Positives regarding working in IT Support

[superatticman]

Down the years there's been a fair few things said on here about the negatives of working in an IT Support role. Lack of recognition, salaries not being what they once were, high expectation of knowledge versus salary.

 

However, there's some huge positives too.

 

I think the biggest is that its possible to have a long, progressive and rewarding career without having many/any academic qualifications. I know plenty who didn't do great at School, fumbled about with dead end jobs but found their feet with IT. Some are now working as Network/Project Manager or specialising in certain applications or technologies.

 

There's a clear progress route. Some of these roles may be dressed up differently, but you have with very approx salaries:

 

Junior Tech £16-20k

Tech £20-25k

Senior Tech £25-35k

Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant/ £35-45k

Senior Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant £45k+

 

I believe you can start the JT role with basic hardware/software skills, maybe A+ certification but most importantly enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Not sure if any academic qualifications are a must have? Obviously as you sail upwards you are expected to gain the likes of Microsoft Exams or other technical qualifications.

 

Definitely a good industry to be in all things considered.

[featured_spectre]

I'd change the salaries a bit...

 

Junior Tech £10-12k

Tech £12-18k

Senior Tech £18-25k

Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant/ £25-45k

Senior Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant £45k+

[Steve21]

I'd change the salaries a bit...

 

Junior Tech £10-12k

Tech £12-18k

Senior Tech £18-25k

Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant/ £25-45k

Senior Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant £45k+

 

Indeed but honestly I'd have gone even lower for some bits like Network Manager Unless you're a London school/private/random remote part, don't see any getting anywhere near 45k tbh.

 

Steve

[arwen]

I'm struggling to see any positives to the job now to be honest.

I have perks for working where I do (good pay, short commute, lots of holidays, flexi time and nice place to work)

 

But actual job satisfaction? Everywhere I have worked is the same - We are constantly plagued by things that are broken and we rarely get thanks for fixing them. Also frequently end up fixing other stuff, cause it is vaguely connected to some IT equipment (projectors, microscopes, cameras, scanners, flashy lights, usb cup warmers...

Our clientèle usually fits into one of 4 categories -

1. IT illiterate, phones at the slightest hint of something not working. - Never off the phone to them.

2. IT illiterate, never complains about anything. - You never know something is broken.

3. IT competent, phones for advice, listens to advise and is a pleasure to deal with. - You smile when their name appears on your phone/email.

4. Thinks they know if all about IT and tinkers with everything they touch. Either runs away when thinks then go wrong, or complains to IT saying everything is always breaking around here.

 

Yes we are a service department, and we are mostly here for when things break down and need fixed. But if all you are ever doing is listening to people saying things are broke, and fixing them then it is a very negative environment to work in.

In my opinion every one should have at least one "positive" project on the go to help even this out.

 

 

Part of the issue is that if we are doing our jobs well, no one notices what we do. Like a very good props department on a film, nothing looks out of place and we are "invisible" to most people. When that happens, management usually think "why do we need all these people in IT, lets save some money!" and either cut jobs or the IT budget. This leads on to -

Everything falls apart because of lack of man power to keep things updates (software and documentation wise), people cut corners in implementing fixes as they are stressed and have no time, network grinds to a halt and people complain to IT about the poor service.

IT gets diss'ed by the whole place cause we cant to out jobs.

 

Edit: As for getting places in this industry without proper/normal qualifications? I have been repetitively turned down for jobs because I do not have a degree of any kind. They have absolutely no issue interviewing me (some will even rearrange interview for another day/week for me) but it always comes down to that missing bit of paper...

Also, advancment through the grades is usually limited to who is going to retire soon.

Edited May 4, 2015 by arwen

[LiamH]

I would say the best perk of the job is knowing you are helping to give the next generation a head start in IT and education in general.

 

Nothing quite as rewarding as having a student come and ask you a question who is genuinely interested in learning more about IT rather than just wanting the wireless password to watch cat videos on YouTube.

[superatticman]

Arwen thats interesting regarding employees asking for a degree. What sectors were they in? Can empathise with users being a pain in the backside but the point about being able to move onwards and upwards is still very valid.

[Ephelyon]

Yes we are a service department, and we are mostly here for when things break down and need fixed. But if all you are ever doing is listening to people saying things are broke, and fixing them then it is a very negative environment to work in.

In my opinion every one should have at least one "positive" project on the go to help even this out.

 

Part of the issue is that if we are doing our jobs well, no one notices what we do.

@arwen, you are absolutely right with this. The problem that I think many of us have is knowing where to begin with such a project. We've seen articles appearing in publications like CIO Magazine for a few years now, suggesting that the route from hands-on middle manager to senior leader within an organisation will inevitably stem from understanding the needs of the business - some of our more experienced members may recall when this was hardly ever talked about in IT - and subsequently "getting your hands dirty" and mucking in.

 

Moving beyond break/fix and into proactive service essentially involves two steps:

 

* Identifying existing issues that could be remedied through (in this case) technology independently and then feeding back to leadership;

* Anticipating any such future issues independently and then feeding back to leadership, possibly with some draft proposals alongside.

 

For example, shortly before the Easter break there was a very serious incident in a classroom (luckily caught on camera - did I mention the cameras were my idea?) where a teacher urgently needed support. The effectiveness of sending a child to get someone can be a bit hit-and-miss here for a number of reasons. However, said teacher was on the computer just as the incident was kicking off, which is quite often the case if it occurs near the start of the lesson as they're taking the register at that time. So over the break, I've put together a custom "panic button" that sits at the top of the screen and e-mails a designated list of office staff who will sound the alarm (the logistics are still being worked out for that). If it works, this will be a success for the IT Department; we have not just come up with an idea and deployed it without telling anyone, but instead fed it back in through SLT for action if deemed appropriate. Trials will begin shortly.

 

In many schools there are ample opportunities for us to identify and engage with whole-school issues that could be improved through technology, or through the better use of it. What we now need to do as a profession is to get on board with that if we don't want to be just "the hired help" any more (as I've heard one person describe us).

 

Footnote: there has always been a bit of a clash between the perceived "I am a supporter" and "I am a doer" roles. If you ask me, the truth for many of us in this field is that we are both. If our job does not allow us to be both a supporter and a doer, there will always be a feeling that something is missing, which can go so far as to affect our mental health in the long run.

[witch]

In many schools there are ample opportunities for us to identify and engage with whole-school issues that could be improved through technology, or through the better use of it. What we now need to do as a profession is to get on board with that if we don't want to be just "the hired help" any more (as I've heard one person describe us).

 

There are positives in this job, yes, but when you are a part-time tech like me you can shout as loudly as you like and few listen.

I used to put forward ideas but TBH I don't have the time to find out what is going on and what I could do with tech to help.

[localzuk]

Junior Tech £16-20k

Tech £20-25k

Senior Tech £25-35k

Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant/ £35-45k

Senior Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant £45k+

 

Down here, that's more like:

 

Junior Tech £9k

Tech £13k

Senior Tech £15k

Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consulatant £20k

Senior Network/ICT/Project Manager/Consultant £25k.

 

On the flip side, this is a beautiful area to live in - I love waking up to see the cows being fed in the field across from my home.

 

Advantages of working in ICT support? It really depends on the employer. Here, I have quite a lot of independence. I get to have my own side projects, which often turn into whole school used systems. My job is important - if ICT stops working, the school starts to fall apart. I get to look at the school and identify issues that affect people, and then get to fix them pro-actively (well, so long as the budget allows it anyway).

 

I work in school ICT because I like helping people. That's the main thing.

[tmcd35]

I know it's about time to move on, but, to be honest, I'm struggling and probably never will because there are too many positives (as much as we like to complain) to my current position

 

• Wage is about right for my level in local industry
  
• Lack of formal qualifications
  
• Hours
  
• Responsibility
  
• Autonomy
  
• Wide range of disciplines
  
• Strategic responsibility
  
• Financial responsibility
  

 

The only thing I will say is progression appears to grind to a halt at the NM level. At least as far as my formal qualifications go. I think the £45k+ senior network role largely doesn't exist in education and getting that in industry normally means specialisation in one area (networks, virtualisation, servers, sans, etc) and some formal paper qualifications schools are reluctant to pay out for.

[arwen]

@Ephelyon

That is exactly the kind of project I think helps keep a positive feeling in IT. Coming up with useful ideas and putting them into practice. Helping people is always a nice feeling, but when the same people keep coming to you about the same problem that inst a problem it is just them not following instructions. Then it can wear even the happiest of us down!

 

Arwen thats interesting regarding employees asking for a degree. What sectors were they in? Can empathise with users being a pain in the backside but the point about being able to move onwards and upwards is still very valid.

 

Two councils/local authorities, an independent 5-18 school, a University and a leisure and culture organisation.

The position I am in just now (In a science research/Higher education institute) was also advertised as "candidate must have a degree". I usually always ignore this if I think I am capable of doing the job.

I have since asked my management (informally) about the degree thing. They they explained that if someone has the knowledge and experience they need, and they think they will fit in with the rest of the team then they hire them. HR apparently as default put in the degree line to reduce the number of applications.

[difinity]

I like fixing things, i like variety, i like to learn and gain new skills and i like helping people, this is why i am in IT.

 

Apart from the knowledge and skills i gained working in my last school for 7 years the biggest positive has been on a couple of nights out on the town, ex students have come up and thanked me for their support and told me i was their inspiration to get an IT degree and a job in IT.

[Joanne]

I find that the educational IT jobs are easy to do and secure.

 

My husband and I both work in Educational IT and we know that we work 8-4 monday to friday, relatively low stress and secure. Yeah the pay isn't great, but hey, I don't have to worry about work when I go home!!

[Ephelyon]

Trust me, it varies depending on where you are!

[NB9457]

Positives for me:

-Good wage for my age

-I get to travel a lot

-Enjoy working

-A lot of responsibility

-Meeting people constantly

 

The main negative for me reflects somewhat of what arwen said, people don't appreciate you or say thank you, but if somethings not working, hell breaks loose. I've had it in past where I've checked every classroom, physically walked round and had a chat with every teacher asking for issues, for one to send an email to my boss saying something hasn't been working for weeks! I had to explain that I'd actually spoke to her and she said everything is fine. Had a few incidents like that and it really does irritate me. Call queue, phones, emails and they can't be bothered and instead kick up a fuss.

[JoeBloggs]

 

The main negative for me reflects somewhat of what arwen said, people don't appreciate you or say thank you, but if somethings not working, hell breaks loose. I've had it in past where I've checked every classroom, physically walked round and had a chat with every teacher asking for issues, for one to send an email to my boss saying something hasn't been working for weeks! I had to explain that I'd actually spoke to her and she said everything is fine. Had a few incidents like that and it really does irritate me. Call queue, phones, emails and they can't be bothered and instead kick up a fuss.

 

You'll always get the odd one like that unfortunately!

[abillybob]

I find that the educational IT jobs are easy to do and secure.

 

My husband and I both work in Educational IT and we know that we work 8-4 monday to friday, relatively low stress and secure. Yeah the pay isn't great, but hey, I don't have to worry about work when I go home!!

 

Just wanted to point out I think it very much so depends where you are. My job is definetly not easy and I have a lot of responsibility to keep everything working, depending on the amount of Users, Client machines and Servers you have in your school depends on how much you have to manage which distinguishes how easy or hard your job is.

A lot of jobs around here in Educational IT now aren't secure, especially now that a lot of schools are going down the academy route and joining up with other schools in the same borough, this results in schools working like a business and having to worry about money a lot more. Centralised IT across multiple schools will cut costs drastically for any school. I know this is what my mum's school is doing at the moment and 8 IT staff will loose their jobs across 3 different schools, she isn't the exception though either, I know another school by me that's doing exactly the same since becoming an academy.

For me it's worrying as I know at some point my school will become an academy and it would be much more cost effective to get in support from a Secondary school near by. Heck I was told in a meeting only 2 weeks ago that when my head spoke to HR they questioned why the school even employ's me and believe's a primary school doesn't need a technician at all.

 

Juts my two pence.

[superatticman]

@Ephelyon

 

 

Two councils/local authorities, an independent 5-18 school, a University and a leisure and culture organisation.

The position I am in just now (In a science research/Higher education institute) was also advertised as "candidate must have a degree". I usually always ignore this if I think I am capable of doing the job.

I have since asked my management (informally) about the degree thing. They they explained that if someone has the knowledge and experience they need, and they think they will fit in with the rest of the team then they hire them. HR apparently as default put in the degree line to reduce the number of applications.

 

LA jobs tend to do that. Even for relatively menial positions!

 

The Corporate World is usually more willing to take a chance on someone who lacks formal education but has drive, proven achievements and is basically capable fulfilling the role.

[Joanne]

Easy in that, if the network completely falls over, there isn't a monetary figure totting up.

 

When I've worked for an IT company before, every second the phones were down they were losing hundreds of pounds. If the internet was down it was the same. I wouldn't want that over my head and in a school, you don't get that. Yes people whinge and moan, but I generally find that if you explain things to people, they understand and leave you to it.

 

Maybe I'm a rare exception to the rule and I am in the perfect school....

 

As for the managed service route, they did that here about 7 years ago now. It failed miserably and the majority of schools have in house again.

 

Come to Lancashire for a secure, educational IT job

Edited May 5, 2015 by Joanne

[Ephelyon]

That's not to say there is no impact just because the impact in this sector is not always immediate, obvious or easily measurable in financial terms. The impact on children's learning owing to resources not being available at the time they should be can be huge if the situation is ongoing - to say nothing of what happens if data is permanently lost.

[JoeBloggs]

That's not to say there is no impact just because the impact in this sector is not always immediate, obvious or easily measurable in financial terms. The impact on children's learning owing to resources not being available at the time they should be can be huge if the situation is ongoing - to say nothing of what happens if data is permanently lost.

 

If the IT systems are down in a School for a week, the teachers can still teach.

If IT systems are down in a business for a week, they will lose a lot of money.

*Both situations could lose you your job however!

[Ephelyon]

Teach, yes. Teach what they wanted to teach / what the kids really needed at just that point in the year to raise a grade or two, if those resources were all on the system / on some cloud-based thing? No.

 

Last time we were down it caused a major issue with an external examination as some info the Exams Officer needed was on the system. That situation could've turned out a lot worse than it (eventually) did.

 

The impact could be seen in the short term in exam results, and in the long term in their future careers / how much time they have to spend at College redoing some of their GCSEs so they can access the courses they want. I know a number of people who have had to do that - wasting a year or two of their lives and taking them away from their friendship groups - all because the school permanently lost some key coursework they'd had on the system.

[Joanne]

I just personally think that is a positive of being in the education sector is all. The pressure is less in my experience (working in and out of education).

[SovietRussia]

I love my job because together we provide young people with the rest of their lives. Sometimes it might get stressy but, to fix it is then the challenge!

[mthomas08]

If the IT systems are down in a School for a week, the teachers can still teach.

 

Not according to the Teachers/Deputy and Heads I've worked with for the last 10+ Years. If lessons are planned around IT and several lessons a week fail as a result, that's Student learning time lost that isn't made back. With Ofsted and grades becoming much tighter, every minute of downtime matters. This has been mentioned before regarding some Schools having to look more like a business in the sense that IT uptime has to be 99.99% because of the heavy reliance on IT.

 

Not all Lessons are planned on IT though but many are here. Every room has a Projector which is used to show pre-made Lesson Plans e.g. Powerpoints, Youtube, videos and work. IWBs are planned in Lessons e.g. Maths interaction. Don’t forget the Software e.g. Word processing, CAT, Art, Music, Film. Even our Geography/History/Science and a few other subjects have walked away from Paper Text Books and switched to an Online system so they don’t have to buy new books every Year. That also requires them to be accessible from home.

 

Without the Internet entire departments will lose a whole lesson worth if that went down for 1 hour. With so much work/material being planned through IT (as much as it does frustrate me) it would be serious presumption to believe that Teachers can teach without IT especially in a School like ours.

 

You also have to remember that Schools have gone from On Site access only to everything remotely accessible from home and not just for Staff but for Students too.

 

Schools are not about making £££ like a business but instead it’s measured in grades/Ofsted reports and if you are a School that rely heavily on IT, you can essentially cause massive problems if it fails often. Especially on critical days.

 

As mentioned by other people it is Type of School based, I have never worked in a School that doesn't heavily rely on IT but I can only guess how they are run. I know young people (one particularly comes to mind) who go to those Schools and how they revise, learn every day is a bit different. Projectors/IWBs are not used, laptops, Netbooks, Tablets and even PCs are not/barely used.

 

Sad truth in my years, Teachers can't teach without IT. We recently did a survey and 99% of Staff said IT working is a must for their lessons. Only one person actually said scrap everything IT and return to pen/paper. Which in all honesty is another discussion

 

Remember just because your School or your experience says one thing, may find other Schools are very different. Every classroom here has an important piece of IT equipment which must be working and only a small % can get away with not having it.

Edited May 5, 2015 by mthomas08