Tools for Success : Task Tracking

As I mentioned briefly in other posts, being able to keep track of what you are (and should be!) doing is very important.  On any given day dozens of individual tasks get thrown at me, and there is simply no way I will remember what I have to do and what steps are required.  There are some things, like resetting a password, or putting paper in the printer, that I don't bother writing down since they're "small", but almost everything else gets put into form of tracking tool or another.

GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) applies to task tracking systems.  Systems are only as strong as their users discipline in maintaining them.  It is better to have a simple system that you maintain iron-clad regularity with than a complex one that you never look at.  Ensuring accurate information is input into the correct areas is paramount as the last thing you want is to look at it later and not know what it is talking about.

Ticketing Systems - Includes AutoTask, IssueTrak, etc.

Ticketing systems are basically databases that get filled up with various tasks.  Information you'll typically find includes who the ticket is assigned to, when it was made, who made it, contact information and a brief description of the problem.  These systems are generally only used in environments with larger numbers of individuals (i.e. companies).  One of the downsides is that individuals must invest time in maintaining the system (adding notes, updating information, routing tickets.  Many places have a single employee dedicated to managing tickets).  This time investment, however, will pay off as other individuals will be able to quickly and easily find and track information.  Metrics may also be generated, which are a great tool to help the team know where they're at (and to justify its existence to high powers!).

That was easy.

To Do Lists - Includes pen and paper, Astrid etc.

These are simply lists of things you need to get done.  To me, they are the simplest way to track tasks.  They rarely contain information other than the name of the task and (for me anyway) are either quickly handled or are passed off into a more robust system.  The main advantage of them is that they are easy to create (just grab paper and write) and can be made on an ad-hoc basis.  This is, of course, also a liability, since you'll soon end up with dozens of random lists floating around unless you maintain a strict process of managing them.

Custom Setups - Includes spreadsheets, bulletin boards, etc.

This is one of my more favorite methods.  I use a rather simple Excel spreadsheet to keep track of incoming tasks.  In addition to what i have to do, I also assign it a priority, start date, target end date and contacts.  I have found that providing myself with metrics on how long it takes to complete tasks of various severities helps me tweak the system in the future.

In the end it doesn't matter what you use, as long as you are consistent in it's application.  In addition to helping you keep track of what needs to be done, having a disciplined tracking system will allow someone to fill in for you if you are unavailable or on vacation.  It is also a valuable way to show your boss that you are actually working and not just beating the high score at mine sweeper.

Preparation Is Key : Career Planning Part 2

If I have learned anything in IT, it is that preparation is key.  Before meeting with a private customer for a job I must take time to go over what it is they need.  I need to know what tools to bring with me, what kind of equipment I will be dealing with, what software they have etc.  This also applies to situations at work, when I was working at the Help Desk I made sure I knew as much as I possible could about the person I was calling.  I would check and make sure they're computer was up and running, if there were any network wide problems, or if there were any recent changes.  In short, I did my homework.

The same goes for my path back into IT (part 1 here).  Free Geek provided me with a lot of hands on experience with hardware and with customer service.  Not only did it teach me how to strip down basically any type of desktop (Power PC's are a PAIN.  Apple did NOT want you opening those things) and deal with the surprises inside (food, cockroaches, bees, a hand gun once...) but it taught me how to handle a wide range of personalities and people in the context of IT.

Intel : Bees Inside

The experience I gained working with a large range of individuals was directly applicable to my next position at a small IT company.  They dealt primarily with small businesses providing "Break-Fix" IT Support.  Calls would range from setting up printing to physically moving a server to resetting passwords.  Most of the customers had what is called a SLA, or Service Level Agreement.  Basically these are contracts which outline the level of a support a customer can receive.  Level 1 may be 1 hour a week of remote, while level 3 may be 5 hours onsite support and unlimited remote support.  Level 3, of course, costs substantially more.

The vast majority of the work I did here was remote.  We used various tools, including LogMeIn (something I still use from time to time for my side gigs), and TeamViewer (This is a great one for family and friends since it's free for non-commercial use.  I help my grandfather out with this one). We also used a ticketing system to track what work was done and how long it took.  Learning how to use these tools was a bit of a learning curve, but it did teach me some valuable concepts, such as ticketing and remote support, which I had not yet been exposed to.

(I can virtually guarantee you that you will use a ticketing system of one kind or another in your path through IT.  I use it as a programmer analyst to track problems as they appear, our Help Desk uses it to track new installs, and our sysadmins use it to audit our permissions.  Having a systematic approach to tracking problems is a critical skill to learn.  I will get into this more in another post, but learn to love tickets.)

Start early.

This was also my first exposure to Microsoft Server and Active Directory (AD).  It was incredibly confusing and I got lost more times than I care to remember, but this trial by fire got me used to a normal business IT environment.  Simply looking at and navigating through AD helped prepare me for my first full time position.  I have learned that just by going through a system and getting a passing familiarity with it will pay off a LOT in the long term.  Be careful, but go in and play around! (with permission of course!).

From time to time I would have to go out on site.  This involved logging not only my time, but miles driven.  Currently the US Government mandates $.565 paid per mile driven for work, which made for some nice gas money.  Now this only includes times when work needs you to use your personal vehicle to go from site to site.  (It doesn't include driving into work in the morning.  It is especially nice for me since I happen to drive a hybrid and go "slow" at only 65mph).  These on site trips also gave me experience dealing with diverse physical systems.  No two customers were a like, even if their logical setup was similar.  Some have their server in a crawl space, others have no server, some have a large warehouse, others a coffee shop.  This helped make me more flexible and better able to adapt when presented a new situation (something that happens a LOT in life).

All the time I was working part time I was pursuing additional training on the side.  I finally earned my Network+, having started it when I was just volunteering at Free Geek, and began working on A+.  I was also still volunteering at Free Geek.  By this time I had moved into their "build" program and was getting good experience building computers from the mother board up.  I have kept up that habit of continually learning and improving.  Currently I am working on another security certification and am taking classes at my local community college.

My first (and only) part time job in IT taught me a lot.  Mainly, that preparation is key, and to keep moving forward.  By preparing myself a head of time for various situations, I was able to best capitalize on the opportunities offered.  Simply having a job was preparation for the next step in my IT journey, getting a full time job.  Being able to test out my skills and how I deal with problems gave me a better sense of confidence and more tools to use in the future.  Just like GI JOE taught me, Knowledge is Half the Battle (tm).

IT Fundamentals: Customer Service

Yeah sure, wake me up at 2 AM because your final doesn't print.

IT was never very far from me between College and my first IT job.  I was always being asked by friends, family and co-workers to fix little problems, or to advise them on which computer to get.  I think this consistent thought about various IT problems kept the spark going.  It did, of course, lead to some interesting situations (one guy threw his laptop down a hallway... another woke me up at 2AM for help during finals week).  It also helped shape how I think about IT, which is it is mainly customer service.

My first real boss (not mom or dad when I did chores) taught me one of the most important things I've ever learned about business.

Note: Not my boss.  The customers I would deal with. My boss was awesome.

If a customer is upset, or mad, they aren't upset or mad at you.  They're upset because they cannot get what they want.  And the good news is that you are the one who can help them get it.

I was working Point of Sale (POS) in retail at the time, and I would frequently have customers bust in and tear my head off (not literally thankfully) about finding XYZ part, or trying to return something.  In the beginning this was hard to deal with.  The more I thought about my bosses advice, the easier it got.  That advice completely removed me from the problem, and instead turned me into an ally for the customer, even if I was the source of the problem (forgetting to order some part, or losing an order).

The same holds true for IT.  Our customers are the employees at our business, our actual customers (for those of you doing break/fix), our family, our friends and others needing our assistance (another thing he taught me was never use "help".  "Help" implies there may be something wrong with them.  You "assist" people).  In my case, my current customer is the business I work for and it is my responsibility to assist the business in developing it's software.  When I was working part time in tech support my customer was whomever was paying the company for my services.

Percussive Maintenance at work

Regardless, I was the person who assisted the customer in getting what they want, whether it be a new RAID1 for their office, learning how to post on Facebook or squashing a virus.  In IT we deal with a lot of data, whether it be photos, tax returns or Futurama episodes.  To us, it's just data, but to that customer it is very important, and if anything threatens it they will get upset.  We also deal with expensive hardware, and no one wants to lose expensive stuff (of course if they're performing regular percussive maintenance.  

Our job working in IT, whether we're the newest Technician or the CIO is to serve the customer.  We will, of course, do this different when we are in different roles at work, but we are still responsible for providing quality customer service.  The hardest part for me is to just remember that I am not what is making the customer upset.

Study Tips : Shorthand

I'll start this off with saying that my hand writing is awful, may worse than Doctor awful.  This, combined with the large amount of handwritten notes I take led to me developing a good number of shortcuts when writing.  These short cuts have helped speed up not only my note taking, but the speed at which I can make note cards (a very boring task at times!).  It also cuts down on the quantity of paper I have to use to contain everything.

There is training you can get on actual shorthand.  Secretaries and others taking tons of notes utilize it to write quickly and accurately.  I have not gotten into any of it, although I was much more interested when I was still taking hand written notes.

Unfortunately if you are sharing your notes or cards with anyone, these can make it quite challenging for them.  I have shared my cards with co-workers and have had to spend some time teaching them my short cuts.  The thing to keep in mind is that it doesn't matter what shorthand you use, just be consistent with yourself so you don't get confused.  There are a few shorthand shortcuts I use that have confused me (Auth can mean either Authentication or Authorization... oops) which I have had to go back and change.  It did take a bunch of discipline to un-learn.

Just like Mnemonics, your short hand doesn't have to make sense to anyone else, and it doesn't have to make sense out of context either.  Just be careful that you setup symbols and shortcuts that you will remember.  Even draw up a list, print it out and use it until you remember them all.

Moving on to some suggestions for short hand!  Remember, it doesn't matter what you use, just be consistent with what you use, and be open to change.

@ = "At"

Replace the word "at" with the "@" symbol.  This was one of the first ones I figured out, mostly since we all use it daily with email addresses.  The symbol is quite fluid when handwritten, so while replace "at" with a similarly sized symbol I find it easier to write.

"-/"  =  Not

I use this one frequently.  I remember it from a predicate logic class in college.  Basically it means "not" (whatever comes next), or "opposite" (whatever comes next).  So if I write "The light should be -/red" it would mean the light will be any color but red.

Pcol = Protocol

Replace the word "Protocol" with Pcol.  I haven't seen any word ever in English (which I am less than skilled at) that starts with Pcol, so it's unlikely you'll mix this up with anything.  I used this one a LOT when I was working on Security+ (there's a ton of protocols to understand), and am continued using it in Project+, although not to the extent I had.

Msg = Message

Using "Msg" instead of Message.  This one is a bit more widely used (at least in some of the games I have played in the past).  It showed up a bit more in Project+ than the others, but still shows up.

SVC = Service 

SVC popped up in all the certifications I've taken.  When I use it I tend to put it in all caps just so I know it's the short hand.

SVR = Server 

SVR also showed up in all the certifications I've taken.  Servers also show up a lot in IT (shocker, I know) so I have kept using it in notes at my current job.  This is another one I try to keep capitalized.

Dest = Destination 

Dest found it's life mainly in Network+ and Security+.  

Nwork = Network

Nwork came about in my first Certification, Network+ (also a shocker...).  I've used it fairly consistently in my note taking, not only for technical stuff but for other functions as well.

Sec = Security

I began using Sec during my Security+ training.  It took some getting used to to remember this one (I am not sure why) but it certainly came in handy.

Auth = Authentication... OR Authorization

This one was dangerous.  The terms "Authentication" and "Authorization" came up a LOT in Security+ and I kept forgetting which one Auth meant.  I mainly began using contextual clues to tell me which one it should be.

HW, SW = Hardware and Software

I started using these when I began taking inventory at one of my older jobs.  I began to circle them so I knew they were short hand, and it's stuck with me.

Certifications: Some Thoughts

A large part of my entry back into IT was earning certifications.  The short version is that between my certifications and my volunteering at Free Geek I was able to get a job back in IT relatively quickly.  I was fortunate and had my first certification almost land in my lap.  A friend had a copy of the Network+ book, and he recommended Professor Messer.  Between the two of those (and about 200 note cards) I had my Network+ in hand relatively quickly.

Moving on!

I won't get into detail about different certifications too much, instead I will just share my thoughts on them.

There are two main theories behind certifications:

Big help, that certification..

1. They are not worth the time since an employer is looking for experience and skills, not 3rd party certification.  

I would never trust an uncertified Ninja.

    2.  They are an external way to validate skills and give people confidence in your abilities.

I subscribe to a mix of both these theories.  I believe that certifications are required to get you foot in the door.  I certainly wouldn't take my car to a mechanic who wasn't certified by Honda or another agency.  Neither would I take my cat to an un-certified vet.  How then can I expect a potential employer to take a  serious look at my resume?  True, someone may vouch for me, or I may have the chance to prove my skills, but having CompTIA, or Cisco, or PMI backing me up carries a lot of weight (it also increases the pressure a bit!).  

Of course, I need to be able to back up that piece of paper with the skills.  Certification, to me, is a foot in the door.  It tells someone I have the discipline and drive to get that piece of paper saying yes, Robert can do what he says.  The next step is proving myself.  This is where I agree with Theory 1 above.  Even with my A+, I still need to keep my skills up.  I can't just stop practicing and sit back.  I need to show whoever is interested in me that I can do what my certifications claim; it is a potent combination when you can blend certification and skill.

This is not to say you cannot or will not find a job  just having skills, or just having certifications.  Indeed, I know several individuals who are very skilled at technical services who are happily employed.  I also know a few individuals who have certifications just to have them.  In truth, it is up to you to determine which path you want to take.  Personally I have found a mix to be the best combination, but there are certainly opportunities for any combination of the two.

I began my journey into IT with Network+ purely by luck.  A combination of Network+ and volunteer experience landed my first job.  From there I got more hands on experience working in Tech Support (and on servers!), and more certifications (A+, then Security+).  The growth of my hands on skills and the growing list of certifications kept me moving forward at work and has helped ensure I am consistently getting new experiences to grow with.

There is no right or wrong way to go about IT.  Find what works for you and go with it.  Just keep in mind, you may run into people who ascribe to a different philosophy.  Just smile and tell them what has worked for you.  They may have a differing opinion, but that's their path.  Follow yours.

Certifications: CompTIA Network +

After A+ many folks go for CompTIAs Network+.  In the same way A+ covers the basics if how computers operate, Network+ covers how networks operate.  Some network questions appear on A+, but it only covers the bare bones basics.  Similarly to A+ it does not cover many technical skills (most of the technical knowledge covered is just some basic command line stuff like tracert and ping), but instead focuses on overall knowledge of networking.  If you are interested in pursuing it I highly recommend Professor Messers great series of videos explaining every part of the exam, as well as the Sybex line of books (I have had good personal experiences with this particular brand, but there are many options out there!).

As with most examinations I have had, the single most challenging portion for me was memorizing seemingly useless information.  Quick, what does TCP port 21 do normally?  What is 10baseT?  I find that kind of information to be mostly make work as in the real world I can Google it (and I do!).  Just like A+ flashcards were my friend for the drill and kill information.  That said, you MUST know all the Port numbers, and the differences between cabling (at least for N10-004, the Network+ certification I hold.  Currently they are on N10-005, which may have slightly different requirements!).

Quick, what kind of network is this?

Definitely know the different kinds of network topologies, as well as the differences in network hardware.  I found it very useful to look at real network maps to understand how some of the components can interact with each other.  Knowing network security was also important.

This exam is linked with A+ and Security+ for expiration dates; earning one will renew the others.  I didn't figure that out until I earned my Security+ which was a nice surprise.  Many folks dislike the fact that certifications expire, but technology is always changing.  An A+ from ten years ago may be viewed as largely out of date (token ring? whats that?).  Not all of the information will be stale, especially if you keep up your job experience, but it is still out of date.

Network+ is an excellent bridge into the CCNA offered by Cisco (not something I think I will pursue since I hear it locks you into Cisco a bit and is rather technical in nature), and is excellent for Security+ as well.  Overall it is a great certification for someone looking to get into Network Engineer or Administration.  The A+, Network+ and Security+ form a bit of a triumvirate of basic IT knowledge, having all three will help round you out.

Study Tools: Note Cards Part 2

Being stuck on a plane for several hours recently I've put some more thoughts into how to use note cards to study.  Check out my previous thoughts on note cards for a starting point.  

When I was first studying for Network+ I would label each card with the portion of the exam the information relates to.  I would put the Objective number (i.e. 1.8 for DNS information) in the upper right hand corner of the front of the card.  I kept them all grouped by Objective.  Since then, I have dropped the Objective number from the card just to see how it changes how I use the cards.

An example of the front of my note cards with the Objective.

The advantage I have found in having the Objective is it allows me to study specific portions.  This is great because I can target my studying to areas that I am not doing as well in.  Of course, the trick is figuring out where your weakness is.  The Sybex books generally contain a CD with bonus content (practice exams, note cards etc.) which I have used to figure out where I'm weak.  There are also some practice exams online, the problem is you never know if they're all that accurate.

And the back

The problem I have found in having the Objective on the card is it distracts me from the information on the card.  Instead of focusing entirely on the question or answer, I am also thinking of the Objective number.  None of the exams I have taken have ever made mention of the Objective number during the exam.  Many exams will give you a readout of the areas you missed at the end.  They don't tell you the answers, or even the specific questions you've missed, but they give you the Objective number and a description of that Objective.  e.g. 3.2 Categorize standard connector types based on network media.

In addition to having the Objective on the card (or not!) I have begun to randomize the order I have the cards in.  For Network+ I kept all of the cards grouped by their Objective, all the Objective 1's were in a group, all the 2's in another etc.  For Project+ I kept shuffling the deck as I put together smaller stacks.  Once I could do most of the stack I would shuffle it into the rest of the deck.  I still pull out all of the Stumpers, but I keep them as mixed up as possible.  All the exams I have taken randomize the questions, so you never know which Objective is first.  I figure if I study that way it will make me better on the exam.