Real World Experience

This article first appeared on Girard Kavelines’s blog techhouse570.wordpress.com/

In our industry nothing is more valuable than that real world experience. The opportunity to work on real hardware, troubleshooting real problems and facing those challenges everyday. So now the questions left: How do you seize those opportunities? Where do you look first to begin?

For me getting into the industry my path, like everyone’s, was faced with hardships and obstacles, and though you’ll overcome them getting there seems like it takes forever. I’ve said most recently this past week while talking to a good friend – “It’s amazing how far we’ve come as a community its indescribable.”

When I got into this industry YouTubers weren’t a thing, communities were hard to come by, and knowledge that those did have was guarded like pentagon secrets! But today as technology has grown, the people, the professionals that have made this industry what it is and have given so much are now sharing that wealth of knowledge with the next generation and those to come after it.

My foot in the door for me was working in retail. Working in those different organizations gave me that sense of growth, and for that I’m forever grateful. It was a way for me to take those skills I already possessed to a whole new level, and as I’ve mentioned before where I both personally and professionally found my love of networking. That led me into my many other opportunities and now I share with you – How do you make your own path ?

Apply yourself. In todays world we have so many outlets to explore from social media, internships, both paid and unpaid, and more. They say also its about who you know and in some cases… it is. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and the more you network the more opportunities it can present you. If you have or are given an opportunity to showcase your skills do it my friends, cause you never know if you’ll be given another. Showcase that passion, that drive, that desire to be the best in whatever you do cause it shows and those that are the hungriest. The ones who thrive on learning at every opportunity given to them, they prove it. Times are changing and the technology with it. If I can ever help any of you in anyway, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! Whether you’re finding that first or that next opportunity or studying to get those certifications. Remember to study hard, and win harder. Whatever it is you look to achieve your drive will continue to take you.

Best Regards,

Girard