Transform your career.
A career professional shares their unconventional path from radio DJ through military service into data center cabling and management, emphasizing how curiosity and mastery drove their success. They highlight the growing demand for data center technicians, particularly fiber technicians, as a 25-30 year growth industry for the country.
Summary
The speaker recounts a non-linear career trajectory that began in radio broadcasting in Kentucky before transitioning into military service. From there, they moved into cabling work and subsequently into management roles. A core theme throughout their narrative is the importance of maintaining a drive to learn and improve—they stress that their success stemmed from a genuine attitude of wanting to know more about their field. This mindset led them to become an exceptional cabling professional, which in turn advanced their career trajectory significantly.
The speaker then shifts focus to the current state and future outlook of the data center industry. They identify a critical staffing gap, noting that the industry is currently understaffed and requires more technicians to meet growing demand. They project that data centers will be a major driver of economic growth over the next 25-30 years, creating numerous career opportunities across various roles.
Specifically, the speaker highlights the fiber technician position as a key career path. Fiber technicians are responsible for establishing connections between devices and, importantly, linking data centers with the broader world. The speaker frames this as a sustainable career with significant long-term growth potential, suggesting that individuals who enter this field can continue advancing for the next 30 years.
About this episode
From starting as a radio DJ to becoming a top cabler and manager, one thing has fueled Allen's incredible career journey: the attitude to always want to know more. The data center industry offers immense career growth opportunities. Whether you're a recent high school graduate or looking to change your career, programs like our 4-week paid training can help get you started in a booming industry. Learn how you can become a fiber technician and build a career with growth potential: https://cbre.co/4hniyID #TogetherCBRE
Key Insights
- The speaker attributes their career success to maintaining an attitude of wanting to know more, which drove them to become the best cabling professional they could be and prevented stagnation in their career growth.
- The data center industry is projected to be a major growth driver for the country over the next 25-30 years, and the industry is currently significantly understaffed with a shortage of technicians.
- Fiber technicians serve as connectors between devices and between data centers and the world, making their role central to data infrastructure, with potential for 30+ years of career growth.
Topics
Transcript
[0:02] Started off as a radio DJ in Kentucky, joined the military, got into cabling, and then I went into management. What's helped me be successful in my [music] career is the attitude of wanting to know more. I always wanted to have that drive and I became the best [music] cabler that I could ever be. That advanced my career. I never looked back. Right now, the data center industry [music] is well undermanned. We need technicians to come in because [music] the data center is going to be the growth of the country over the next 25-30 years. There's plenty of roles that you [music] can go into. Fiber [0:33] technician, they are the person that's responsible for…
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