three years taking night classes to obtain my MBA and studied analyst techniques under my "mentor" boss. It was a right decision that has shown positive results ever since.

By the way, my real career path has so far been the following:

Junior Programmer
Programmer
Junior Systems Analyst
Business Systems Analyst
Policies and Procedures Administrator
Programmer/Analyst
Manager of Applications Programming
Mainframe Program Support
Adage Implementation Specialist
Data Load Specialist
Reporting Specialist
Manager of Applications Programming
Legacy (Mainframe) Program Support
Client/Server Systems Support
SAP Data Load Extractor
SAP Competency Center Staff
"Help Desk" Staff
Logistics Support Staff
Reporting Support Staff

So whatever happened to my career path? It seemed to "go awry" about the time that the Adage Installation project began. Why did I ever think that computer departments would remain the same over a span of 26 years? They now contain different kinds of hardware, software, staffing organizations, and skill requirements. Why did I think that Cobol would forever be the standard program language and highly experienced Cobol programmers would forever be a "hot commodity"?

My career path was doomed from the beginning. If I had known back in the '70s that I would need Adage skills, SAP skills, Access skills, Visual Basic skills, EDI skills (and now XML skills), WEB skills, and a knowledge of E-Commerce, I would have spent less time on what are now obsolete skills and had more time to prepare for the

skills that I need today. Plus my Company's current jobs require multiple skills for multiple job functions as they evolve in an ever-changing world of new computers and other related-technologies. It's like shooting at a moving target.

Career pathing requires a lot of guesswork, foresight, and luck. I hope that I can eventually find some - at least before I retire. And, oh, by the way, I no longer want to be an MIS Manager.

Dave Lisle
2000 Akron Chapter President

This Newsletter is the official publication of the AITP Akron Chapter.  It is published nine times a year at Akron, Ohio as a benefit of membership, to announce the monthly General Meeting, and to provide information of local interest to our members.  It is circulated free-of-charge to our AITP members.

We welcome contributions by members and non-members.  Unless  otherwise requested, articles are subject to editing.  Send your documents to James L. Moore, FAX 216-520-9079, Internet moorej@firstenergycorp.com or mooreohio@earthlink.net.  Our address is Akron Chapter - AITP, P.O. Box 2806, Akron, Ohio  44309.

Jim Moore, Editor