Pros
- It's a job - They pay for your certification exams if you pass. This is the ONLY reason to accept a IT Service Desk Rep position here. Take it if they offer. - It's a job - If you've been bought out by the company, you are usually given full time employment, which is very rare. -Really good benefits honestly, shame you have to be full time and that can be a task to achieve. - Great IT company if you aren't in Service Desk/Desktop Support. Like probably best company ever apparently. - If you are coming in on an acquisition, they'll give you your time earned at your old job....which is cool until you read the cons below....may not be the position your looking for. Also, you can apply for other jobs because you won't have the 1 year(!!!) waiting period for new employees. No certs, no play unless your special or you got in with another team during the merger. - Good for Masochists
Cons
- Entry level position, requiring you to study for certs. 2 year degree isn't anything to them. A kid out of high-school can handle what little you have to do here. Just phone support, and you'll be on passwords only for a while....even if you have 2-3 years experience in other IT fields and no certs. They think you can't pick up info on the job apparently. - Insanely overworked: 10,000+ employees but only 10-12 people handling calls on the Service Desk. The rest of the "OG" members have excuses to not be taking calls or providing services. Note the team is in the 22-30 person range at the time I was leaving. Expect 45+ calls a day and most everyone is angry/upset at their lives. -Middle of the road compensation, apparently dependent on certificates. -You have to wait a calendar year before getting - If you have been bought out by National General or affiliates. I'd recommend job searching and not falling for any of the "rah rah" speech you will be getting. But a job's a job, so don't quit until you have something better lined up. Some people will be happy of course, but if you are on a smaller team/company and can't be fit in anywhere, you will be assigned to Service Desk. If you have no certs you will be classified as a level 1. - Service Desk is the WORST POSITION in the company. Like IT Janitors/Complaint Line, every issue "is life or death" and you get no respect. You really don't feel apart of the company, you can't join in on company-wide meetings or festivities unless you live in the area. Truly you are there to do phone work and that's it, you will not build relationships with other teams/people at this position. Reaching out to other teams for professional reasons mind you, will actually get you a write up in this place if they complain to leadership. - You can't freestyle at all. What I mean by this is: If an issue comes in and you could potentially handle it....don't! You'll be written up, they'll make it a point in the meeting about going "off-script" and you'll just be more miserable going forward. "Trust the Process" forever and always -If contracted you can't work OT, but they'll make you some times. They will at give you time off the following week or something to make up for it, but it's always went they want you not when you can. -QA person on the team is insane. Unreal expectations, just ignore them if you get on the team, they do little of value.