Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies

Chapter 8

Working for a Company

In This Chapter

• Understanding the corporate hierarchy and your place on the inside
• Getting a handle on Agile
• Deflecting or leveraging difficult situations to work for you

This chapter, which is really part one of two chapters, covers working for a company. The next chapter discusses IT help desk people who do not see their clients, which is diametrically opposite of performing help desk functions in a company.

When working inside of a company, you directly interact with your charges, an environment that has its own, unique atmosphere.

Welcome to the Jungle

Working as an engineer to provide technical support for a company is different from a consultancy. When consulting, you are an external service provider, which shields you from most office politics. You provide expertise as a trusted advisor and perform tasks that are requested of you, but you aren't a part of your client's organization.

When working for a company, you are an employee, and, as such, you are a member of the hierarchy of that organization. You are fully exposed to the ins and outs of the company and whatever office politics are at play. Unless you are a senior employee, you will not likely be considered a trusted advisor, but you may have opportunities to prove your worth.

In this section, I talk about how organizations commonly arrange their operations, the kinds of tasks you may perform, and ways to make yourself an asset. While I can't make any guarantees, you should do well ...