Career Roadmap
Steven's work combines: Technology, Engineering, and Learning / Being Challenged
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Southington High School
Bachelor's Degree
Management Information Systems, General
University of Connecticut
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Information Technology Project Managers:
Bachelor's Degree: Management Information Systems, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Growing up I was shy, and didn't feel comfortable in social settings. I spent most of my time studying. With the benefit of hindsight, I now know that gave me the work ethic I rely on today.
2.
Late in high school, I grew ... a LOT. Almost 8 inches in my senior year. Suddenly, I stood out in a crowd, but was still that same quiet, shy kid in my own head. I needed to get over my insecurities.
3.
I went to college as a History major, primarily because I always found it to be an interesting subject. After a year, though, I started to wonder what type of career that major could yield.
4.
Luckily, my older sister was a senior at UConn when I was a freshman. She was graduating with a MIS degree, and had all sorts of job offers coming her way. I thought ... hey, why not try that?
5.
I switched majors to MIS, and finished college strongly. I applied for a job at Travelers in their IT Leadership Development Program (ITLDP), but wasn't selected my first time.
6.
After working at a smaller company as an IT "generalist" for a year, I reapplied at Travelers and was accepted into the ITLDP. That year of work experience and personal growth was what I needed.
7.
Upon joining, I went through different rotational assignments over the course of 4 years, learning new technologies, meeting new people and figuring out my place in this large corporation.
8.
Since graduating from ITLDP in 2006, I have been fortunate to see my career and responsibilities grow and evolve, leading me to the position of leadership and influence that I have today.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
That my technical expertise needed to be as deep as the folks who worked for me. That I wasn't qualified to manage or lead the team unless I understood the technology as well as they did.
How I responded:
Early in my career, I believed this, and wasn't allowing myself to see past my own perceived limitations. As my career advanced and I achieved success and matured both personally and professionally, I realized that leadership in a technical field requires so much more than technical expertise. Sure, I need to be proficient in the technologies that my team delivers, but my role is to build a strategy, to communicate, and to ensure my team and our customers have what they need to be successful.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
It gets easier as you have more meaningful life experiences, but self doubt is natural...what is important is that you don't let it weigh you down, or keep you from trying...you'll be surprised how often you prove yourself wrong (in a GOOD way!)