Module 10 Journal Entry

During my time in this internship, I have gained valuable hands-on IT experience that has strengthened my technical skills and problem-solving abilities. At the beginning, I was concerned that I wouldn’t know how to handle certain tasks, but I quickly realized that I already had the knowledge needed to complete most of the work that came up. Despite this, one of the biggest challenges was the complete lack of structured training. The hiring process itself was disorganized, with poor communication from the start. I didn’t even know what time I was supposed to begin on my first day. When I asked, they simply told me to show up whenever I thought was right, so I decided to start at 8:00 AM based on my previous job’s schedule.

From the beginning, there was little to no guidance. I was given my staff laptop, login credentials (both standard user and admin), and a charger. After logging in, they briefly introduced me to ClassLink, the main program they use, and then sent me to the high school tech office. When I arrived, I found a completely disorganized workspace in what used to be the library workroom. My first assignment was to clean out and organize the space, which took about three days. On top of that, I was handed over 30+ laptops with no clear instructions other than “get them in working order.” It was overwhelming at first, but I figured out the process on my own.

About two weeks in, I finally gained access to the ticketing system, which allowed me to start responding to issues more efficiently. By that point, I was very comfortable with repairing laptops and troubleshooting common IT problems. After about a month, I had worked through most of the backlog and started experiencing slower periods where there wasn’t much to do. The workflow varied—some weeks were steady, while others were incredibly slow.

I was hoping to be surrounded by people with vast IT knowledge and technical expertise. However, I quickly realized that I was the most qualified on paper, as most of the team had only received in-district training with no prior IT experience. I believe this played a role in why I received no formal training—management likely assumed I already knew how to handle everything. While I was eager to work on servers, networking, and administrative tasks (which were part of my job title), I was often discouraged from doing so. Higher-ups didn’t want me working on those responsibilities, as they were reserved for employees with two higher job titles. This was frustrating because I felt limited in what I could do, and there wasn’t much room for growth. The four other members of the tech department have been in their roles for 8+ years, making advancement within the district nearly impossible.

Despite the challenges, this internship has given me exposure to enterprise-level IT environments. I’ve learned how to navigate Microsoft 365 Admin Center, Intune/Azure Admin Center, print servers, and school-specific platforms like ClassLink, Clever, and FastBridge. Most of what I learned was through hands-on experience and self-teaching, as there wasn’t much guidance provided. This independence has made me more confident in my ability to troubleshoot and adapt to new systems.

One of my biggest concerns moving forward is job security. With the failure of the replacement levy, I worry that my contract may not be renewed for the next school year. Additionally, while this position has been a great entry point into IT, the financial impact has been noticeable compared to my previous banking job, since my contract only covers 180 days per year. However, it has been the perfect job to have while finishing my degree. It has allowed me to gain real-world IT experience, which will be invaluable as I apply for full-time positions in the field.

Overall, my internship has been a success in terms of hands-on learning and professional growth. While the lack of structure and job uncertainty have been challenges, I have gained industry experience and developed the skills necessary to transition into a more advanced IT role.

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