Which job is harder?

What positions that you may have had is more difficult that others?

PC Techs
Help Desk
Server Techs
WAN Techs
Unix Admins
Any other that I know I am missing

I know that the titles and responsibilities will be different from place to place, but these are the ones at my current job.

Now what I mean by difficult, is the day to day hassles that go along with this job. For instance, Help Desk has to deal with the really stupid people on the other end of the phone that have not grasped the double clicking thing. But WAN Techs for the most part do not have to deal with this issue. The WAN Techs have to deal with why doesn't a router talk with the network?
Now I am baseing all of this on my experiences from the jobs that I have held, and the positions that I have done. I know that your place of business is probably different, so share your experiences too.
I am doing this, because in our industry, generaly speaking the higher up in the tech ladder you go, the more you get paid. I know that help desk for the most part is the lowest paid job in the field, while someone who has a MCSE, CNE, Laserjet Certs, and Cisco certs for instance can make a LOT of money. What is your opinion?

Anything where you have to depend on someone elses description of a problem instead of seeing it for your self.
"I think the thingy broke because the wire from that one card on top came loose" WHAT??

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I might rock, but I am not made of stone!

hardest job, or most work does not mean good money. Look at the guy shoveling sh@t, or at anyone in a fast-past customer service market. They bust their butt, break a sweat and have to deal with total @#$holes. Then, look at the managers or at white collars. don't work as hard (but stress can be the same if not worse) but get paid much more. Sorry, society pays for investments, not for action. Invest in knowledge (certs and such) and you make the money even though you can be as thick as a brick and can't even run a computer (take a look at any DBA). just what I've seen and experienced.

Help desk/Tech Support would be the hardest for me because I just don't have the patience. I would go back to working in a grocery store before I sat in some cubicle with a telephone headset on all day. "Thanks for calling Compaq Technical Support, my name is ____, may I have your first name please?"

I shudder just thinking about that.

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Cannot find REALITY.SYS. Universe halted

Paint your old laptop!

I agree with you Condo. The hardest workers sometimes are the lowest paid. But most of the time, that is Corporate America.

I think in my limited experience of the jobs I have had, Help Desk was the worst for me. I worked at a major mail order computer company and I was shocked to see how little respect from the higher up jerks we got. The job was demanding, stressful, and mentaly draining. It also did not pay well when compared to other Help Desk jobs. But I took it because it was my first real computer job, and I needed the experience. I have to admit though, I gained more experience and customer service skills in that job in the year that I did it than I would have in a class room, or being a Bench Tech or simular position. I much prefer being able to see what is the problem, and then take it form there. No 3rd party idiot that can't find the NEXT button on the screen.

[This message has been edited by jediab (edited August 25, 2000).]

you know, I have to say the hardest for me was Helpdesk. Same monotonous crap, the same stupid users. But you get to expecting that and learn to deal with it. Kind of like a factory job. I have to say that was were some of the funny stories come from because you can't believe how stupid a user can be.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Larommi:
[B]Anything where you have to depend on someone elses description of a problem instead of seeing it for your self.
"I think the thingy broke because the wire from that one card on top came loose" WHAT??

Bang-on! I would have to whole-heartedly agree!
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"I don't care about apathy."

i think the hardest job is one where you have to deal with boss's who dont know a thing about puters (cough cough general managers) and then have to deal with umm that was a cd rom .. and not a coffeecup holder ... why is it hard because .. your trying to fix what is really broke while stopping to answer a question fewls ask .. and then deal with the "man your god" status when you tell them that there virus was only the flying through space screen saver (noted im using things ive heard from the forum)

all hail our jobs ... but why do we still love it .. https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif

Onsite Service/consulting is my bag. I was in an MIS department for six months once. I'll never do it again. Same people with the same problems day after day after day. And what a thankless job! At least when a client falls into this pattern nowadays I can send them a bill.

The voices still haunt me at night...

"I can't print!" "Well, did you log in like I said to yesterday?" "No." "Why the *$%& not!!!"

(shudders and curls into fetal position)

Nope, never never never again.

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R. Bret Walker, CNE

Wondering what videos to rent this weekend? Check out The People's Reviews, movie reviews written for the people and by the people.

My job is quite hard, I do product evaluation (i.e. i test stuff that our buyers want to purchase, then i tell them if they are buying a hunk of **** or a good product that i think we will sell a lot of which is stress full because the sales department knows absolutely nothing about computers. So i have to train them on the product) on top of that i oversee the whole production process ranging from 10 to 20 people (non english speaking i might add) on any given day. Usually we are building a bunch of computer barebones systems to ship out. I also test RMA's for this company. I often get many haedache, deadlines to meet, people to yell at, people to yell at me. The DOWN side of working here is that i am only making $12.75 per hour for enduring the stress and putting up with non-computer literate people.

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To have Knowledge is to understand you are not alone.

My job is quite hard, I do product evaluation (i.e. i test stuff that our buyers want to purchase, then i tell them if they are buying a hunk of **** or a good product that i think we will sell a lot of which is stress full because the sales department knows absolutely nothing about computers. So i have to train them on the product) on top of that i oversee the whole production process ranging from 10 to 20 people (non english speaking i might add) on any given day. Usually we are building a bunch of computer barebones systems to ship out. I also test RMA's for this company. I often get many haedache, deadlines to meet, people to yell at, people to yell at me. The DOWN side of working here is that i am only making $12.75 per hour for enduring the stress and putting up with non-computer literate people.

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To have Knowledge is to understand you are not alone.

Wow klenard is so miserable he had to vent twice! We feel for ya brother...

hehe thanks

"Hard" is relative. My job is very demanding & the users can be very frustrating! But I'm learning something new every single day, usually many times a day & I work in what I consider to be the best environment I've ever been in. This is a fairly small company (about 350 users\workstations on an un-routed network spread over about a 60 mile radius) We are all assigned various tasks & responsibilities, but we're encouraged to cross train as much as we have time for. If you develop an interest, or expertise, you're encouraged to take on that responsibility. For example, I learned quite a bit about connectivity to the AS400 via NS Router, so I'm the guy they call for that issue. I also took an interest in Roaming Profiles under Windows NT, so I usually create the new ones & "fix" the broken ones (& boy do they ever break frequently!) I also was assigned the role of supporting the engineering & mapping department, so I had to learn some MicroStation SE. Now they're switching to FRAMME! So, I'll have to learn FRAMME administration. Also having to pick up conversational SQL. No certs mind you, just learning how to "DO IT", as needed.

I love my job & the work environment! I just hope I feel the same way in 5 years!

Also, I think I need a raise, but then who doesn't think that?

While I'm "venting", I also wish I had more time to study for & take my MCSE & other certs. I would feel better with it, even though I don't think my employer cares if I have it.

There is SO MUCH to learn! We use SMS, Exchange Server, HP Jet Admin, numerous NT tools, MS Terminal Server, Citrix, all of the Office Apps, Unix, you name it & I need to know a little bit about all of it & a lot about some of it. Not to mention the Network itself with bridges, fiber, Ethernet, etc. I need to learn TCP\IP as EVERTHING connects using it. (Dotted notation is like counting sheep for me)

Also, we use WRQ Reflection products to connect to the VAX, Dial-Ups to the Nortel Switches, telnet, etc. I'm still learning that product. (I think I could connect to my refrigerator, if it had a serial port)

Whew! No wonder I feel like my head's going to explode some days!



[This message has been edited by TangleWeb (edited August 28, 2000).]

Any job that has to do with hardware and people describing their problems.




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"Matter is passive. In spite of its power, it can't be controlled without the human mind." Sokrates

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