Christina Jhong
System z Technical Specialist
IBM

As a recent college graduate hired to be a Technical Sales Specialist for System z, I had been searching for a forum that would enhance my value to the organization by providing education on pertinent business technology subjects. In particular, I wanted to gain more knowledge on the z Platform. My co-workers told me SHARE User Events was a great place to start.

They were absolutely correct. I couldn’t have been more thrilled with what I took away from SHARE User Events. The conference schedule was packed with interesting topics – even more than I had expected! But what really stood out was the diversity of the topics offered and the realization that not every attendee was at the same point in his/her career.

There was always a session offered that was geared towards someone with entry level knowledge – like me – but there were plenty of others designed for experienced pros who had been in business over 10 years. It is not a stretch to think that in 5 days at SHARE everyone could have their questions answered.

Attending SHARE User Events enabled me to address my most relevant business needs. Educational sessions I took part in included Websphere v6, GDPS, Parallel Sysplex, System z9 and zAAP processors. Again, this is an unbelievable range of topics offered at a single conference! The session I attended focusing on CCL stood out above the rest for me, as it related directly to an issue one of my customers was experiencing. After a single session on CCL, I was much more familiar with the technology and had a renewed confidence that I could take back to the office and really help this customer.

Upon returning to the office I relayed to my manager the breadth of knowledge available during my week at SHARE. She was glad that I was able to find classes to suit my interests and my needs at a level I could understand and digest. A week at SHARE User Events instantly made me more valuable to my organization. I encouraged my managers to send other co-workers to SHARE, particularly for the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the educational presenters. The presenters were able to connect with the audience in ways that online educational courses simply cannot.

In the future, I will continue to look to SHARE for assistance in growing my knowledge about the z platform and related technologies. I also plan to use SHARE to better understand the expectations and needs of my customers. And, I plan to invite my customers to future SHARE User Events. As a Technical Sales Specialist, a thorough technical education about my products is essential. At SHARE User Events I have found an opportunity to grow my career and enhance my organization.

If you would like to share your experience, please contact Megan Price at mprice@share.org