Still have not decided what I want to be when I grow up...
If you take a moment to look at my job history on the right you can see that I have been on a lifelong search for the next opportunity.
This is due to the fact that I detest repetition. "Only handle it
once," was what my father told me repetitively.
When my number (a 6 out of 365) was drawn in the lottery for the
draft during the Vietnam conflict, I decided it was better to enlist
than be drafted.
Through my first brief years by the military I learned how exciting it could be to move a thousand miles away or change careers entirely
when an opportunity knocks.
I have made my living at one point or another as
a military policeman/fireman, a musician, an heavy equipment operator
and diesel mechanic, a potter, a brass foundry caster, an office worker,
a student, a psychiatric social worker, a video producer, a journalist
even 6 months as an on-air radio personality (Good morning Southern
Bavaria!). I have managed psychiatric clinics, machine shops, bars,
restaurants, a mobile home park and at one point even a golf course.
Thing was, I had a great deal of fun and learned a lot about a lot of
different things, but still was not satisfied.
At one point, after being told that my year of experience in television production was not
enough to get a decent production job, I decided to finally complete my
degree Bachelors Degree in Media Communications in 1985.
While I was working for the University I was chosen as Associate Producer for a "TeleCourse"
being filmed for the Business School entitled "Microcomputer
Applications in Business."
Two professors had been elected to be the "Stars" of the program but
on our first day of filming the Producer was unhappy with the talent not
being very talented.
These two professors started out fine, but after
three or four minutes would fall into technospeak and start using acronyms and terms that they had
not explained. It was all very confusing.
Since this was supposed to be an introductory course the
producer determined that they should have a student to teach.
I became
that student.
As a result I learned all kinds of things about a PC. Multimate,
Lotus and MS-DOS. Even how to replace a hardrive and reformat it.
Pretty
interesting stuff that I did not really care about (I wanted to be a
television producer remember?) but since I was also responsible for all
the post-production for the course, I really had to learn the stuff.
After I graduated I moved to Los Angeles and found out how hard it
was to get a decent job in television.
Needing a paycheck I went to a
Temp Agency and asked about typing jobs (I had also learned to type
along the way!).
The Temp Agency asked if I had any computer skills. I said that only
with PCs, Lotus, Multimate, etc.
They smiled and sent me on a job on the spot
making three times what I had been getting as a camera operator.
The more I worked with computers and programs the more I liked it.
I
discovered that working on a computer was like playing a video game,
when things worked liked I wanted, I won!
I loved the work because I realized it was all about fighting
repetition!
I have functioned strategically managing departments in Desktop
Publishing, IT, Consulting, Technical Sales Support, and Knowledge
Managment among others.
I have functioned tactically in Project Management/Direction,
Business Analysis, Marketing, Business Intelligence, Support Services,
Data analysis, Process Management/ Design/Improvement.
I have taken part in Six Sigma, TQM and ISO project Teams and
certifications.
I have been on IT Projects or Project Management in a variety of
industries including Legal, Banking, Accounting, Market Research,
Marketing, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Government, Manufacturing (from
steel to electronics), Staffing, and others.
In 2003 after a prolonged long distance romance, I married an
Austrian girl I had met on the internet and moved to Austria.
Needless to say, the job market here is quite different from the
States.
I have adapted and found a niche where I am happiest managing the
application of Microsoft's Sharepoint Services to collaboration,
communication, and process control in a variety of Austrian firms and
industries.
I am...
Chicago-born and have
lived in ten US States,
and two foreign countries.
a U.S. State Department
certified German linguist.
currently certified as:
Job History
Jan 2007 - present
ECM Senior Consultant
Industry: Consulting -
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Microsoft Office SharePoint Services
2007/2010
Windows
Workflow Foundation
Office 2007/2010 - Infopath/Sharepoint Designer
VS 2008/2010
Mar 2004 - Mar 2005
Knowledge Manager
Europpass LKW Mautsytem GmbH,
http://www.asfinag.at
Industry: Traffic Engineering
Jun 2003 - Dec 2003
Marketing Manager
Benq GmbH, Austria
Industry: Computer Hardware
Mar 2001 - Jun 2002
Project Manager - Tech Lead
One Beacon Insurance
Industry: Insurance
Mar 2000 - Jan 2001
Engagement Manager
KPMG.COM – KWorld
http://www.kworld.com/
Industry: Consulting
Oct 1998 - Feb 2000
IS Director
The Davis Companies
www.daviscos.com
Industry: Staffing & Recruiting
Mar 1998 - Oct 1998
Business Analyst
Chase Manhattan Bank
Industry: Banking
Jan 1996 - Mar 1998
Project Manager/Project Director
Alternative Resources Corporation
Industry: Consulting, Staffing Banking Insurance Manufacturing
Oct 1991 - Jan 1996
Director Information Systems
Grant Thornton LLP
http://www.grantthornton.com
Industry: Management Consulting
Apr 1988 - Apr 1991
Systems Manager/Desktop Publisher
C&R Research
Industry: Market Research
1986 - 1986
Data Entry
Paramount Pictures - Safety
Industry: Media Production
1985 - 1985
Adjunct Instructor
Prairie State College
http://www.prairiestate.edu/
Industry: Education
1982 - 1984
Counter Sales
Lemont/New Lenox Auto Parts
Industry: Automotive
1981 - 1982
On Air Personality
U.S. Army - AFN Munich
Industry: Broadcast Media
1977 - 1981
Behavioral Science Specialist
U.S. Army
Industry: Psychology/Psychotherapy
Nov 1973 - May1974
Apprentice Potter
Töpferei Brieger
Industry: Glass & Ceramics
Jan 1973 - Nov 1973
Caster
Chicago Extruded Metals
Industry: Metal/Metalworking
Mar 1970 - Oct 1972
Military Policeman
U.S. Army
Industry: Security & Investigations
Jan 1968 - Nov 1970
Laborer
W.E. Burger Construction
Industry: Construction