What to Do When There's Nothing to Do - IT Version ...
Life in the IT department is never, ever slow. Well, sometimes it is slow. But it is pretty rare, that is why this is going to be a short entry. And it is going to cover something that I do not have much of: free time at work.
Free What?
If you are an employed IT professional, then chances are you don’t have alot of “free” time. What with email servers freaking out, users suffering passwords amnesia, and workstations summoning the devil due to bad Windows patches there is already plenty to do.
Still, there are those rare moments when you find yourself with all the helpdesk tickets covered and no one setting fire to VoIP handsets. These rare occurrences are often ironic holiday gifts since those are the times when there are the fewest coworkers in the office. Those are times when you just might find yourself with time on your hands.
The List
Look, let’s be real for a minute: I’m in a rush and you are too. I could never write down a list of all the things that you could fill your time with in the IT department. I mean, the list is nearly endless, but that doesn’t make it any easier to pick WHAT to do when you find yourself with a spare half hour.
Never fear, this list is here! And even though it isn’t exhaustive, it might remind you of something you’ve been meaning to get around to. You know, for like the past year or so.
Check default passwords
Server reboots
Server patch status
Update workstation software
Check network password policy
Confirm backup integrity
Check asset records
Donate old tech
Update the DRP
Clean out old AD records
Print and Pin
So, are you going to remember this in 10 months when everyone is out of the office, spending the holidays with their families? Pft. Of course not. So, do yourself a solid and maybe make a print of this and pin it on your wall. Cross off these to-do items as you knock them out over the months.
If nothing else, it will give you something to refer back to when it is time for that idiotic annual review ritual so you can list your great achievements that your predecessor never had time for …
