ThomasMason.org

I’ve been greatly enjoying my work lately but it wasn’t always that way. Since graduating college I drifted from job to job out of necessity. Fortunately it wasn’t hard to find people and places that needed someone with technical skills but I wasn’t always happy with the work I was doing. I’d say the main issue is that I wasn’t being honest with myself, and was working too many hours or working in situations I just wasn’t happy about.

The activities I’ve been doing lately to promote myself, such as updating my resume, filling out a LinkedIn profile, and writing on this blog have all helped me to reflect on the work that I’ve done. It showed me that I actually have a career, something I was previously unaware of, and taking that step back showed me I’d accomplished much more than I was aware that I had.

Seeing myself as a marketable tech expert with skills and experience makes me feel satisfied and makes me feel optimistic about what I’ll be able to accomplish in the future.

The realization that “working with tech really is working with people” has also helped tremendously. My focus at my job is on the people as well as the technology there. In the past I would think of the equipment I had to haul around or the data I had to sort through and kind of resent it but now I get to provide a solution to someone and it always makes them smile and makes their day a little better. It removes something unpleasant that they no longer have to deal with or improves their current situation. I may not be a philanthropist or a surgeon but, hey, I help people by providing tangible results and I make them smile.

It may sound a bit crazy but I also have a better self image as a result of contemplating the work I do. I’ve been thinking of myself as someone like Georgi LaForge from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Georgi mostly hangs out in Main Engineering (my home or my desk in the school library) but sometimes he’s needed to come to a location on the ship (a classroom) or the bridge (the front office) to solve an important issue. Sure, he’s down in Main Engineering toiling on the warp core or optimizing power conversion rates but you know what? He single-handedly saves the ship all the time. They call him in because he’s a pro. He’s the least replaceable crew member on the Enterprise.

By now you probably think I’m manic or have a big ego but I wanted to write this to share the feeling of satisfaction I have. It’s something I lacked in the past and I don’t think it’s optimal to resent the work you do. We’re not all bikini model photographers or surf instructors but I think it is possible for us to find satisfaction in our work and it’s a big boon to quantify and appreciate the value you’re able to provide others.

In 2003 I responded to an ad and was hired as an instructor for Eastconn, who needed someone to teach a class in Microsoft Word. It was a bit of a trial by fire since I had to just show up and start teaching. In the past I’d provided instruction to people in their homes, giving them private lessons while I fixed their tech issues, but this was something new. A group of people had paid good money for a class and expected me to make them competent!

It didn’t turn out to be as daunting and scary as I initially thought. People loved me. I had glowing, outstanding reviews. Teaching these classes showed me that I was very patient, friendly, and good at explaining technical concepts to people that lacked technical knowledge and ability. It all came down to communication and personality. My technical skills were not the most important thing, but rather my patience and understanding and ability to get across important technical concepts to people who were not technically capable were the things that mattered.

As long as I’ve been working with people and technology I’ve had people telling me stories where they’ve dealt with another “tech person” who wasn’t warm and friendly and who couldn’t explain things clearly to non-technical people. I’ve heard the story countless times: “oh, I’m so glad I found you! We tried getting this fixed but you wouldn’t believe how unfriendly this other tech guy was…”

People want their problems fixed, whether it’s a person using their home computer, a superintendent of a school, or a business owner. However, I don’t feel that fixing problems is good enough. The person I’m assisting should feel like they’re being taken care of. They should feel that they’re in good hands and that I’m trustworthy, prompt, and someone they can feel comfortable with.

Think of it like an auto mechanic. I go out of my way to bring my car to this guy called Karl. Karl makes me feel good. He’s not sleazy like the guys at some dealerships are. Other people take a long time, try to upsell me on tires or extra services, and leave me feeling unhappy, overcharged, and suspicious, but when I see Karl I feel content and satisfied. He’s prompt and if he recommends something extra, like having my tires rotated, then I feel comfortable following his advice because I know he’s not jerking me around. I don’t go home saying “Wow! Karl fixed the crap outta my car!” but it’s his character and customer service skills that make me feel good about doing business with him.

If you work with technology and you support other people then I think the same concepts apply. People are trusting you with their computer, their workflow, their status quo, their entire organization’s daily functioning, or their sense of comfort. That trust should be met with trustworthy behavior on your side of things too. They want to feel they made the right decision in working with you and want to feel comfortable, especially if they’re someone who’s uncomfortable with technology. People may say they want you to “just fix it” but there’s often a hidden truth that people want to not only be supported but feel supported, too.

It’s all about communication and personality. Can you provide solutions with humor, personality, integrity, and a warmth that brings about trust? That’s what makes the work you do important and distinctive to people and also gets you recommendations, clients, and good reviews. At the very least it’ll make your day at work easier because your coworkers will always have a great opinion of you and your work.

I argue that the way you provide support as a tech worker is highly important. Your tech skills should be up to par, but your communication and personality should be the best that you can make them.