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Computer Network Support Specialist - Board of Education

"I enjoy helping others find solutions to technical errors. I analyze, test, troubleshoot and evaluate network systems, such as LANs, WANs and Intranets. I perform maintenance to ensure efficiency and functionality of existing networks for Information Technology (IT) employees."

Salary Range:

$42,000 - $53,000

The Tip

Everyone talks about finding “balance” between your career and your life. There is no magic formula because there is only one person who can decide what balance looks like—YOU.

Priority Knowledge & Skills
Technical Knowledge & Skills

  • Systems fundamentals

  • Network design & administration

  • Web administration

  • Mobile applications & device management

  • Information technology security configuration & management

  • Troubleshooting & remote diagnosis skills

Certifications

  • Cisco CCNA Certification

  • Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)

  • CompTIA Network+ Certification

  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

 

Other

  • Communication

  • Problem-solving

  • Interpersonal skills

Building Block Experiences
Education & Learning:

  • Diploma in Information Technology

  • I am a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

  • Applied degree in Information Technology

 

"I’ve always been a hands-on tech person. As a teenager, I spent some time with my dad at his computer shop, helping to do some minor computer repairs. Doing an applied IT degree seemed natural, but I had no idea what I would do with it until I did my work term."

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Employment Experiences:

  • Worked part time with Best Buy Electronics Geek Squad before going to college

  • During school, did a work term as an IT specialist at a local non-profit. I was kept on part time after my term.

  • Hired in IT support for the local board of education. Promoted to network support specialist.

 

"I like balance in life. Some people are 24/7 workers, but that is not me. I want to be challenged in a good job with good people, but my job is not my life. When you look at my career, I worked for a non-profit and a school board. I am not going to get rich, but I have a rich life in large part because I work regular hours and never work on weekends."

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Community Experiences:

  • I have one real passion in life—music. I am deeply involved with my local music community and especially with my band.

 

"Music has always been my passion. I’ve played piano since I was five and passed my Grade 10 in the Royal Conservatory of Music when I was 16. In college, I met a bunch of other music people in IT and we started a band (called The Hard Drives). A decade later we are still hard at it. We released one EP and play regular gigs in town. We don’t do it for money; we do it for passion. I’ve designed my work life to fund my love for my music."

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Contextual Experiences:

  • I love international travel, and I do it with a purpose. Once a year, my bandmates and I pick a band on tour (mostly bands we’ve never heard of) and we follow them around for a few weeks as an excuse to see different parts of the world. So far, we’ve toured the southern U.S., Germany, Brazil, Japan and New Zealand.

 

"Exposure to different cultures and lifestyles reinforced my humility because it showed me the world is big and what I know is so small. Doing these quasi-music tours taught me that I couldn’t be a professional touring musician. So instead, I keep my professional life and my music life separate."

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Relationships:

  • I have a strange mix of mentors from senior IT professionals to a lead singer in a rock band

 

"My diverse mix of mentors keeps me grounded and focused. The one thing they agreed on was to keep my career and music separate. This is the best advice I’ve ever had."

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