Donald Moore works as an Information Technology professional at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He works on a technology team that provides Content Management solutions to other Federal Reserve Districts across the country (there are 12 Districts). At night, Donald runs a blog at Prosumertech on the use of technologies and accessibility features to help others learn what technology solutions are available for everyday use for the deaf/hoh consumers. The idea for his blog started due to his on-going exposure to technology at work, curiosity of new technologies for personal needs, and conversations and questions from others seeking help.
Where did you attend school and what were the school years like?
I am the only deaf/hard of hearing member of my family. We did not utilize sign language during my childhood because I have some residual hearing, and was encouraged to attend public schools via mainstreaming. Minor accommodations were usually done to address my needs in school. Since my dad was a Geologist with major oil and mining companies, it required frequent relocations. In addition, being actively involved with Scouts, along with the frequent relocations; it gave me the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the U.S. I didn’t really learn sign language until I took a summer crash course at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. just prior to enrolling for my freshman year.
Since I grew up in several major cities (Houston, NJ/NYC, Tulsa, Dallas, D.C. and now Chicago), prior to attending Gallaudet University, the availability of the Internet, meeting other deaf/hoh individuals was not commonplace. With the frequent relocations, attending a number of different schools sometimes presented challenges. Today we have family members located across the country; we stay in touch via email, chat, and SMS.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?
When I was younger, some thought I would have a career in architecture and drafting, this was before the PC become popular, and the wide spread of consumer technologies. While in high school I was involved in Explorer Scouts with ExxonMobil in their IT department in Houston, which was my first real exposure to the use of computers and technology in the workplace.
When I started on my bachelor’s degree at Gallaudet University, I first had some interest in Accounting and Business Law, but due to course scheduling conflicts and availability, and that new technologies were appearing – I had become interested in a career in the Information Technology field. I wanted to combine the need to solve business problems by the use of technology. During the course of my career, I have stayed current with technologies at home and in the work place by exploration, readings, taking graduate coursework, and seeking involvements in new projects at work.
Education I have a Masters in Management Information Systems and E-Commerce from the University of Maryland. As well as a Bachelors in Computer Information Systems / Business Administration from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. I am currently pursuing my MBA via an online program, also with the University of Maryland.
What is your current job and what is a typical day like on the job?
There is no such a thing as a “typical” work day within an IT department. I often have to juggle a number of things: such as attending meetings and training sessions, crafting the next PowerPoint or Intranet article, develop and test web / CMS applications, work on application or database design specifications, interact with employees cross-country via instant messaging, and utilize email for more detailed communications. The variations of tasks, problems, and technologies helps makes working within the IT field interesting and challenging!
Previous Work Experience
<!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>As some say “The jobs of tomorrow haven not yet been created”. I encourage everyone to remain flexible and adaptive to the work place. My career hasn’t been exactly in a straight line from point “A” to “B”. During high school I worked summer jobs in restaurants and mowed lawns for a builder, for a year ran computer labs in college, did a technology internship with H.U.D. for one summer. Out of college, I started in the hardware/help desk area, then progressed to programming with mainframes, financial data reporting, served as a web master, and now work with web, content management and digital assets.
What advice would you share with a student who is considering career choices?
In today’s work environment, you are ultimately responsible for your own career development. Do research, talk to others in the field(s) you are interested in, and make an effort to stay on top of your field by staying current with the trends and technologies used in the work place. If offered, take advantage of training opportunities with your employer – whether it’s for on the job training or getting support for an advanced degree. I’m currently studying for my MBA, even though I already have a Masters in Computer Information Systems – a lot has changed in the work place with technology within the past 10 years. Go for a career where your interests and abilities are – it doesn’t necessarily have to be what your parents want you to do/be.
Donald Moore can be reached at: mooredlm (at) comcast.net
Blog: http://prosumertech.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mooredlm
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldlmoore
