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HI Spiceworld,
I was reading some discussions around the community and I see that here it’s like we’re all part of a family, so I venture to open this discussion, hoping that you can help me/understand me or at least bring your experiences.

I am a chemical expert, but once I finished school I realized that I had made a big mistake: it was not my way.
After school I did some summer work as a saleswoman or waitress, I saved some money and then suddenly I had the opportunity to work as IT Support at a company not far from home.

I’ve always had a passion for PCs (although mainly it was a curiosity related to “why does this? How does it get like this?”).
So I jumped in.
I was hired, but with very little experience (almost nothing)

In the meantime I have started to follow a course of 2h a week in the field of Cybersecurity, COMPTIA Sec+.
Very interesting topics, I was passionate from the start, but my fellow students were much older than me, with a lot of experience behind them, and many “basic” topics (at the hardware or network level) were taken for granted so I found myself with a good theoretical background but without enough knowledge to understand how to put them into practice and without ever having seen anything “live” (let alone put hands…:frowning: )

After I was hired I had the opportunity to work as a Help Desk/It Support but I realize how little I know compared to my colleagues and how they often can not teach me anything for lack of time.

Instead I alternate periods of emptiness to very full periods and I often seem to waste time when I come to the office and have little work. I tried to take some courses but I wouldn’t know what would help my colleagues, everyone has their own niche to manage so I can’t “interfere” in their tasks.

And my niche, needless to say, does not have so much work to occupy the whole day.
I also asked if I could have something else to add to my work, some other task, but I was told “no, to each his own”.

Do you have any advice?
What should I bet on?
Should I try to delve deeper into the basics I lack? Where do I start?

Thanks and have a nice day! :smiley:

54 Spice ups
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Do you have any advice?
Yes.

Just continue to follow what you have a passion for.

That others may have more experience is just a reflection of how long they have been around, not a reflection of your own skills.

Your skills and experience will increase with time. And if you are doing something you love, then you have plenty of time and your knowledge and experience will grow faster.

What should I bet on?
An inside straight.

Should I try to delve deeper into the basics I lack? Where do I start?

You have already started. Keep going.

12 Spice ups
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You have the right mentality in trying to learn as much as you can on your own. There is a lot to be learned through experience though. Since colleagues have their own niche, ask if you can shadow then to learn. It’s a great way for you to learn new technology and for them to be sure they know what they know by teaching you. Good luck!

7 Spice ups
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Something to consider is that if you have a ticketing system, look at the tickets that you escalate to the other sysadmins. Think about how you might approach that topic if it was you who got the ticket. If you don’t know how to do the thing described, try to study and practice how (not in the live environment, obviously :wink:). You won’t get all of the right answers immediately, of course, but that’s part of the learning process. If your sysadmins have good habits and make proper notes in the ticket to state what was done to resolve the ticket (instead of just writing “done”), compare notes to see how close you were.

Or if you went off-track, compare your solution to what the solution in the ticket was. Then learn from it by analyzing the what, why, how, etc.

Another approach to try with your colleagues is, instead of asking “train me on this thing,” take one part of something and say “in Situation A, would action be the right thing to do?” That gives them the chance to help you with some quick answers that don’t take up much time, and you can still learn something and grow.

10 Spice ups
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Odd sort of an attitude from them. I would’ve said IT niches were a thing of the 1990s. Maybe you should sort out what direction you ultimately want to take in IT and take it from there. If you have slack time you can then read, watch tutorials etc. There’s a free computer science degree course on YouTube. CS50 I think

3 Spice ups
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The best place to start is learning the basic windows OS, most companies use windows for the users desktops so being able to help users with this gives you a leg up on staying helpful to the users.

From there what do you find interesting? IT security? Networking? Telcom? Email… find the level two expert for that in your company, and read their updates on tickets, ask for information to gain more knowledge. This might be books, classes, webinars…

4 Spice ups
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I started off when I was 10 or 11 years old(1990/1991), my dad brought home a PC the office was throwing out. I, curious like you, dug around DOS working out what everything did and breaking things as I played with things I clearly didn’t understand and then fixed them when they broke. Before I knew it I was building my first PC (a 286 with a massive 2MB of RAM and a 20MB HD lol) installing DOS and then windows 3. From an early age, I knew I was destined to work with computers in some way or another… I was bad at everything else but computers were my thing.

What I have personally found is that smaller companies that tend to have a 3 - 5 person team that does everything is where you’ll learn the most and get the most support to grow and it’s where I love working the most. I do everything from basic support tickets all the way to networking and security, am I the best at all of these things NO but I love the variety of work and I have a good knowledge and understanding of how most things work so I can easily adapt as new technologies emerge. We use an external consultant to assist us when we get stuck on the more complex stuff. We literally just took on a new 1st line person so we’re back to being a 3 person team again and while we won’t let him touch most things I’m showing him how everything works so that he has a better understanding of how everything works and we’ll be able to give him more responsibilities as we see him progressing. Off the top of my head in the last two weeks, I’ve shown him how we build and deploy laptops using Intune and Desktop Central, how Exchange Online, Mimecast and exclaimer works. I don’t have time to babysit him every day but if I have a project on and the ticket system is quiet I bring him into a teams call/get him to sit with me around my desk and show him what I’m doing and get him involved in the process and he’ll ask questions and I’ll explain why I’m doing something the way I am.

On the odd occasion when I’ve done a stint in larger companies in 1st/2nd line position everyone was always busy and run off their feet and there wasn’t time for learning/explaining how stuff works or why the company does xyz because that was a different dept that didn’t concern our dept/team.

It sounds like you just find to find a workplace that has the capacity to take on someone that knows enough to get the job done but has opportunities to teach you more/allow you to grow. Reading and online courses are nice but there’s nothing better than real-world experience and you cant get that from a book or an online course IMO.

25 years later I’m still constantly learning new things at all levels.

9 Spice ups
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Start with the basics, grab an older machine off the shelf, strip it down to the components, learn what the parts are and what they do, reassemble as you learn the parts. Install the companies OS a few times and dig through the system then try to break it. Reinstall the OS and start over a few times. Look into how to change some settings like setting a static IP, change the name of the machine, join it to the network then the domain (if this is allowed). If you have the ability to get a couple of extra machines at home, setup a lab an build your own domain.

As mentioned earlier, look at the tickets from the other techs and see how things were fixed. Maybe try to replicate the issue on your “test” machine then repeat the fix. If there is something you are not sure of, try YouTube!

7 Spice ups
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It’s good that you figured out what you like early on but it doesn’t sound like you are in a good work place that will encourage professional growth. I would suggest finding another place of employment. I started out in a public library and got to do a little of everything and it wasn’t a high pressure place.

5 Spice ups
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It is great that you have a passion for technology. I would recommend pursuing the A Plus and Network Plus certifications. These will give you a solid foundation on the inner workings of computers and networking. From there, it will be much easier to dive into topics like Network Security, Server Administration, or any other technology that interests you. A solid foundation in the basics will help you in whatever you decide to pursue.

10 Spice ups
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I think you need more “trial by fire”! Maybe a new position where there is more mentoring, and much more hands on work. To build on what you have learned.

You have already started. Keep seeking additional training, but Spend as much time on real-world experience. We all have to go through the “trenches” to get to the next level.

2 Spice ups
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Based on my reading here, I’d make the following suggestions:

  • Pick some building-block items in technology and start with them. My recommendations depend a little on what path you’re taking, but you can’t go wrong with ensuring your IPv4 networking knowledge is good, or with Powershell, or with (if Linux is what fascinates you) bash and bash scripting. These all bring you to the next level
  • Build yourself a basic home lab to play with to learn. I recommend things like a Windows virtual machine on HyperV (you can run HyperV on your regular Windows 10/11 Pro computer then run Windows 10 on top of that) to play with Powershell without breaking your everyday stuff. A Raspberry Pi 3 or 4 to play with Linux and scripting. Perhaps a junk system you can stick a second network card in and run PfSense or Opensense so you can play with network routing. A modest layer two switch that lets you play with the listed junk system so you can play with network VLANs and get a better understanding, and a basic wireless access point of some kind, like a previous-generation Ubiquiti (say a UAP-UAC-LR) so you can go through the theory of creating a private and a public wireless network.
  • Find the best way you learn, and find resources that teach through that learning. Some people learn best through visuals; there’s tons of Youtube courses that teach what you want to learn (or in some cases for a price, Udemy or CBT Nuggets). Some learn best through reading; then there’s multiple series of books through Manning Publishing, or the O’Reilly series that teach and have coursework.
  • Add a few more CompTIA certs, but recognize they’re an inexpensive stepping stone to get you experience, not the experience itself. I’d definitely do Network Plus in addition to Security Plus, because it will compliment.
  • Make friends with people who know more than you, and who enjoy sharing their knowledge. My earliest days were of learning from colleagues, and their knowledge has carried me through decades. I built on their help until I was capable of teaching and showing others, and I love sharing my knowledge with those who are eager to learn. And always be willing to share what you learn too; compartmentalizing hurts all of us rather than helping.
  • If there are user group meetings in your area (Linux, Cisco, Networking, Spiceworks, other technologies), find these and just show up. This is where you’ll probably find those friends.
  • Take a colleague or two out after work for a drink (first round on you), with the eye to those with more experience and find out how they did it.

Best of luck to you!

5 Spice ups
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This sounds like you may need to get a grounding in IT. once you can get that foundational level sorted then other things can help.

I once attended a C++ lecture, i missed the start. Unfortunately the part i missed was the part that the rest of the lesson hinged upon. Having missed the start i then struggled for a while.

I learnt that starting element and the rest of the course became easier.

Fill in that blank and the foundation will be able to support the deeper learning you want to do.

3 Spice ups
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Not clear how you feel about cyber-security but if you like that and can learn it, that field is unlikely to diminish in opportunities. However it is also developing a reputation of being one of the more challenging areas in terms of burn out so make sure you find relief valves outside of work. A good hobby can go a long way to keeping you focused on the day to day of a job.

2 Spice ups
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Try comptia A + , Network + and Security +, home labs, youtube university, etc. You have a great opportunity to learn as help desk just keep doing and keep calm. Don’ t compare yourself with others.

@networksecure7547

3 Spice ups
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First of all, a Chemical expert you have the reasoning skills to do this. You will figure out more on your own than you realize. Depending on your situation go back and get a Master’s in IT or Computer Science. Those degrees are for people who are changing fields. I have never found certificates very helpful other than to drain money from you. Don’t get in the game of chasing certifications for the sake of having certifications. It is a waste of time and money. Certifications are also a way of validating what you already know. They are not a starting point. Certifications are considered post bachelorette certifications not in place of.

What do you consider the basics your missing? Then target those areas. There are a lot of good free trainings/courses out there you can find get basic knowledge. In all sorts of areas from buildings a PC, taking apart a printer (youtube is great), to KnowBe4 for cybersecurity stuff. Where you start is up to you.

Taking a bet on yourself can be hard because IT is so big. You have to chose what you are a most passionate about and go with it. They only way you are going to know that is by trying a little bit of everything until something clicks for you.

2 Spice ups
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I have to say you need more hands on break\fix experience. When I started in IT back in '99, I was a total green horn. I had ONE course in basic programing back in '82 or 83. My thought was everything has a computer in it now, why not get into IT. I worked in the restaurant industry for 20± years before that, and had used some computer systems, and had enough experience to apply for a job in IT nobody else applied for! I was a shoe in! My first assignment was managing computer labs, helping users, rapping people on the knuckles for looking at porn(before we had a content filter) rebuilding OSs with Ghost! One of the seasoned vets moved on, and I was brought in as first level helpdesk. I took some training courses and managed to pass three MS tests trying for an MSCA, never got there. My boss didn’t care by that time, I was learning more ON THE JOB than in MS certs. Fast forward 20 years, I was the senior Windows Admin, and the VMware admin before I moved on. I realized early on there’s more to IT than Windows, I got heavily involved in AppleSeed, and started trying my hand at Linux, still very much in it’s infancy then… Now I’m comfortable with any OS, but prefer macOS.

I had a home lab back in 2005, and had various home labs until last year. Learn to break things and fix them… that’s where you learn :nerd_face:

Best of luck!

I wish more women tried to get into IT, working with only guys was weird.

6 Spice ups
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I have found a few things that really help to get you off of the ground in IT. The big one is not to focus on the fix, but focus on the troubleshooting process that led you to the fix. A lot of the more complex issues do not have a “click that button there and its fixed” solution. There will always be tickets or common issues that have simple fixes, and you will memorize those easily as you work in the IT field. Another big one is take notes, always, always, take notes. I deal with issues that come up once every few months randomly and I have my own vault of notes for fixes. If your ticket software has as search engine you can always search previous tickets and see if the ticket has the fix on it as well. As a good practice, make sure for even the most simple fixes you document what you did on the tickets. Someone may not thank you personally but they will be thankful later down the road that you took the time to document the fix.

Other posts have said start with the basics and I will always vote that up. A+ is a great starting place to get the basics of both software and hardware knowledge. In a professional light it is one of the entry level certs and it might not land you a job on it’s own but it is worth the time to learn the material. It will fill in quite a few gaps for you. After you finish that getting your Sec+ and Net+ will help expand on those foundations of the A+. From there you can venture in to the more advanced certifications and start to hone your skills and knowledge in the direction you would like your career to go. A lot of the information is applicable everywhere and it will certainly help you in your help desk position. I have taken and passed all three of the certificates mentioned above and the A+ will fill in a lot of gaps for the Sec+ certificate. Net+ is a beast of it’s own but there are some overlapping concepts like the OSI model that will reduce your study time.

The last bit of this is not exactly something you can study but more of a mind set. IT is ever evolving and it’s impossible to know how to fix everything. Communication skills are a good 70% of a help desk job. I have to ask my team members questions all the time to help fill in the gaps for me and then I take notes on what they say so the next time I am more effective on my own. Be patient with yourself. Setting expectations for your peers goes a long way. I will usually tell people “I may not know the solution now but I will figure it out.” Google will be your best friend. Identifying good solutions vs risky solutions will help. If the first thing a solution says is “go to regedit and modify xyz” maybe try something else before reverting to modifying the registry. It could potentially cause greater issues that are out of your scope of knowledge to fix.

Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope this was of some help!

1 Spice up
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I also started out in chemistry with a BS, rubber and plastics. It didn’t pay well and ended up going back into the Navy where I worked in telecommunications and electronics. After 3 years there was a reduction in force, so I went back to school for a BSEE. Since the math was the same the 2nd degree was much easier. I graduated and worked in electronics by programming embedded systems in assembly language for a trunked radio system and gradually moved into IT by managing distributed makes and builds for the programming team. After that the 2 degrees did more on my resume than any certs, and I discovered that if I needed a cert my employer would pay for it. Now I’m in aviation.

If you keep your eyes and options open the world is your oyster. You might like security, but there are other IT fields that touch on security, so don’t rule out an opportunity just because it isn’t an exact match. Employers also won’t get an exact match for their job openings and they are also keeping their eyes and options open.

1 Spice up
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You’ve got one of the big things down already that many early and even mid to late career IT people can’t acknowledge, that is you don’t know the answers to everything.

Basics are great and networking is likely to be part of any long term plans you have. Learn the 7 layer network model, All People Seem To Need Data Processing but also understand why nothing matches it in actual implementation.

Security+ is going to be something I highly suggest but I’ve been in the field a very long time.

Are you allowed to read either electronically or paper books during downtime while you’re working, if so put together a study plan.

Now one thing I’m going to say that may seem a bit strong is this company doesn’t sound like a long term place to work and learn. If people aren’t willing to take time to help someone new to the field that is a very bad sign. I live by the philosophy that part of my professional duties is to help less experienced people build confidence, skills, and most importantly confidence (yes, it is that important).

If security is what you lean towards, look for a local BSides, ISSACA, or other similar organizations that have meetings, it’s a great way to network and build connections in the community.

1 Spice up