My First Opportunity

I am currently attending Utah Valley University, working on a degree in Information Systems with an emphasis in Business Intelligence. One of the hardest parts for me about obtaining a technical degree was obtaining my first "IT" type job. As anyone who is familiar with the IT world knows, most people get their first "IT" job by working at a help desk of some sort. For me, working at a an IT help desk did not seem to provide any benefits towards what I actually want to do in my career. I decided that I would patiently wait for an opportunity more suitable to my goals to arise before I tried to get any other sort of job

While I was working for Zions Bank as a Signature Card Review Specialist I took the opportunity to learn all about the database that we used to track signature card exceptions. Since the manager of the department was the person who created the database, and no one else knew how to manage it, I offered my help whenever possible. During this time, I always mentioned to him that I really enjoyed working with databases and that I was looking for a way to break in to the "IT" realm. Things continued in this manner for about a year.

One day, my manager called me in to his office to tell me that he had accepted a promotion within Zions Bank. Additionally, he explained that after he left they would be reorganizing some of his duties. He asked me if I would like to take the position of database developer within the department. After working through some scheduling conflicts, I decided to accept the position. I have now been a database developer for Zions Bank for 8 months, and I have learned a tremendous amount.

 My current position has helped me narrow my schooling and career goals, and has provided me with enhanced focus. I have determined that I don't care much for programming (which I do a lot of currently), but that I have a passion for data (both the storage and analysis of). Additionally, I have really discovered a passion for learning and problem-solving. I love being challenged and I love the feeling I get when I figure something out. I love to learn new things and I love a job that is constantly evolving.

Throughout this process I have learned several key things:

• Excel in the job you have currently, so that you will be ready for any additional challenges/opportunities.
• Communicate with everyone! (managers, coworkers, friends, etc)
• Keep learning.
• Push yourself to try new things.
• Don't be afraid to ask for more responsibility.

This whole experience has allowed me to add a few more tools to my toolbox and I now feel that I am ready to take on a new challenge.