Joseph Moody is a great guy who is an example for a successful IT expert. He is full of knowledge, he earned Microsoft Valuable Professional status. He has a blog www.DeployHappiness.com where he publishes solutions for Microsoft products.
Where does Joseph Moody get time to fit blogging, learning new stuff, family and most importantly, where does get motivation for constant learning and sharing information he learned along the way?
Hi Joseph, can you give us a little introduction about yourself and how you got into computing? When did you start working with computers?
I was really lucky to have a father that worked in technology. I built my first PC in 4th grade with his help, spent many years just playing games, and got an internship when I turned 16. I have been working in IT for 9 years now.
How long did you study IT, which certificates do you have?
After high school, I enrolled in a Cisco Networking Academy program. After a year, I earned my CCNA. I spent two years getting a degree from our local college in Information Technology. Over the years, I’ve earned my: A+, Network +, Server +, MSTS, MCSA, and MSCE in variety of Microsoft technologies. I have taught some courses over the MCSE material as well.
How much time do you dedicate for learning new technologies?
A ton! I probably spend 3-4 hours each day working on something new. I am very lucky to have the job that I do – I get to spend most of my day learning and working on projects!
If you were approached by a student who is interested in career in IT, what would be your advice to get where you are today?
Get an internship with a sharp guy. You can learn more working with someone that you ever can in college. Supplement that with test environments. Get certifications the hard way by reading a good book and doing every lab.
You are also MVP, how hard it is to be awarded MVP?
I am not sure how hard it is to become an MVP but I do know that there are not many of us. You have to really like helping people and be willing to spend the time doing so. I frequent the TechNet and Experts-Exchange forums to assist other IT pros. I run my blog, DeployHappiness and try to publish a how-to guide once or twice a week. I also lead in person training’s several times a year.
Being awarded the MVP is certainly a high point in my career though. I get to interact with some insanely sharp people (including the Microsoft teams for the products I support).
What’s the best advice or tip you’ve discovered about blogging?
Don’t do it for the money. 🙂 If you want to keep a blog going, you have to really love what you are writing about.
You are also a speaker on IT events, was it always easy speaking in front of people?
No – and it still isn’t easy to speak in front of people. Before I really go into IT, I did a lot of public relations stuff (even got to give a speech inside the United Nations for an event). That certainly helped!
Do you have an advice how to make public speaking a bit easier?
Practicing makes it easier. Forcing yourself to get up in front of others makes it easier. Know your topic inside and out. In fact, I will occasionally offer a training on a topic that I haven’t mastered yet so that I will be forced to master it.
What do you know now, that you wish you knew when you first started in IT?
Test every change. I can’t count the hours I’ve wasted fixing something that I accidentally broke…
How do you spend your normal day?
I start the day by checking on major services. After that, I will spend most of my morning working on a project. My mind is sharpest in the morning so that is when I tackle the hard stuff. After lunch, I will do maintenance tasks, learn something new, catch up on email, etc.
What drives you? Where do you get your passion, inspiration?
I love fixing things and I love making things easier for people. If I wasn’t so introverted, I would probably be a pretty good people person. 🙂
My best ideas come from watching. I will see how a process is done and get ideas about how to make it better. Knowing different technologies makes this easier (ex: scripting, deployment, packaging, etc)
What is the best fiction book you read?
That is tough question! I am a huge reader but if I had to pick a single book – it would be the 7th Harry Potter book. The 1st Harry Potter book got me into reading when I was young so I have a bit of an attachment to the series.
I would like to thank Joseph for the interview.
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