Bright people wasting away in front-line support

Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way, and need a new perspective(please, provide it!), but over the years, most people in IT I have worked with are perfectly content to sit right where they are.

The guys I work with now aren't at all interested in doing anything except what they're doing now: desktop support.

You can imagine how this grates on someone with loads of ambition. In my career thus far(seven years), I can count on one hand the number of people I worked with who weren't content to sit idly by. Those people are doing some pretty sweet stuff now, but looking back on all my previous coworkers... most are still doing the same jobs, and will continue to do the same jobs for decades, I'm sure.

Is this just a complete lacking in ambition on their part, or is there something else I'm missing?

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unsupported

It is not that you are thinking about this the wrong way, it is that you are thinking about it at all. Simply put, someone elses business is none of mine. Just worry about yourself.

For a few years I was content doing tech support. It was stable, mindless work, I was single, and I was able to focus on other parts of my life. I got engaged and eventually decided to go back to school, and stayed in support for a little while to make school easier. Then moved out when I had the right opportunity. Since then I'm a year from finishing school, have a metric ton of security certifications. I've found my ambition in life and want to make a better life for myself and my family. I am finally in a career, rather than a job. It can be done, I've done it!

But really, I think this is not about the other people. I've realized that the things that annoy me most in other people are the things that I find true about myself. What are you doing about it?

Hyper-Me

Well some of them just dont want a challenge. They know desktop support very well and know when they go into work every day they can do the job without fail. Also, the money they are making may be satisfactory to them to the point where they dont care to try and earn more.

I get bored doing the same ol' same ol'. I also dont really enjoy naggy/dumb users so I prefer behind the scenes with servers.

veritas_libertas

Just be happy that they are! Less competition for you and me

Seriously, I know how aggravating that can be. I have coworkers like that all around me. I don't know about you, but for it me it also makes technology discussions very limited.

networker050184

Some people just like to get comfortable and stay there. Not all people have the want to get to the top. It doesn't bother me, it just helps me stand out even more!

RobertKaucher

What I hate is not people who are content, that's fine, but people who claim to want to improve their knwoledge and get ahead in their careers yet refuse to make the sacrifices or take the steps to do it.

veritas_libertas

Hence the reason I want out of Desktop Support.

Zartanasaurus

forkvoid wrote: »

You can imagine how this grates on someone with loads of ambition.

I don't understand why this grates you at all. Just makes it easier for you since you have less internal competition.

Hyper-Me

Unforunately im getting a lot of the pissant helpdesk stuff at the new job, since im the new guy.

Reminds me of why I worked so hard to get into Sys Admin work.

Hoping this new guy thing fades fast :X

Zartanasaurus

Hyper-Me wrote: »

I get bored doing the same ol' same ol'. I also dont really enjoy naggy/dumb users so I prefer behind the scenes with servers.

Was just talking to my coworker about this the other day. I said something to the effect of "the only sounds I want to hear are the server fans".

Hyper-Me

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

I don't understand why this grates you at all. Just makes it easier for you since you have less internal competition.

It did it to me too. Mainly because in my last position I had at least 5-6 people around me at all times that made 20-30k more than me a year, 0 certs and were always pissy cause I was young and always was the one coming up with the right answers/solutions to issues.

There were some smart people, but they didnt care to go anywhere or do anything because they found a cash cushion and have gotten lazy on it.

forkvoid

unsupported wrote: »

But really, I think this is not about the other people. I've realized that the things that annoy me most in other people are the things that I find true about myself. What are you doing about it?

Trying to find a new job, actively, for the past six months, and passively, for the past two years. I've worked on a bunch of my skills in the meantime, though I didn't keep up on my certs.

It grates on me because I see people I care about in the position... my own mother, for example, has ~25 years of HR experience, and has done everything there is to do in an HR department. Her resume is basically begging for a corporate HR directorship. Instead, she's making under $20k at as a secretary at a small financial planning firm. She's content with it, and it bugs me. I see coworkers content with absolute crap when I know they are capable of so much more--why aren't they taking advantage of it? So many people are content with mediocrity, and it bugs the heck out of me. Sure, it does me good because there's less competition for the jobs I want, but it still bugs me.

Zartanasaurus wrote:

Was just talking to my coworker about this the other day. I said something to the effect of "the only sounds I want to hear are the server fans".

My boss and I were visiting another department's machine room, which is about five times the size of ours, and deafening. You have to raise your voice even at a few feet away. There was a nook at the far end, with some empty desks and a glass wall to drown out some of the noise(not all of it). I made the comment to my boss that it would make the perfect office. My boss says, "But you can't hear the phone ring. You could never fix user problems." I just looked at him and said "What's the problem?" He shook his head, smiling, and walked out.

Hyper-Me

I thought about this a lot over the years and this is the best thing I could think of:

If there weren't so many people content with mediocrity, then those of us who don't accept it and excel wouldn't be anything special.

Realize that you are the minority, not the majority, but it's a minority you WANT to be a part of.

forkvoid

Hyper-Me wrote: »

I thought about this a lot over the years and this is the best thing I could think of:

If there weren't so many people content with mediocrity, then those of us who don't accept it and excel wouldn't be anything special.

Realize that you are the minority, not the majority, but it's a minority you WANT to be a part of.

Oh, of course. I would hate to be part of the majority, and it's the majority I don't understand(hence this thread). I'm quite happy to be in the minority of Awesome People.

Ahriakin

Don't be so quick to judge, you don't know why they are willing to stay where they are. For some it's a lack of ambition, for others there are factors you have no knowledge of that make staying there the preferable (or only) choice.
And always remember others might look at you in the same way. It's all relative.

msteinhilber

RobertKaucher wrote: »

What I hate is not people who are content, that's fine, but people who claim to want to improve their knwoledge and get ahead in their careers yet refuse to make the sacrifices or take the steps to do it.

This is my biggest pet peeve myself. I have a co-worker in my department who has been working the helpdesk for going on 10 years now. They have done and continue to do absolutely nothing to further their knowledge to advance into a better position. Despite not having put anything into their career outside of the 8-5 grind, they are always complaining about how under paid they are and how they feel entitled to do more hands-on work with servers and networking equipment (like I do, despite having been there far less time).

As far as the OP, people who work the helpdesk for year after year after year are either perfectly content and genuinely enjoy their job and have no desire to advance. If that is the case, by all means - if it makes them happy that's their thing and I have to respect that. On the other hand, some people sit on the helpdesk for years but are not content but don't seem to be working hard enough to advance to the next level. These sorts I wouldn't exactly consider bright though, but it seems to me the vast majority of people out there really don't desire to sit on the helpdesk forever but lack the drive to change their situation.

Plantwiz

forkvoid wrote: »

...
Is this just a complete lacking in ambition on their part, or is there something else I'm missing?

It doesn't really matter which industry one is in, the feelings you describe are felt by others.

Some folks may not understand that for their paycheck to be cut, the company needs to generate at least 2x's their wages to cover the expense of having them employed for them.

Folks in a sales position need to generate more then this as they are generating income to cover clerical staff in Sales, but also keeping the business going.

Each person plays a part and when they better realize they're position exists to complete a task (whether to a client, creating a widget, or pushing paperwork say in Accounting) their role keeps others employed. HOWEVER, if they go about their day and don't look to improve inefficiencies or strive to stay knowledgeable about technologies and such...then their value to the company goes down.

I hear people complain about how 'fat' companies are with pay at higher levels of mgt...but I didn't see that person start their own business, take the risk...and during the lean times...picking up part-time work to earn money for their family while the business was getting established.

It may seem gross that some executives earn 1million+ in wages, but so long as they are accountable for all that happens under their direction...they likely earned that pay to go with the stress.

As far as IT people not bothering to stay current. I've seen it for over 20 years...I suspect it will not change. Only person 'I' can improve is myself. Though I will agree with you...it does dig the moral a bit when the slackers continue to work there and won't crack open a book or practice a lab scenario to be more proficient in the field. Just remember, when the clients request you and not them...at some point that should be recognized by managment...and if not...maybe it is time to open up your own business!

Kaminsky

forkvoid wrote: »

It grates on me because I see people I care about in the position... my own mother, for example, has ~25 years of HR experience, and has done everything there is to do in an HR department. Her resume is basically begging for a corporate HR directorship. Instead, she's making under $20k at as a secretary at a small financial planning firm. She's content with it, and it bugs me. I see coworkers content with absolute crap when I know they are capable of so much more--why aren't they taking advantage of it? So many people are content with mediocrity, and it bugs the heck out of me.

It's human nature. We can't all be brain surgeons or fighter pilots. At the end of the day, someone has to make sure payroll goes out, the PCs get fixed or the rubbish gets collected each day.

Strange as it may seem to you, work isn't everything for the vast majority of people you come across. It's just something they are willing to do to bring in the money they need to do the rest of the things they want to do. Many people I know have no intention of moving on because they have their job just right to service everything else they do in their life which is what they actually live for. Wish I could say the same for me.

With IT however, there are mechanisms like certs which, if you put yourself out and attain, supposedly you can reap all manner or rewards and move on and then cert and move on again until you get to a place where you are fairly content and the job is ok, the money is about right, you are happy'ish with your non work life so you can start to relax a bit on the certs and the job hopping and ... oh wait ... hmmm. The trouble with IT certs and the promise of onward and upward using them is that many IT people, who are fairly content, still think they can attain higher, even though they don't really want to or just arn't motivated so they don't ever get around to doing the certs. We have all come across these types. "I'm studying this and I am gonna go get a job doing that". Like first year university students. Stay up all night talking about how to change the world but then wake up too late to do anything about it.

You are really going to be on a hiding to nothing if you judge everyone by your standards and desires. Each of us sets our own bar. You get on with what you are happy doing and let others do the same.