Worried about new job in Desktop Support, first week advice?

Well here's the rundown:
(I'm sorry it's so long)

I think I have a job in the "desktop support" support capacity (25
PC's in a tech recruiting agency), and their intention is that I
will migrate to running the whole network when I get good enough --
including learning/becoming proficient in SonicWall firewall, VPN
eventually -- basically the server side.

But for now my skills are limited, as is my experience -- which is
why I'm willing to work for less, like relatively entry level
hourly (and the guy there realizes my experience is limited to part time supporting (my friend's) small office network for a couple of years while I was taking lots of networking certification classes at university extension at night). I'm 35 btw -- a career changer.

The Bad =
I have to learn on my own, no one there to "shadow", to take over
server side. (all XP and server 2003 btw), get familiar with
active directory etc. Hourly will be something like $12 - $15 for
now prolly.

The Good =
I can migrate from desktop support to full network admin as soon as
I'm able!! -- it's up to me, cuz the "default" IT guy for system
support, network stuff etc, is one of the owners who makes more money for the company if he's recruiting and not dealing with the mundane everyday tasks.

The Good AND Bad =
I have to configure a schedule for myself, since it's partially up to me -- on keeping the PCs healthy, productive, handling Desktop Support issues etc.

Any advice for my first week since I'll be figuring out my strategy partially on my own?

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Comments

famosbrown

That is a GREAT opportunity to really get the hands on experience and make the I.T. Department. Since you are the only guy, you have the opportunity to really grow and expand the I.T. department and as the company grows, your responsibility grows, whoich mean more people, which mena supervising, which mean possible CIO position

.

Anyway...I would just strategize and take care of the everyday desktop support issues and if there are any issues that are dated, take care of them immediately. Setup some permance/monitoring alerts for your servers that will send you emails or a simple message when theings excedd or go below the your baseline numbers or however you want to set it up. Stay after later than your normal time to play and get used to everything if you can. If OT is a problem, assure your company that you want to do it and you do not have to be paid. Start taking some courses for the specific technology you are working with or pick up a book about it. See if your company will pay for training. If you don't know something...ASK!! Just stay humble and ask for help when you need it. Just make sure when you receive that help, don't make it a habit to ask the same question over again. See how it is done, then get it in your head or documented. There is so much I can type here for advice, but I have a headache and I have to keep working on something for my new job during the holiday. I'm testing out some software and hardware since I have to give a presentation next week about it including costs, benefits, etc....not your normal Systems Administrator's job

. I'm also planning out the route for more fiber to be ran to connect a new building in the town. Also spec'ing a few Cisco Wireless routers and switches to hold the building down untilt he fiber is ran.

Just stay calm, start reading, and take every chance you get to play around with the equipment when you can. Take some courses or pick up the books and manuals. good luck and keep us posted!!!

Famos

goat_boy67

Excellent advice thank you! Yup. I think it's a great way to get started -- providing they'll hire me lol (seem pretty good though). Documentation is key, I'm planning to interview each worker there for a few minutes and tell them to "come to me" for questions. I wanna get some positive feedback from them

I hope your presentation goes smoothly

Trailerisf

Learn to look up error msg's word for word on google... trust me, it will be your best friend :P

http://www.experts-exchange.com/ can help alot of times... it costs you $9 a month, or free if you help solve other's problems. I use it like once a year at best, but its saved my bacon before.

For servers, always look at the Event viewer when problems arise.,, you will also want to check your services and make sure that all the ones that are set to automatic are started... just a couple very basic hints. If its already installed and working you wont really need to mess about.

If you are nice and build up a relationship with the end user, they are more forgiving when you total their desktop in error... Trust me, it happens to everyone at some point.

If you need help, just ask someone here... most questions get answered fast.

goat_boy67

thank you for the help and advice I love any I can get!

, so far I've found this site quite useful for studying for the A+ Network+ certs -- although today was the first time I actually posted anything.

Claud Murdock

Not to focus on the negative, but yes, the no shadowing part is scary, I was like a chicken with my head cut off at my first job (movie theater) when they just said "ok just do what you've seen other people who work at movie theaters do". (You mean get your concession order wrong, then take bribes from kids to let them into R rated movies? ok!). Jokes aside, anyway I know this in no way is a comparison to an IT job, but that makes it that much harder when you cannot shadow someone. Goodluck amigo! may the force be with you.

goat_boy67

I might feel a little like a dolt if I walk into work every day with a huge backpack full of A+, Network+, and other assorted admin books for reference, lol. But nah, that's ok.

But the dream is still there -- and the dream is: to fix problems remotely, for gobs of money, while sitting at the beach with my laptop

SRTMCSE

Just bring the books in one or 2 at a time.

Claud Murdock

Thats a good mindset man! for some reason, It's not about the money to me though, call me weird, but I think it's more fun than work, I even worked on Thanksgiving all day AND night, but I never disliked it. I guess I'm just odd lol.

sprkymrk

Claud Murdock wrote:

I even worked on Thanksgiving all day AND night, but I never disliked it. I guess I'm just odd lol.

And probably single!

Just kidding Claud!

My wife would have killed me if I did that, and with a firewall crash on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, I certainly could have ended up there all day Thursday.