IT Guy / IT Gal Series - what's the worst task you had to do?

  • Do you work in a small IT shop or are you the only IT resource that your company has?
  • Are you the "go to" guy/gal for anything to do with technology?
  • Do you (or others) consider yourself a "jack of all trades"?
  • Do you work in a small company with less than 250 PCs?
  • do you spend most of your day reactively fixing and addressing issues that come up and feel like you can't proactively plan to get ahead?

If you answered yes to any of these questions this blog post and series is for you.

This is the third post in a series of blog articles aimed at sharing solutions to issues facing IT Professionals working in this type of environment. We’re taking articles from YOU on how you’ve overcome issues in the past with innovative solutions to get the job done. Maybe it’s using Microsoft technology – maybe it is not – what matters is that it addresses a problem, allowing you to get on with your day.

I had a technical glitch - either a PEBKAC or ID10T issue ;-)  This post was set to go live on the 18th as scheduled, but it was either in limbo or my dyslexia kicked in and I had the date format wrong. My apologies, I've resolved the issue for now and we're 24 hrs late for this post in the series.

It look like people are enjoying these posts and the general topics we're coving so far - I encourage you to comment directly on the post or email the team with suggestions or stories you'd like to share. This one came in as a "what was the worst task you've been asked to complete while working in the "IT Industry"...". As IT Staff, we generally get called in to do all sorts of jobs - some go above and beyond the call. Kevin J. sent in this post and asks you a question...

Leave your war stories in the comments section - try to keep it "work safe" if you please.

My personal story was a nightmare'ish evening of cable schlepping in a very dusty dropped ceiling that had not been cleaned in years. I had to take cable runs tied to the end of brooms that we chucked as far as we could to run the length of the building with minimal effort. It wasn't pretty or ISO standard approved, but it got the job done and is still running today.

Rick
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p.s: Are YOU up for the challenge of contributing your thoughts, ideas and solutions to “The IT Guy / IT Gal” series? Contact me directly or use the email link at the top of the blog with draft stories AND/OR suggested topics. Let's ramp up the noise and start giving back!!!

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Rick,

Should THE IT guy/gal have to play in p**p?

I'm the IT/IS Manager for a small community's governing body. In a day, I have to deal with an exchange server not sending e-mail, software development in VB.NET, failing power supplies on 10 different PC's, government issued software and my personal favourite, water and sewage treatment plants. I've been on 3 water main breaks and a RBC reconstruction. In my realm of IT, I have 210 computers and 6 servers spanning 12 buildings. Anywhere there is something that needs electricity, I get called in.

One year the sewage plant was short staffed. Sewage plants rely on a device called a comminutor to grind up solids before entering primary treatment. No one was around so I had to disassemble and resemble. None of my college or university course dealt with sewage plants.

I'm just rambling of course, but I think a good topic would be what was the worst task you've been asked to complete while working in the "IT Industry"

Cheers!

Kevin J.