Did anyone else feel like a total puttz at their first IT job?

Because seriously. I keep making stupid mistakes- generally related to documentation and ticketing protocols. I just started my 4th week so I KNOW I am beating myself up too much. But please tell me I'm not alone in this! PLEASE!

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Comments

markulous

You're totally alone, no one who is successful has ever made a mistake.

It happens to the best of us. Just make sure you're not making the same mistakes twice and you're learning from them. Maybe take it a little slower if it's from trying to hurry.

cgrimaldo

I'm in my 13th year of IT and I just stared a new job about 4 months ago. I STILL feel like that sometimes. It's perfectly normal! I was/am very hard on myself and I wanted to hit the ground running in this new job. I was beating myself up even during my 2nd week of work even though they kept telling me that it will take at least 3 months for my on-boarding process to be complete. That being said, while i have made a ton of progress and I'm finding my way here, I still make mistakes. Like Markulous said, try not to make the same mistake twice. SLOW DOWN

alan2308

Agreed with the first two replies. Every noob has their noob moments. Learn from them, try not to constantly repeat them, and move on.

I'm pretty sure I was way past week 4 before I started feeling any level of comfort.

E Double U

Never made stupid mistakes, but my habit of rule breaking has led to some pretty exciting days in the office. My mentality of "I wonder what would happen if I do this" always leads to good times.

d4nz1g

A few days ago I pasted a script on the wrong device. A core switch of one of our sites.

Did something alike a few months ago, something worser a couple of years ago. It just won't stop, be cool with that

DoubleNNs

This is my 4th IT role and I STILL feel like a total Puttz. Each and every day.
But everyday I'm a smarter and more capable puttz than the day before... even if my silly mistakes prevent me from completely showing it.

GreaterNinja

I've learned the best way to retain information on a new job is to type and write notes. Second to that, take pictures and screenshots of steps and methods. I'll use an ipad or cell phone to take pictures of configurations.

It makes it a lot easier to reproduce information and configurations.

IE tickets, configs, etc.

And btw...yes I messed up several times on my first job, second job, third job, etc. They key thing is to learn and become better. Take responsibility for your actions / screw up and strive to become better.

SpetsRepair

I think its just the nature of the game. don't worry about it.

lsud00d

Practice makes perfect...including making mistakes! The key is to make them when you're new to the field so you don't mess up the big things up later.

NetworkingStudent

We are constantly changing polices/procedures at work.

Sometimes I'm unsure as to when we should escalate a ticket.

The best thing I can tell you is if you unsure of something or have a question, then write down the ticket number and review with a senior tech or your manager.

I knew a guy that asked a question and got an answer on how to fix said problem.

He asked the same question two more times, and my boss wasn't happy, because he didn't document the answer.

Don't be that girl or guy.

Once you get an answer document in onenote,evernote, a noebok ect. You never know this issue may arise again.

For documentation I would follow the rule of more is better than less.
If you feel something is important, then document it in the ticket or on the customers account.

You're only as good as your documentation.

*Note:
I have never heard anyone say” Wow that person had to much documentation.” I have heard people say there is no documentation for this issue.
Remember: If it isn't document, then it never happened.

nickog15

I started my first "IT" job yesterday, the 10th. It's a tier 1 help desk and I'm excited to get to work. Hopefully I will make a difference (: Everyone needs to fail to get better.

rwmidl

bloodshotbetty wrote: »

Because seriously. I keep making stupid mistakes- generally related to documentation and ticketing protocols. I just started my 4th week so I KNOW I am beating myself up too much. But please tell me I'm not alone in this! PLEASE!

I've been doing IT for over 15 years now. Every "new" job I've had takes some getting use to. Even the best of us have to get use to the nuances that different jobs/companies require.

As I was telling a new hire the other day (this is his first IT job), IT isn't something you can just learn overnight or with a few books. It takes years of experience, learning the ins and outs, how things work together. It's almost like the Matrix, once you get a good grasp of things and how they work, the big picture really comes together and you can really start troubleshooting and solving problems.

no!all!

Ah, I screwed up a lot at my first help desk gig. I remember one time I didn't escalate a ticket and the end user went and complained to my CTO after a few weeks of it not getting resolved. I got a stern talking to with that one lol

scaredoftests

Just as long as your bosses and PMs are cool about 'mistakes'. I have been in environments where some bosses/PMs..etc look upon errors as some kind of flaw. I am now in an environment where the PM says 'If you don't make a mistake, you are not working.' I loved him instantly when he said that.

Danielm7

Just think, when you get a lot more experience you may still get this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome
I see people talk about it all the time who have been in IT for 10+ years.

So yeah, everyone makes mistakes.

tpatt100

I remember one time on the help desk I put a user on hold because I had to ask a tech a question. I asked the tech the question but on the way back to my desk was stopped by somebody else in the hallway and completely forgot about the person I had on hold. I came back "sometime later" and the person was still waiting.... I was apologizing like crazy....

TheProf

Totally normal! In fact, even when you have experience, you'll still make mistakes. Even the tasks that you might do with your eyes closed, you'll make mistakes here and there... Don't discourage yourself because of it. The process of learning something new is really rewarding in the long run and those mistakes need to happen in order to learn/understand something new.

Keep at it, never give up!

InfoTech92

Currently 5 months in, still feel like a reject lol. It takes years to actually be like "Alright, I know my sh*t".

nascar_paul

And as soon as you ARE completely conversant in a role, you'll get thirsty to move on, learn more and be the NOOB again! It would be frustrating if it weren't so fun!

Not to mention getting PAID to do it!

Blackout

I once had a CCIE tell me that IT's only really learn things when they make mistakes. Go big or go home. lol

bloodshotbetty

This makes me feel so much better, thank you. I have not made the same mistake twice yet because I write down EVERYTHING. My desktop is covered with "sticky notes" with everything I need to know. I felt really stupid the other day because I read one of the knowledge docs wrong and did something minor. I KNOW HOW TO READ I PROMISE!

I am super insecure at work as I recently had a boss who would pull me into his office and lecture me about EVERYTHING I did wrong (this was not in IT) so now I freak out every time I am not perfect. Healthy mindset, huh?

I keep reminding myself that if I ask questions and am willing to learn and find the answer then everything should be a-okay. I actually took a break from studying for my N+ because I needed to devote my brain energy towards learning my job. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can pick it up again.

aderon

Honestly I don't think I've ever felt "comfortable" at a job until at least like 3 months in. Sometimes it takes even longer (5-6 months). And that's not to say that if you take a longer or shorter amount of time, that it makes a difference. Just work at your own pace, do the best you can, and that's all you can really do. Good luck!

scaredoftests

bloodshotbetty wrote: »

This makes me feel so much better, thank you. I have not made the same mistake twice yet because I write down EVERYTHING. My desktop is covered with "sticky notes" with everything I need to know. I felt really stupid the other day because I read one of the knowledge docs wrong and did something minor. I KNOW HOW TO READ I PROMISE!

I am super insecure at work as I recently had a boss who would pull me into his office and lecture me about EVERYTHING I did wrong (this was not in IT) so now I freak out every time I am not perfect. Healthy mindset, huh?[/endquote]

I know that feeling, the last two jobs I had, it was a bad work environment. That feeling sticks around. Anyway, do not be so hard on yourself. Just as long if you have a good boss, who really gives a damn...you will be fine.

missjanaya

bloodshotbetty wrote: »

This makes me feel so much better, thank you. I have not made the same mistake twice yet because I write down EVERYTHING. My desktop is covered with "sticky notes" with everything I need to know. I felt really stupid the other day because I read one of the knowledge docs wrong and did something minor. I KNOW HOW TO READ I PROMISE!

I am super insecure at work as I recently had a boss who would pull me into his office and lecture me about EVERYTHING I did wrong (this was not in IT) so now I freak out every time I am not perfect. Healthy mindset, huh?

I keep reminding myself that if I ask questions and am willing to learn and find the answer then everything should be a-okay. I actually took a break from studying for my N+ because I needed to devote my brain energy towards learning my job. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can pick it up again.

While you still can and don't have a ton of notes invest in evernote or onenote they are both awesome at keeping documentation you can have multiple notebooks or whatever you need. I'm still feeling noobie but this is a helpful trick I have picked up.

Smile it will make your puttz melt.

stryder144

The keys to continued success in IT are:

1. Learn: if you aren't learning something new about your job, just about every day, then you are standing still while others are advancing.

2. Document: you need to write down the procedures that you use in your day-to-day job and you need to clearly write down what you did in any ticket or correspondence. As has been mentioned, if you didn't write it down, it didn't happen.

3. Research: know who to ask, when to ask, where to ask, what to ask, and how to ask. More importantly, know the correct research order. It is okay to ask a fellow employee the answer to a question you have, just don't be the one who asks the same question over and over again. People are more forgiving of a "stupid" question if it is your first one. Related to this is doing the research first, forming a possible solution, then asking a manager, co-worker, or random stranger what they think about the solution you are proposing. This will let them know that you did your research (thus, you are not a leech) and are "gut checking" the solution (no matter how off-base it may actually be).

4. This is key: breath!

Cheers

adam220891

Generally, if you were honest in the interview and they asked you meaningful questions, they have a generally idea of your ability and skills. You should be aware of what their timelines are regarding on-boarding and getting familiar, and ask questions and demonstrate progress in some magnitude each day. When you appear interested in your employer, they will generally become interested in you.

IT-FNG

Today was my first day at my first job as an intern doing helpdesk. I feel like a fish out of water and really have no idea what i'm doing but I just am going to keep plugging away and soaking it all up like a sponge.

Michael-

Everyone makes mistakes. I was in the same boat as you when I first started off in cyber security, it probably took me a couple of months to learn the ropes, after that it was smooth sailing.

Fulcrum45

Ive been at my job for over a year and a half and I'm JUST NOW starting to feel comfortable with my role. It took me a long time to understand what it was everyone was expecting of me in terms of my skill set.

bloodshotbetty

Thanks everyone! I feel better. I've been put on the "printers" team so there are a lot of different protocols to learn in terms of when to dispatch a tech, where to order different parts, network printers, local printers.... it's been overwhelming. Since it is a big corporate environment there are A LOT of procedures that go into it. But, I'm slowly but surely getting it...