Today I shadowed the IT department at SAS. The format of my experience today was much different than yesterday’s. Today I switched mentors every hour so i was able to get a very well rounded view of the IT department. One of the most memorable parts of my day was when i first arrived this morning. Ms. Elena was my one person welcome committee and we spent our time walking around the lake beside the Umstead Hotel. I really appreciated this break from the office time that I had become accustomed to. Ms. Elena told me about what she does as a project manager in the IT department along with describing her personal experience at SAS. Walking around the lake felt much more natural than if I was sitting across a desk from my mentor. It was a great way to start off the day. Another great experience from today was lunch. Not only were the food and facilities beautiful, but also I was able to have another beneficial conversation with Mr. Michael. In the morning I shadowed the business side of the IT department and in the afternoon I shadowed the hardware side. Mr. Michael, who worked on the hardware side, took time to explain to me the differences of the many facets of the IT department and cleared up my confusions from that morning. One of the biggest lesson I learned from my experience in the IT department today is that it really is okay that i currently am not sure what I want to major in. In a project manager meeting that I attended with my second mentor, Janine, all of those attending the meeting had started their college careers in a major that didn’t apply to what they are doing now. Shadowing the IT department was a great experience. I was able to see the behind the scenes hardware that is necessary to running SAS’s complex technological infastructure. I was also able to experience the business side with Janine and Elena. The IT department did a great job introducing me to the many different sides their work.
Umstead Hotel lake
Hotel-esque cafeteria
Checking out the server
Dr. Goodnight’s conference room