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Joys of Consulting at MSEE

"What exactly is a consultant?" A consultant is many different things, none of which are really in the job description I was given which says: "a consultant is responsible for the smooth operation of MSEE 189". To tell the truth when I first came to work as a consultant for MSEE, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Soon I came to understand that a consultant is a jack of all trades, perhaps a master of some.

A consultant is an encyclopedia -- of UNIX lore, programming facts, and a storehouse of those neat little tricks that earn them their pay. When in doubt, ask a consultant, and if the consultant doesn't know, he or she is certain to know who does.

A consultant is a celebrity. Never have I been so popular. People recognize me everywhere on campus as a consultant. Why, even if I hide in the Math building to do my own programming incognito, people ask me questions. If I didn't know better, I'd say I *look* like a consultant.

A consultant is a watchdog. He or she must patrol the terminal room for such evils as food, smokes, or beverages, the bane of high-tech terminals. The consultant watches expensive equipment to make sure it remains in place and locks up certain rooms no matter how loudly users protest when it is time to go home.

A consultant is a repairman. If a printer is not printing, a terminal is locked, blank, or pouring out smoke, the consultant is expected to make it all better *now*. Of course, the last resort of a consultant is to call Digital Services Maintenance (DSM) but that's another story.

Finally...a consultant is a human being. People often forget this when things don't work as expected.

Consulting, you see, is not just a single job...it is many! While this job is a lot of fun, it also provides me with an opportunity to learn in the process of answering questions for others.

The MSEE consultants are on duty from 8:30am-11:00pm seven days a week. There should be at least one consultant in MSEE 189 and one in MSEE 280 during these hours.

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