Christopher Brooks

1743 Commonwealth

Houston, TX 77006

(713) 522-0397

 

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

 

Systems/Software Engineer with over 8 years professional experience in computer systems and associated hardware.  Skilled in techniques for debugging and troubleshooting of software and hardware.  Competent, flexible and motivated.  Recognized for expertise in:

 

 

Software

·         Windows XP/2000/Me/9x/3.1

·         Microsoft Office

·         PC Anywhere

 

·         NuMega SoftICE

·         Novell Netware

·         Lotus Notes

·         MS DOS

·         Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0

·         Microsoft Visio

·         Symantec Ghost

Hardware

·         IBM PC Architecture including Motherboards, PCI Bus Architecture, Sound cards, Video cards, NIC’s,  Modems, SCSI systems, Monitors and Power Supplies.

·         Embedded Systems

·         Digital Storage Oscilloscopes, Spectrum Analyzers, Volt/Ohm Meters

 

Programming Languages

·         C/C++

·         Visual Basic 6.0

·         Install Shield 5.5 & 6.11

·         HTML

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

 

Self-Employed – Houston, TX                                                                                                2001-Current

Consultant\Technician

·                Owner of "PC Doc" in home PC repair, performing system diagnosis, virus removal, and upgrades to home and business customers.

·               Assembled and configured computer systems from the component level.  Recommended components based on client requirements.

·               Configured sound systems for professional audio applications in larger venues.  Designed systems for multi-zone coverage for maximum flexibility and quality.

·               Performed chip-level diagnostic and repair on amusement machine controller boards, computer boards, and video monitors.

 

Modis IT        – Houston, TX                                                                                           2003-2003

Contract Consultant

 

        ExxonMoble Corporation – Houston, TX                                                                                                                     2003

    ·            Identified errors and omissions in asset reports, and made corrections to the asset database as needed.

    ·            Investigated missing assets using basic networking tools to locate units.

Compaq Computer Corporation – Houston, TX                                                     1997 –  2001

Systems/Software Engineer II

·               Executed functional and performance testing of 56K/DSL/Cable modem hardware/drivers, ensuring that the final product met or exceeded industry standard specifications.

·               Developed test plans, test cases and assisted with the planning and execution of projects, meeting 100% of the project milestones.

·               Built multilingual software component installers in 17 languages.

·               Determined root cause of software integration issues for more than 200 titles of 3rd party software and provided solutions to the vendors.

·               Devised pre-install software packages for CD-based OEM software, saving the company $700,000 in duplication costs per release cycle.

·               Maintained test lab with more than 25 test beds, various test equipment, and a lab server, increasing the efficiency of the engineering group by 30%.

·               Created software tools to track 3rd party software system requirements and recommendations from the vendors designed to assist the software integration teams identify potential module conflicts.

 

XXCal, Inc. - Los Angeles, CA                                                                                 1995 – 1997

Contractor

Worked on multiple assignments/short-term contracts:

 

Compaq Computer Corporation – Houston, TX                                                                                     1997

·         Completed in-depth confidence testing of telephony/videophone software, reporting greater than 300 defects for resolution.

 

Merritt Publishing - Santa Monica, CA                                                                                                   1996

·         Verified proper site licensing of software and managed and configured a 50-user network under Novel NetWare 4.12.

·         Researched and recommended software to suit specific project needs and maintained the client’s confidential information while resolving potential liability issues.

 

XXCal In-House Software Testing – Los Angeles, CA                                                                         1995

·         Tested a wide range of IBM-PC compatible software and hardware under various operating systems and conditions.

·         Posted status of testing on a timely basis indicating testing scenarios, pass/fail status, and when possible any discovered work-around to problems.

 

Technical Connections. - Los Angeles, CA                                                                           1996

Contractor

Worked after the Merritt Publishing contract, and prior to the Compaq contract with XXCAL, Inc.

 

Canon Information Systems – Costa Mesa, CA                                                                                   1996

·         Performed component–level troubleshooting on 10-BASE-T/10-BASE-2 and Token Ring network print server cards with embedded microprocessor subsystems, achieving 0% defect rate on all shipped product for over 2000 units.

·         Identified common failure modes in several production runs, decreasing troubleshooting time by 20% and speeding replacement of defective components on the PCB assemblies.

·         Used digital storage oscilloscope and other electronics test equipment, as well as advanced surface mount technology soldering/re-flow tools and techniques.