what are your top priorities for your first week?

[IanT]

You’ve just started a new job as an IT Manager/Network Manager at a school—what are your top priorities for your first week?

[Garacesh]

• Make sure there's a proper procedure in place for reporting issues. Get a helpdesk up and running if there isn't one, make sure it's up to snuff if there is.
  
• Run SYDI and get a good idea of what's running on the servers on the network
  
• Check in with staff. Have an open door policy, invite them to email you, etc. Figure out the biggest issues the users are facing.
  
• If you find something that isn't documented, document it as and when you're investigating it.
  

Edited February 16, 2025 by Garacesh
Clarity

[bknaggs]

Fixing 45 minute login times if my first week in this job is how things usually start.

[jmak]

Make friends with the caretaker, the secretary/office administrator and the cook.

 

Check that the backups actually happen and can be restored.

[jthompson]

Find out what you've actually got, and what roles/apps any servers are running.

Find out the extent of the documentation, and get a sense of whether it's useful.

Get your head around the backups (jobs, schedules, reports, alerts).

 

Don't change anything, unless you know what it's doing and why it's the way it is (Chesterton's Fence principle?).

[Ditto]

People, people, people! Colleagues, reports (if you have them), and head teacher. Get to know them, what their challenges are and then look for some quick wins before tackling the strategic projects. Do you have a budget to work with?

[mbedford]

As other have said. Backup, backup, backup. Until you are certain you have valid and repeatable (tested) backups, dont do anything else!

[jthompson]

Don't do a DOGE.

[pete]

Backups and upcoming things (deadlines, projects, number of laptops needed for exams vs number of laptops you've been asked for).

 

The first week is vibe check and the more obvious WTFs. Second week is poking the WTFs with a stick.

[mikes]

First week usually involved people asking me questions I had no idea of the answer to - "it's my first day" being the answer - in fairness they were usually cool about it. A lot of googling and looking around to see what the setup was as I had no documentation at all.

 

TBH forget "first week" try more like first month, it took me months to understand all the little bits of software and procedures they had here (in Wales we share a big network with our LEA so it's not a standalone thing here). But I was a fresh ICT tech not an experienced NM.

My first week the state of the school was a little neglected - half the power buttons had broken off the old RM computers with the front fascia so I was having kids come to my office to ask me to remote restart classrooms so they could use the computers... so I did more gluing than admining for a while!

[PotNoodleTech]

Audit Servers

Get to know everyone show them your friendly and aproachable

Audit Network

Get a helpdesk up and running even if you have to buy one in - start as you mean to go on no post it notes no grabbing you in the corridor = no job uncompleted.

Audit PCs and other devices

 

I say audit alot because you need to figure out what they've got in every room, how bad/old it is. You can't move a school forward until you know exactly what they've got.

[paulkerton]

You’ve just started a new job as an IT Manager/Network Manager at a school—what are your top priorities for your first week?

 

Wondering why I've accepted a job where I'm basically on minimum wage?

https://www.edugeek.net/forums/educational-jobs/241701-assistant-network-manager-collingwood-college-24-920-27-513-a.html

[Ditto]

I might be jumping to an incorrect conclusion, but @IanT has posted roles before. For example back in 2018, for Harris Academy and ICT technician for £27k and then in 2022 a Server Infrastructure Manager role up to £57k. @IanT, could you clear things up for us, as to whether you have recently taken a role at Collingwood and are looking to recruit there or are you in a recruitment role? Either way, you will have seen the storm caused by the salary linked to the Assistant Network Manager role at Collingwood and I think a lot of us would like to understand the picture more clearly.

[dhaughton99]

Alright, if I were stepping into that role, my week one would be all about getting the lay of the land. First, I'd want to chat with the current IT staff to see what's working, what's not, and what fires they're constantly putting out. Then, I'd do a walk-through of the network setup to get a feel for the hardware and software in place. Finally, I'd sit down with the school admin to understand their biggest tech-related pain points and priorities. Gotta know what I'm walking into, you know?