Michael Fisher
Airtable
Austin, TX USA
"If you don’t have an area that you’re really specific about being in, don’t beat yourself up about it. There’s nothing wrong with being a generalist until you decide an area that you want to be an expert in."
Career Roadmap
Michael's work combines: Technology, Engineering, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I first learned that I could pursue certifications instead of a degree, I was excited. However, I didn't know how to study for a certification. I ended up failing because I knew too much. Instead of solving the questions in the way the test wanted, I already knew better shortcuts. After that, I didn't think certifications were for me. Years later, I found Udemy, which worked a lot better for me. I learned how to study in a way that worked for me and finally found educational success.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Certification
Scrum Foundation Certificate
CertiProf
Certification
NSE 2 Network Security Associate
Fortinet
Certification
Azure Administrator Associate
Microsoft
Certification
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Amazon Web Services
Certification
CompTIA Network+ ce
CompTIA
Certification
ITIL 4 Foundation
AXELOS
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I’ve known that I wanted to go into IT since I was in third grade.
2.
I jumped into the workforce after graduating high school.
3.
I did spend some time in a computer and informations systems program but felt that it was too slow for me—I figured I could learn more efficiently on my own.
4.
Rather than continue with a two or four-year program, I’ve earned various technology certifications, including CompTIA Network+, NSE 2 Network Security, and AWS Cloud certifications.
5.
I’ve since built my career in IT working as a technician and engineer for technology companies.
6.
I’m now working as a senior network engineer for a start-up cloud collaboration service.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Certifications aren't for me. This isn't going to work out.
How I responded:
When I first learned that I could pursue certifications instead of a degree, I was excited. However, I didn't know how to study for a certification. I ended up failing because I knew too much. Instead of solving the questions in the way the test wanted, I already knew better shortcuts. After that, I didn't think certifications were for me. Years later, I found Udemy, which worked a lot better for me. I learned how to study in a way that worked for me and finally found educational success.