Hal C F Astell
http://www.dawtrina.com/cv.html
last updated: 22 Jul 2005

Contact Details

phone: 602 269 2620
voicemail: 602 484 9346
e-mail: hal@dawtrina.com
web: www.dawtrina.com

Downloadable Versions
Personal Information
Objective
Employment Timetable
Work Experience
Professional Qualifications
Technical Skills
Achievements
Education
Interests
Referees



Downloadable Versions

MS Word 97/2000/2003 Word 6/95 (RTF) Raw Text Adobe Acrobat PDF back to the top



Personal Information

Date of Birth: 26 Mar 1971 (age 34)

Availability: 27 Oct 2005
Permanent/Contract: preferably permanent
Rate: market rate or above
Location: Phoenix Metropolitan Area

back to the top



Objective

I am an experienced engineer with special expertise in networks, internet systems, operating systems, hardware and applications. I am hoping to delve even deeper into networking at the enterprise level, whether it be wireless or cabled. I am a qualified MCP four times and will continue to obtain further qualifications from Microsoft and other certifiers.

I also have six years of solid experience in building and managing websites, working in raw HTML, DHTML and JavaScript in Notepad and with images in Paint Shop Pro. I moved into the commercial sector for some time as Managing Director of Telco Web Ltd. My portfolio of sites created, managed and hosted is available at Dawtrina Technology Ltd, the website of the limited company I ran while living in England.

I have worked for many blue chip clients, including: Microchip, i2 Solutions, The City of Phoenix, The Halifax Bank, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, BT Syntegra, GE Capital, The National Grid, Reality/Great Universal Stores, Her Majesty's Government and BUPA, amongst others. I passed stringent security checks to work at British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. I am recontracted regularly by agencies, IT firms and end user clients.

back to the top




Employment Timetable

USA

Sep 2005 - Oct 2005
Sep 2005
Jun 2005 - Jul 2005
May 2005
Nov 2004 - Feb 2005

Humana (Phoenix, AZ)
Capital Group (Scottsdale, AZ)
Microchip (Chandler & Tempe, AZ)
i2 Solutions (Phoenix, AZ)
City of Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)

England

Sep 2003 - May 2004
Jul 2003 - Aug 2003
Dec 2002 - Apr 2003
Jan 2002 - Nov 2002
Jan 2001 - Dec 2001
Dec 2000
Nov 1999 - Nov 2000
Aug 1999 - Oct 1999
Mar 1999 - May 1999
Dec 1998 - Mar 1999
Jul 1998 - Nov 1998
Nov 1990 - Jul 1998

BT Syntegra (Leeds)
Taylor Woodrow (Leeds)
Ciba Specialty Chemicals (Bradford)
Great Universal Stores (Manchester)
Ciba Specialty Chemicals (Bradford)
Great Universal Stores (Manchester)
The Halifax plc (Halifax)
The National Grid (Leeds)
British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (Risley)
The Halifax plc (Halifax)
GE Capital GCF (Leeds)
NPB Computer Services (Halifax)

back to the top



Work Experience

Ciba Specialty Chemicals City of Phoenix The Halifax plc British Nuclear Fuels Ltd The National Grid GE Global Consumer Finance i2 Solutions back to work experience back to the top


back to work experience back to the top
Humana

2005
(two weeks from Sep)
directly through TAC Worldwide
Trainer

I worked individually within a small team to train new users in the use of laptops and associated software, as well as to sync passwords.

Key responsibilities:
  • Keeping to schedule
  • Liaising with Humana

    Key skills:

  • Customer facing skills
  • Training

  • back to work experience back to the top
    Capital Group

    2005
    (three days in Sep)
    Sentinel (through TAC Worldwide)
    Support Engineer

    I worked as part of a team working over a long weekend to disassemble all IT equipment from a large business office and reassemble it at its new location, as well as any associated troubleshooting.

    Key responsibilities:
  • Working to a tight deadline
  • Moving an entire three floor office in one weekend

    Key skills:

  • TCP/IP
  • Cabling
  • General troubleshooting

  • back to work experience back to the top
    Microchip

    2005
    (two months from Jun to Jul)
    directly through Ajilon Consulting
    Technical Support Specialist I

    I worked on a large project to migrate over 1,000 PCs at Microchip's fabrication plants in Chandler and Tempe to Active Directory. We also upgraded to XP SP2 and to new corporate standard software suites.

    Initially I was part of a 15 man team working out of hours to do the bulk of the basic work, but was then extended as half of a 2 man team to finish the project at Chandler.

    This involved detective work using in depth network tools; working inside bunnysuits in fabrication cleanroom environments; working with senior executives; and associated auditing, scheduling, troubleshooting and support.

    Key responsibilities:
  • Ensuring user continuity
  • Upgrades and installations
  • Locating remaining work

    Key skills:

  • MS Windows NT, 2000, XP
  • Active Directory
  • TCP/IP and Networking
  • GFI LanGuard
  • Ghost, Altiris Imaging
  • Directory Services Clients
  • Registry Editing
  • Profile Migration
  • Troubleshooting

  • back to work experience back to the top
    i2 Solutions

    2005
    (one week in May)
    direct hire
    Support Engineer

    I worked within a small team building, supporting and taking down the IT infrastructure for i2 Planet 2005, a large annual convention.

    Key responsibilities:
  • Setting up infrastructure to a tight deadline
  • Supporting global executives

    Key skills:

  • TCP/IP
  • Cabling
  • HP kit

  • back to work experience back to the top
    City of Phoenix

    2004-2005
    (four months from Nov)
    directly through Kelly Services
    Support Services Aide

    I worked within the Utility Inspection department of the City of Phoenix, performing complex clerical activities and odd IT tasks as required in an environment with no on site IT support. I also designed and maintained a key database for use by the testing crews.

    Key responsibilities:
  • Complex clerical work

    Key skills:

  • Microsoft Access 2002
  • In-house apps

  • back to work experience back to the top
    BT Syntegra

    2003-2004
    (eight months from Sep)
    directly through Hays IT
    Technical Specialist

    I filled a number of roles at Syntegra. I supported and rolled hardware and software for a massively increasing workforce based across a number of sites in Leeds and Bradford.

    For five months, I also coordinated IT provision to an entire building, which involved providing sole support to around a hundred users across four floors, as well as handling all onsite networking, backups and some server end problems, as well as acting as liaison with various other teams on changes of policy and building use.

    I also ran the first rollouts of a new national build and liaised closely with the build team in London on troubleshooting and initial compatibility and deployment problems. This involved migrating users and machines from a NetWare network running Windows NT 4.0 to a Windows XP network under Active Directory, whilst ensuring backward compatibility throughout the roll.

    Key responsibilities:
  • Sole support for an entire four floor building
  • Key liaison with various teams nationwide
  • Pioneering a new build
  • All onsite networking and backups
  • Maintaining floor plans
  • Maintaining networking plans
  • Account creation and management
  • Account migration from NetWare to AD

    Key skills:

  • Ms Windows Server 2000 and 2003
  • Active Directory
  • MS Windows NT 4.0 and XP
  • MS Office 95, 2000 and XP
  • MS Visio 2000
  • MS SMS 2.0
  • Novell NetWare 5
  • RAS and SecurID token admin
  • Patch cabinets, switches and hubs
  • Compaq, Dell and HP kit

  • back to work experience back to the top
    Ciba Specialty Chemicals

    2002-2003
    (four months from Dec)
    Ikon (Hays IT)
    Project Manager

    I was responsible for bringing in a hardware and software rollout (1,100 users, 650 PCs) to a very tight deadline, tied in with a number of global standardisation projects. This encompassed Ciba's Bradford and Grimsby Water Treatment sites.

    I worked a month of preparation liaising with head office in Basle, Switzerland, to ensure application compatibilities, and then organised and managed three months of rollout, responsible for two engineers and reporting directly to the Northern European project manager.

    Key responsibilities:
  • Project Management
  • Employee Management
  • Policy Drafting
  • Evaluating and Enforcing Standards
  • Designing Builds

    Key skills:

  • MS Windows 2000
  • Ms Office 2000
  • MS SMS 2.0
  • Hyena

  • back to work experience back to the top
    Telco Web Ltd

    2002-2003
    (1 year)
    Managing Director

    Responsible for design and management of all web business from procurement to uploading. Telco also specialises in e-commerce facilities using Actinic and Protx.

    Key skills:
  • Raw HTML in Notepad
  • DHTML, JavaScript
  • CuteFTP
  • Actinic
  • MySQL
  • Protx
  • Paint Shop Pro

  • back to work experience back to the top
    Great Universal Stores

    2000-2002
    (various contracts totalling around 12 months):
    Ikon (Hays IT)
    Support Engineer

    Working at head offices in Ardwick, I worked mostly on the software side of an IT team supporting both local and remote sites nationwide for all hardware and software calls. I was also seconded to the end client's third level support team and had some responsibility for build creation and LANDesk packaging.

    Key skills:
  • MS Windows NT 4, 2000
  • MS Windows 3.x, 95
  • MS Office 4.3, 2000
  • Novell NetWare 5 Admin
  • Novell GroupWise
  • Norton Ghost 6
  • Intel LANDesk
  • MS Internet Explorer 5
  • Netscape Communicator 4
  • Compaq, Dell, Kyocera kit

  • back to work experience back to the top
    Ciba Specialty Chemicals

    2001
    (12 months from Jan):
    Ikon (Hays IT)
    Support Engineer
    Rollout Manager

    At Ciba's Water Treatment plant in Bradford, I worked as half of a two man team supporting over a thousand users for all hardware and some software calls. We were also the first point of contact for server problems with some admin responsibilities. I also organised, managed and performed hardware rollouts.

    Key skills:
  • MS Windows NT4, 2000
  • SMS 2.0, Hyena, NT Server Tools
  • Norton Ghost 6.51, 7
  • MS Office, Outlook 2000
  • RAS dialin, SecurID
  • Compaq Proliant servers
  • DLT and CD backups with some Arcserve
  • TEC label printers
  • Scanners, printers, writers...
  • Palm, Psion handhelds
  • Writing documentation
  • Database management
  • Compaq, Dell, HP, IBM kit


  • back to work experience back to the top
    Halifax plc

    1999-2000
    (12 months cover, Nov to Nov):
    Computacenter (Datacom)
    Build/Install Engineer
    Maintenance Engineer
    Support Engineer

    I worked on short and longer term cover at sites throughout West Yorkshire including the head offices in Halifax and the data centre in Copley among others, alone or as part of a team dealing with all hardware and software support.

    Key skills:
  • MS Windows 95, NT 4
  • MS Office 95
  • MS Exchange, Schedule
  • Lotus Notes
  • Attachmate Extra!
  • In house custom apps
  • Patch cabinets, networking
  • Compaq, Dell, HP kit
  • Installs, rollouts, support

  • back to work experience back to the top
    The National Grid

    1999
    (3 months from Aug):
    Compel (Comms Resources)
    Build/Install Engineer
    Maintenance Engineer

    Based at Thorpe Park, Leeds, I worked as part of an NT 4 rollout team, working to strict deadlines. Here, I became responsible for the smooth running of each night's work.

    Key skills:
  • MS Windows NT 4
  • MS Office 95
  • Huge range of apps
  • Data migration
  • Management liaison
  • Scheduling liaison
  • Issue management
  • Shift supervision
  • Compaq, Dell, Toshiba, HP kit

  • back to work experience back to the top
    British Nuclear Fuels Ltd

    1999
    (2 months from Mar):
    Compel (Comms Resources)
    Rollout Engineer
    Support Engineer

    Based at head offices in Risley and at the nuclear plant in Springfields, I worked as part of a Windows NT 4 rollout team, including support work.

    Key skills:
  • MS Windows NT 4
  • MS Office 97
  • Data and mail migration
  • Management liaison
  • Scheduling liaison
  • Asset management
  • Compaq, Dell, Toshiba kit

    * Security cleared


  • back to work experience back to the top
    NPB Computer Services

    1990-1998
    (permanent)
    Shift Supervisor

    This is a data processing/microfilming firm now called Halifax Computer Services that worked on two 16-client ROCC servers, with a PC-based NetWare network which I administrated. I covered all software and hardware support, design and consultancy among many other varied jobs.

    Key skills:
  • MS Windows 3.x, 9x
  • ROCC reel to reel tape decks
  • ROCC terminals
  • Programming in ROCC Editor
  • NetWare 4.1 admin
  • Design work
  • Consultancy
  • Data manipulation
  • Data input averaging 90 wpm

  • back to work experience back to the top

    Others

    Ikon (Hays IT):

  • Cover Support at Ciba Specialty Chemicals in Bradford
  • Rollout and training at Wolseley Centres in Ripon
  • Rollout at Reality in Preston
  • Rollout at HM Government Foreign Office in Leeds
  • Virus cleanup at Direct Line Insurance in Leeds
  • Rollouts and custom Exceed configuration at Reality in Burnley
  • Rollout and support at Taylor Woodrow in Leeds and Preston (3 weeks)
  • Rollout and custom configuration at Reality in Leeds

    SCC (Datacom):

  • Third line support at The Halifax plc including a RAS project (3 months)

    Memorex Telecom (Datacom):

  • Mopping up a company-wide audit for The Halifax plc across Yorkshire

    ComputaCenter (Datacom):

  • NT and Y2k rollout at GE Capital in Morley (4 months)
  • Rollout auditing at GE Capital in Morley
  • Y2K BIOS flashing and updating at the BUPA hospital in Elland
  • Registry editing and anti-virus work at GE Capital in Morley
  • Installing laptop software at Royal London Mutual in Rawdon

    Rockliff (Datacom):

  • NT rollout at head offices of SYPTE in Sheffield

    FINDS (temporary):

  • Maintaining a national database service provided by Bradford University Research Ltd for the country's fire services.



    Professional Qualifications

    Microsoft Certified Professional:

  • Implementing & Supporting Windows NT Server 4.0
  • Implementing & Supporting Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • Implementing & Supporting Internet Information Server 4.0
  • Networking Essentials

    back to the top



    Technical Skills

    Operating Systems:

  • Windows 2003 Server and Active Directory
  • Windows 2000 Professional and Server
  • Windows NT 4 Workstation and Server to MCP
  • Windows 9x, Me, XP and Terminal Server
  • MS DOS, Windows 2.x and 3.x
  • Netware 3, 4 and 5

    Programming:

  • Editor on ROCC systems
  • Raw HTML, DHTML and some JavaScript

    Networking:

  • Active Directory admin
  • Windows NT 4 and 2000 domain and user admin
  • SMS, Hyena and LANDesk remote admin
  • NetWare and GroupWise admin
  • TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, WINS, LAN/WAN setups
  • Patch cabinets, switches, hubs and routers
  • Internet dialup, broadband and connection sharing
  • IIS 4.0 to MCP, SUS server
  • Web hosting, Actinic and Protx e-commerce
  • Limited MySQL, cgi-bin and ASP

    Others:

  • All standard and some non-standard hardware and software
  • RAID arrays, SCSI buses, IRDA, USB, WAP...
  • PDAs including EPOC and PocketPC devices

    back to the top



    Achievements

  • I am an authorised researcher for Google Answers.

  • I was Production Director for Black Hill Books (Publishers) entailing design and production of everything up to the books themselves.

  • I am webmaster of a number of sites, that have included e-commerce, and I co-manage an online community. I also administer a few domains.

  • I am a published short story writer and a commissioned and published poet. I have published and/or edited a number of international small press magazines. I am also 90,000 words into a non fiction work.

  • I have published free e-books and information sources online and plan more in the future.

  • I have travelled widely throughout North America and have organised and attended meetups of people all over England, Canada and the USA. I have recently moved to Phoenix from England but have spent at least two months per year in the USA since 1999.

  • I received a certificate of merit in a national ROCC typing competition. My typing speed averages nearly 100 wpm and I tested for Kelly Services at 136 wpm.

  • I have been a member of Mensa and my local PCC and have represented both parish and diocese at ecumenical events.

    back to the top



    Education

    1987-1990: Huddersfield New College

  • General Studies (B) and English Language (C) A-Levels
  • RSA Typing to Stage 3 Part 2 (Distinction), Shorthand to 60 wpm
  • RSA Word Processing to Stage 1 (Distinction)

    back to the top



    Interests

  • Setting and taking part in trivia quizzes
  • Teaching HTML and web design
  • I am currently exploring classic cinema for a book
  • Reading and writing poetry, fiction and non-fiction
  • Anime, Cantonese cinema and Eastern culture
  • Travelling around North America
  • Collecting books, music and antique computers
  • I am currently learning Spanish

    back to the top



    Referees

    Tiffany Hagert - Systems Administrator, Microchip
    Glenn Butler - Owner, Candlewood Computer Technologies
    Doug Boss - Senior Systems Analyst, i2 Solutions
    Mr David Young - Construction Inspections Supervisor, City of Phoenix
    Mr Marc Jarvis - UK ISG Helpdesk and Site Support Manager, BT Syntegra
    Mr Andy Sayers - Global Infrastructure, Ciba Specialty Chemicals
    Mr Michael Davidson - North of England Team Leader, BT Syntegra
    Mr Dan Lawrance, Systems Administrator, Centurion

    back to the top


    (c)
    Hal C F Astell
    21 Oct 2005