When did you work in IT support at the Department of Chemistry?
I started work in the Department of Chemistry in August 2020 and finished in August 2021. It was quite a strange time as the pandemic was raging on but that allowed me to find out how it is to work from home.
What were your main duties?
My main duty was to provide IT support to the members of the Department and to respond to and assign new support tickets to the right person or team. When there were no problems requiring immediate attention I would work on a side project, for example, adding functionality to an internal-use website.
What did you most enjoy when you worked in the IT team?
It's difficult to pick a single most enjoyable thing. I really enjoyed working with other Computer Officers. Every person on the team is extremely knowledgeable and I received a piece of wisdom from almost every conversation I had. I've never felt like it was inappropriate to ask for help or advice. I also enjoyed having our weekly meetings.
What did you find the greatest challenge?
One challenging aspect of my time at the Department that I do remember well was working from home during the pandemic. At first I was noticing only the benefits, but with time I realised how much harder it was for me to focus during my work hours and relax during off hours.
What did you learn working in the IT team?
I learned a lot about how Linux operates, greatly expanded my Python knowledge, improved my understanding of computer networking, and in general learned about various bits and pieces of technology.
When it comes to non-technical skills I learned how it is to work in a team of IT professionals, I learned how to deal with people when responding to support queries, I saw how to lead and organise efficient team meetings.
What are you up to now?
Right now I work as a junior Sous Chef in a greek restaurant in Cambridge. When I moved to study at ARU I started working in different kitchens around Cambridge. I realised that I quite enjoy it so when I got an opportunity to work as a junior Sous Chef I decided to give it a shot and see where it takes me.
