Harley Simmons on the EIT campus

Leaving William Colenso College, Harley Simmons didn’t know what he wanted to do in life.  

A year working as a labourer confirmed that he didn’t want to spend it doing a manual job and he decided to study at EIT.

While he didn’t feel especially IT savvy, Harley appreciated that IT was a growth industry and people in the sector were well paid. He also liked the idea of a career where he could help others to do their jobs.

“Even with basic problems,” he points out, “people are very grateful for any assistance you can give them to deal with technology hassles.”

It’s a role that calls for patience, and Harley feels that is one of his strengths.

Starting with an EIT diploma programme, he progressed to the Bachelor of Computing Systems.  Now, in the final year of the degree, he is gaining real-life experience working a one-semester internship on EIT’s busy help desk.

Harley has a pretty good idea of what he wants to do when he leaves EIT. 

“I’ve always liked network administration,” he says.  “I want to start at a low level and work my way up so as I move up through the ranks I will have a good general understanding of how it all works.”

IT security is another option that appeals.

“It’s a bit like detective work.  You need to act defensively to protect computing systems, but you also need to figure out how hackers get in, detecting their methods and anticipating what they might do next.”

Harley studied an IT security course as part of his degree.  Alert to the need to keep upskilling, he anticipates returning to EIT for further study as new course options come on stream.

“I like that EIT offers different entry points.  In computing, you can start with a level 4 programme, for example, progress to the degree and then study at postgraduate level.”