Chris Moe Autobiography I chose Management Information Systems (MIS), as my major, at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Originally, I planned to major in Electrical Engineering but found I lacked passion and enthusiasm. Business was my second option but I didn’t really see myself as strict businessman. I enjoyed my computer science class I took at UMD but I couldn’t see myself doing programming day in and day out. MIS was a good balance between computer science and business so that’s what led me to declare it as my major. I am happy with my decision and am excited to start a career doing something I enjoy. One of my professional aspirations is to become an information technology project manager. I’m not sure what area of specialty I will be focused in or if I will even have a specialty area but becoming a project manager is something I would like to do. Another professional aspiration of mine is to work in an industry full of opportunity. Right now, the information technology hotspot is within the medical health industry. There is lots of data that has the potential of becoming useful information. This information could save lives, money, time, and improve overall efficiency of the transfer of information. Sports have always been a hobby and interest of mine. Football and basketball are my two favorite. I am a true Minnesota Vikings fan even through the rough years. As a kid, I have always enjoyed being outdoors. I like camping and hiking through the woods but fishing is one of my favorites. Living in Duluth without a boat forces me to fish on-shore. I have fished the St. Louis River, Island Lake, Fish Lake, Rice Lake and Pike Lake. I have an interest in Information Technology and like playing with new gadgets. I have taken apart old electronics, just to put them back together. I recently fixed my brothers $700 two year old television with a new $10 power supply. I took it apart, replaced the power board and it worked like a charm. My first goal is to finish this semester so I can graduate. I want to finish strong and earn good grades. I also want to apply for at least ten jobs and earn interviews for at least half of them. By having interviews for at least five different jobs, my chances for getting the career I want will increase dramatically. After at most five years into my new career, I want to promote. If promotion is not likely, I plan to seek a new job where promotion is prominent. My final goal is to have a steady job and purchase a home. My goal is to settle into this home with a family and live in it long-term. Television is probably one of the most inefficient uses of technology in my life. I waste more hours watching Netflix than any other technology. I always say I don’t have time to go fishing but if I eliminated Netflix, it would free up plenty of time. I plan to get my homework done early but instead find myself squeaking in some Netflix. If I eliminated Netflix completely, I would be able to enjoy the little things more and not waste my finite precious time. The media I consume the most of would have to be the internet. I have quick and easy access to so much information and the information I want is up to me. Between research for a school project or looking up a recipe, I can find the answer to just about anything through the internet. If there is a worldwide news story, the first place to find it would be the internet. Physical newspapers are becoming obsolete in today’s world. It is cheaper and easier to access this information through the internet. The internet and computers have made my life more efficient. Before the internet and computers, access to information would have required going to a library, searching for a book, and reading through the large amount of text. Today, a simple Google search can retrieve information in less than a fraction of a second. That is extremely powerful and beneficial to academics, research and overall awareness of the world. My motivation for taking the course begins with my daily use of so much technology. My future career is Information Technology and understanding technology from a different perspective seems important. Understanding technologies role may help to create a balance. I have a good idea of a balance but never really put much thought into it. I see the positive things that come from so much technology but never step back and see the negative. One more thing to share would be my work outside of the classroom. I currently work at Cirrus Aircraft in the IT department. I am actually employed as an independent contractor replacing all of the old computers and equipment. The amount of money spent on the technology is disgusting. With the engineers running 3D imaging software and creating up to 60GB 3D images, the hardware to run that is very expensive. I have replaced right around 50 computers in the last four months.