provide the best technical solutions for their business needs.

 Any advice for students or professionals going into your field?  Find the company that is the right “fit”.  Be passionate about your job.   Never stop learning.  Have a sense of humor.

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Women in IT Series: Magan Vess BCBS

April 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

Name: Magan Vess

Company: Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC www.southcarolinablues.com

Job Title: Java Developer II

Personal hobbies and/or interests: Crafts, such as making cards and cross stitching and cooking

What does your company do? Provide insurance

Yes, but what do you actually do? I am the WCM expert for my team, which is Web Content Management (an application from IBM) that controls the content on a website

Where did you go to college? What is your degree in? I went to Winthrop University and majored in Computer Science with a second discipline in Business

Did you always want to work in IT? No, I started out in Early Childhood Education, but decided I may make better use of my logic skills and less of dealing with parent drama in the IT field

What is your favorite part of the job? I like developing new things, such as websites, but this job is mostly updating existing code rather than developing new code

Describe the work environment at your company. We work hard, but it is easy to make friends here because everyone is friendly and helpful, so it makes the job more enjoyable

What qualities do you need to have to do your job? I would say you would need some logic skills along with organizational skills to be able to debug issues and keep track of your work

Top Skills

  • Operation Analysis
  • Logic / Critical Thinking
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Organization
  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension

What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? I think most people think you know everything about computers when you are in IT, but really there are so many specialized fields within IT ranging from web development to networking to workstation support and everything in between

Any advice for students or professionals going into your field? Be willing to always learn new technologies because IT is a constantly changing field and keep your mind open to the ideas of new minds (folks younger than yourself…AKA don’t be stuck in your ways)

 

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Women in IT Series: Elisa Limbaugh

April 18th, 2013 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

Name: Elisa Limbaugh

Company:  Employed by AAC (Advanced Automation Consulting)

Job Title: CIO (Chief Information Officer) for the City of Columbia, Senior Consultant with AAC www.aacsc.net

Personal hobbies and/or interests: Interior design, scrapbooking, gardening, running, and keeping up with my two young children!

What does your company do? The City provides a range of services to its citizens and the businesses operating within its limits.  AAC serves its clients by providing highly qualified IT consultants, primarily on a contracted basis.

Yes, but what do you actually do? In my current assignment, I am helping the City position its IT department to have greater impact by aligning its resources, human and monetary, with its strategic goals.  Practically speaking, this means introducing and implementing concepts such as IT governance, business process management, and project portfolio management.

Where did you go to college? What is your degree in? At Penn State, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and my Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering.  About 10 years into my career, I earned an International Master of Business Administration with emphasis in Marketing from the University of South Carolina and the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.

Did you always want to work in IT?I grew up in the “pre-IT” era, back in the 1960s and 70s.  I was inspired in part by a tour of the Hershey chocolate, particularly fascinated by the automation in the plant.   My interest in math and science led me to study engineering.  I was first exposed to computer programming during undergraduate engineering school, I used “ancient” technology such as punch cards!  I took as many computer science electives as I could and worked in the engineering department programming in FORTRAN on a DEC PDP-10.

What is your favorite part of the job?Being able to work in various environments and industries over time as a consultant—I love new challenges and continually learning.

Describe the work environment at your company. Fast-paced, open, and committed.  I am struck by two things working in the public sector: 1) how “public” nearly every aspect of what you do is, and 2) the refreshing attitude of service many City employees possess.

What qualities do you need to have to do your job? A few that come to mind are diplomacy, integrity, patience, perceptivity, and flexibility.

What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? That it does not have a lot to with working with people!  Throughout my career I have not come across an IT job where communication skills were not key.

Any advice for students or professionals going into your field? 

I would offer the following suggestions:

  • Seek out opportunities to observe first-hand the types of positions you are considering, and, as possible, in more than one company—this sort of practical insight is invaluable.
  • Inform yourself about all types of IT jobs, not just those with which you may be familiar.
  • Consider combining your interest in IT with another passion you may have. For example, if you are a musician, you could aim for an IT job in a business that serves that market.

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Women in IT Series: Martha Bode SCANA

April 3rd, 2013 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

Name: Martha Bode

 Company: SCANA Corporation http://scana.com

Job Title: IT Director

What does your company do? We’re the power company – SCANA is the parent company of SC Electric & Gas. We provide gas & electric power to customers in SC, NC, and GA.

 Yes, but what do you actually do? Well, a long time ago, I was a really good programmer! Now I manage a bunch of great teams that develop software applications for SCANA. I also run our co-op (intern) program, and handle much of the recruiting for the IT department, and participate in lots of career fairs and classroom presentations to keep kids interested in STEM (and specifically technology) curriculum and careers.

 Where did you go to college? What is your degree in? I have a computer science degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (aka Va Tech).

 Did you always want to work in IT? Not really. I took a programming class in high school, and liked it OK. When I was trying to pick a major in college, I took a placement/aptitude test for the computer science program, and did really well, so I gave that a try. I like logic and problem solving, so this was a good match.

 What is your favorite part of the job? Used to love programming – but I don’t do that anymore! I enjoy the recruiting and education parts of my job the best now.

 Describe the work environment at your company. Flexible. Fair. Fast.

 What qualities do you need to have to do your job? Excellent communication and ability to work with lots of people to solve a business need and not just focus on the technology.

 What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? That it’s a bunch of nerds sitting around writing code.

 Any advice for students or professionals going into your field?  Stick with it! It’s a great career choice, with different challenges every day. If you like solving problems, you will love IT.

Personal hobbies and/or interests: Voracious reader, semi regular tweeter, passionate about STEM education, soccer toter. Follow me on twitter @marthabode for IT Job postings and STEM tweets!

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Women in IT

April 2nd, 2013 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Careers | Women in IT - (1 Comments)

I am Carmen Harris, the communications assistant at IT-oLogy and I have been busy these last few months coordinating interviews and questionnaires with some extraordinary women from across the country that have great careers in information technology. Starting in April, we will be posting these interviews to coincide with our celebration of Women in IT month at IT-oLogy.

Some of the careers that will be featured are: Java Developer, Applications Development Manager, IT Director, Technology Delivery Manager and Chief Information Officer. This all culminates with the Award for Aspirations in Computing ceremony at IT-oLogy on April 27. The Award for Aspirations in Computing is a part of the NCWIT talent development program that encourages young women to succeed in technology. We are pleased to recognize the five winners of the South Carolina Aspirations Award! More about these young women to follow!

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We invited women from major companies like SCANA and Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina to answer a short questionnaire. They have provided some words of encouragement and insight on some major misconceptions about working in IT.

You will not only learn more about the daily tasks and main activities of each job, but also what degree these women pursued in college for their career. We also asked them to tell us about their interests and hobbies outside of IT. Stay tuned to the IT-oLogy blog for more about women in IT.

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Guest Blog Post: Updates and Software Installation becomes easier at SCANA

February 12th, 2013 | Posted by Whitney Williams in IT-oLogy Defined | Teach IT - (0 Comments)

Intern Jack Lee talks about his work experiences at SCANA this week.

This is my fourth week working at SCANA Corporation. I had a very productive week–we have lots of projects going on, and I provided a lot of assistance for my co-workers. I feel more and more happy working at SCANA Corporation.

The highlight of my week came on Friday, when I was invited to a staff meeting. We talked about some up coming projects. It turns out that we have to help update all the machines for a big department. I guess there will be more computer imaging jobs for me to do next week. After the meeting, we also learned about a new script that was written by one of our co-workers. The script provides a special function that will allow the computer to update and install software on its own. Despite some occasional clicking and agreeing to software terms, the script has made life easier for staff and shortened program installation time. Normally, it takes many hours to install all the applications, but the new script only needs about 15 to 20 minutes. This script is incredible, and our workstation department is looking forward to using it in the future.

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