Certification leads to role as author, trainer

Read how one woman used Microsoft certification to create a new career path.

By Pat Suarez

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Technology has brought a great deal to Deb Shinder's life, including the ability to work from her home in Dallas, Texas, and a husband whom she met in an online chat room. She and her husband, a former neurologist, have harnessed the powers of computers and certification to create the life that they want.

Profile:
Debra Littlejohn Shinder Age: 44 Location: Dallas, Texas Employer: Self-employed, contracts with Syngress Media Certifications Held: MCSE, MCT. Favorite Study Method: Hands-on. Break it and fix it. "Overstudy" for exams. Family: Husband Tom and two children, Kristin, in the Navy, and Kristoffer, a gifted high school senior. Hobby: Computers

A very upbeat, intelligent and active woman, Shinder spent fifteen years in law enforcement and city politics in Texas. She taught report writing, community relations, defensive tactics and physical fitness at police academies. She was a city council member and managed the development of departmental budget and policies, interaction with other department heads, elected officials, citizens, city employees and outside professionals.

But computers were constantly on her mind and she used hers to chat online with friends and strangers. In 1994, during an otherwise typical online chat session, the then Debra Littlejohn chanced upon an Arkansas-based neurologist, Dr. Tom Shinder. Things clicked as only things can in cyberspace and they married a few months later.

Through the late '90s, Debra and Tom began acquiring computers (they have nine, at last count) and learned the intricacies of networking and operating systems. In 1997, Debra and Tom finally put politics and medicine behind them forever and redirected their lives to computer training, certification and writing. This was a bold move, but they enjoyed working and learning as a team and knew that they had the potential for success on a grand scale. So, a hobby blossomed into a massive life-change just as an online chat session permanently altered the course of Debra's life.

Page 1 of 2 1 2