Hello All,

I am a recent graduate of Iowa State University, currently residing near Peoria, IL but looking to relocate (at my own expense if needed) to the Chicagoland region.  I have been working with computers since I was a kid and consider myself to be reasonably experienced and a quick learner.  I am seeking a full-time position of one of the following types:   
entry level / experienced (about 1 year) computer forensics / e-discovery
entry level IT security, incident response, and / or disaster recovery
experienced (about 2 years, primarily Microsoft) system administration
experienced (about 5 years, primarily Microsoft) desktop support
entry level software development

My work experiences during the past 5 years have primarily been part time during the school year (approx. half time) and full time in the summer, with the exception of this year, where I spent most of it working full time as a network consultant.  Most of my work has been in the Microsoft arena and has been system administration (Windows Server 2003 - AD, DNS, File Server, WSUS, WSS, Symantec AV) and desktop support (Windows XP and Mac OS X) related and I hold MCSA and MCSE certifications.  I have also had experience working in Computer Forensics (hold a CCE certification) and limited experience working in computer and network security.  In addition to my Microsoft background, I have also had some experience with various Linux distributions, Cisco technology, NetApp SANs, and Barracuda Spam Firewalls.

My academic background includes Bachelors degrees in both Computer Engineering and Computer Science, and a Masters degree in Computer Engineering and Information Assurance.  Although I don't have much professional experience in computer and network security (besides what is experienced in day to day system administration and desktop support), my Information Assurance major was focused on security and I feel that I have a solid grasp on security concepts.  The same can be said for programming experience.  I haven't done much in the professional arena, however I have worked with various languages and concepts in programming and am familiar with the full software development lifecycle.

I am a quick learner and I work well both in teams and on my own.  I enjoy problem-solving and love the constant learning and growth that IT requires.  I have strong oral and written communication skills and work well with customers and end users.  I am highly motivated and do well at finding ways to keep myself productive when a task list starts to get light.

I would appreciate any job leads you may be aware of.  If you would like to see my full resume or talk to me further about my experience please contact me via PM. 

Thank You,

Dan Harkness