Q & A with JT Bird: Mentor, IT Specialist and BBQ Enthusiast
Self-described as a “people person who loves to solve puzzles and problems,” JT has found the often sought after place of being able to do something he loves, and pay the bills with it. However, like most of us this wasn’t always the case. Having had careers in retail, vision labs and even opening a BBQ restaurant as the head chef and pitmaster, there was always something missing from those careers. Whether it was longevity, fulfillment, work/life balance or passion, JT always knew that there was a career out there that would be a better fit, he just had to discover it.
“Funny enough one of my favorite shows is the IT Crowd and one day I’m sitting there watching it and I’m thinking I could do this!” He says, reflecting on his path from BBQ pitmaster to service desk analyst. “I’ve always built my own computers so I’ve always had a toe in it. If I can go get a certification for it instead of doing another four years of school I could get into the field.”
After hearing a commercial for Centriq, a local IT school and researching how to break into the field, JT knew that he could continue jumping from career to career, or invest in his future. He enrolled while working full time in retail, and came away from the experience not only with certifications in CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ but also help finding a job.
After finishing his certifications he got on with a managed service provider and was contracted out to the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City. Fast forward two years of working with them as a contractor, and JT is now a full-time employee of the Kauffman Foundation as a system desk analyst and has picked up additional certifications including Microsoft Azure Administrator and Microsoft Technology Associate: Networking. On the side he also has his own company, Big Bird Tech where he helps people build their own PCs and troubleshoot issues. A much different career and life than the ones he had previously, JT is ready to help young people find what they are passionate about and turn it into a career.
“Burnout is real. We have all hit it and it is a very real thing. My best advice is figure out what you do enjoy, and figure out how to make that a career. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out, like I enjoy cooking, but doing it for 12 hours a day six days a week really wears on you. Now I enjoy cooking more at home.” He says, when asked for advice for both young and older people who are figuring out what they want to do for a career. “It’s hard sometimes but if you find something you really enjoy doing, for me it’s solving puzzles, and then figuring out how to incorporate it into something, how to marry it all together, you’ll have really figured it out.”
Mentors are an essential part of our programming
As a mentor with Startland EDU, JT has had a chance to not only help guide students through various Startland challenges and programming but also try to continue the cycle of mentorship and advice that he had when he was younger. He says that working with students as a Startland Mentor is a mutually beneficial relationship as the students get an adult who takes an interest in their lives and ideas, and mentors get to do something that is fulfilling and interesting.
“I look back at how much we got shaped by adults around me. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am, I wouldn’t have gotten into technology. I think it’s important to have those types of connections with people because they will show you something you might not know,” JT says. “And it’s amazing to see students come up with solutions to these real world problems that we are actively working on at The Foundation.”
JT Mentoring at our Back 2 School Challenge
Some more about JT Bird:
Q: What is your favorite Pop-Tarts flavor?
A: Wildberry, but I’m also a cinnamon brown sugar guy.
Q: When was a recent time in which you were inspired by someone?
A: With the big push in A.I. it’s lit a fire under me to learn about things like that. With that, my boss is very supportive. I've done extra classes to get in there and learn more about it, including getting a new certification. The new push has inspired me to go figure out things. I can’t inform people if I don’t know, so going out, doing research, playing with it, allows me to lead by example. No one has all the answers but it helps me keep informed, and that’s inspired me to be better and change how I think
Q: Why do you mentor?
A: I really do believe in the mission of The Foundation around education and giving back, especially Mr. K’s philosophy. It’s nice to be able to go out there and do it and it’s awesome to be supported by the place where I work who say, “Ya! Go do that!”
Q: You mentioned you’re still passionate about cooking. What are you cooking right now and what are you doing in your spare time?
A: BBQ of course. I was the original pitmaster for a BBQ restaurant in Kansas City. I’m on a pork belly kick right now, making pork belly burnt ends. I have a gravity fed smoker and I love it. I can program it on my phone and leave it. As for my spare time I’m big on puzzles and gaming. I just finished my second run-through of Starfield, and now I’m on Red Dead Redemption 2.
