New ICT Support Technician - Needs Advice - Please

[james_richards]

Hi all,

Recently I have got a job as a ICT Support Technician in a secondary school and I start on Wednesday 28th January 2009. I do not have solid knowledge about networking, hardware and software in schools. Can someone please give me website links, book names or your own knowledge were I can gain good knowledge from.

Can someone please help me out.

Thank you in advance.

Regards

James

[djdohboy]

Give us an idea about your it background, things like what you have done etc. And let us know a little about what system hour new job use, for example is it a vanilla Server 2003 environent, viglen classlink, RM cc3/4, ranger etc.

Then we can point you inthe right direction

John

[james_richards]

Thank You djdohboy

The information are:

Windows Server 2003
Client Network
Linux
Stone and RM Computers
Windows 2000/XP
Active Directory

[Graduate]

James Richard,

With minimum experience how did you get this ICT Technician Job?
Im really struggling at the moment nones giving me the chance?

Please Help.

[FN-GM]

James Richard,

With minimum experience how did you get this ICT Technician Job?
Im really struggling at the moment nones giving me the chance?

Please Help.

When i started in IT i was 16 and just out of school.

I did voluntary work, and got recognised for it and got a job. Since then i have been approached twice and offered jobs. Also once your in make sure you go out of your way to network with other technical staff in the area.

[Graduate]

When i started in IT i was 16 and just out of school.

I did voluntary work, and got recognised for it and got a job. Since then i have been approached twice and offered jobs. Also once your in make sure you go out of your way to network with other technical staff in the area.

Thanks for the advice. Is it worth me sending a speculative letter along with my CV to local schools to see if they have an ICT Technician Vacancy or not?

[joe90bass]

There are loads of routes to go down, from looking from somehwere that teachers A+ (for hardware or server), getting the school to pay for courses (such as MCSA), etc

But this is education, and unless you're really lucky it's going to be self study! In which case find a few old PCs, and build yourself a test network (at home if need be!) and play to your hearts content! Even better get the school to buy a MCSA/E study kit and work your way through them, as well as learning things that'll help in your current job, you'll also be helping make yourself more employable should you wish to move on in the future.

And don't forget edugeek for help, at one time PCs, servers and networks were a mystery to us all, in fact they still are................

[joe90bass]

Thanks for the advice. Is it worth me sending a speculative letter along with my CV to local schools to see if they have an ICT Technician Vacancy or not?

Yes, and don't overlook the opportunity of unpaid work experience (if you're unemployed at present), it shows your keen and is good for the CV!

[sammy]

Hi James,

any issues post em up and we can all have a dig at em....there is enough technical guys on here to start up a school for techies....

If it doesnt get resolved on this forum, it doesnt get resolved.

[somabc]

Thank You djdohboy

The information are:

Windows Server 2003
Client Network
Linux
Stone and RM Computers
Windows 2000/XP
Active Directory

If you have administered Server 2003, Active Directory, XP Clients before than you will not find it much different in a school. For a vanilla setup the only differences I can think of will be greater restrictions on the pupils (via Group Policy & Web Filtering).

Become familiar with Active Directory Users & Computers and the Group Policy Management Console. I imagine the network, domain and policies should all be up and running already. Hopefully there will also be staff there (Network Manager?) to answer any questions you may have so do not worry about it too much, just enjoy your new job.

Some major headaches I had when starting were thinking

a) How do I deploy software to the clients
b) How do I automate installs of new computers

There are various ways to do this but I will leave that for now until you are more familiar with the schools systems.

I found these pages helpful when starting out.

How to migrate from Workgroup network model to Domain based model?
Profile and Folder Redirection In Windows Server 2003
Group Policy
Enterprise Management with the Group Policy Management Console
Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Multiple Local Group Policy Objects
Windows Server 2003 Active Directory
How To Create an Active Directory Server in Windows Server 2003

Networking Basics: Part 1 - Networking Hardware
Networking Basics: Part 2 - Routers
Networking Basics: Part 3 - DNS Servers
Networking Basics: Part 4 - Workstations and Servers
Networking Basics: Part 5 - Domain Controllers
Networking Basics: Part 6 - Windows Domain
Networking Basics: Part 7 - Introduction to FSMO Roles
Networking Basics: Part 8 - FSMO Roles continued
Networking Basics: Part 9 – Active Directory Information
Networking Basics: Part 10 - Distinguished Names
Networking Basics: Part 11 - The Active Directory Users and Computers Console
Networking Basics: Part 12 - User Account Management
Networking Basics: Part 13 - Creating Groups
Networking Basics: Part 14 - Security Groups
Networking Basics: Part 15 - Universal Groups & Group Nesting
Networking Basics: Part 16 - The Windows Operating System's Role in Networking
Networking Basics: Part 17 - The OSI Model
Networking Basics: Part 18 - Sharing Resources
Networking Basics: Part 19 - Share Level Permissions

If you would prefer to buy some books try these -
Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 Administrator's Companion, Second Edition: Sharon Crawford, Jason Gerend Charlie Russel: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo
Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 Administrator's Pocket Consultant, Second Edition: William R. Stanek: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Mastering Windows Server 2003: Mark Minasi, Christa Anderson, Michele Beverridge, C. A. Callahan, Lisa Justice: Amazon.co.uk: Books

For podcasts try starting at episode 1 of this -
IT idiots (mp4/iPod)

[IanT]

I've been in the IT game since I was 17, was doing a part-time ICT Technician role while i was at college then went onto full time, I picked up experience doing support etc and built it up from that.

If you want todo IT Support the best thing in my opinion is get your foot in the door somewhere doing IT Support and progress from there, I did and now im 23 and a Network Manager at a school!

Qualifications are good but there not everything trust me!

[Crispin]

I honestly wouldn't worry. With the experience you have you should be farmiliar enough to learn rapidly.
I started my first EVER IT related job in June last year, with only an A+ qualification under my arm and a twinkle in my eye.

Starting out was difficult. A school with 800 PCs and a few hundred laptops, not to mention whiteboards, projectors was a bit daunting at first.
I had to learn pretty much everything, from ghosting to AD and server administration. Computers have always been a hobby of mine but not in practice in a working environment.

After a couple of months of intense learning and absorbing what others were doing around me I was well on my way, and now I feel very confident in my job.

From my limited knowledge the guys working in IT within schools are always patient and friendly. You should be fine!

[james_richards]

Thank You joe90bass, sammy, somabc, IanT and Crispin you have given me valuable advice which I will take into account, thnx again!

[james_richards]

James Richard,

With minimum experience how did you get this ICT Technician Job?
Im really struggling at the moment nones giving me the chance?

Please Help.

Hi Graduate the best advice i can give you is look on your local council website thats were most of the IT Tech jobs are advertised. Most ICT Tech Managers recruit a person who is willing to learn. Basically I have not got any experience I only got a degree in Bsc Hons in Computer Science. But however when undertaking my degree i did study few networking modules.

[jmcdermott]

I've been in the IT game since I was 17, was doing a part-time ICT Technician role while i was at college then went onto full time, I picked up experience doing support etc and built it up from that.

If you want todo IT Support the best thing in my opinion is get your foot in the door somewhere doing IT Support and progress from there, I did and now im 23 and a Network Manager at a school!

Qualifications are good but there not everything trust me!

i agree qualifications are not every thing, i learnt far more from working for viglen for 2 years than any of my qualifications, and now have to chuck myself in the deep end with any new tech just to keep my head running right.

My advise is if you need to learn linux/ad/server 2003 get a copy of the disks (betas will do) install them at home and play, try to bugger them up, then fix them, it is by far the best way to learn.