TECH_117: From The Classroom To The Conference Room - My Journey From Being a Student to a Mainframe Professional

Project and Program: Soft Skills

Tags: Proceedings, SHARE Orlando 2026, 2026

When I first encountered the mainframe, I was a student with little knowledge of what it was or why it mattered. That perspective changed once I learned in school and began working in performance and capacity management, then discovered that the mainframe is central to industries such as banking, healthcare, and transportation that millions of people rely on every day. In this session, I will share my journey from student to mainframe performance professional, and the lessons learned along the way. I will highlight how I moved from curiosity to analyzing workloads, interpreting performance data, and helping organizations plan for the future. My story shows that starting with little experience is not a weakness, it can be the foundation for growth and opportunity. For students and early-career professionals, the mainframe offers challenges and impact comparable to any modern platform, with the chance to contribute meaningfully from the very start. For employers, I will emphasize the importance of mentoring and creating pathways for new talent. By investing in students and young professionals, organizations secure their future while building the next generation of mainframe experts.

Back to Proceedings File Library