We talked to David Wilkinson (@drwilkinson84), an IT manager at Current Health, about his career in IT.
When did you start in IT and what was your first position?
- My first job in IT was in 2007, I was working for a company called NTP and they needed someone to look after the basic IT functions in our Glasgow office at the time. This was doing things like changing backup tapes, fixing printer problems and resetting passwords, very basic stuff but you need to start somewhere right?
How has your career changed since then?
- My career since taking that opportunity has changed every year and I have had so many amazing experiences from travelling the world to fix IT issues on oil tankers and cargo ships, to running IT Service Desks and also helping to run the daily IT Operations at Scotlands busiest airport! I am now IT Manager for Current Health and have been for 10 months and I am loving the fact that I am playing my part in this amazing organisation.
What excites you about IT today?
- The things that excite me are simple! The tools and solutions that are available to us as IT professionals now to do our job from anywhere in the world is really amazing. The days of having to be in a server room are gone and there isn’t anything that I can’t do sitting in my home office.
How do you stay up-to-date in a field that's constantly changing?
- I use LinkedIn, Twitter, newsletters from all the main vendors and software applications that we use to keep on top. I also attend a number of focus groups in Scotland that allow me to meet individuals in my field that allow us to discuss and talk through how we are all doing things and share our ideas.
What advice would you offer someone trying to either switch careers or break into the IT industry for the first time?
- Be keen! Always be willing to learn and start with the basics! IT is not a career where you can stand still. You need to be willing to put in the work and learn everyday to keep yourself on top of the always changing landscape.
Thanks for taking time to share with us, David. We appreciate you and your time!
