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I'm going to resign tomorrow and attempt to YOTJ. Everytime I get a call logged to me, I'm told to "Treat it as a priority", because we've hosed up previously (Senior engineer deleting their company drive without a backup for instance). I work on it for about 5 minutes, and then another call comes in which I'm told to drop everything for and complete at once. These are all issues that need to be looked at for a solid 30m or so. I just don't have the time to look at them. The company is promising getting more helpdesk people in, but so far no luck. More sales people are coming in every day though! Meanwhile, we have 3 people on the helpdesk and we're at call #55, at 1230PM. Hnng.
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Aug 27, 2013 12:34
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True true. I'll stick it out for a bit - But it's really getting to me at the moment. The reason why the job was so great early on was that the call level was at a level where I could not only devote the time needed, but also learn about what the issue was, how a particular program/system worked etc.
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Aug 27, 2013 13:20
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Thankfully it's not that bad for me. If I need to take a phone call or go to the bathroom, I can. But there's no system in place for lunch breaks. If I go out for lunch, calls will get logged to me. People will still need updates on their calls etc. So most of the time I just eat a sandwich at 12, take 5 minutes, then dive straight back in.
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Aug 27, 2013 13:46
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At first when I started here and it started to get busy, I was perfectly fine with just working after I got home, doing everything that could be done remotely, remotely. But recently I've realised it's just not worth the effort. It's not getting me any extra recognition, it may make the next day slightly easier but it's loving up my work-life balance.
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Aug 27, 2013 14:56
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evil_bunnY posted:Number one thing to remember: it's just a job, and it can be your choice whether to let it rub on your state of mind. I agree with all of this. I'll try and take the full hour tomorrow. MF_James posted:This is illegal, you are REQUIRED a 30 minute break from work every 6 hours of work, whether this break is paid or unpaid doesn't matter. Now, it is definitely up to you to take this break or not, but if you stop working for 30 minutes for lunch your employer can't do poo poo about it if you work 6 or more hours. If your employer tries to stop you, you are well within your rights to inform uhh I forget the drat gov't agency at the moment. It's illegal if they were to say "You cannot take a lunch break", yes. I am not taking a break out of choice. (In the UK, by the way.)
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Aug 27, 2013 20:17
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adorai posted:so 18 calls each in ~4.5 hours. Doesn't seem awful for helpdesk. I expect my helpdesk techs to take roughly 20 tickets + 5-10 phone calls per day. Roughly half of those requests are password resets or other simple tasks which take less than 5 minutes. Half of the rest should be resolved in under 30 minutes, and the remainder are often harder tasks which can take longer or be escalated to a higher tier. I think the difficulty with my current company is that the third guy, whilst being called "Second line support", is more likely "Upper management's bitch" - He gets dumped with lots of calls that skip our ticketing system directly from the company directors, and he doesn't deal with stress too well. On top of the tickets we have to get through, I'm also in charge of our monitoring system, backups etc. Which takes around 2 hours out of my day. Around 30% of our calls are basic password resets, sure. The rest are calls that require more time to look at. It's hard to explain. I'm certainly looking at how to manage my time more effectively though. Today I tried out some of the tips in this thread ("Which one out of these priority issues needs doing more?") and they helped a lot.
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Aug 28, 2013 21:37
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I am contractually obliged to work 37.5 hours a week. Normally I stay way later (Was in the office from 0830 to 1830 today for instance), but today I've been told that we'll be working an extra 30 minutes per day. Not getting paid for it either. Not too sure of the legality of it (In the UK, I'm guessing it's fairly illegal) but noooooooooope! Getting out of here as fast as possible.
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Sep 3, 2013 23:33
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TWBalls posted:So, since you're already putting 2hrs over, just go home 1.5hrs earlier than usual and you'll still be compliant. Still, that sounds pretty lovely that they expect more time without additional pay. What I'm not so pleased about is losing the freedom to leave as early as possible. It means I would have to alter any plans, be restricted etc. There are some days when I just want to leave on time.
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Sep 3, 2013 23:52
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I don't have a car so I walk 45 minutes to work each day. I quite like it 
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Sep 10, 2013 21:47
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"I'd love to meet and discuss the new server but I've got a marathon poo poo session scheduled in for then. Maybe we could share a stall?"
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Sep 12, 2013 22:54
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^^^^ Congrats, Misogynist! I'm hoping someone here can help. I'd rather not pay  for a new resume/CV, but I've never really had to write a CV for a job in IT before; only sales.How far into my current job experience should I go? I'm applying for helpdesk/jnr sysadmin roles, so do I need to go into specific software (Backup Exec for example), or would "Good at backups" suffice? How much should I be writing about my current job? DrAlexanderTobacco fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Sep 26, 2013 |
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Sep 26, 2013 17:16
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Paladine_PSoT posted:Don't fall into the trap of overlisting skills or specific software. I'd put no more than a handful of generic skills with no specific software suites that you're ready to speak to. Thanks for the reply. I guess the one thing I'm worried about is only having one job to talk about. It's not like I can rely on 2 or 3 other jobs to pad out my experience.
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Sep 26, 2013 17:30
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Despite not being that experienced myself, I too would recommend going to some form of college/university, preferably in a large city. That way, if a job comes along (Because you'll be able to network/explore getting into Networking/IT whilst studying for your degree), you'll have lived in the city for a while and it certainly won't be a huge jump into the unknown. If you start to get dissatisfied with the lack of entry level jobs in your town, and try to move prematurely, it might be a bit of a blind move. It's great to see you're getting into IT now, though. I wish I was as interested your age.
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Sep 28, 2013 01:17
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Possible  - Applied for a "service desk analyst" position at a software development company with several offices. Asked for £22k, got a call the next morning! Going in for an interview.
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Sep 30, 2013 17:18
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The Third Man posted:Yeah, sorry I should have been a little clearer I don't expect to get a job by convincing HR, but I don't want my resume to get immediately binned for not having enough relevant information on it. It can certainly give you a start in a helpdesk position. If you get a job at somewhere such as a small-medium MSP on the helpdesk, you can certainly gain experience in networking as helpdesk roles aren't as strict as a large call-centre. Then, you can tailor your CV to whatever focus you want, networking if you so wish. A foot in the door, as you call it, is definitely *anywhere in IT*. Once you have the first job it'll be so much easier to find something else more suited to your career aims.
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Sep 30, 2013 22:03
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Seeing Tom Limoncelli mentioned, I'd really recommend you read his book: Time Management for System Administrators (Paraphrased) - it was incredibly useful for me as a part-sysadmin but he really covers a lot of areas that are useful for most aspects of IT.
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Oct 2, 2013 17:04
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DrAlexanderTobacco posted:Possible Well, turns out they found someone with 2 more years experience than me  Which is a shame. The job spec did state 3 years experience initially, but I applied anyway figuring that it would be an HR requirement because the job description was extremely basic. The hiring manager said she was impressed by what I said during the interview though and came across as if I had more experience than I do. But obviously not enough to get the job Got to keep looking I guess. Living in a small town isn't the best; I'd really just like another helpdesk/jnr system admin job to get out of my current job, but the jobs don't seem to be out there.
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Oct 5, 2013 23:47
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Especially if you set up Classic Start. Cuts down on 99% of Metro UI-related issues.
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Oct 7, 2013 17:29
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It's fairly strict at my company - I have to be in at 0825, ready to start working at 0830. It's generally expected that everyone stay on past their normal working hours as well. Lunch is thankfully lax, I can take it at any time during the day, for an hour.
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Oct 10, 2013 09:48
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Methanar posted:Hi guys, I was the 16 year old a few pages back that was asking for guidance and help. Did you consider the option of going to a college that's not local, in a bigger/busier area?
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Oct 12, 2013 15:01
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Misogynist posted:Anyone interested in an SH/SC mentorship exchange for people within our community here who are starting out trying to build careers for themselves? Yessir. I'm at the first step of my career so would appreciate any help.
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Oct 23, 2013 17:45
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Sounds like a lazy boss. The point of a manager (In my view) is to manage - Not necessarily micromanage, but pitch in and offer assistance if you're having trouble.
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Oct 25, 2013 10:56
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Year's review went well! My director said I was doing well for someone with no qualifications, no experience etc. 10% Raise. 
DrAlexanderTobacco fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Oct 28, 2013 |
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Oct 28, 2013 21:10
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alexaugmented@gmail.com
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Oct 31, 2013 18:39
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Hi guys, Yesterday I received a job offer from an MSP just down the road from the one I currently work at. Currently I work at a high-stress, MSP that has me doing a 50/50 split of first-line end user support and system administration, backup management etc. The new job would be a strict 1st line role, with an emphasis on solving the calls on the first phone call, complete end user support. Escalation to a second line engineer if the solution to the call does not become obvious within the first call or two. On paper, it looks great - It's lower stress, "safer", and the owner of the company is more than willing to bump up my salary by 5% each time I get a valued qualification, MCSA, CCNA etc. I'm hesitant though, as the current company I'm working for is doing extremely well in the hospitality sector, and is definitely going places. So, it's hard work but a very exciting place to work for. The new MSP would be safe, but I'd imagine very boring as well. Has anyone else been in such a situation? If so, what would you recommend?
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Nov 11, 2013 15:58
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To anyone who read my last post concerning whether I should take a 1st Line support role over my current position as a 1st line (With some systems administration): Thanks for your advice everyone, and apologies for a perceived lack of interest in your replies. I did read everything but it's been really busy over the past week. I'm handing in my notice at my current job and taking the position at the new company. The new company looks pretty cool. 8% matching pension scheme, private healthcare and £300 for every microsoft exam I pass (So, if I were to complete all three MCSA exams for Server 2008, that's an extra £900 onto my salary). They're matching my current salary and will up it by £1000 if I can pass my probation, which involves getting my Microsoft MTA cert within 3 months of starting work. I cleared up my job duties with the owner of the company. The day shift will be primarily focused around helpdesk duties, however there is plenty of interaction on servers. It's not just end user/desktop support which I'm really happy about. The night shift is where it gets interesting. 4PM to 10PM, and it mostly focuses around server patching and general maintenance. I can work from home for that shift! Exciting. The guys there all seem nice and they've got a much better ticketing solution and way of handling escalations, compared to my current company.
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Nov 17, 2013 00:42
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I referred a friend to my current job and got a £20 HMV gift card. 2 weeks before they went into Administration  New job has a better scheme though, £250 per person, £500 if it's a difficult hire.
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Dec 13, 2013 12:37
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At least they'll filter out anyone who has ADD because they'll never complete the questionnaire 
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Jan 10, 2014 12:58
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Caged posted:A recruiter just sent me details for a role described as desktop support but definitely listing Windows Server and Exchange in the spec, as well as AD, deployment and multi-site AD. A recruiter approached me on LinkedIn a few weeks ago and offered me £13k for first-line in Greater London. I said no and asked her why the salary was so low, when the cost of living in the area is obviously incredibly high. She responded by saying that, whilst it's a full time role it was viewed by the company as similar to an apprenticeship and thus will be minimum wage. Despite requiring certifications, and not helping the employee gain any further skills 
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Jan 16, 2014 02:18
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Considering no two people are the same, it will vary whatever you do, wherever you are. There's nothing inherently wrong with it at all if you get on with your co-workers  I'd find it weird though if it was discouraged by the higher ups.
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Jan 17, 2014 16:11
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From your first post in this thread it looks like you've only just started working in IT? In which case, yes, the A+ is considered the baseline certification that many people have. I would recommend going for that as it's not too difficult to get. You should also consider the N+ (Networking) and S+ (Security), it'll help you get an idea for the various areas of IT. The S+ is in some cases a requirement if you're trying to get security clearance (Which you might need for certain jobs, mostly Govt or Mil work. Getting the A+ and a year's experience is a good way to ensure that you will remain employable. I would also recommend learning stuff outside of work as well. If you're just doing helpdesk, maybe install a VM at home and play around with various things such as Active Directory, Group Policy etc. I strongly recommend you ask work to pay for the A+, too. I wouldn't want to work for a company that doesn't even consider paying for the basic-level of certifications.
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Jan 21, 2014 02:05
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Goons who work from home: What do you do if there's any perceived downtime? I'm currently on a late-shift, which involves carrying out any patching that needs to be done, clearing out the late-shift queue etc. Today there was nothing in the ticket queue and no project work to complete, so apart from finishing a few administrative tickets (Exporting mailboxes, new users) I don't think I actually worked more than 2 hours of my 8 hour shift. I guess it's just worrying over nothing because my manager says I'm doing a good job. But I felt like a bit of an idiot being paid to answer a phone that never rings for the remaining 6 hours.
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Jan 22, 2014 01:14
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Che Delilas posted:Nobody likes a braggart. You're right - That definitely came off in a different way than I intended. I guess the root worry was, as you said, my bosses realising there's not really a need for the late shift etc, and move/get rid of me. But, maybe it's just quiet right now. I'll definitely work on certs/set up a lab in the meantime though
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Jan 22, 2014 01:31
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dogstile posted:So, UK goons, have you had better luck jumping from place to place every year or two or do you think its better to stop at one place? I have about a years real work experience in IT and I feel comfortable with interviewing so I don't think i'd have an issue there, but i'm wondering what's a decent way to go in regards to building my reputation/salary. If it helps, I also want to be a sysadmin and I have managed an exchange/active directory server by myself for 8 months of my career. I also have some IT qualifications and a failed uni degree (I have a feeling that last one will bite me, but when explaining that my mum was in hospital most of my second year, they seem to understand). What do you mean by "failed" degree - Did you drop out before completion or did you get something like a 2:2? If the former, it might be better to just leave it out completely now that you've got a years experience. As to your initial question, if you've only had one IT job for a year I don't think it's too bad if you were to hop across to another company. The trouble is when it becomes a pattern. If someone was to look down your CV and see you've been at 5 different companies over 5 years then there's no reason to believe you'll stay at theirs for any longer. The nature of the beast is that you need to switch to get a serious raise in salary (As evidenced by your recent salary review not going too well..). One thing to remember is that a new company looks at the skills you have now. The person who hired you a year ago might still think of you as the youngling, the trainee etc. and that's a hard thing to shake.
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Jan 24, 2014 16:10
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Yeah that just made your job sound amazing. "How was your day honey?" "Oh I rapelled down this bombproof shaft to run a cable. Chatted for a bit with my buddies from the White House to update them."
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Jan 31, 2014 18:16
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Sefal posted:I´ve already decided to walk out there as soon as I get a job regardless if he pays. You're the same age as me and you've accomplished so much more than I have in IT, you've set up an entire office by yourself. Lawyer up, look for jobs NOW because you're certainly qualified, and stop trying to whine to him about getting paid. Not being paid for an entire year is loving criminal and it's insane that he's still getting away with it.
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Feb 10, 2014 16:21
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Whilst I think of it, if you don't already have WRITTEN confirmation that he's delaying paying you try to get it from him via email now. If he's not too smart he'll confirm that he can only pay you next month. It'll help if the matter goes to court. Make sure you get the email either sent to a personal address or make an offsite backup of the email if it's on the company's system.
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Feb 10, 2014 16:25
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One thing that really does help in interviews where you stumble on a few questions is to make them sure you're willing to learn on the job. In my case, I was asked what TCP/IP and NetBIOS were and which one I'd use. I truthfully answered I wasn't sure what NetBIOS was, but if it was superior to TCP/IP I'd love to learn more about it. I wouldn't expect it to be though because in all the systems I've seen they've used IP. The guy loved that, as a few people before me simply said "I don't know" and expected to move onto the next question.
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Feb 11, 2014 13:40
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I'm honestly not surprised that guy was a oval office. If someone doesn't pay you for an entire year (Or close to it), you can bet that he's a poo poo. He was only staying sweet because he knew he could pull the wool over your eyes.
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Feb 14, 2014 12:54
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QuiteEasilyDone posted:YOTJ update:Eh, so I talked with that guy who was tentatively give me a new job. He low balled me, and between increased operating costs on my end and a lack of benefits, I rejected the new job offer I'm sorry to hear that. Did you negotiate at all?
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Feb 17, 2014 00:12
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