What It's Like to Work in IT

Ploymint has shared various different articles regarding the tech industry. From sharing the top ten technical skills you should know to supplying you with IT interview questions and answers to even teaching you how to get an internship at Google, I bet you thought we’ve covered it all by now.

You’ve been reading and learning, but now it’s time to hear from a millennial who knows what it’s like to work in IT himself. Brian Rehder works as a support engineer at a software company, and he’s given us a glimpse into what working in his position is like.

What exactly does a Support Engineer do?
When our customers run into an issue with our product, or if our product causes an issue with their environment, I work to resolve the issue and get their environment back into working order. The issue could be anything from questions on how to install to a product malfunction causing a loss of production for the business. I provide omni-channel support through the phone, email, online chat, or our online forum.
Do you like working in IT?
I always had an interest for technology and computers growing up, so working in IT is a natural fit.
What’s a typical day like for you?
When I first get in, I check for updates on my open tickets. During my shift, I take any new tickets that come in as well. I have calls or troubleshooting sessions with clients to progress the issues. Once I have taken care of my tasks for the day, I go onto our forum and answer any questions there. Some days, I have to work in my lab environment to reproduce an issue and verify if it is a bug. If I have the time at the end of the day, I work on side projects such as shell scripts to enhance our ability to collect logs from our customers.
What’s the best part of working in IT? The worst part?
The best part about working in IT is the sheer diversity; there are so many different technologies out there, with more being added almost daily. The worst part is that a majority of positions require you to be on a 24/7 rotation. Once every number of weeks, you’re the one on call in case anything goes wrong. Trying to troubleshoot a critical issue at 4:00AM is not fun.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before working in your role?
Linux is your friend, not your foe. (Hey! Michelle here again interrupting. For all you reading, if Linux sounds familiar, it’s because Ploymint already covered interview questions and answers on it!) I came into the position with very little Linux knowledge and was hesitant because I had heard how complicated the operating system can be. Since I have gotten more Linux experience under my belt, I love working with it and prefer it over Windows.
Why is IT a great field for millennials to work in?
IT is a great field for millennials to work in because it is technology driven and is growing. Most people think that IT workers are just the guys who fix employees’ computers, but we are also responsible for preventing cyber attacks, ensuring iCloud doesn’t go down, and working with big data, among other things.
Is there a struggle being a millennial in the field of IT and dealing with older generations? Any generation gap issues?
In my position, I work with users who have a wide range of experience in the IT industry. I have noticed that those who have been working in IT longer prefer to be contacted by phone and have troubleshooting sessions. Younger users tend to prefer to be contacted by e-mail and are more likely to open an online chat session or ask a question on our forum.
How do you see millennials revamping this field?
I can see millennials revamping IT by creating more open communities by integrating social media with IT. This can already be seen on websites such as reddit. While online forums like Stack Overflow have existed for a while, more IT based subreddits have popped up within the past few years.