Doug Peruski: Being a Systems Analyst

Doug Peruski majored in Theatre Arts at Kennesaw State University and the University of Georgia, and earned his B.A. in that discipline from the latter institution. But he minored in Computer Science, and that is what led him to his first job out of college.

Doug Peruski worked as a systems analyst at NCR for three years. NCR is one of the largest employers in the Duluth, Georgia area, where Doug Peruski has lived most of his life. It is a computer hardware, software, and electronics company that provides products and services that enable businesses to connect, interact, and transact with their customers.

“My first two or three months there were pretty good,” Doug Peruski recalls. “I spent most of my time talking to users to help me understand the business. I also talked to other analysts to make sure there was compatibility between subsystems. After that I was doing a lot of design work, and creating documentation for these designs, including reports, input forms, and programming specifications. That’s when it started getting pretty deadly. But I was paid really well, so I found it easy to put up with.

“I coded some of the programs myself, in COBOL and PL/1. I learned how to test systems and how to implement them. I did some technical writing by documenting new systems, including technical documentation and user documentation. But God, it was boring! The only thing I really like about those three years was making friends with all the other analysts, and learning all the time about the business and the technology.”

Then he was sent on a business trip to a NCR customer in Des Moines, Iowa. “I had to give a speech. And you know what? Being in front of an audience like that reminded me how much I missed theatre. It was no substitute, though. So I decided to quit and do what really wanted to do – act.”