This is where I
work.
You know you're in a bad line of work when you've been here for a week and they already refer to you as an old-timer.
Help desk people are generally male, while the people that call are generally not. This leads to funny (ha-ha only serious) situations like "Why are you asking for my phone number," and the famous "Are you some kind of stalker?" You can almost smell the rejection perfume they are undoubtedly wearing when you ask for their number. That kind of thing makes me glad that I am not single, because I have a fragile little ego.
Unfortunately, there is little learning occurring at the help desk. This is kind of my own fault, I imagine. How, exactly, I am unsure, but it is my fault.
I suppose it could be worse. I have speakers, I can play NetHack, I can node, but otherwise I am devoid of hope.
Today I worked an 8-hour shift with no breaks, this includes my full-time college attendance. This is also the first year that I've had a job at the same time I've gone to school. I hope that this doesn't affect my grade, and I don't think it will, but it makes me appreciate weekends more and more. When you're unemployed, weekends don't mean quite so much.
I've answered plenty of mundane questions, and the lesson that I've learned in my first week of help desk work is that "There are no stupid questions, only stupid people who won't look up the answers to questions when they are right under their nose." Technology is not there to be feared, it is there to be used.
Thank god most people think we close at 5pm.
See:
helpdesk
help-desk
hell