WORK TERM REPORT 2020
first co-op placement at the Computing and Communication Services(CCS) at the University of Guelph.
Computing and Communications Services (CCS) provides central information technology (IT) services to the University community, including free IT support, University network connectivity, desktop support and so much more. One of the aims of CCS that really attracted me was to enable our community with technology to improve the quality of life. I was really excited to join the team since giving back to the community is something I always look forward to.
I was hired as an IT Technician where I had to troubleshoot IT issues daily in order to help clients. Throughout my job, I developed the ability to solve real-life problems efficiently and guide others on the right way to use various technologies. Besides learning to work with Linux, Windows and MAC operating systems, I have also provided hardware and software installation. Installing peripheral components, such as cabling, monitors, keyboards, and printers, following installation procedure was also part of my job. Performed full operational test for all software and hardware peripheral for each system. Manage and develop software packages through System Center Configuration Manager
There were a lot of situations where I had to dealt with several situations where I had to decide and execute my plan without complete information being provided. As technology is developing fast, I sometimes may not be aware of the new products in the market which was challenging to assess and make an accurate forecast. Before approaching to solve a problem, I have put my effort to know the root of the problem and then come up with an efficient way of solving it which contributed towards increasing efficiency.
I believe I am a transformational leader and I have tried to constantly motivate my team to work hard and efficiently and aim to align their passions with the organisation’s interest. I try to lead by example and inspire my team to reach both individual and team goals. At my work at CCS, I have mentored people that were new to the workplace and built a dynamic team with them. I have also Supported them with communication and technical skills as well as organization skills in order to increase productivity and efficiency of the team.
My experience at CCS has taught me to manage my time efficiently and in an organized way. Ranking tasks by level of importance was one of the hardest nuts to crack in the beginning, but slowly with time, I have learnt to train myself to identify and prioritise tasks. I learnt how to work on the most critical and urgent ones first and work my way through my to-do list so that other tasks got done as well.
Daily communication with my clients via telephone, email helpdesk tickets through footprints and in-person requests have taught me to communication both verbally and in written formats with different people in different situations and work as a part of the team. Handling unsatisfied customers professionally and in an empathetic manner was a challenge for me in the beginning, but over few weeks, I started to get comfortable and found it easier to express my thoughts. Inn my experience, communicating each decision that I made with others helped me to foster team building and positively impact the workplace.
I have always multi-tasked in my personal as well as my professional life. When I have many things going at once, it keeps me interested and builds the drive inside me to move forward. The reason behind this is, I find gratification in accomplishing more than less, so I prefer to take on a little more. During my experience at CCS, I have learnt to batch tasks so that I can focus on the similar activities at the same time. That way, I did not lose any time or focus when I switched my tasks. Also, I maintained a digital calendar to keep myself on tract and to prioritise tasks.
I believe every great achievement is a result of team effort. But it doesn’t mean that the members must share the same office or even talk together while trying to reach the goals. However, to me, it is important to share my ideas with my colleagues and hear the critical feedback from their side. I also like the social aspect of going to work and this keeps me highly motivated. On the other hand, if I am alone in front of the computer, I work as hard as I would if other people were present in the room, thing about problems and trying to devise solutions. For most assignments, I have found that having multiple brains working toward the same goal was very beneficial. Being a team-player, it has taught me to being cooperative, open minded and focussed on important aspects.
During my work as an IT technician, I have counseled youths, staffs and even professors to trouble any It issues. For this, I always had to stay up-to date by subscribing to journals and making time to look at them daily and see what’s popping. Besides, I have always maintained high levels of integrity in solving problems so that I can maintain healthy and any relevant boundaries in a professional relationship. Nonetheless, I have always valued and acknowledged the dignity and worth of a person while dealing with clients and co-workers in a responsible manner.
The past 8 months had been an amazing experience for me. Working in a team and collaborating to resolve client issues was one of the best experiences I have had. Learning to use footprints and System Center Configuration Manager was another amazing experience. CCS has helped me to understand how to control a large network of managed computer just by sitting at your desk. I hope I will have more opportunities to learn more about managing desktops remotely and troubleshooting hardware in the future. One of the key skill I have learned in the past 8 months is testing. Testing a hardware and software properly boosts the lifecycle of the product. I was motivated to do my best by receiving feedback from clients after completing my tasks, which helped me identify areas where I was weak. There were certain values that have helped me grow as a person which I am grateful for, because I would not have been able to have such an exciting experience without the team's communication. My communication skills were much polished thanks to my team members.
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Brian Thomson, my manager, for his continuous guidance and support. Additionally, I want to extend my deepest thanks to the people I met at work, including Jeff, Garrett, Bogdan, Mike and Simon, as they made the transition to the office life much easier for me. Lastly, I wish to thank my fellow team members: T.M Shamsi, Nadeem and Eddy. In the last few months, they have all supported me and I wish them all the best in their future endeavours. To conclude, I would like to extend my gratitude to my parents, siblings, and friends for their continuous support throughout my journey and I intend to work hard and make them proud of me.
