Sysadmin/Desktop support worst job ever?

I work at a Company with roughly 2000 employees. We have open landscape so users can come to us whenever they have any issues. There are two more guys working with me also doing desktop support + application packaging.

Users expect me to be an expert with all electronics it doesn't matter if it's a microwave, excel, InDesign, random audio/video equipment. Furthermore I sometimes have to setup equipment for new users and crawl under desks like a worm. I literally feel like a slave doing this crap, plugging in coords/monitors and stupid keyboards.

How on earth do you get work done when you have users standing around you + you are talking to another user on the phone.
Then another guy comes in and asks you to fix the video equipment in one of the meeting rooms. Remember you have never touched the equipment and stand there like a fool trying to get it working.
Hell even the user knows more than me about the video equipment.
Am I the only one who despise users who expect to get help when they clearly see I'm busy on the phone or talking to the IT manager? They stand around my desk and sighs to get my attention. This happens daily, plus everything is always urgent.

I didn't expect this when I started here, I mean as a sysadmin you would think you only would have to manage the servers and network.
I'm happy doing server maintenance/upgrades and all that stuff.

HELP ME! Some days I just feel like being home because I do not want to see some of the users.
Sorry for the rant, it feels a tad better now.

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Comments

NagiosV

Cleverclogs wrote: »

What you've described in this post is essentially what my daily nightmare is. While the office is only around 200, it's the same irritating 15-20 people that always stop by in person to demand their issues get fixed first. When I was enthusiastic and still motivated I was happy to help, but now I've had enough of support and want to get away from it (Hence why I'm studying for my CCNA). We have a decent ticketing system, and lately we've been pushing an initiative to get people to send emails, but the hardcore group just won't listen. Just last week I was in the middle of putting together a major incident email that was Crit1, and out the corner of my eye I could see the guy who is the worst offender stood there, next to my desk. This guy must have some abandonment issues or something because last week he managed 14 visits to us, from Monday - Friday. This visit was number 5, and he stood there waiting and waiting while I was typing and proof reading my email, and I hadn't even sent it before he was clearing his throat and trying to get my attention. In the end a co-worker came back and dealt with him, but his query was about a ticket we'd raised for him and passed on to another team. Something he could easily have emailed about. I dread to think what it would be like with 1000+ people, with more people like this guy to deal with! Best advice: Spruce up your CV and move on, because otherwise staying in an environment like that will start to grate on you after a few months. Good luck!

As another user mentioned, I think many companies lure job seekers with fancy titles. However the roles will involve more than written in the ad.

I have been in another company where this also happend, the guy responsible for hosting had to fix all kinds of problem.
The solution is to find a job where you can work remote I suppose.

Of course this also depends on the size of the company. If it was a small company with 25 users I would not mind at all but with my company it's just to much.

N2IT

robS wrote: »

Got it in one. There will always be the need, but if you do your time then after a while it won't be you.

Concur 100%

knownhero

I used to do this absolutely hated it. I genuinely hate users, how some of them have a job working with a computer is shocking. Anyway all I did is, using my free time study areas I liked e.g. SQL, SharePoint and PowerShell.

I put the work I learnt out of hours, into my work hours job got the praise for it. They noticed that I was automating things so we didn't have to do repetitive tasks then told me to focus on that.

I've moved jobs now to a SharePoint Analyst and Developer. Best thing about this job other than getting to make things. I don't help a single person. And its great!

robS

knownhero wrote: »

I used to do this absolutely hated it....I put the work I learnt out of hours, into my work hours job got the praise for it. They noticed that I was automating things so we didn't have to do repetitive tasks then told me to focus on that.

Bullseye.

ande0255

Sometimes you just need to tell the everyone who's issue is always "urgent" that their poor planning does not constitute an emergency, or at least that's what I say... under my breath.. sigh.

Fortunately I do remote work, so no crawling around on the floor.

NagiosV

ande0255 wrote: »

Sometimes you just need to tell the everyone who's issue is always "urgent" that their poor planning does not constitute an emergency, or at least that's what I say... under my breath.. sigh.

Fortunately I do remote work, so no crawling around on the floor.

Yes working remote is the best solution to this.
No fake smiling, no crawling under desks.
Eat at you desk without being disturbed, dress almost like you want.

AND never have to see a user ever again.
Did I miss something?

nster

You get to live a proper hermit life

BradleyHU

Danielm7 wrote: »

You need a ticketing system, you can't have 2000 users walking up to you randomly and waiting while you do the fix for them, that's bonkers.

Also, are you actually supporting 2000 users at that one location? Typically that could be a sysadmin type description for a much smaller company, but that many users a typical sysadmin isn't handling end user support and doing desktop duties too.

yeah...ya'll need a ticket system badly, like ASAP!!! and if ya'll already do, you just need to enforce it, and tell users to put in a request through the system.

Fulcrum45

Sometimes you need to remind your users that you are a finite resource. You are one person who can only be in one place and focus on one thing at a time. Every "emergency" that I am unable to address right away becomes a teachable moment for them that reinforces this idea. My users are well-intentioned so it makes my overall task easier but even if they weren't I wouldn't treat them any different.

I also encourage our ticketing system by reminding users that I will simply forget to follow up unless they do so. This is in no way a lie- I WILL forget but I will also not feel bad about it if I do. "No ticket" = "No Clue what you are talking about".

PS- Don't ever feel embarrassed to crawl under tables- most people are clueless about what those funny connector things do and its just part of the job. If its an ego thing just remark to them how dirty it is under their desks and that they should be checked for Lyme disease.

dannyky

Hell, I'll take your job, better than mine now.

Robertf969

Try working in an S6 in the Army. You are a help desk guru, electrician, cell phone aficionado, Info-Sec policy manager, basically if you can think of an IT related job we do it. For example I had just done writing a Standard Operating Procedure and DRP for my unit, I received accolades for how well written it was. The next day I was pulling CAT5 through a ceiling because some LT with quite literally a fake job decided he didn't want to share a computer anymore. Remember you will probably never be "just" your job description.