| Information Technology is one of the most in | | | | Management needs to see the time you spend |
| demand fields in the job market. While being in | | | | performing your duties as well as other time you |
| demand, it can also be very demanding of those who | | | | spend after hours. Remember, most management |
| fill those roles. Stress in the IT field can be | | | | personnel do not fully understand what is involved in |
| overwhelming for many who find that they are | | | | maintaining system functionality. Assuming things are |
| underpaid, understaffed, and not appreciated. The | | | | running smoothly, any extra time spent by IT |
| experience also with end users can be less than | | | | professionals making sure the system is up and |
| desirable. Especially if understaffed, many end users | | | | running may go unnoticed. Make what you do real to |
| may perceive the quality of service to be less than | | | | them and try to help them understand why the |
| adequate. IT professionals certainly face specific | | | | things you do are important. Any documentation you |
| problems and challenges. What can they do to | | | | have that you can especially highlight in departmental |
| overcome certain job related stress specific to | | | | and management level meetings helps keep |
| Information Technology? | | | | everyone on the same page with any challenges or |
| Information Technology professionals in this day and | | | | specific work loads hindering progress. Documentation |
| age along with the economic situation that is | | | | provides powerful ammunition when it comes to |
| prevalent today find themselves very often | | | | justifying additional head count. Do not allow yourself |
| understaffed and underpaid for what they are doing. | | | | to become overly stressed just because the |
| Information Technology professionals are similar in | | | | appropriate head count is not available. Help everyone |
| function to maintenance staff. Many times, especially | | | | to understand also that time lines are impacted when |
| in smaller organizations or educational institutions, | | | | the head count is too low to cover the daily activities |
| other employees do not really see what information | | | | let alone improve system functionality and |
| professionals do on a daily basis and they definitely | | | | performance. Make sure your documentation reflects |
| do not see their worth until a system wide outage | | | | this. |
| occurs and business screeches to a standstill. Many | | | | IT professionals need to communicate with |
| companies do not see the need to fill positions | | | | management and supervisors on what is going on in |
| adequately especially if IT professionals are doing | | | | their "world." Helping management understand the |
| their jobs too effectively and efficiently. What do we | | | | business impact of system failures or performance |
| mean by that? Often IT professionals are so good at | | | | upgrades helps put what you do in perspective with |
| what they do, they can make it appear that other | | | | how they are accustomed to perceive effects on |
| positions are not needed because they are taking | | | | the business. Simply stating facts about the intricate |
| care of all essential tasks adequately. What can an IT | | | | workings of a system or performance numbers does |
| professional do to perhaps shed some light on a | | | | not translate to facts management can relate to as |
| situation of being understaffed? | | | | being important. Find a way to bridge the gap |
| Documentation is not a positive word to some | | | | between the technical aspect of the system and |
| professionals as many think about the grueling time | | | | how it truly affects day to day operations. |
| spent documenting technical details, audits, etc. | | | | Management will appreciate this and it will help |
| However, the type of documentation that certainly | | | | highlight areas of weakness in staffing, etc. |
| benefits IT professionals is documenting time. | | | | |