When I think about my career there are instances where I can connect something I learned on the job that I used in a future role.
In my experience as a junior systems administrator, I was able to learn from a fantastic team of people. They are family. Some of my team was based in North Carolina and one of our IT Network Administrators and I were based in Texas. Our IT Director trusted me with many responsibilities. He would take the time to ask me questions that I had never been asked before. On one of his visits to the Texas site, he asked, "Where do you see your career in 5 years." Our director changed and reshaped my way of thinking about my career and the path I wanted to take.
Our Database Administrators and IT Network Administrators were also fantastic. Each of them allowed me room to grow and make mistakes. Our IT Network Administrators shared their knowledge with me often. I learned how to carry myself as a professional, coding, systems administration, how to conduct a presentation, and Anime. They were all very approachable and assured me if I had any questions to feel free to ask anytime.
On one occasion our IT Network Administrator in Texas took a scheduled trip to Orlando for Microsoft Ignite. While he was away, I was the only IT member on-site. One evening just about time for the end of my shift we received a notification that our IDF unit had lost network connectivity. I enjoy troubleshooting however this unit was about twenty-seven feet in the air inside of a distribution center. I could not resolve the issue without communicating and collaborating with my team so I leaned on our IT Network Administrator based in North Carolina.
I quickly reached out to our maintenance team who stopped what they were working on to share a harness with me. I safely rode the boom lift up as maintenance lifted me to the IDF unit. With our Network Administrator's guidance, I rack-mounted a temporary switch and waited for the go-ahead before I removed the downed switch. With the ok, I removed the downed switch took it to the IT office. I cleaned out the debris that had built up over time and caused the fans to no longer spin. This was the root cause for why the device was overheating. I tested the fans and then contacted maintenance again and went back up to mount the original switch. After configurations were done by the Network Administrator and confirmed I remounted the original switch then removed the temporary switch, and buttoned up the unit.
Was I afraid of the thought of going twenty-seven feet in the air? Yes. It was more important to me that I make my team proud and when it mattered most they could depend on me. It was my goal to help our organization get up and running as soon as possible. I learned a great deal that evening, that trusting in your teammates can do wonders for your team as well as empower you to think critically and achieve a common goal. I learned that it is okay to ask for help. I was also proud of myself for facing my fear of heights.
Our team eventually went through some restructuring, but we still keep in contact regularly. They are truly family. The organization and my team created an environment where I could take ownership, learn, and have pride in my work.
Jumping ahead in time, a few years later. I was in a completely different role with another organization. A similar scenario happened. This time, I knew what to do and handled the situation with much more confidence. I had no fear when going up to another IDF to handle an issue with a switch.
I am a believer that many of the experiences we gain are like tools in our tool bag. If an opportunity presents itself, You may want to say yes or offer some of your time to help out and what you learn could build lasting relationships and experience.
All the best,
Shane W.