Pandora's Box

Hello World! 

I am Stephen Frain. I am new to the world of wireless engineering. However, I have been working in IT since I graduated with a BA in History from the University of North Georgia. Yes...I get many quizzical looks when I tell people I am a history major while I am fixing their computer, network or other electronic devices that might not even have to do with IT. The short version of a rather long story is; I graduated found there were no jobs with a history degree and decided to use my computer science minor as my means of getting into the IT world. I was fortunate enough that a family friend gave me an opportunity in the Point of Sales industry. I started prepping, installing and supporting small grocery store networks, servers, and registers. I got into working with SQL, C# (Hence the intro), and HTML; all three were what the software we resold was utilizing. While there I went to do some training for the army; I am in the US Army Reserves. This training allowed me an opportunity to gather some certifications. I earned my A+, Network+ and Security+ (Currently studying for CWNA). Shortly following the training I was offered a job as an Onsite IT Specialist, primarily traveling to customers and fixing any and all IT related issues. That job was long hours, but I learned a lot. I have recently been offered a wireless engineer position, and have been drinking from a fire hydrant ever since. There is so much information I never knew I was missing out on.

Since starting an IT career path I was never sure what I wanted to do with my career, Systems Admin, Penetration Tester, Network Engineer are just a few of the ideas I had bouncing around in my head. Never once had it occurred to me that I could be a Wireless Network Engineer. Even when I first heard about this opportunity and began pursuing it, I still was not sure if it was what I wanted. However, since I started studying wireless technologies more and learning about the roles and responsibilities of wireless engineers I have found this to be a field I can grow in and enjoy immensely. I believe I have found my path.

Since this is my chosen path, I have decided to get more involved in the wireless community. In April I deleted my Twitter...that was until my team lead suggested I use it to follow leaders in the community, as well as companies we work with. I reactivated my twitter and so began my reintroduction to a different kind of social media. Since then I have been listening to various podcasts including, No Strings Attached, Clear To Send, and WirelessLan Professionals. It was that last podcast that got me thinking about doing more to be involved. Keith R. Parsons mentioned in one of his episodes on WirelessLAN Professionals that one needs to do more than just have a twitter account, or get certifications, they need to participate, interact and contribute with the wireless community, that is how we grow, learn and become an active member. That is why I am here; to be involved, to share what I learn with others, to help aspiring wireless engineers that might be just starting out as I am.

Pandora's Box

So if you have read this far, you might be wondering why I named this article Pandora's Box. Despite being heavily involved in IT and now wireless engineering, I have always tried to minimize my social media involvement. I recently deleted my facebook, I tried deleting my twitter, I don't participate in Instagram, or any other social media fads. I have tried to minimize my digital fingerprint, my time spent online. In my new career path, I have found that just learning and growing by myself is not enough; I need to be a part of the community. So starting this job has been pandora's box for me, opening myself up to all the social media, and digital fingerprint I have been trying to avoid. However, I do believe the benefits of this will outweigh the loss of privacy I have been maintaining.

This is my intro into the online world. I hope to post more here about myself, my experiences, and share what I learn! Follow me if you want to learn and grow in this field together.


My Twitter: @thefraintrain12

The Podcasts I mentioned:

WirelessLAN Professionals
No Strings Attached
Clear To Send


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