For Adam Henson, establishing a career in the field of information technology once seemed impossible.
“With IT, it’s hard to get a job without experience, but it’s hard to get experience without a job,” he said. “It was a real Catch-22.”
Then he learned about IT-Ready.
Henson, working as a meter reader for an energy company at the time, was perusing job postings on the Careerbuilder website when he saw an ad for IT-Ready. He found the program’s offering of information technology education followed by apprentice work experience appealing.
“The possibility of an apprenticeship at the end of the program was a big factor in why I joined,” Henson said. “Because eight weeks is a long time to commit without working.”
Henson said he was impressed from the start by the rigor of the IT-Ready curriculum.
“Eight weeks sounds easy. And since I was familiar with technology, I thought it would be easier than it was,” he said. “But we covered a lot of topics – more than just technology.”
Augmenting his classroom learning with after-hours studying, Henson said he learned a broad range of hard technical and softer professional skills. And when it came time to look for apprenticeships, Henson applied to MTCI.
As a full-service unified communications solutions provider, MTCI defines, develops and executes efficient, functional and cost-effective voice and data communications programs on behalf of its clients.
As a communications specialist, Henson installs voice-over Internet protocol service for clients and troubleshoots issues with existing systems. Henson started work in August, and was offered a full-time permanent position after just a month on the job.
“Adam had been with us only about 30 days before we said, ‘Hey, we gotta hire this guy full time,’” said Guy Guckenberger, general manager of MTCI’s voice and data implementation grid. “He’s a really sharp guy.”
Henson said his experience with IT-Ready instilled in him the confidence to trust his knowledge and skills.
“I get to think a lot – that’s probably what I enjoy most about my work,” he said. “I get to solve new problems everyday – figure out why things don’t work, or try a solution we haven’t implemented before. It’s interesting and every day is different.”
And as for his career potential in the once apparently impermeable field of information technology, Henson said that now it seems endless.
“I like what I’m doing and there’s room for growth,” he said.
