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Education Key To Second Career In Sacramento IT Field

Virtually all larger Sacramento businesses, including the State of California, employ IT professionals in some capacity. In January 2015, the Employment Development Department released figures reflecting a slight dip in 2014 IT jobs in the Sac-metro area, but 2015 is starting strong. In February 2015, national IT career website Dice.com listed more than 500 open positions locally for IT developers, managers, programmers, analysts and engineers. Employers for current openings include CalPERS, Modis, Experis, Aerojet Rocketdyne and UC Davis Health System.

SAC-Tech
(Photo Courtesy of Ron Klint)

After a successful early career in sales and retail management, Sacramento's Ron Klint decided it was time for a change. His interest in analyzing and solving problems led him to return to school to prepare for a career in the IT field.

Today Klint is the Southwest Region IT Operations Lead for a large global firm that provides consulting, management and planning services to businesses in more than 120 countries. Based in Sacramento, Klint is responsible for desktop/server support and staff and project management for offices and project sites in California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada.

How important was school to your career change?

"I had little experience with IT tasks in his retail background, so he went into his MTI College of Business & Technology classes somewhat blind. Ultimately earning his Associate in Applied Science in Computer Science as well as other certifications. Education is 100 percent of the reason I got where I am today."

How did you reach a management level?

"I started as a Help Desk Analyst in 1999, and progressed through several roles including LAN Administrator, Area IT Manager and Operations Systems Support."

Did past experience impact your new career?

"I had retail experience and prior liberal arts education helped me succeed in information technology, in part due to the communication skills I acquired. My customer service experience allows me to explain complex issues to clients in ways they understand."

Valerie Heimerich is a freelance writer out of Sacramento. She typically covers animals and community issues. She has volunteered and worked for many organizations helping animals and people.
Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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