Careers

  Prioritizing Career Paths

Technology Services is dedicated to the success and career growth of its employees. Last year, the division launched a rigorous initiative to expand career opportunities for staff and create entry-level positions for students by addressing three objectives:

• Create professional titles that better reflect the evolving IT landscape;
• Establish defined career paths for all employees; and 
• Establish entry-level positions for student workers to be hired upon graduation.

Developing successful employees is a top priority, with strategies being developed and implemented to retain current talent. The division demonstrated commitment to this initiative by conducting comprehensive research and comparison of IT titles in the industry, engaging more than 65 individuals in six primary working groups and two focus groups. Through collaborative efforts, the initial 63 proposed titles were consolidated down to 10, aiming to streamline and refine the titles for better clarity and effectiveness. As part of this same initiative, Technology Services also introduced mid-year reviews, which differ from the annual reviews as they are targeted to the employees’ personal development and career goals. The division is helping employees reach those goals by identifying what areas and teams within the organization they are interested in and working with the university’s Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness on a seamless transition. 

Additionally, Technology Services increased training opportunities available to employees and made it a goal to send more employees to training and conferences this year. Technology Services also hosted an AWS event which was open to all employees. 

To assist with the larger portfolio of projects that Technology Services manages since the unification of individual IT units, the division ensured that all of the project management positions were filled this year so more technical projects could benefit from a project manager. 

For students, a structured student IT experience program and Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program help those interested in an IT career gain hands-on learning tied to career goals, including training opportunities and the ability to earn industry certifications, all with the ultimate goal of retaining qualified student workers in the organization.

Cultivating Careers for IT Professionals

Technology Services is focused on cultivating careers for IT professionals rather than merely offering jobs. This strategy involves several key ingredients:

• Creating entry-level opportunities that balance experience and education to enable diverse talent to enter the IT fieldRevising job titles to align with the industry standards to ensure they reflect the modern roles and responsibilities within the IT sector.
• Establishing clear and defined career paths for all employees, providing guidance and structure for professional growth within the university.

To implement these strategies, the division conducted comprehensive research and comparison of IT titles in the industry, engaging more than 65 individuals in six primary working groups and two focus groups. Through collaborative efforts, the initial 63 proposed titles were consolidated down to 10, aiming to streamline and refine the titles for better clarity and effectiveness.

As part of this same focus, Technology Services also introduced mid-year reviews, which differ from the annual reviews as they are targeted to the employees’ personal development and career goals. The division is helping employees reach their goals by identifying what areas and teams within the organization they are interested in and working with the Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness on a seamless transition. Technology Services also proactively moved to a more structured method of placing individuals into positions based on defined career paths, meaning employees progress along trajectories tailored to their skills, interests and professional goals while ensuring there is no disruption in services. This intentional approach aims to guide individuals in their career journeys, and promote personal growth while contributing to the overall success of our organization.

Career Opportunities Discovered through Unification

To support career development for IT professionals, Technology Services completed an extensive skills inventory in 2023 to identify each employee’s strengths and leverage those skills for their professional growth. This directly correlates with newly developed career pathways in the unified division and evaluation of position titles to help leadership identify internal candidates eligible for promotion or transfer to other areas within Technology Services.

Tony Guevera, an IT professional, began his career within the School of Education and Human Development before the division centralized in 2022. He learned about the skills inventory and expressed his interest in learning more about infrastructure and diving deeper into the complete management of Windows using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM/SCCM). With the support of his direct leadership, his interest was shared with leadership in the academic operations area where both the division and Guevera could benefit. After a formal interview, Guevera was placed with Mays Business School, helping to map out the transition of his former responsibilities to ensure continuity in service for the School of Education and Human Development. Guevara’s willingness to explore career options, expand his network of colleagues, and gain more insight on the breadth of Technology Services led to him volunteering for a project involving Android cellular devices as one of the academic support representatives. Guevera was tasked with being an interim-operations member “reporting” to the technical lead for the project.

During the cellular device management project, Anthony had yet another opportunity to progress his career and learn more about infrastructure management. At an Ed Talk, a monthly presentation and discussion led by the Chief Information Officer, the Chief Technology Officer shared his vertical was looking for internal candidates. Because of Guevera’s previous project involvement, both his director and project team members suggested he learn more about the available opportunities in an effort to expand his knowledge of Windows management, this time with Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and Intune, and a step up from his role with the on-prem MECM. After the formal interview process, Guevera was extended an offer and accepted the new role.

“Anthony’s technical expertise and willingness to help was very apparent from the beginning,” said Chief Technology Officer Michael Leary. “Unification enabled Anthony to be exposed to other opportunities and projects he would not have seen before.”

This newest transition requires a more ongoing transition phase unique to the Windows device management unification project as it is being implemented in phases. He continues to help maintain various functions at Mays Business School until the project phase advances to include Mays, which is in addition to his new duties on the solutions engineering team under the Architecture and Engineering vertical.

Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program

The Cybersecurity Assistance Program (CAP) aims to bridge the gap between the cybersecurity industry and talented students by providing hands-on experience in real time. Developed by the cybersecurity team at Texas A&M in partnership with global organizations, this program places students in positions to work on cybersecurity teams in industry-leading companies. CAP is highly competitive, with only 15 of more than 700 students selected to move forward. Each student receives assistance in reaching certification as a security analyst.

CAP participants have gone on to work for the National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, Blackberry and more.

Victoria Alvarado '22 is a former student who now works in cybersecurity for Texas A&M but began her cybersecurity career journey in the apprenticeship program.

"That then allowed me to pursue the area of information technology that I had been aiming for. Now I work full time with Texas A&M's security operations team in the security analyst role where I continue to gain experience, grow my skill set and learn every day."