Are you considering a role in IT? In the US alone there are over 12 million tech workers and the IT sector is responsible for over 10% of the economy. Our IT workers are up at night keeping all our vital processes running, and are there first thing in the morning when our laptop refuses to work and the systems are down. But just what do they do all day? Here’s what to expect from a day in the life of an IT professional.
The Morning: Fire-Fighting IT Issues Begins
While most people have barely started their day, your office IT professional will be fixing a variety of tech fires, from defunct laptops to Dave’s downloaded virus. Marco’s laptop might have been installing virus updates since he left last night, while Michaela who’s working from home can’t login and they’re still trying to work out what Dave has installed on his PC.
Your IT professional’s list of tech fires might be:
- Giving someone a spare laptop until they’ve worked out why it won’t run properly
- Using a remote login to help talk someone through their system issues and fix them
- Running antivirus software to finally help Dave combat his downloaded virus
- Finding out why the website is down and trying to get it up and running quickly
- Physically fixing issues like broken cables or jammed printers
IT issues can be software or hardware based, and can affect anyone from the intern to the CEO. Your IT professional will talk to all levels and fix all tech related issues on a regular morning.
The Afternoon: The Post-Lunch Tech Task List
You’ve had your desk lunch or popped out to the local store for an overpriced bagel. It’s finally time to complete that task list you set for yourself last night. Your IT professional will have a list of maintenance and regular IT tasks to complete. They’ll be helping Rachel in HR onboard the new list of employees, setting them up with their laptops, logins and system access. Then, your IT professional will be off to run those operations reports and prepare for the evening’s server maintenance.
Your IT professionals more concrete task list could be:
- Scheduling in time for the email migration and completing this one department at a time
- Running regular reporting on system and operations efficiency
- Installing new software or upgrading to new physical hardware like PCs or printers
- Ensuring all new joiners or employees have access to the required systems
IT professionals deal with the day-to-day running of individual systems, but also deal with the long term future of a company’s IT. Looking at the efficiency of current systems and migrations on to more up-to-date tech is a regular part of an IT professional’s role.
IT Support is a varied and constantly changing role. You’ll be responsible for maintaining daily functions and also steering the business towards a tech-savvy future. Your day to day role might not fit the standard 9-5, especially if you’re on-call for overnight tech support or running system maintenance. The best part of working as an IT professional is that you’re normally the only person who genuinely knows how IT works in your company. Where would they be without you?