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Topic: CXO

Slideshow: 10 dirty little secrets about working in IT

Summary: Jason Hiner spills the beans on the most nefarious aspects of working in IT. From bursting the bubble of newbies to explaining how techies cover their butts, here is the tell-all.

Jason Hiner

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If you are preparing for a career in IT or are new to IT, many of the "dirty little secrets" listed below may surprise you because we don't usually talk about them out loud. If you are an IT veteran, you've probably encountered most of these issues and have a few of your own to add -- and please, by all means, take a moment to add them to the discussion. Most of these secrets are aimed at network administrators, IT managers, and desktop support professionals. This list is not aimed at developers and programmers -- they have their own set of dirty little secrets -- but some of these will apply to them as well.

To view this slideshow as a list, see the companion article.

Photo credit: ©iStockphoto.com/subjug
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Topic: CXO

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8 comments
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  • RE: 10 Dirty IT Secrets #3...

    You have looked over the oft-time fact that all 'new ideas' are not 'good ideas'. Change for the sake of change isn't always the best course of action.
    mcherndon68
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Slideshow: 10 dirty little secrets about working in IT

      @mcherndon68

      #3 -- Yes -- it's about risk management. Fixing something that ain't broke with something that ain't proven is fine for stuff that isn't mission critical, but not for betting the farm on a risk of a beta technology. Sometimes the cutting edge is the bleeding edge. And sometimes wanting to learn, implement, and deploy the latest is great for the resume, but not necessarily in the best interests of the enterprise. However, the need to keep learning is always required.

      #2 -- This doesn't figure in the cost of bring in a new person just to implement a technology that is completely incongruous with everyone else's skill sets. But if the cost savings & solution truly justifies it, then so be it.
      voltrarian
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Slideshow: 10 dirty little secrets about working in IT

    Just because you can doesn't mean you should...
    Wirekat
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Slideshow: 10 dirty little secrets about working in IT

    I work for a company that purchased a desktop application but it's not the greatest and one of my co-workers kept telling the owner that it lacks important features, the owner got mad at the controller and said: don't ever ask me about buying a software again!!
    bApTizE
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Slideshow: 10 dirty little secrets about working in IT

    #11. You never have to actually respond to help requests from those pesky users. That's what that round thing on the floor is for. Is the user's computer actually on fire? Call Security and have them call 911, but to hell with the user.
    Vesicant
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Slideshow: 10 dirty little secrets about working in IT

    Since you are the tech guy everybody gives you all the things related to technology. For example, they'll give you their iPhones, Blackberrys, etc. so you set them up for them.
    RicardoMarval
    Reply Vote

  • Many people still think IT has one role. We are all interchangable..

    They wouldn't expect their pharmacist to peform a surgical procedure just because s/he is a medical professional, but when it comes to the "IT guys/gals" be ready to fix any and all problems you come upon that are even remotely related to technology. The line blurs even further for many and they expect us to be application level specialists and accountants as well, because....the app runs on a computer...duh!
    xuniL_z
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Slideshow: 10 dirty little secrets about working in IT

    i love the the #1. haha
    crazyhorsea
    Reply Vote
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