Navigating the workplace can be tricky, especially for those in IT. The job involves being privy to files and network activity that employees often mistake as being private, so it is only natural for uncomfortable moments to ensue every now and again. The user-admin relationship can be personal at times, and interpersonal skills may or may not be a strong suit of many techs in the business.
Awkward moments come with any job. Here are 10 examples pertinent to the IT community.
10. Someone in the company suggests getting a Macintosh to avoid malware.
9. Complaining about a specific user over IM and mistakenly sending the IM to said user instead of the intended recipient. It happens more than you think.
8. When a high level employee has a misconception of technology and you have to either call him or her out on it, or deal with it.
7. You look at the server the wrong way and it goes down. Then the all phone calls…
6. Being shadowed by a c-level executive without a technical background because they want to know what you do all day.
5. Doing a data transfer and seeing a user’s stash of inappropriate files fly across the wire to the new computer.
4. Explaining to new sysadmins that clean clothes and daily showers are a work requirement.
3. Servicing a user’s machine, and being scolded for not returning the desktop icons exactly the way you found them.
2. When someone triggers the Web filter for looking at, um, illicit content. The higher up that person is in the company, the more awkward the situation becomes.
1. Having to know in advance a co-worker is being let go later in the day, and having to play it cool until the firing happens.
We would absolutely love to hear your awkward moments and workplace horror stories in the comments.
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