Aspiring IT Professional

Follow my IT journey!

My name is Doug Stewart, and I am obsessed with computers. I started my journey just wanting a laptop for daily use. I have spiraled into wanting a server rack, offsite NAS for backup data storage, a few laptops, and at least a desktop for each member of my family. Follow my journey and I hope you have as much fun as I am!

What I’m working on

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Linux study bundle

A friend who happens to be a systems engineer found a heavily discounted Linux study bundle focusing on Linux administration, command console, and coding. I have been enjoying going through the content and practicing using the "real world" examples from several of the books. Occasionally something from the book even...

Projects

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RHEL Server

I found a use for my newly cleaned windows laptop when looking to work on command line, set up a DNS sinkhole, and network storage; I would deploy it as a server! I double checked that all important documents were copied, then re-imaged to RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.1)...

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Desktop Build

Designed and built a desktop PC for gaming with the ability to run multiple VMs. I picked components that had the ability to be overclocked, so I could experiment with squeezing out every ounce of performance, while forcing me to monitor and maintain the health of components and prevent overheating....

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Repurposing Windows Laptop

For a previous position, I had purchased a laptop, mostly for presentations and running numbers in front of clients. Unfortunately, I uninstalled the anti-virus protection when I purchased the machine. Quickly the laptop stopped working correctly, trapping several important documents and precious family photographs on the laptop. I had assumed...

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Daily Driver Laptop

I was gifted a laptop that was not functioning; i.e., the laptop was extremely slow to boot, basic functions caused the CPU usage to spike to 100%, battery would not hold a charge, and the HDD was constantly active. After upgrading the memory (1x8,1x4 to 2x8), switching from HDD to...

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Experience

Crisis management
Gateway Church, Senior Security Officer
Dallas, TX

While providing physical security for a gigachurch (we were too big to be called a megachurch any longer), I learned to keep my calm and help deescalate situations after a guest would lose their temper. Often times people were upset from the situation they were living in. By taking a moment to listen and share empathy the guest and I could work on healthy bounderies and the next step forward.

Technical Translation to Actionable Information
Triumph Aerostructures, Engineering Aide
Arlington, TX

In this role, I became the "bad guy," required to periodically ask how the team was doing with their budget and scheduling. Based on their answers, I would update the master schedule and predict the impact to the overall budget and program end date. With the heavy responsibility on this role, I learned to forge friendships with the lead engineers, enabling me to gauge progress by the technical information they loved to share. Due to my ability to quickly assimilate the technical information and speak in management buzzwords, I was able to translate between the two groups, facilitating effective communication between each group.

Training
Bank of America, Mortgage Underwriter Trainer
Fort Worth, TX

I authored training materials, policy, and standard operating procedures for Mortgage Underwriting Department. I built and conducted in-person, multi-day training sessions of up to 200 employees each. I also built and taught train-the-trainer courses via online presentations.

Personal Connection
Thrivent Financial, Personal Advisor
Keller, TX

I would meet with clients and discuss personal finances, financial goals, and retirement goals. I would review the household information and create a plan to meet the desired goals. Often, I would have to explain the technical differences and benefits between different account types in a meaningful way to someone with limited technical financial understanding. I learned to be an effective active listener, and to understand the what and why of my client before knowing how I could best serve them.

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Certifications

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CompTIA A+
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CompTIA Security+
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CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist
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CompTIA Network+

Badges & Skills

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Cat Linux.txt

Education

Tarrant County Community College
Hurst TX

Grapevine High School
Grapevine Tx