James A. Eshelman
RÉSUMÉ
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SUMMARY
Highly qualified technical support professional experienced in PC upgrades, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs, and in end-user desktop and network support, with exceptional customer service skills. Experienced in web site creation and management. Capable of taking projects from conception through implementation and completion. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Detail and result oriented. A hard-working self-starter. An active and involved team member.
SKILL-AREAS
- Strong interpersonal skills. Very strong written and oral communication skills.
- Extensive experience and skill in hardware and software troubleshooting, end-user consultation and training, and general desktop systems support.
- Operating Systems: Windows 7, Vista, XP/2000/NT (workstation & server), Windows 95/98/ME, MS-DOS, BSD UNIX.
- Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc.), all versions through 2010.
- Hardware skills: Experienced in PC (desktop & laptop) upgrades, configuration, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs.
- Web development: HTML/CSS. Extensive site management experience. Some PHP, some JavaScript.
- Security: General system security with an emphasis on malware prevention and elimination.
- Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Netscape, Outlook, Outlook Express/Windows Mail.
EXPERIENCE
2008-Present: O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Lead User Support Analyst
Level II on-site support of firm’s Century City office. Supporting users on a variety of desktop and laptop computers employing Windows XP/7, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and diverse desktop and web-based applications distinctive to the legal profession. Cisco CallManager (IP phone) management. BlackBerry support. Video and web conference setups.
Supervising local office’s IT staff, with responsibility for department budget, Data Center administration (backups/restores, hardware repairs, some server administration), maintaining and tracking the hardware pool and other IT physical resources, and general Senior Staff responsibilities. COMMITTES & PROJECTS: Business Continuity (aka disaster recovery) team. Pro Bono Committee. Century City office management team. Windows 7 firm-wide deployment team (wrote the migration scripts; on committee that planned the migration/deployment strategy).
2006-2008: O’Melveny & Myers LLP
User Support Specialist
Member of front-line, business-centric international support team. As part of supporting a wide range of standard desktop and web-based applications (with a focus on specialty tools of the legal profession), skills routinely used include: most areas of desktop and laptop support and troubleshooting; Windows and MS Office support; SMS and other remote access tools; BlackBerry support; VPN deployment and troubleshooting; Citrix support; and computer security.
2006-Present: Hunger Action L.A. (H.A.L.A.)
Pro bono consultant on Internet systems and IT aspects of online campaign strategies for nonprofit organization in the hunger/homelessness arena.
2002-2006: Warner Music Group
2005-2006: Senior Analyst.
2002-2005: Help Desk Agent & Desktop Support.
Senior member of front-line, business-centric international support team. As part of supporting a wide range of standard and custom desktop and web-based applications, skills routinely used include: most areas of desktop and laptop support, setup, troubleshooting, and maintenance; Windows and MS Office support; SMS and other remote access tools; Oracle Applications administration; VPN deployment and troubleshooting; Citrix Metaframe support; MS Exchange administration; computer security with a focus on malware prevention and elimination; creating/maintaining help desk internal web page.
2002-2005: Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness
Consultant: Network/Desktop Support. Diverse on-site IT/IS consulting, maintaining client’s computers and Windows 2000 network, OS migration, resolving email problems, OS and software upgrades, web site account and content management, etc.
2000-2001: iSearch (Los Angeles)
Lead Technical Support Representative
- Lead member of proactive, energetic technical support team.
- Second and third tier technical support + account management for large and medium size companies.
- Provided training and technical support for our Web-based hiring management / applicant sourcing/tracking systems.
- Documented and replicated technical issues reported by customers. Tracked issues through to resolution.
- Interfaced between customer base and our engineering departments.
- Provided support and training to the rest of the Technical Support staff.
- Assisted with escalations.
- Wrote technical bulletins for internal and external audiences.
- Stood in for the Technical Support Senior Manager in her absence.
- Assisted with personnel issues and other management issues.
1998-2002: Contract Technical Support / Online Technical Help Desk
- Retinitis Pigmentosa International (Woodland Hills). Technical Support Manager.
Broadly responsible for maintaining networked computers — in brief, to be the in-house “computer guy.” Troubleshooting hardware and software problems, providing user training and other assistance in Windows and Microsoft Office applications.
- 1998-Present: Online Help-Desk Consultant.
Providing daily online support and technical problem resolution to thousands of computer users through peer newsgroups, on a wide range of computer questions, with particular focus on Windows-family operating systems and desktop support.
- Misc. short-term contract jobs for TransAmerica, CareerPath, and many smaller companies.
- 1998-1999: OnComputers Radio Show. Technical radio columnist.
Responsible for the regular “Geek Speak” segment of this weekly radio broadcast. Three primary duties: About half the time I would do the broadcast segment myself, writing and delivering program content on a timely technical topic (computer performance optimization, trends in emerging hardware, etc.). The rest of the time, I was responsible for lining up other team members to deliver the segment, working with them on their program content, and directing the segment. Additionally, I participated in weekly Internet-based chats providing technical assistance and problem solving to chat participants.
1988-1998: James A. Eshelman & Associates (Los Angeles)
Workers’ Compensation Law Practice / Owner and principal.
In addition to other aspects of the business, I handled all computer-related matters, including decisions about hardware and software, all purchasing decisions, installation, maintenance, repairs, training office staff in use of equipment and programs, etc.
1986-1990: Donald Renetsky, Attorney-at-Law (Sherman Oaks)
Lewis, Marenstein & Kadar, Attorneys-at-Law (Los Angeles)
Alan Joseph, Attorney-at-Law (Hollywood)
Workers’ Compensation paralegal, Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. (Full time with Mr. Joseph. Subsequently part time with Judge Renetzky and LMK preceding and overlapping the start of my own 10-year practice.)
1984-1986: Thomas A. Curtis, M.D. (North Hollywood)
Word processor; Word Processing Supervisor; editor of forensic psychiatric reports
1983: The User’s Guide (Los Angeles)
Computer end-user training and support. Self-employed. Provided hardware support and problem solving, and software training in word-processing, spreadsheet, and other programs then commonly in use.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS & HONORS
- In 1983, started/operated The User’s Guide, one of the first microcomputer end-user support and training businesses to exist.
- Received Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) Award 12 times from 1998-2009 in areas of computer security and Windows support: An annual award recognizing technical expertise, spirit of community, and willingness to help others, demonstrated by providing a high level of reliable, accurate answers to technical questions on Internet-based peer-support newsgroups. In effect, this is an online ‘help desk’ environment, in which I provide many thousands of technical support and technical problem resolution answers each year.
- My computer support Web site, Windows Support Center (www.WinSupportCenter.com), is broadly recognized as one of the preeminent Windows support sites on the Web, with 11 million hits per month. Recognitions include: Los Angeles Times (front page, Nov 26, 2004), London Sunday Times “Your Guide to the Internet” (3/01); PC World (4/01 and 11/04); The Washington Post (3/02); England’s Windows XP magazine (2002-04); numerous industry newsletters; and Featured Site on Microsoft’s Expert Zone page (12/01-5/02 and late 2004 through 2006).
- In April 2002, established AumHa Forums, a free online end-user support forum responding to thousands of questions involving Windows, hardware, networking, Microsoft Office, browser and email issues, and security issues. This has also been a rewarding experience in community building and mentoring — the forum has 13,000 registered members including many senior participants.
- In addition to writing technical articles and collating support resources, maintaining this site (since July 1999) has given me experience in many aspects of Web site management and especially has strengthened my skills in HTML and CSS coding and web design, experience deploying new technologies, and industry and community leadership.
- For many years, author of The E-List News, an occasional e-newsletter on Windows and Internet issues, desktop support, and industry trends.
- Microsoft Beta Tester for Windows 98 SE, Windows Millennium Edition, and Windows XP operating systems.
- Technical radio columnist for OnComputers radio show, 1998-99.
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION
A+ certified (Dec 2001)
HDI Support Center Analyst certification (Nov 2006)
MCP test-ready.
Computer Institute of Technology (2001). To supplement 20 years of computer support experience with formal certification, I successfully completed coursework at CIT in Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure Administration, in addition to the A+ core (hardware) and OS curricula.
DePauw University (1973-74), majoring in psychology and benefiting from the well-rounded richness of their Liberal Arts focus.
Beyond that, I am extensively self-educated, in addition to numerous workshops, classes, professional summits, etc. If education is important to you, be assured that you will find me to be a highly educated individual.
REFERENCES
Personal and professional references will be furnished upon request.
Salary history and requirements also are available to serious professional inquiries on request.
Please E-Mail Job Opportunities Here.