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I'm a new IT guy

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by sol knight19

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I'm fairly new to the company I'm working for, I just graduated from college with Associates in Sales/mark. Also spent a year becoming A+Certified. And the ppl at my work still make me feel like I don't deserve to be here. I'm taking online classes with TR and plan on attending more at a tech school this summer for networking. I'm trying as hard as i can to show ppl i'm up to par and still don't feel like I fit in. Any advice

34 replies

by jamesrl

Its fine to say, "I don't know but I will find out, and I will get back to you."

Compensate for your knowledge by working harder on your customer service skills.

Understand that we all started at zero at some point. Don't be intimidated by other's knowledge.

Hopefully someone at your work will share some information with you. When I was a senior tech it was part of my job to mentor junior techs.

Relax, your anxiety can affect your work. Give yourself time.

James

by jdclyde

When you created the discussion, you had the options of creating a discussion or asking a question.

All part of the learning process.

by rastor9

I have been taught since my early IT days (1980') that we should always be training our replacements! If someone leaves there will always be someone who is ready to step up. If someone gets promoted, there is already a group of workers to shuffle upwards as well. Fearing that your subordinate will replace you shouldn't stop the training process, but should stimulate you to keep YOURSELF in full training mode for that next job. This also builds a positive attitude inside the department that everyone is truly looking out for each other and working for the team instead of the individual.

by charliespencer

Rarely does a new hire get any respect, and it can take months to feel like you fit in somewhere.

Is this your first office job?

by charliespencer

It's considered a minor social error among TR members to use a peer message to reply directly to a member, instead of posting your reply in the discussion. By replying in the discussion, everyone else can see your answer.

You sent me the following:

"It is my first office job. I give technical support to doctors with the new touchpads."

That explains a lot. Doctor's have a reputation for acting godly, regarding company computers as their personal property, and being less than considerate of the feelings of support staff (medical, clerical, technical, or otherwise).

Think of this time as 'paying your dues'. If you can get comfortable, all aspects of medical IT are growing quickly; someone has to take care of us aging baby-boomers.

by charliespencer

Send away and I appreciate the compliment, but I'm not on any social networks. I've never seen a reason to join.

You're going to find many older people in the workplace (say, those 35 or older) didn't grow up with social networking. Many don't get it; others will regard it as a waste of time, especially at work.

by jdclyde

Showing up pretending to be an equal of your peers will not gain you respect or any acknowledgment of your abilities.

No one wants someone to come in and be a know-it-all.

No one wants someone to come in and think they are going to "Improve" the way things are and have been done, that is a DIRECT insult to the people that have been doing the job for years.

And taking classes and getting good grades does not replace real world knowledge, it is just a shortcut to try to gain it.

Step back, any try to fit in, rather than expect to become the star.

by derek schauland

While I agree that coming in to change things up right off the bat will get you nowhere fast, there is nothing wrong with getting a classroom education to help you understand the concepts of a project.

Real world learning is also important, but getting an idea of the concepts involved might best happen in the classroom or lab.

Do not worry if it takes you a bit of time to gain knowledge and respect from people in your organization. As you learn and grow with the position and the company that will come too.

by jdclyde

Lucky for me, I have both.

I had been working in the field for a few years before I started the classes, so many of the ideas I picked up faster and better than my classmates because I had been doing the job, just didn't know all the "whys" that we did what we did. It filled in a lot of the blanks for me.

My Cisco class got asked to do a wiring project for a local school, so a group of us went over on a sat morning. I was the only one that hadn't gotten their CCNA yet, but was the only one that UNDERSTOOD what needed to be done and how. It feel to me to assign people jobs and show them how to do each job.

The problem with a lot of classroom work is it is not practical.

Take a programming class. The HARD part is determining what the program needs to do, and how to do it, but that part is spoon fed to you.

Best idea for a new hire, find the jobs that no one else "likes" and take them on. You won't get any friction over it, and can earn yourself a place by doing a lot of important things. Later on, you can try to add in the "fun" jobs.

by xnavydk

I got zero respect here. Until I did what I was hired to do, they still give me a hard time sometimes but now i think they are just jealous LOL.

I also send them to my complaint department so they can send me an official complaint. (just for fun)

http://www.pakin.org/complaint/

by jdclyde

After you have staked out a claim, no one wants someone to walk in off the street insulting you and your years of work by thinking they know better.

The new guy/gal doesn't mean to offend, but are just trying to prove their worth, but it often comes out as an offense anyways.

And as I said in my first post, the new guy/gal, often young, doesn't understand you EARN respect, it is NEVER given. Earning respect is a slow process, and respect is not given to someone that is stepping on other peoples toes.

I had the same issue when I started out. The main thing I learned is I don't have to always be right on everything. Pick your battles, diplomatically get your opinion in, and then allow others to be wrong and let history prove you right.

It took years for a lot of the projects to fall apart, exactly as I had said they would, but they were later GIVEN to me by management instead of me trying to take them from the coworker. It was funny when they would try to quietly cover their tracks and change over to what I had said a few times..... :D

by maxwell edison

Loved the link!

That was a great link. Thanks for posting it.

It reminds me of something I actually gave to a person once. It was an old cigar box that I covered with wallpaper and cut a slot into the lid. On top was printed the name of the box - [i][b]Worry Box[/i][/b]

This person was always worried about one thing or the other, almost to the point of ..... well, the phrase, [i]worry yourself sick[/i] was made for her.

I said there are two things people worry about: those things they can control, and those things they cannot control. I gave her the box and said that if she was worried about something she could control, then stop worrying about it and go do something about it. If it was something beyond her control, write it on a piece of paper, drop it into the slot, and let the damn box worry about it.

by maxwell edison

.....[i]like (you) don't deserve to be (there)?[/i]

First bit of advice:

What you [i]feel[/i] can only be generated from within. You may not be able to control those things around you, but you certainly can control how you respond to them - i.e. [i]how you feel[/i] about them.

[i]?Rest satisfied with doing well[/i] (or doing your best)[i], and leave others to talk of you as they please.?[/i] - the Greek philosopher, Pythagoras

Second bit of advice:

Realize and admit, both to yourself and to others, that you're still learning, and that you may not know everything you need to know at this point in your career. Don't be afraid to say [i]I don't know[/i]. In fact, use it to your advantage. Asking others in the workplace for advice and guidance is a actually a great way to build their confidence about you. It shows them that you're both willing to reach out and work with others, and that you're willing to learn new things.

I guarantee you one thing. In this field, everyone is always learning new things all the time. I don't care how experienced they are.

Emphasis:

Don't ever let anyone make you [i]feel[/i] anything, especially when it crosses the line into self-loathing and such. And don't rely on others to make you feel good about yourself, either. What you [i]feel[/i] on the inside can ONLY be generated by you, and it actually resonates out, and often causes other people see you in the same light.

by jdclyde

That is why I am in the tech field, it is always something new.

Having been in IT for about 20 years, and my goal is still to learn something new at least three times a week.

by tony hopkinson

buggerin' in, and keep doing your best.

Fitting in might not be anything to do with technical type stuff. New guy established clique, happens everywhere.

Some more time in the job, you'll develop a thicker skin, don't spend too much time on what others think of you, and absolutely none on what you think they think of you.

Anything they can't say straight to your face, is pussy whining and should be ignored as such. If they do say it your face, get right back in there's. It their task to make you a part of team as much as it's yours to become part of the team.

by sol knight19

Thanks everyone,

Its nice to know i can get some advice by more experience ppl. Maybe yall will remember my name bc I will remember your's. I look forward to seeking help on this site in the future. And its nice to know others are this willing to help.

by milton.hasselbaink

Hi everyone,

Sorry to break in on the discussion but what if when your new and you see things happening in away that is out dated are no longer the smartest way of doing?

What do you do then?

I consider my self a Newbie with 18 years experiance.

Thats why learning is my second best friend

As i always say
"past performance is no guarantee for future performances"

by jdclyde

QUIETLY bring the topic up of the new way, but make sure you know EXACTLY what it will take to get there, the upside and downside. Also, cost and equipment changes.

"outdated" does not mean bad.

We use in-house cobol programs that are 20 years old, but they were written for the way we do business, not us having to do business the way some generic shrink-wrap crap package will make you.

Years ago, HR wanted to go to ADP for payroll and check printing, so we told them they could if they wished. After spending 15k on equipment, DOUBLING our labor hours per week, we were paying them a LOT every month just to print checks. After three months, and a lot of wasted time/money, HR came begging to move back to the old system.

Just because it is new does not mean it is good. Tread carefully.

My $.02 worth, take it for what it is..... ;\

by tony hopkinson

to be proven not to.

The question isn't why don't don't you do it this way, it's why do you do it this way.

With a puzzled expression not a contemptuous one, if you see what I mean.

More often than not there's a damned good reason.

My first job, one task was called the red bag. It was to take printed orders, separate them at the perforations, and file them in a cabinet. They came in a bag, but no red in evidence.

Once I'd got over the excitement, I had to ask.

A decade previous, when they's instituted the task, the post bag was red....

Everybody got used to so calling the task after the bag, the change of colour became irrelevant, and changing the name would have confused all the chaps who'd been there a while.

Got to know why, what, where, when, who and how before you can come up with a 'better' way.

by tony hopkinson

But seeing as it was a nationalised industry then, I expect they noticed the bag was no longer red when the off white one kept growing. :p

by reflowjo

I started out at the very bottom rung of the ladder. Making tea and loading about 20 floppy disks to load windows 95 when i was aged 13. The best way i found was to just employ humility and even if you find a task mundane, just keep doing it.
You'll soon find yourself being recognised for what you do.

by sol knight19

But i know a lot of ppl who think they know it all and it crazy to say. Technology to me is too broad and i feel like i will never know enough. There is so much out there to know, that you have no idea of.

by sbrian93

Im a new to Technology world too. But my opinion is find your areas of ability. Thats mean you feel like comfort when you working in it. ~Think out of the box~

by abacus_z

Ppl are sometimes 'know-all' type but i persoally take such attitude as input to my success because it appears they have reached their bars and you have just STARTED! So dont be discourage, plan your strategies to get more professional values and you shall interview them for job consideration in near time.

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