Former technical assistant Jose Ventura used his time at triOS to develop his skills in enterprise support, which landed him a challenging and interesting new job.Former technical assistant Jose Ventura learned about technology and electronics early on from his father, who moved from El Salvador to Canada with a master’s degree in telecommunication.
“He can be a mechanic, carpenter, engineer or electrician, but his true mastery is circuits and electronics,” Ventura said. “One of my very first memories is staring at a yellow and black screen — it was monochrome, but at that time it was cheaper to produce something non-white than something white with all the shades of gray.”
The blinking cursor mesmerized him. “It brought forth thoughts of things like, ‘What can I do with this blinking cursor? What can I tell this thing to do?’” Ventura said. So he started playing, tinkering, fixing and even breaking things.
“I remember being scolded for taking a screwdriver to the inside of a computer case and blowing a circuit on something you wouldn’t doubt cost a pretty penny back then,” Ventura said. That valuable lesson taught him to respect the hardware. “Ever since that point, I’ve always embraced technology and even though I broke things from time to time, I still knew how to fix them in the end.”
Taking the First Step with triOS
By 15-years-old, Ventura was fixing computers for family and friends, and later moved into the retail and service market. Sensing there was more he could do with his career, he began researching options — just as a branch of triOS College opened up in his neighborhood. “I took a look at their technology courses,” he said. “I was very interested in the course and certifications available so I took the chance.”
triOS College — the largest private career college in Ontario — is in the business of graduating job-ready IT professionals. The nine-campus triOS College is headquartered in Mississauga with campuses scattered to the west of Lake Ontario, plus an online campus for distance learners. Canadian-owned and -operated, triOS launched its first training centers in 1992 and its first career training program in 1994. Rebranded as triOS College of Information Technology in 1999, it then focused solely on technology training with a vision of improving lives through the sharing of information and technology.
Ventura attended triOS to develop his skills in enterprise support. He earned certifications in CompTIA A+ and Network+ and has written the first part of the Linux+ exam. Outside of CompTIA, he wrote Microsoft exams for Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise Support Technician.
These days he’s rewarded for his IT maintenance and repair know-how. He works for a construction company with a great infrastructure for him to continue building his skills. The natural career advancement meant more than a significant increase in salary.
“It’s a totally different game … I’m dealing with a company as a whole, rather than specific individuals,” he said. “There’s satisfaction knowing that I can provide for not just a few people at a time, but more like a few hundred.”
triOS and CompTIA Connect to Boost Careers
CompTIA and triOS have partnered for more than 15 years to help students like Ventura find fulfilling IT careers. CompTIA’s vendor neutral, industry recognized IT certifications complement the triOS curriculum and a graduate can leave triOS with an education and proof he or she can be a productive and key member of any company’s IT team.
“We teach several courses that are geared towards a specific CompTIA certification. For example, we have a course called Enterprise Security that specifically focuses on the material tested on the CompTIA Security+ certification,” said Jason Eckert, dean of technology for triOS College Business Technology Healthcare. The courses include some lectures, but are predominantly based on practical application and lab work. “It is critical that our students can demonstrate their skills and abilities.”
Free exams are included in the tuition price. At triOS, students train and test for various CompTIA certifications, including A+, IT Project+, Network+, Linux+ and Security+.
Through triOS, Ventura got his foot in the door with resume builders and advice on things like interview skills from triOS staff. “CompTIA certifications specifically have turned my simple concepts of technology into a realization,” Ventura said. “I now realize not only what technology is, but its true function and benefit to our world.”
Today, he works at Kenaidan Contracting Ltd. with a higher salary and more career satisfaction. Ventura provides business services integral to function and success. “I can make a difference for any business incorporating technology to drive its business,” he said. “Many businesses have complex network infrastructures, databases and needs for collaboration these collected skills can provide. Providing these skills is where I come in, and I feel triOS has helped build and adapt those skills to succeed with business.”
At triOS he gained support skills that he cherishes. “I can not only support your average user, I can also provide support services to an entire enterprise, which has a reliance on keeping things running smoothly,” he said. “I gained the ability to support a large number of users in environments that are developed to sustain business and collaboration. This increases my value to this type of corporation, as well as increases my self-satisfaction in knowing this can be provided by like individuals.”
Ventura, a self-described late bloomer in his career, is now setting income goals, developing his career and working on more certifications. “There is no telling what the future may hold, but I am ready to learn more and more each day. Who knows? Maybe one day I can be a part of a developing infrastructure to provide something that truly changes mankind for the better,” Ventura said. “There is always a dream.”
The CompTIA certifications and triOS’s career-focused approach to education were exactly what he was looking for, he said. “Something as simple as talking to an education consultant at triOS can change your life in a matter of minutes.”
Michelle Peterson is a communications specialist for CompTIA.
