Stephen A. Luster graduated from Computer Services Institute in 2008. Since then, he’s had a successful career in tech and has helped others along the way. Although it’s been nearly 20 years, he credits his time at CSI for giving him the foundation he needed.

In 2008, Stephen A. Luster knew nothing about computers. He had a government job and didn’t even have a computer on his desk. His wife had to help him with email. Someone told him about an opportunity to work in IT but in order to get the job, he needed to become qualified. He opened the phone book, called CSI, and took a gamble. Stephen quit the job he’d had for 17 years to become a student at CSI in downtown Chicago.

Choosing the school was pure luck, “I picked up the phone book and since everything is alphabetical, there was CSI. They were like, yeah, we can accommodate you,” he said. “It started just like that. I didn’t have any prior knowledge of CSI.”

For a while, it seemed like things might not happen for him. The job Stephen was told about in IT ended up falling through. At around the same time, he was working part time and one night while leaving work he discovered his car had been towed. He called his wife to pick him up and she told him that he needed to quit the job. He was reluctant because he had responsibilities, but resigned a few days later. 

Thankfully, CSI came through for him, “I ended up working with a counselor at CSI to develop a resume that used classroom experience to reflect work experience,” he said. “I put the resume out and then I started getting hits for it. The first call I got was when Bank of America and LaSalle were merging and they needed technicians to come in and perform some after hours work to prepare for the larger process of the merger.”

That opportunity didn’t just launch Stephen’s career, it also helped several of his classmates, “So I go in and they’re like, we’re looking for different people. Do you know anybody?,” he said.

“I ended up helping at least like five or six of the people in the program to get those opportunities.”

The classes he took were in the Networking Career Programs. Although computer technology has evolved since he graduated, Stephen feels that the skills he learned would apply today, 

“The main lesson that I learned was resiliency because I came into the program without any computer knowledge. Not only did I learn technical skills, but I learned the part of the industry that’s really important and not always taught. It’s the soft skill portion of it,” he said.

Those important things were built into Stephen’s experience at CSI, “You can be the most technical person in the world, but if you can’t communicate with people, you’re going to be limited with your approach. So Computer Systems Institute really gave me the whole range of the industry, from interacting with classmates along with doing the technical piece of it.”

One of those fellow students who took a job that Stephen referred to him ended up helping his friend when the time came, “I was traveling a lot for work and getting tired of it. One of my classmates called me and said, “send me your resume.”

That was all it took, “I went from being a contractor traveling the country to sending a resume to a classmate that I helped out years earlier. He presented it to his manager and that led me to working at Exelon/ComEd for 15 years,” he said. “So the person you’re sitting next to in class, is your network. It’s the people and the program you’re closest to.”

These days, Stephen is taking what he learned and is mentoring students through a nonprofit in Chicago. He’s using a framework he developed called the Skills Application and Leadership (S.A.L.) program to help young people prepare for sustainable, long-term professional success and not just immediate job placement.

He’s currently helping around 30 young IT professionals, “What I do is I go in and encourage them. I share my life experiences with them, and become a voice of opportunity or a reference point for them when they have questions about what happens after the class is over. We practice different types of interviewing and work on resumes.”

Ending up at CSI was really just a lucky guess for Stephen and he’s grateful that it worked out. Prospective students have options today and he tells them to do research before making a decision, “I opened up the phone book. I got Computer Systems Institute and I’m glad I did. But I would suggest to really be intentional with the decision you’re making and understand what you really want to do. 

“There are so many opportunities out there, even in IT. Be specific with what you want to do, even though there’s room to grow once you get in the door. Walk in within an idea of where you’re trying to go. Be intentional about your next step,” he advises.

Nearly 20 years later, Stephen is happy to promote CSI and what it did for him, “The program model has changed since I was there. But, from my experience, it was one of the greatest opportunities I’ve had. I met different people that I still speak to today. I would encourage people interested in computers or IT to definitely consider CSI as a conduit to achieve that goal.” 

He continued, “It prepared me fully for my next steps, which was the most beneficial part of my experience there. CSI really is one of the highlights of my career and it helped propel me to where I am today.”

No matter where you are from or where you are in life, CSI could be what you need to help propel you to the next stage of your career. With 7 campuses and flexible schedules, you’re sure to find a program that works for you. Contact us today to learn more.