1. What exactly do you do?
- What field is your job in?
Healthcare - What is your job title?
Service Desk Analyst - Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for (size and general description of what type of organization it is)
My employer, HCA, owns mulitple hospitals worldwide. There are over 200 hospitals in the US. They employee 50,000+ people.
- How long have you been employed in this position?
Since 5/08 - How many hours do you work a week on average?
40 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
40 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
I work on the IT Helpdesk. I provide support to users with computer problems. I escallate issues that I cannot resolve myself.
- What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
35000 - What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
36500 - Please list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation, sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
3w vacation, 8w sick leave, Aetna PPO, MetLife Dental, 401k, MSA - Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
I feel that my benefits are exceptional
2. Work environment!
- Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
I work with a local staff of 14 and numerous telephone clients. The job is quite interesting. I enjoy providing support for clients, solving their issues can be a fun challenge.
- Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes - Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes - Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it
I work in a corporate office. We work in cubes. We use a telephone headset and a computer. I would say that it can be boring to sit in the same place all the time but the job is insteresting and I enjoy being in such close proximity of my colleagues when I need or give assitance.
- Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
- 1 Income
- 3 Work Environment - co-workers
- 4 Work Environment - supervisors
- 2 Benefits
- 5 Hours
- 8 Level of responsibility
- 6 The actual "work" you do at your job
- 7 Job Title
3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours?
- If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Get a degree or a lot of experience in Information Technology. Study for the type of things that would be on an A+ exam. Also recommend that you brush up on customer service skills.
- What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social skills, organization skills, technical skills)
They shoudl be technically proficient with MS Windows OS and other programs. In addition they should have a pleasant attitude. They should be able to deal with people who might not be in the best of moods. They should be able to clearly express themselves with people who may not be as technically literate as we would like them to be.
- Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes because you cannot provide good service without being knowlegable about the software and hardware we support. - What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Be friendly and confident. Make sure to take every opportunity to learn as you go.
4. How did you get your J-O-B
- How did you find your current job? (e.g. newspaper, internet, referral, etc.)
Newspaper advertisment - What was the application process for your job? (e.g. submitted resume, paper application, electronic application, all, etc.)
Sumbitted resume electronically through CareerBuilder. - Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail? (e.g., number of interviews, who you interviewed with, group interview, individual interview, etc.)
I had 2 interviews for this position. I was interviewed directly by my manager. - If you can remember, what questions were you asked at your interview?
What sort of customer service experience I had. What healthcare experience I had. How I handle people when they are not happy, how do I manage difficult situations. Recall a time when you did something you were really proud of. - Is this the job / field you planned to work in?
Yes - If your job is in a different field from your original plan how did you get here? Explain (Plan can be from high school/college/post college/personal plan)
5. Background: Are you qualified?
- Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
yes, we have electronic training sessions for the different applications that we support. after completing each module we were tested on it. - Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes, but much of my training actually came from past experience. This job expects you to have a certain amount of knowledge with regards to providing tech support and providing good customer service. - Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain
My education is a BS in Information Technology with a focus on Healthcare. I could not have chosen a better way to prepare for this position than having that degree. - If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare you for your job?
6. The Future and Beyond (FINAL SECTION)
- If someone were to observe you at work, what would he or she say is "fun" about your job?
That it's fast paced and creative. Our customers are generally very friendly and fun to chat with which makes it all the more pleasant. - What is (are) the most fulfilling aspect(s) and least fulfilling aspect(s) of your current employment? (e.g. fiscal, spiritual, type of work, hours, commute, compensation, etc.)
I enjoy a challenge. I like that I can solve peoples issues. There is an intrinsic reward that comes from knowing someone is pleased with the service you provide them. In this position I am treated like an expert in my field and I enjoy it. The least fulfilling aspect is that the job can be repeititive at times. Some tasks become repetitive and boring. - Is your current employment part of your career plan? Why or why not?
Yes because I see this as a steping stone to my ultimate position in Healthcare IT consulting. Because I have the benefit of being on the inside I have a sought after perspective to potential employers. - What are your current career goals? (Can be broad or specific)
I would like to work my way up through the company I am currently employed with into a clinical support position. This requires additional knowledge specific to certain applications that we use and also medical knowledge. - Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
I enjoy it. I am very greatful that while the economy is in recession that I have a secure job that I enjoy.
7. A Day in the Life Of...
- 7 am - 8 am
Arrive at the office at 7:30. Checked for voice mail messages from previous day. Log those messages into our call tracking tool then contact the callers and troubleshoot their issue. - 8 am - 9 am
Take phone calls and troubleshoot issues. Respond to emails and closed help desk tickets. I received approximately 10 calls during this our busiest hour. Most of these calls consist of users who have disabled their accounts due to incorrect passwords and I have to reinable them. - 9 am - 10 am
Continue taking phone calls from users. Follow up on the tickets I have already opened and referred to other areas of the office. This hour is much slower and I am able to take the time to log into peoples computers remotely and install software that they have requested. - 10 am - 11 am
This hour is more of the same. I tend to do a lot of software installations and troubleshooting. The majority of people's issues are really simple. In most cases our job revolves around operator error. In fact many times there isn't anything wrong at all other than the fact that people forget how to do something or are just impatient and don't wait for the computer to catch up with their activities so they think that there is something wrong with it. - 11 am - 12 am
Lunch - 12 am - 1 pm
- 1 pm - 2 pm
Take phone calls and troubleshoot issues. Respond to emails and closed help desk tickets. - 2 pm - 3 pm
Take phone calls and troubleshoot issues. Respond to emails and closed help desk tickets. - 3 pm - 4 pm
This hour is more of the same. I tend to do a lot of software installations and troubleshooting. The majority of people's issues are really simple. In most cases our job revolves around operator error. In fact many times there isn't anything wrong at all other than the fact that people forget how to do something or are just impatient and don't wait for the computer to catch up with their activities so they think that there is something wrong with it. - 4 pm - 5 pm
Take phone calls and troubleshoot issues. Respond to emails and closed help desk tickets. - 5 pm - 6 pm
off work - 6 pm - 7 pm
off work - 7 pm - 8 pm
off work - 8 pm - 9 pm
off work - 9 pm - 10 pm
off work - 10 pm - 11 pm
off work - 11 pm - 12 pm
off work