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Lance Stewart's interest in computers started when he was in high school in the early '80s. "I was interested in computer programming," he says.

When he attended college, he started as a computer science major. "I later changed direction to management information," he adds. He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in management information systems.

Networking became big in the late '80s and early '90s, and Stewart followed the trend. He is currently an e-mail and network administrator in Los Angeles.

Stewart uses good communication skills to stay on top of the job. "All you do as an e-mail administrator is communicate with other people," he says.

That includes setting standards and resolving issues. When something goes wrong with someone's e-mail, you have to be able to explain it to them in a way that they can understand.

"I think probably one of the most important parts of this job is the ability to communicate, so business communication is the key to being a successful e-mail administrator rather than computer skills," says Stewart.

He says without the business communication skills, your tech skills alone aren't going to be of much benefit.

Stewart views variety as one of the rewards of this job. "There are so many different aspects to what I do. I do a little more than an e-mail [administrator]. I'm also a network administrator."

Chris Earing is a systems engineer. He says he chose it because he has always liked computers.

"I used them on a day-to-day basis and found myself always helping other people with using computers," says Earing.

Nice salaries might make e-mail administration appealing. But you have to be up for the challenges that come your way. Earing says some of his biggest challenges come when he must he must deal with upset people.

"Dealing with someone who is really upset, calming them down and making them understand that all is not lost," he says.

Earing knows that his job is one that makes a difference. "The impact of IT [information technology] in the world is very huge. They are the people who connect all these businesses together for e-commerce or any other business-related communication. They are a must."

Shantena "Tena" Morales is a consultant in Houston. Part of her reason for choosing this field was for the challenge.

"I found the day-to-day problems and issues that go along with e-mail support extremely challenging," she says.

Morales feels the most challenging aspect of her job is disaster recovery. "Whether it is a server with a corrupted database or an ongoing virus situation," she says.

But Morales adds that solving these problems is what she finds most rewarding. "Although it may at times require long hours and intense pressure to return systems to normal operations, it is very gratifying when you can accomplish something in record time with no impact to your customers."

Her advice to anyone interested in becoming an e-mail administrator? "Take the necessary classes, of course, but try to get actual hands-on training by someone who can be your mentor. Even if all you can do is watch."

Morales enjoys her career because there is never a dull moment. She adds that the pay is pretty good, too. "I consider it a blessing to be able to help others like myself succeed in this profession. By that, I mean people who wouldn't necessarily have the opportunity, given their educational background."

According to Morales, you'll go a long way in this career if you have on-the-job training or experience "coupled with strong troubleshooting and analytical skills."

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