John Combs

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

When I was in college Computer classes were scarce, as they were really programming classes on dumb terminals going to a mainframe somewhere. So I really did not get into computing until after college. My first break came when my Father-In-Law asked if I was interested in becoming a wire puller at the company he worked for. I took that job and never looked back. I learned Network communications Voice communications, then went into Mainframe communications. Towards the end of my first 5 years I began studying Systems Programming. From the first computer job, the rest is history. I have spent the last 31 years in the computer industry. I can tell you if you like a challenge, this is one of the best places to be as it continues to change. Life-long learning is the only way to make the journey fun. Keep learning!

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

Believe that life is a continuous educational experience. Never stop learning. President of my college.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I build the computer systems that the engineers use to design, develop and test our software.