My job involves many roles, one of which is IT support, at a medium-sized business. Even though this part of my work only takes up about 33% of my working hours, the negativity surrounding it is making my job a living hell.
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posted by daisies
on May 20, 2013 -
48 answers
I'm a computer science major with a 3.16 GPA finishing my Junior year at UT Dallas. I feel really unsure as to how to go about getting internships, and I failed to get an internship for this summer, though I did manage to get one interview from dropping off my resume at a booth at an on campus career fair. It seems like a lot of people from my class haven't gotten internships either, though obviously I can't take a scientific poll.
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posted by bookman117
on May 10, 2013 -
21 answers
After a few years at the same gig, my first serious tech job out of college, i'm finally being considered for a serious raise. The problem is they want me to figure out what it should be, with a few caveats. which is to say... pile of snowflake details inside.
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posted by emptythought
on May 6, 2013 -
40 answers
I live on the top floor of an old apartment building and my shower stopped draining the other day. After trying drano, I upgraded to Pequa last night and its not working. Or it seems like its working, and then it stops. Before, some brownish water came up before it went down. But now that I've poured the last of the Pequa down the drain some really dark rusty water has come up. Is this a good sign? And if I let it sit for an hour or two and flush with warm water I'll be saved? Or do I have to deal with my inept landlord? (Which I'm trying to avoid)
posted by Unred
on Apr 20, 2013 -
13 answers
Short Question:
Should I a) Pursue a degree in IT with the goal of becoming a database administrator or b) Continue my studies and get my Masters in Social Work?
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posted by Shadax
on Mar 24, 2013 -
5 answers
I'm scheduled for a technical interview after the weekend for a front-end development position. I'd like to spend some intensive time beforehand reading relevant blogs and books to prime the ol' noodle and supplement my existing knowledge. Could you recommend some resources? Are there questions you would ask an applicant in this situation, or that you have been asked?
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posted by jsturgill
on Mar 22, 2013 -
10 answers
I work for the Philadelphia chapter of a national nonprofit. We help people with a specific neurological disease. One of these people would like help getting a computer. How can I help facilitate this?
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posted by remthewanderer
on Mar 15, 2013 -
6 answers
My SO has a degree in IT and Computing but he has not been working for 2.5 years (combination of travel, language studying, and personal things). He has recently started job hunting but feels he is lacking in the certification department. Most jobs near us seem to want Oracle certification. Is it worth doing an Oracle course? Or is there something else (perhaps something up-and-coming) that he should look into? With a gap on his CV he is worried he is unemployable.
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posted by Small Pockets
on Mar 14, 2013 -
15 answers
I will be managing a remote Indian Infrastructure Support Help Desk. Not a call center, but we'll be handling all Tier I issues for Desktop and NOC operations for a major US client. I'm trying to come up with a document to detail the *"best practices" for connecting to their network*.
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posted by PetiePal
on Mar 11, 2013 -
1 answer
After having to show some production employees where the SHIFT key is and why you would use it, I'm starting to wonder if there's a test out there, preferably web-based and cheap or free, that would put a potential hire through some paces and test for speed and accuracy on doing basic tasks.
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posted by randomkeystrike
on Feb 26, 2013 -
8 answers
At work I have a laptop (running Windows XP) that connects to the Internet via WiFi. Two other coworkers sit next to and across from me, and they connect the same way. About a year ago, we started experiencing connectivity problems.
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posted by zardoz
on Feb 13, 2013 -
7 answers
What would be the best type of provider (web-hosting, hosted exchange, cloud storage) for a small business with less than 20 employees? Would a company like Godaddy.com or our current phone and internet provider. We are currently with Cbeyond. It seems like it may be simpler to go with our phone provider but I feel like they are not really specialized in this type of thing and therefore maybe not as good or reliable.
Also, we would like no more, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WE HAVE NO EMAIL ACCESS. SERVER DOWN, I REPEAT SERVER DOWN!"
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posted by Che boludo!
on Feb 8, 2013 -
7 answers
Would becoming a project manager be an opportunity for growth, or an exercise in frustration?
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posted by freya_lamb
on Feb 2, 2013 -
5 answers
I’m an IT Consultant / Sysadmin and my clients are Apple-centric small businesses of 1-25 employees, with most falling between 5 and 10. I prefer purchasing software direct from publishers, but I’m now running into some software that is Mac App Store only and I’m not finding a good way to manage this.
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posted by ridogi
on Jan 9, 2013 -
14 answers
Your job requires you to do multimedia work from time to time but gives you only a standard Windows install with Office and MS Paint to do it with. Installing anything new requires a call to IT. Your nonprofit employer currently has no budget to buy you the software you need. What cheap or free utilities, plug-ins or browser extensions do you install while waiting for the clouds to open and copies of, say, Adobe CS Master Collection and Final Cut Pro to fall from the sky?
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posted by embrangled
on Jan 9, 2013 -
18 answers
After a decade of virus-filled PCs, a few years ago I got my dad a iMac. After a conversion period, he was off and running and doing fine. But he still finds amazing ways to do things like delete all his applications and otherwise ruin the thing. Is there any sort of lightweight IT service I can pay to lock down his Mac a little and prevent him from messing it up?
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posted by mathowie
on Dec 21, 2012 -
18 answers
How can I get a new job in IT with limited experience, no relevant education, and an unusual employment history?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 19, 2012 -
15 answers
Is there demand for digital librarians trained in data management, exposing electronic collections, digital archiving, and so on?
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posted by jsturgill
on Dec 17, 2012 -
15 answers
Networking filter: I'm a young (still learning much) SysAdmin for a pretty large site. I inherited the network configuration, and now I'm trying to troubleshoot some strange issues: workstations losing connectivity without rhyme or reason, and slow web browsing.
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posted by roygbv
on Dec 14, 2012 -
9 answers
I have an interview for an office job that I don't recall applying to. Do I call and ask what it is or should I wing the interview? Details inside attempting to justify why I can't remember.
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posted by Helleaven
on Dec 5, 2012 -
13 answers
Screening questions (and answers!) for low-level office IT admin staff.
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posted by Iteki
on Nov 21, 2012 -
20 answers
My computer cycles off without warning, and it's on a battery pack/surge protector UPS. What gives?
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posted by Chris4d
on Nov 14, 2012 -
13 answers
My husband is a computer programmer and is considering moving to independent contracting. We are researching the idea. I normally do well with Google, but I'm failing this time. Please help?
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posted by RogueTech
on Nov 12, 2012 -
10 answers
Advice wanted: I'm moving from being the "IT guy" in 4 man company to IT managment in a large ogranisation (60k+ employees).
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posted by contentedweb
on Oct 1, 2012 -
10 answers
What sorts of things should a person take on faith versus having to make sense of it for themselves?
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posted by nidora
on Sep 10, 2012 -
19 answers
I work in tech support for a medium-large IT company, and I'd like to move into a management position within the company. I have a bachelors degree in liberal arts. How can I best make use of my company's tuition reimbursement benefit?
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posted by iamisaid
on Sep 10, 2012 -
8 answers
Need a GeekSquad alternative for business. Must serve all (or most) of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
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posted by NotSoSimple
on Aug 28, 2012 -
2 answers
I am in a great position (professionally speaking) and I don't know how to best take advantage of it. Please help?
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posted by Xany
on Aug 22, 2012 -
7 answers
Would it be a smart move to start schooling for a career in welding?
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posted by tmt
on Aug 8, 2012 -
27 answers
How can I make a Mac app crash reproducibly with the solution being to trash the app's preferences and have them rebuild automatically?
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posted by joshrholloway
on Aug 8, 2012 -
6 answers
What's the best (ie fool proof) way for me to get some ongoing analytics data for my department at work?
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posted by eatcake
on Jul 20, 2012 -
7 answers
I am graduating next May (2013) with a Bachelors of Science in Applied Computing Technology from Colorado State University. I have 3 years IT & Network Support experience and just about 2.5 years web development experience through Student positions. I've done the whole freelance thing for the last 5 years as a Wordpress theme guy. How do I approach getting a full time job after college?
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posted by snow_mac
on Jul 17, 2012 -
9 answers
Asking for a friend: He's applying for a job with the title "IT Manager" and is asked to include a portfolio. What kind of portfolio does an IT Manager have?
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posted by Perthuz
on Jul 11, 2012 -
14 answers
My situation: I think I want to return to school. Due to health problems, I left a previous education in rather poor standing - and after several years I'm considering an entirely different line of work. How do I pick up the pieces and start something new?
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posted by roygbv
on Jul 1, 2012 -
5 answers
I'd like you to tell me if I should quit my job (I'm a member of the "ugh, I.T." chorus), but the snowflakey part is that it's not just my job. It's my small business. And to some degree, it's all I've got right now.
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 16, 2012 -
23 answers
What are other cloud services I should consider as an IT admin for a small organization? Should I worry about knocking myself out of a job?
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posted by bellastarr
on Jun 15, 2012 -
7 answers
Graduating with an IT degree at 31 - how to be attractive to employers, please?
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posted by Chorus
on Jun 14, 2012 -
4 answers
I'm thinking of getting back into IT. What would you as a hiring manager want to see on my resume that might counterbalance the time I've spent out of IT? What would be the best way to approach this?
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posted by parrot_person
on Jun 8, 2012 -
6 answers
For those of you who work in a computer field (IT, software development, etc.)
and you feel your work has some greater moral purpose (beyond paying the bills): what do you do? And how did you find your job?
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posted by molybdenum
on May 13, 2012 -
28 answers
CFA worth it for a role in Real Estate Investment? I was wondering if the CFA will be useful to me if I want to work in Real Estate Investment – starting probably with a Commercial Brokerage firm in their asset management department, which would involve buying and holding investment properties for their income as well as possible capital appreciation. Ultimately perhaps work for some kind of REIT.
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posted by web74
on May 12, 2012 -
6 answers
A year and a half ago, stuck in what I thought was a dead-end job, I decided to do a degree in computing/IT with the Open University. Six months later, I landed a job as a Test Analyst in the IT department of the company I was working for. I now have an actual career. I've been continuing with the degree, but I'm finding bits of it very dull and it's difficult to get motivated. Should I keep going?
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posted by xchmp
on May 8, 2012 -
18 answers
Can I fast track myself into a freelance IT career in a week? (I don't work in IT, nor have I any experience.)
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posted by popcassady
on May 7, 2012 -
24 answers
I have the opportunity for free education/certification in practically any IT field. Please help me decide the best route....
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posted by lattiboy
on Apr 27, 2012 -
8 answers
Need a medical grade keyboard for dental offices. Do you have some you use and would recommend?
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posted by NotSoSimple
on Apr 25, 2012 -
6 answers