career connection
information technology
[ Life in IT ]
Alabama Community College System (ACCS)
highlights Nathan Burnett. Nathan studied
Computer Information Science (CIS) at Wallace
Community College in Dothan, Alabama and
shared his experience with us to provide insight
into the IT field. After graduating from Dale County
High School in Midland City, Alabama, he attended
both a community college and a university.
The CC Experience
“My favorite thing about attending WCC was how you were more
than just a number or a face sitting in a room. The instructors
cared about your success. They would know you by name and
they would continue to ask how you were doing in other classes
even if you didn’t have them for class anymore. They were always
interested in your progress.”
He identified some major differences between attending a com-
munity college and a university, stating, “The big difference to me
is that there are smaller class sizes, the instructors connect with
you on a more personal level, classes are cheaper, and you get
more hands on experiences.” He addresses the assumptions many
have that students attending community colleges are not as in-
telligent or capable as university students. He said, “The students
that attend a community college are just as smart as students
attending a university. Going to a community college is a better
financial choice in most cases since tuition is cheaper.”
Nathan’s favorite part of the CIS program at WCC was the oppor-
tunity to experience different areas of the computer technology
field. He chose the programming route which provided him with
experience in various programming languages, such as: C++,
C#, Visual Basic, HTML, and CSS. He was granted hands-on
experience in learning how to tear a computer apart and put it
back together, learning the name and function of each part, and
learning how to troubleshoot hardware issues. He also learned
how to hack basic networks to gain access to computers.
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| Summer 2020
In the Field
He currently works as an IT Tech at Wallace Community
College and has been working there for six years. He landed a job
as a helpdesk technician at WCC while still in college and held
that position for three years while he finished his degree. He was
hired for a full-time IT Tech job in 2017. When asked about his
day-to-day job duties, Nathan shared, “I set up new computers in
offices and classrooms; I respond to tickets put in by students and
staff for various technology issues; I troubleshoot hardware and
software issues with computers; I install software for instructors;
I help maintain the projectors and sound equipment installed in
the classrooms, and I troubleshoot network issues and help install
new network wiring.”
Nathan cleared up some misconceptions surrounding the field
of computer science. “I think most people view IT as a job for
antisocial people. I think people also think that if they work in
the field they will be considered a “nerd” and maybe you wouldn’t
get the respect you think you should. Working in IT is probably
one of the most social jobs you can have. In most cases, you are
having to interact with people the majority of your work day. In
my experience working in the field, people have a great deal of
respect for you and are really happy to see you walk in if they are
having a problem with technology.”
Advice for IT Students
When asked what sparked his interest in the career field, he
answered, “When I was in high school, I was usually the student
that had to help the teacher out when something went wrong with
their computer or projector. I like that you get to solve problems
and that no two days are exactly alike.”
He advised students considering this path, saying, “Always be
willing to learn something new. The IT field changes pretty
rapidly. Learn all you can in your spare time whether it’s reading
IT related books or watching informational videos on YouTube.
Work on being able to take a complex idea and break it down to
where someone with little to no knowledge of the subject would
be able to understand. You don’t want to come across as talking
down to someone when working in IT.”
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