#helpdesk management software

[emossysolution]

Choose the Best Helpdesk Management System - Emossy

Emossy is a cloud-based helpdesk management system for businesses of all sizes. Submit, track and resolve employees' concerns efficiently through a single, organized system. To book a Free demo, visit: https://www.emossy.com/helpdesk-management-system/

[flexiele]

Discover the magic of transforming your workplace with our latest YouTube content on the successful implementation of Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS)! Whether you're an HR pro or just curious about the benefits of HRMS, our engaging videos break down best practices, real-life success stories, and practical tips to help you unleash the full potential of your HR strategy. Don't miss out—let's revolutionize your HR game together! To listen to the full video click on the link given.

[wiseofficeday]

How Help Desk Software Supercharges Your Timesheet System?

Read about How Help Desk Software Supercharges Your Timesheet System? in given infographic and get more information at: https://www.wiseofficeday.com.

[savvyhrms01]

The Ultimate Guide to Helpdesk Management Systems.

The Ultimate Guide to Helpdesk Management Systems

In today's fast-paced digital world, businesses must provide exceptional customer support to maintain a competitive edge. A Helpdesk Management System plays a vital role in streamlining customer support operations, enhancing productivity, and improving customer satisfaction. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, adopting an efficient helpdesk system can significantly boost your support team's efficiency.

This blog explores the key aspects of a Helpdesk Management System, its benefits, features, and how it can revolutionize customer service.

What is a Helpdesk Management System?

A Helpdesk Management Software is a software solution designed to automate and manage customer queries, support tickets, and issue resolution. It acts as a central hub for all customer service interactions, ensuring timely responses and effective issue resolution.

Businesses use helpdesk systems to track, prioritize, and resolve customer concerns efficiently, leading to improved customer experience and operational efficiency.

Key Features of a Helpdesk Management System

A robust Helpdesk Management System includes various features that simplify customer support processes. Here are some essential features:

Ticketing System

Automates query handling by generating unique tickets for each customer issue.

Assigns tickets to relevant departments or agents.

Tracks the status of tickets in real time.

Multi-Channel Support

Integrates various communication channels like email, chat, phone, and social media.

Provides a unified platform to manage customer interactions efficiently.

Self-Service Portal

Offers customers a knowledge base with FAQs, articles, and guides.

Reduces dependency on human agents by enabling self-resolution of common issues.

Automation & Workflow Management

Automates repetitive tasks such as ticket assignments and follow-ups.

Uses AI-powered chatbots to provide instant support.

Real-Time Reporting & Analytics

Provides insights into ticket trends, response times, and agent performance.

Helps managers make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) & Escalations

Defines response and resolution time limits for tickets.

Automates escalations for unresolved issues to higher authorities.

Customer Feedback & Surveys

Collects customer feedback after issue resolution.

Helps measure customer satisfaction and improve services.

Benefits of a Helpdesk Management System

Implementing a Helpdesk Management System brings numerous benefits to businesses, including:

Enhanced Efficiency & Productivity

Reduces manual workload by automating ticket management.

Speeds up response and resolution times.

Improved Customer Satisfaction

Ensures faster issue resolution, leading to happier customers.

Provides self-service options for instant support.

Better Collaboration

Enables teams to communicate effectively and resolve issues collaboratively.

Tracks conversations and resolutions for future reference.

Cost Savings

Reduces operational costs by minimizing the need for a large support team.

Decreases repeated queries by offering a knowledge base.

Scalability & Flexibility

accommodates companies of all sizes and sectors.

Scales up as customer demands grow.

How to Choose the Right Helpdesk Management System?

When selecting a Best Helpdesk Management System, consider the following factors:

Ease of Use

Choose software with an intuitive interface and easy navigation.

Ensure minimal training is required for employees.

Integration Capabilities

Check if the system integrates with CRM, email, chat, and other business tools.

Seamless integration improves workflow efficiency.

Customization & Scalability

Look for a system that allows customization to fit your business needs.

Ensure it can scale as your customer base expands.

Security & Compliance

Opt for software with robust security measures to protect customer data.

Ensure compliance with industry regulations such as GDPR and ISO.

Cost & ROI

Evaluate pricing plans and choose one that fits your budget.

Consider the return on investment in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Future Trends in Helpdesk Management Systems

The evolution of technology continues to shape Helpdesk Management Systems. The following are some trends to look out for in the future:

AI-Powered Chatbots

AI-driven bots will handle routine queries, reducing workload on human agents.

Predictive Analytics

AI-based analytics will predict customer issues before they arise, enabling proactive support.

Omnichannel Support

Advanced systems will integrate multiple communication channels seamlessly.

Remote Support & Cloud-Based Solutions

More businesses will adopt cloud-based helpdesk solutions for remote work compatibility.

Conclusion

A Helpdesk Management System is a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline customer support operations. It enhances efficiency, improves customer satisfaction, and provides valuable insights for continuous improvement. Investing in the right helpdesk software will ensure smooth operations and a seamless support experience for customers.

By leveraging automation, AI, and real-time analytics, businesses can transform their customer service processes and stay ahead in a competitive market.

Ready to enhance your customer support? Choose the best Helpdesk Management System today and experience seamless service management!

[infraonmarketing]

Enhance IT Efficiency with Leading Asset Management Software | Infraon

Enhance IT operations with top asset management software. Discover the best asset-tracking solutions and software asset management best practices.

[jasmine01]

Optimize Workflow Efficiency with Our Ticket Management Software - SAN Softwares

Transform your customer support operations with our user-friendly Ticket Management Software. Stay on top of tasks, collaborate effectively, and deliver exceptional service with ease.

For More details,

Email us at: sales@sansoftwares.com

Call us on: 9810018735

419, 4th Floor, M3M Urbana, Sector 67, Gurugram, Haryana 122018

[kosher-martian]

Jewish and Israeli Tumblr, I just can't deal with the USA anymore. We're on our tenth consecutive forever-year of stochastic politics. I feel like 2020 was 20 years ago at this point.

I'm tired.

I'll put all the justifications below the cut, but let me get right to my question: Olim & Natural-Born Israeli citizens: What can I expect from Aliyah? Is there a place for me? I want out of the USA.

I currently work as in IT asset management and procurement. Basically I just keep track of my employer's IT-related inventory (think paper, toner, laptops, and tablets), spec and purchase new devices as part of our IT lifecycle, prepare old assets for disposal through our e-waste vendor, and manage/deploy our new inventory when it comes in.

I know Israel has a booming tech sector, but I'm worried I won't make the cut. I'm not an impressive candidate. I have experience in IT but I'm not credentialed or anything. My academic background (Bachelor's) is in business.

Before my current job, I worked in QA software testing (APIs mostly), healthcare technology, and helpdesk (Tier 2). It's gotten me pretty far in the "firm handshake" economy of small town Texas, but I'm not sure it will get me far in the "real" IT world.

Does anyone have any advice for a prospective oleh who's coming from low-paying IT / IT-adjacent work in a low cost of living mid-sized Texan city? What are some good cities / towns to look at besides Jerusalem and Tel Aviv? Are there jobs for someone like me outside of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv?

I guess what I'm asking is whether Aliyah is a good economic decision for someone who doesn't already have money? Any olim here that could give me insights?

The ugly truth is this: The US is sliding into authoritarianism really quickly and I'm on the losing side. Sure there are supposed to be laws in place that will slow this down or mostly stop it, but the law only works if there's someone willing to enforce it and well... Can you name one person who has show the moral fortitude and is still in a position to do something?

To put it in more utilitarian terms: I'd rather be someplace where I'm unlikely to be scooped up and interrogated for being politically and ideologically incompatible with MAGA or whatever. They're already detaining Native Americans and Black Americans and trying to deport them. Bad things are coming, and I'd rather get out now while I still can.

It's not flattering for me to say, it reflects poorly on me, but it's honest: I'm no hero. I'm a coward and I'm not afraid to say it.

[scbhagat]

Why Payroll Outsourcing in Delhi is Essential for Business Efficiency

Streamline Your Business with Payroll Outsourcing in Delhi

As businesses expand and compliance regulations become more demanding, many organizations are now turning to payroll outsourcing in Delhi to simplify their internal operations. Managing payroll in-house can be tedious, especially when dealing with frequent legal updates, tax deductions, and employee benefits. Outsourcing this function not only ensures accuracy but also provides companies the freedom to focus on core business activities.

What is Payroll Outsourcing?

Payroll outsourcing is the process of hiring an external service provider to manage a company's entire payroll system. This includes calculating employee salaries, processing tax filings, managing provident fund (PF) and employee state insurance (ESI) contributions, generating payslips, and ensuring legal compliance. For businesses in Delhi—a city teeming with startups, SMEs, and large enterprises—this approach has become a practical necessity.

Benefits of Payroll Outsourcing

1. Cost and Time Efficiency Managing payroll internally can consume significant time and resources. With outsourcing, companies save on the cost of hiring specialized staff or purchasing expensive payroll software. It also eliminates the need for constant training to stay up-to-date with changing laws.

2. Regulatory Compliance Indian payroll laws are complex and ever-evolving. From income tax rules to statutory deductions like PF, ESI, and gratuity, compliance is critical to avoid penalties. A payroll outsourcing provider in Delhi ensures all calculations and filings are handled accurately and on time.

3. Enhanced Accuracy Manual payroll processing can lead to errors in salary calculations or tax filings. With automated systems and expert oversight, outsourced payroll services offer greater accuracy and reliability, reducing the chances of employee dissatisfaction or legal issues.

4. Data Security and Confidentiality Reputable payroll outsourcing firms use secure, cloud-based systems with encryption to protect sensitive employee data. This minimizes the risk of data breaches and ensures confidentiality is maintained at all times.

5. Scalability and Flexibility As your workforce grows or contracts, outsourcing partners can easily scale their services to match your needs. Whether you’re hiring 10 or 100 new employees, your payroll operations remain smooth and efficient.

Services Included in Payroll Outsourcing

Most payroll outsourcing providers in Delhi offer comprehensive solutions that include:

Monthly salary processing and disbursement

Payslip generation and distribution

Tax deductions and filings (TDS, PF, ESI, etc.)

Year-end tax form preparation (Form 16)

Compliance with labor laws and statutory reporting

Attendance and leave management integration

Reimbursement and bonus management

Employee helpdesk support for payroll queries

Advanced service providers may also offer integration with HR software, mobile apps for employees, and dashboards for real-time payroll analytics.

Why Delhi-Based Companies Should Consider Payroll Outsourcing

Delhi is a highly competitive and regulatory-sensitive business environment. Companies in this region must be agile and compliant while controlling costs. Payroll outsourcing is especially beneficial here because local providers have expertise in regional labor rules, state-specific regulations, and offer fast turnaround times for urgent payroll processing needs.

Additionally, Delhi is home to a wide pool of professional payroll service providers who offer tailored solutions for different industries—from IT and education to manufacturing and healthcare.

Choosing the Right Payroll Partner

Before selecting a payroll outsourcing company in Delhi, consider the following:

Experience and Reputation: Look for a provider with proven experience and client testimonials.

Technology Platform: Ensure they use a secure, modern payroll system.

Compliance Knowledge: They should stay updated with the latest changes in tax and labor laws.

Customization Options: Your business may have unique payroll structures or benefits.

Customer Support: Timely and responsive communication is essential for resolving issues quickly.

Final Thoughts

In a fast-moving market like Delhi, where talent retention, compliance, and cost control are key concerns, outsourcing payroll can offer a significant competitive advantage. It streamlines processes, ensures accuracy, and reduces operational stress—allowing companies to concentrate on strategic goals.

Whether you're a small business owner or the HR head of a growing enterprise, payroll outsourcing in Delhi could be the smartest step you take this year toward efficiency and peace of mind.

[century-solutions-group]

Education IT Services

From resolving technical issues to deploying new technology, we ensure seamless classroom technology integration, educational software solutions, and virtual classroom platforms. Our services also include student information systems (SIS) management and digital learning tools. As your education technology partner, we offer managed IT services, including cybersecurity and firewall management. 

Learn More: https://centurygroup.net/industries/education-it-services/ 

#SchoolTech #EducationIT #DeviceStrategy #EdTech #ITSupport #HelpDesk #TechSupport #ITServices #TechSupportTips #EdTechSupport #SchoolIT #ITinEducation #TechForTeachers #SupportEducation 

[elsa16744]

Overcoming Challenges in Data Integration: Insights from Consulting Experts 

Data integration for enterprises can take longer due to technological, financial, and time constraints. As a result, modifying data strategies to mitigate risks like incompatibility between many tools or budget overruns is crucial. Companies must also prepare for new compliance requirements to ensure ethical data operations. This post will explore such challenges in data integration while listing valuable insights from consulting experts in this domain. 

What is Data Integration? 

Data integration merges data from disparate origins and presents it to maximize comprehension, consolidation, and summarization effectiveness. Integrated data views rely on data ingestion, preparation, and advanced insight extraction. It also streamlines the data operations services across regulatory report creation, helpdesks, and 360-degree client life cycle management. 

All data integration strategies involve the extract, transform, and load (ETL) pipelines regardless of business units or target industries. At the same time, the scope of planning and quality assurance in each process varies due to domain-specific data classification factors. 

For instance, the accounting departments must handle extensive numerical data while interpreting legal and organizational requirements for transparency. On the other hand, production engineering and design professionals will use visualizations to improve goods or service packages. Accordingly, accountants will use unique tools distinct from engineers’ software. 

Later, the leaders might want a comprehensive overview of the synergy between these departments. Therefore, they must determine efficient data integration strategies. The data will move between several programs, carrying forward many updates throughout a project’s progression based on those roadmaps. 

Overcoming the Challenges in Data Integration Using Insights from Consulting Experts 

1| Data Quality Hurdles 

Linking, consolidating, and updating data from several sources will exponentially increase the quality-related threats. For instance, consider multimedia assets from social networks or unreliable news outlets. They can help your secondary market research and social listening initiatives. However, you want to verify the authenticity of gathered intelligence to avoid inaccurate data ingestion. 

Evaluating relevance, freshness, and consistency is essential to data quality assurance from creation to archival. So, corporations have started leveraging data lifecycle management to boost dataset integrity, helping make integration less of a hassle. 

Insights: 

Most consulting experts suggest developing ecosystems that check and recheck quality metrics at each stage of a data integration lifecycle. Moreover, they recommend maintaining periodic data backups with robust version control mechanisms. Doing so will help quality preservation efforts if errors arise after a feature update or a malicious third party is likely to break the system using malware. 

2| Networking and Computing Infrastructure Problems 

Legacy hardware and software often introduce bottlenecks, hurting data integration’s efficiency. Modern integration strategies demand more capable IT infrastructure due to the breakthroughs like the internet of things (IoT), 5G networks, big data, and large language models. If a company fails to procure the necessary resources, it must postpone data integration. 

Technologies integral to capturing, storing, checking, sorting, transferring, and encrypting data imply significant electricity consumption. Besides, a stable networking environment with adequate governance implementations enables secure data transactions. The underlying computing infrastructure is not immune to physical damage or downtime risks due to maintenance mishaps. 

What Consulting Experts Say: 

Enterprises must invest in reliable, scalable, and efficient hardware-software infrastructure. This will benefit them by providing a stable working environment and allowing employees to witness productivity improvements. Upgrading IT systems will also enhance cybersecurity, lowering the risk of zero-day vulnerabilities. 

3| Data Availability Delays 

Governments, global firms, educational institutions, hospitals, and import-export organizations have a vast network of regional offices. These offices must also interact with suppliers, contractors, and customers. Due to the scale of stakeholder engagement, reports concerning office-level performance and inventory might arrive late. 

Underproductive employees, tech troubleshooting, slow internet connectivity, and a poor data compression ratio will make data sourcing, updating, and analyzing inefficient. As a result, a data integration officer must address time-consuming activities through strategic resource allocation. If left unaddressed, delays in data delivery will adversely affect conflict resolution and customer service. 

Expert Insights: 

Train your employees to maximize their potential and reduce data acquisition, categorization, and transformation delays. Additionally, you will want to embrace automation through artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Find methods to increase the data compression ratio and accelerate encryption-decryption processing cycles. These measures will help accomplish near-real-time data integration objectives. 

4| Vendor Lock-ins 

A vendor lock-in results from inconvenience and restrictions when a client wants to switch to another service provider or toolkit. Although data integration platforms claim they celebrate the ease of migrating databases with competitors, they might covertly create vendor lock-ins. 

For instance, some data sourcing and sorting ecosystems might limit the supported formats for bulk export commands. Others will use misleading methods to design the graphical user interface (GUI) of account deletion and data export features. They involve too many alerts or generate corrupt export files. 

Practical Insights: 

Combining multiple proprietary and open-source software tools offers the best cost optimization opportunities. When you select a data vendor, audit the tools the willing data integration providers use to deliver their assistance. Do they use a completely proprietary system based on an unknown file format unsupported by other platforms? 

Finally, you must check all the data import, export, and bulk transfer options in vendors’ documentation. After you check a data firm’s current client base, track its online ratings and scan for red flags indicating potential vendor lock-ins. 

5| Data-Related Ethical and Legal Liabilities 

Confidentiality of investor communication and stakeholders’ privacy rights are two components of legal risk exposure due to enterprise data integration. Additionally, brands must interpret industry guidelines and regional directives for regulatory disclosures. 

They must comply with laws concerning personally identifiable information (PII) about employees and customers. Otherwise, they will attract policymakers’ ire, and customers will lose faith in brands that do not comply with the laws of their countries. 

Insights: 

Consulting experts recommend collaborating with regional legal teams and global governance compliance specialists. After all, mitigating legal risks can help increase business resilience. 

Improved compliance ratings have also benefited several brands wanting to be attractive to impact investors. Meanwhile, customers demanding ethical data operations at business establishments love supporting brands with an exceptional governance culture. 

Conclusion 

Most brands need specialists' help to develop consolidated data views during reporting because they have flawed data integration strategies. So, they require trustworthy insights from reputed consulting experts with a proven track record of overcoming challenges in data integration. The selected data partners must excel at ETL implementation, governance compliance, and data quality management (DQM). 

The corporate world champions data-centric business development. Understandably, the need for scalable data integration reflects the increased stakeholder awareness regarding the importance of connecting disparate data sources. With transparent, fast, and accurate data, organizations will enhance their competitive edge amid this intense digital transformation race. 

[thefaultinoursprinkles]

"why wouldn't you have time to produce 3 helpdesk articles and an SOP AND continue to manage all of your 26 projects, do training, lead UAT, manage all add on/consultant/integration/end to end training engagements from live customers, do BA and define requirements for custom development requests, do new hire onboarding and cross train on the other software?"

my guy i just spent 2 hours updating the same information in like 5 different places for 4 projects because you couldn't knock your brain cells together hard enough to ask for the info you needed or read one of the 10 places the info already is. you think that's going to give me MORE time to do internal work?

[flexiele]

Are you ready to take your HR department to the next level? Our carousel showcases the innovative solutions that can help you streamline processes, improve efficiency, and enhance employee satisfaction.

[teamarcstechnologies]

What features you should have in your panel management platform for market research?

A panel management platform for market research should encompass various features to efficiently manage and engage with participants while gathering valuable insights. Here are some essential features:

Panel Recruitment and Profile Management: Capability to recruit, onboard, and manage panelists, including profile creation and segmentation based on demographics, preferences, behavior, etc.

Communication Tools: Integrated email, SMS, or push notification systems for sending invitations, reminders, and updates to panel members about surveys, studies, or events.

Survey Creation and Management: User-friendly tools for creating diverse types of surveys (e.g., multiple-choice, open-ended, rating scales) with branching logic and scheduling capabilities.

Incentive Management: Ability to manage and distribute incentives or rewards to panelists, ensuring fairness and accuracy in reward allocation.

Data Security and Privacy: Robust security measures to protect panelist data, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).

Analytics and Reporting: Tools for real-time tracking, monitoring survey responses, and generating comprehensive reports with actionable insights.

Panelist Engagement and Feedback: Features to foster engagement, such as forums, communities, or feedback mechanisms to encourage discussions and gather qualitative insights.

Mobile Compatibility: Responsive design or dedicated mobile apps to facilitate participation and engagement across various devices.

Integration Capabilities: Ability to integrate with other systems or tools, such as CRM software, analytics platforms, or social media, for seamless data flow and analysis.

Panelist Experience Enhancement: Constant improvements based on panelist feedback, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience while participating in surveys or studies.

Panel Health Monitoring: Tools to track panelist activity, prevent survey fatigue, and maintain the health and quality of the panel.

Customization and Branding: Options to customize the platform's look and feel to align with the branding of the research organization or client.

Panelist Support and Helpdesk: Accessible support channels for panelists to address queries, technical issues, or provide assistance when needed.

APIs and Scalability: APIs for scalability and flexibility, allowing for future enhancements or integrations with evolving technologies.

By incorporating these features into a panel management platform, market research organizations can effectively manage their panels, gather high-quality data, and maintain strong engagement with participants, leading to more accurate and insightful research outcomes.

Online Community Management Software

Online Project Management Platform

fraud detection and reporting tool

[infraonmarketing]

https://infraon.io/blog/best-it-asset-management-software-in-2023/

[razzamult]

First Post, and hard lessons.

It's been a long time since I've blogged, I used to have an account with blogger.com (remember that?) back in the early 2000's So trying this out again is interesting, seeing what's different, what's similar.

I wanted to start this blog to record some personal thoughts that I've had over the last few years, so there will be some serious posts, including this one, but I do want to lighten things up inbetween.

I feel like I've written and re-written this a dozen times in my head, but it's time to commit and write something down. for those of you who know me, I want to tell a story and maybe you've heard some bits of it already, for any others who happen along? it's a story of anxiety, depression, burnout, a new path maybe? mostly i write this for my own benefit, to remind myself of where I've been & where I'd like to go, and where i don't want to go back to.

But first, some context. I've been working (full time) in IT for….16 years? I think? (give or take), and I'll be honest - I've had enough, and i want out of IT. I remember a time when computers were "simple" beasts (relatively speaking), the earliest memories of using a computer was my mum's 386 (it was a while ago ok!), she was studying a degree, but we had a number of DOS games installed on it (lots of apogee shareware), over time that computer got upgraded, new CPU, more ram, bigger hard drive, Windows 95! that was new & exciting! I remember somewhere along the way mum teaching me enough dos commands that when we bought a new game I could install it without needing help, she just gave me the discs and sent me on my way.

It was in year 10 in high school that i started scrounging enough parts to start making my own computer (or computers as it would become), my first pc being a 386 and the first thing I did was run games on it & dad had a laugh, it was slow, but it was mine! I worked out how to do all the upgrades myself, and over time ended up moving through windows 3.x, 95, 98. by the time i got to windows 2000 i had a 2nd hand IBM desktop, and I was looking after our home network, i think we'd moved from dial-up to ADSL around that time too.

After high school i got into the local TAFE (college for trade certificates), and got a Cert III in IT

I remember not liking XP when it came out (oh god, what is that default theme?! those colours?!), but I built an amd athlon64 system to run it on, all new parts & it was the fastest thing ever! (well, ok, maybe not ever…but it was mine! and it way faster than anything i had previously) i spent days playing warcraft III on that machine, learning how to compile software, playing with virtual machines, and it around this time i landed a job doing helpdesk at the local university.

Helpdesk work was interesting, but it's pretty soul crushing at times, you learn there are people out there who have no idea how to do the equivalent of "fill the tank with gas & check tire pressure", the uni had debated about having a basic computer literacy course for both staff & students, but it never got off the ground. But i pushed through, worked hard, and got recognized as being a good person to talk to in person or on the phone, often out-performing many peers on the helpdesk. We had people on the helpdesk escalating tickets to me, because i was good at working out the "curly" ones.

at some point I got offered a temporary transfer into server admin for 6 months, they'd seen me do good troubleshooting before sending stuff over to them, and they wanted to give me a chance. That ended up turning into fulltime work, that lasted 10 years. I learned a lot in that time, deploying and managing servers, "hearding cats" to get people to agree when an old application can be turned off or upgraded, working on projects. i'm not going to fill this up with IT acronyms but i did get sent on a lot of microsoft & other vendor training and for a number of mission-critical things became first point of contact. I got to experience oncall (and get paid extra for it), and almost single-handedly dragged the windows server fleet up to modern standards.

But in 2022 i couldn't do it anymore. I'd watched over the past years since microsoft fired it's QA staff in 2014, patches got worse, microsoft's promises of improvement got more frequent, and my team (or me specifically) was often stuck between "deploy patch to fix vulnerability or don't deploy patch since it's broken and will break things we depend on", a position that no IT department should find themselves in, having to choose between security and uptime. I'd worked on projects that were so badly run that I'd experienced depression (and some of the places your mind can take you), and while i never acted on the the thoughts during such times, it was not a place that, mentally, i wanted to return to. I'd seen people in other teams at the uni stonewall projects…for what??? no repercussions, one of them even got a promotion. not to mention that in 2021 our IT director/executive staff decided to overrule state government and tell everyone they had to be back in the office (that went down about as well as you'd expect)

2022 was a bad year, we had multiple bad patches we couldn't install on some of our servers until revisions came out, I had a staff member in another team who refused (again…after 4 years…and raising it with my supervisor) to complete work they'd promised, we had a huuuuge amount of work coming down the pipe, and no extra staff, and at some point in july i just broke down over it all. I could not do it any more. I could not push through. my reserves were empty. I had no more to give. things had gotten too hard, things were too complex, I wasn't running a cute 486 playing an apogee game. I was looking after hundreds of servers and multiple cloud environments. these weren't the basic applications that we knew & hated when i arrived, these things were using complex databases and machine learning, and I was expected to understand it all enough to support it. Sure i was part of a team, but people go on leave, I get the on-call phone, I filled in for my manager on occasion, you have to know enough to be able to diagnose and fix things, and it's so. much. now. Things have moved so fast over the last 10 years, and the reward for being able to tread water, for being able to keep up? not more people to help out, but more work, more new technology to learn, in addition to the old technology. It was suffocating, it wasn't sustainable.

And i was dumb enough to think that changing employers would be sufficient. I moved state, found a new job, it paid more, only to find out that the work was worse. the internal documentation was incomplete and the team didn't want to answer questions. clients running systems that were 20 years old (and not supported)….and were planning an upgrade to a system that was 15 years old….and would still not be supported. And all that anxiety? It came back! with friends!

I found a 2nd job, working in IT / healthcare and it was terrifying. we have laws about how medical data is to be stored & handled and my manager told me "there's no laws about this", turns out he was also a sexist & a bigot too. That was a job that didn't see a need to have compliant IT and guess who's getting blamed when shit hits the fan??….well not me….not anymore. The only reason I was able to stay there as long as I did was that I was working part time for most of it.

I spoke to a number of people in IT over the last 2 years and the common theme is that they're all burned out, they've all been screwed by the pace of change or inability to enact required changes. And maybe that pace has been dictated by management not because anyone needed new things, but simply due to those things being new and shiny, or due to complacency. Maybe in other cases it was driven by consumer demand / consumption, maybe as a society we're destroying good IT staff for our own amusement so we can have the goods & services we want when we want them, on our schedule….I don't think I'm qualified to answer that.

But for all that IT has burned me, there are things about it I miss. I miss those times when computing was simpler, when it was easier to understand, when it was just a hobby. I miss being able to comprehend how things worked, rather than feeling like I was part of some cargo cult. I miss when IT was just a hobby and didn't have to understand laws for businesses around it and ensure compliance. I miss when IT was fun.

whoever said that making your hobby a job would make you happy and "you'd never work a day in your life" was lying. whoever said "just push through" never experienced anxiety / depression / burnout (or at least not in the way I did)

If i had piece of advice? If I can leave a message for myself to look back on? Know your limits, you're only human, don't try and push yourself beyond them & hit the wall. Know where that wall is & that it's ok to tap out if need to & you have the means. It's a lesson I had to learn over the last 2 years.

So what does the future hold? I want to go back to IT as a hobby, I can't see myself doing this as a career anymore. and in 2024 I'm going to study for a Library & Information Services Certificate, it'll be a change of pace / direction & should be a good career change.

If you made it this far, thankyou for reading, it's a serious first post i know. But it's been roiling around my head for a while. I should have some more light hearted things to post later

[flamboyantcuttlevawn]

I was a "gifted and talented" child, as they put it.

I frequently got report cards saying how bright I was, how much of a pleasure to have in class I was, although I had a habit of not having patience with other students who didn't grasp concepts as quickly as me, and I had a tendency to do my work at the last minute/ not do homework/ not show my working out.

They tested me, told me I was super super smart and moved me up a grade from year 5 to year 6.

Things they did not teach me: How to study. How to take notes. How to learn. How to try. How to try and fail and try again.

But I was "smart" enough to keep coasting through secondary school, even getting myself put up into advanced English classes, doing year 11 English when I was in year 9.

I got kicked out of year 12 before my senior exams. Because I just stopped going to school. Nobody thought to check why I wasn't turning up to classes (I did go to school most of the time, I just spent all of my time in the computer lab, chatting online). Nobody thought to check why my "pleasure to have in class" self was repeatedly getting report cards that gushed about how much potential I had if I just learned to apply [myself]. Nobody thought to examine why this "gifted and talented" student was so unable to do mathematics that they ended up in the remedial maths class across multiple years.

Did they teach me how to learn how to apply myself? Did they fuck. When I told them I needed help, they told me I had to try harder. They told me I had to apply myself. They told me "you should be able to do this" and left me floundering.

So I got kicked out without graduating high school. Didn't go to university. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up. Nobody sat down to work with me to help me figure out a career that would play to my strengths, and to help me learn how to apply myself and to learn how to do those things.

My entire career - if it can even be called that - has been a series of fortunate accidents from one point to another. The non-exhaustive list of jobs I've had in my life since I started working at 14 includes:

Fast food worker

Retail associate

Receptionist

Customer service agent

Newspaper classifieds formatter

Rail scheduling assistant

ISP Helpdesk agent

Financial services associate

Assistant account manager for corporate photocopier services

Individual & Micro Enterprise Tax Return assessor

Complaint entry & file management

Transcriptionist

Scheduling assistant for a major Electricity company

Administration support for governmental transport department

Client Experience Analyst for a financial software company

In my mid-30s I was finally diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, and there's a strong suspicion that I may also have dyscalculia.

I like the job I have now. It's interesting, it pays very well and I work with a lot of people I like a lot. But being "gifted" in school did precisely jack shit to help me get there. Instead it just left me scrambling to figure out how to cope in a world where people around me were taught how to do things earlier in life, and I was told that I should "just know" how to do them because I was "smart" by the metrics thrown at white suburban western kids.

people misunderstand what ‘gifted kid’ actually means but it’s ok it’s fine it’s cool it’s good