9 Things I Learned Becoming a Help Desk Analyst

I recently ended my career of 15+ years in emergency service communications to transfer to a “normal person job”, meaning 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, lunch breaks (I had NEVER had a lunch break before!) and holidays off.

I was offered a position with our city’s IT department as a Helpdesk Analyst.

It’s amazing how as a professional, going into an entirely different field dominated by 20-something’s can make you feel like a complete moron. I am generally a quick learner, but this was a whole new realm of “What the hell?”. However, I did catch on to some things pretty quickly as a noob in the field.

#1 — There are toddlers that were more qualified for this job than I was

I say WAS because I’ve come a long way from where I was when I started. Customer service and organization are my jam, however, when I first walked in the door, my 6-year-old could have managed things better than I did. I (still) literally have to ask him to fix stuff when he changes settings on my phone and TV. It obviously stems from the fact that he pretty much came out of the womb with technology in hand.

Mom over here still remembers telling her brother to get off the damn phone so I could check my AOL e-mail. They’ll just never understand the joy of hearing that wonderous dial-up connection sound, followed by “You’ve Got Mail”.

#2 — Google is your friend

“Fake it till you make it” — definitely rings true in this case. I’ve become a master at sounding like I know what I’m talking about when I have no freaking clue. Your client wants to talk to someone who knows what they are doing and can fix their problem, so it’s imperative that you at least sound confident.

The fact is that technology is changing so rapidly and there are so many devices, operating systems, hardware options, software options, upgrades, and settings that it is impossible for even the most experienced IT personnel to be familiar with it all. There are thousand of resources available for IT teams out there, and the easiest way to find them is to “Google it!”. If someone has faced a similar issue and it’s been solved, you have a very good chance of finding it there.

#3 — If a client is not already familiar with technology, they aren’t going to learn because you ask them to

We have tons of the “old dog” clients, the ones who report that something “isn’t working”, with no specifics. They will tell you straight up that they don’t know how to operate a certain device and they don’t plan to learn. I’ve had so many say to me “I wouldn’t even carry this damn thing if my boss didn’t make me”.

We can try to force technology on them as much as we want, but if they don’t enjoy the benefits that technology gives us and aren’t willing to learn, there’s not much we can do except to help them out when they have a problem.

#4 — Mobile devices are the nastiest, germ ridden, boxes of infinite data that you could imagine

It’s not hard to understand why. iPhones, iPads, and laptops are designed for the purpose of going wherever we go. They get dropped on the floor, sat down on surfaces, touched by unwashed hands, and are rarely cleaned and disinfected. When was the last time you took your case off your phone and cleaned the case and phone with a disinfectant? I can assure most other people can’t remember either.

I consistently handle devices from our utilities workers that have been outside in the elements, causing a build-up of dirt, dust, debris, and general nastiness. Whatever it’s brought in for, the first thing I do is take it out of the case and thoroughly clean it, because they be nasty…

#5 — People truly believe that every device that they work on is “theirs”

In our department, several clients are assigned work devices, such as phones, iPads, and laptops. Of course, most employees have their issued desktop computer that they use daily to complete their work. No matter how many times we say it, e-mail it, or throw out disclaimers, you will always have those that use the devices as if they purchased it themselves.

If policy changes are made that prevent them from accessing social media sights, you can better believe that you are gonna hear about it. “Well, how am I going to check my Facebook!?”

You also have those that save their entire lives on their work devices, don’t back them up, and then get majorly pissed if a change occurs that removes some of their information. Lest not forget the ones that tell us (the IT department) that they won’t “permit” us to access their device because they “have personal stuff on there”. Well Joe, you better get appropriate, cause we comin in.

#6 — The moment that you think you’ve figured something out, you don’t

It never fails, every time I think I’ve mastered a particular program, device, or troubleshooting ritual, you can pretty much guarantee that something will change or respond differently than the previous encounters. Technology is constantly evolving and expanding, which I think is a lot of this field’s appeal. It’s pretty certain that you’ll never get bored, because there’s always new avenues to pursue.

#7 — The two most important assets do not include knowledge

While knowledge of IT is really important to do this job well, it’s not the most important skill set to have. Patience and flexibility are two things that cannot be taught but are imperative in this job. Your patience is what people will see and appreciate the most. Rushing a client, especially one who is not tech savvy, while walking them through troubleshooting their problem or setting up a new account is very obvious and will only frustrate you both.

Flexibility is really unavoidable unless you want to have a heart attack due to the stress. I am a planner. I like to plan my day, hour by hour, and lay out my tasks that need to be accomplished during the day. It took me a while to learn that while it’s never a bad idea to have a plan, plans change. Something will inevitably break or go down while you are in the middle of doing something else, and that’s ok. That is why you are here and why you learn to prioritize.

For example, the other day I had a desk full of phones that needed to be wiped and was on my to-do list, however we received notice that one of the vendors that we use to store a lot of our information had been hacked. I then had to turn my attention from what I “needed” to do, to what I “had” to do.

#8 The general public really does not understand the importance of cybersecurity

We embrace the “it won’t happen to me” thought process to the point where it severely hinders our personal and professional safety. No one thinks that they will be one to click on a phishing link that will begin the process of shutting down our entire system or result in our city having to pay millions of dollars in ransom to regain access to our servers. We regularly send out training courses (mostly having to do with IT security) for our clients to complete, and you would think that we were asking them to sacrifice their first-born child. “But we hates it!” I want to respond with “But you needs it!”.

We constantly get complaints on how needless the training is, but the ones who complain are often the biggest clickers! (Clickers are people who have consistently clicked links in e-mails that should not have been clicked upon.) It’s mostly the fact that without knowing how big of a risk carelessness can be, they don’t comprehend the importance of secured networks, firewalls, policies, etc.

# 9 — The Helpdesk is more than just an entry level position or a “dead end”

Of course, most people who go into IT and get placed on the Helpdesk look at it as a steppingstone. They plan to work there for only as long as needed until they can move up to a tech, systems analyst, network manager, or other IT professional position. For me, I work in a smaller organization that is really just beginning to find its footing, and I LOVE that.

I have the opportunity to not only service our clients individually, but to assist our city as a whole, by working with my team to grow our department. Personally, I have had my “glory days” of moving up in my career and now am able to see the bigger picture. It really isn’t about your title or your designated responsibilities, it’s what you do with it.

***Note: Previously published on Medium.***