First Jobs

Jean Consilvio   Today’s Top Stories    or  Other Careers Stories  

Learn-Fast Guide: It's All About You Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts

January 05, 2004 (Computerworld) --

David Jordan

Chief information security officer, Arlington County Government, Arlington, Va.

Back in the '80s, I was a senior test and system integration engineer in the Satellite Business Systems labs in McLean, Va. SBS was formed by Comsat, IBM and Aetna Life & Casualty to use satellites to broadcast broadband data. SBS1 was the first commercial satellite to be launched from the space shuttle.

Gordon D. Wishon

CIO, associate vice president, associate provost for IT, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind.

After a couple of years in the cockpit of an F-111 fighter during the late 1970s, I spent several years as a consultant to the command staff on issues related to fighter aircraft technology. During this time, I worked on the design and development of the next generation of aircraft and missile systems.

Marina Levinson

Vice president, CIO, Palm Inc., Milpitas, Calif.

I started my career in IT after emigrating from Russia in 1980. My first job was with TRW in San Jose and focused on selecting and implementing a relational database for analytical applications.

Carlos M. Recalde

Executive director of technology, Americas region, KPMG LLP, Montvale, N.J.

I started in IT as the director of information services at a New York women's fashion house in the late 1970s. I talked my way into a new position by claiming that I could cut in half the expenses in the shipping department, which comprised 54 people who hand-wrote picking slips and typed invoices. We bought a rudimentary system that had been written by a noncompetitive garment company in California that allowed us to decrease head count to 12 people within nine months. But the real benefit came from getting goods out the door faster.

Gregory S. Jackson

CIO, State of Ohio, Columbus

My first IT job, in 1985, was to build a LAN at my U.S.-based company's new Mexican plant. The LAN would run the inventory control and customs management systems, which needed to tie into the company's U.S. IT systems. I was challenged with provisioning a T1 line from Telefonos de Mexico and coordinating with AT&T. With little industry guidance, no internal experts to lean on and a second language to contend with, I had a blast. The outcome was a success.

Mark F. Hedley

Senior vice president, CTO, Wyndham International Inc., Dallas

I began my career as a systems analyst at the Sheraton Grande Hotel in Los Angeles. A fine introduction to my chosen field – not only did I touch all the hotel's systems, but I quickly became very familiar with all facets of hotel operations and the vital role technology plays in supporting the business. The Sheraton Grande piqued my enthusiasm for hospitality technology.

Debra Anderson

CIO, Novell Inc., Provo, Utah

My first IT job was at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, N.Y., as a beginning programmer in the photochemicals division. I was one of only three IT support people, and we worked in the plant along with our business customers. We handled everything from their financial system to inventory management to chemical procurement systems.

Compiled and edited by Jean Consilvio, assistant Management editor.

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

How They Were Chosen Worst Decisions First Jobs

"Employees at Computerworld's Best Places to Work in IT have managed to tame the IT career beast by rejecting the..." Read more... "Today's US college business professors, hopefully, aren't all like the one who is teaching a Florida university's business major. Maybe..." Read more... Read more Careers posts or See all Blogs

DNS hole prompts synchronized patching effort by IT vendors Microsoft plugs nine holes in Windows, DNS, SQL Symantec warns of new Word attack More top stories...

Microsoft sets XP SP3 automatic download for Thursday Don't give Google a free pass on data collection, privacy advocates say after YouTube ruling XP SP3 to reach most users 'shortly,' says Microsoft

This old laptop: Revitalizing an aging notebook on the cheap All it takes is a couple hours and about $125 to breathe new life into an old laptop. Here's how. Bill Gates moves on Is Microsoft's Golden Age over? What are Gates' most memorable quotes? Find out in Computerworld's complete coverage of the end of the Bill Gates era at Microsoft. Five things you should never tell your boss There are some things your CIO definitely doesn't want to hear. Also don't miss the flipside, Five things you should always tell your boss. Hands-On: Firefox 3 fixes what's broke and keeps what's right With its latest version, Mozilla's browser continues to raise the bar for what Web browsers should be. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland SecurityAsk a Premier 100 IT LeaderBlackBerry Legal BattleData Security BreachesElectronic VotingFirefoxH-1B VisasHP's Boardroom ScandalHandheld DevicesHurricane Katrina AftermathMicrosoft Legal IssuesMicrosoft's VistaOpen SourceRFID TechnologySCO's Linux FightSarbanes-Oxley ActSpamVoice Over IPWi-FiWindows Meta File VulnerabilityWindows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders2006 Salary Survey2007 Best Places to Work in IT2007 IT Forecast2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders40 Years of ComputerworldASPs, Take TwoBest Places to Work in IT 2003Best Places to Work in IT 2004Best Places to Work in IT 2005Best Places to Work in IT 2006Business Intelligence Home RunsBusiness Intelligence: Smarter BIBusiness Intelligence: The Future of BICRM Goes VerticalCRM: Sober CRMCareer Planning Guide 2005Careers: IT Profession 2010Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005Data Management: Mining for GemsData Management: Taming Data ChaosDevelopment: Hard-Workin' Web SitesDevelopment: New Tools New ChoicesDevelopment: The New World of Application DevelopmentDevelopment: The Web Services TsunamiDevelopment: Web Services HurdlesDisaster Recovery: Preparing for the WorstE-commerce Grows UpE-mail/Groupware: Big DecisionsFaces of Mobile ITForecast 2006Global MobileHardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple ChallengesHardware: On-Demand Un-HypedHardware: The Shape of Things to ComeHorizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge TechnologiesIT Management: Guide to Managing VendorsIT Management: Navigating Global ITIT Management: Recovery AheadIT Management: The Future of ITIT Management: The Resourceful Project ManagerInnovative Technology Awards 2004Management: Reinventing ITMicrosoft in TransitionMobile/Wireless Leaders and LaggardsMobile/Wireless: The Untethered WorkerMobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge CostsNetwork Management: Taking ControlNetworking: Turbulence Ahead!Networking: VoIP Goes MainstreamOperating Systems: In the Slow LaneOperating Systems: Linux Goes GlobalOperating Systems: Should You Nix Unix?Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's GuideOutsourcing: Outsourcing DangersPremier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in ClassPremier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in ClassROI: Do the Math!Salary Survey 2003Salary Survey 2004Salary Survey 2005Security Action PlanSecurity: Compliance HeadachesSecurity: Proactive SecuritySecurity: Risk and RewardSecurity: Tips From Security ProsSouped-up SecurityStorage: Battling ComplexityStorage: Cheap & Secure Data StoresStorage: Stretching Your Storage DollarsStorage: The Lean Storage MachineStorage: The New Rules of StorageStorage: The Ultimate Backup GuideSupply Chain: Missing LinksSupply Chain: RFID Reality CheckThe Business of SecurityWeb 2.0 SecurityWireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone Data Center Management Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone See your link here

Learn-Fast Guide: It's All About You (Source: Computerworld) Is your career in sync with the current megatrends: business alignment, globalization, the consumerization of IT, web 2.0 and beyond? In this guide, you'll get advice about how to make yourself more valuable, how to make the global talent pool work for you and how to make sure you "get found" when you put yourself out there. Download this executive briefing  Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? Download this webcast, free, compliments of Sterling Commerce Go to the webcast  Driving Business Success Through Workgroup Choice and Flexibility Download this white paper, free, compliments of Novell! (Source: Novell) The structure of your workgroup environment plays a vital role in enabling your knowledge workers to be productive and collaborate securely. And IT choice and flexibility can mean the difference between reactive spending and proactive investment. Boost your competitive advantage with a workgroup infrastructure that lets you deliver the tools and services that are right for you. Download this white paper to learn how Novell offers a variety of solutions that give you the flexibility to address critical business initiatives and workforce productivity. Download this white paper  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Virtualization Analysis for VMware A Guide to Understanding Messaging Archiving Archiving Compliance with Sunbelt Exchange Archiver View more whitepapers

• How They Were Chosen
• Worst Decisions
• First Jobs

• DNS hole prompts synchronized patching effort by IT vendors
• Microsoft plugs nine holes in Windows, DNS, SQL
• Symantec warns of new Word attack
• More top stories 

Securing your Online Data Transfer with SSL A guide to understanding SSL certificates, how they operate and their application. By making use of an SSL certificate on your web server, you can securely collect sensitive information online, and increase business by giving your customers confidence that their transactions are safe. Download this white paper now

Computerworld's Salary Survey Are you earning a fair wage? Take our survey now and enter a drawing to win one of 10 Sony 8" portable DVD players! Take the Salary Survey.