A friendly pair of machines

So, this week was the last week of my traineeship. It’s all over now. This year really has been such a good experience, in so many ways. Not only did I get to try out working in IT, but I got practical experience in a range of areas, I got a qualification to go with it, and I had a generally good time doing it. I’m really happy that I did it and proud that I got through the Cert 3, and I think what I’ve learnt this year will serve me well going into the future.

Next year, like many other people my age, I’m going to uni. However, unlike many of them, I’ve got a full year of work in my interest area under my belt. And from that I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and experience. I’ve gotten to do a lot of things this year which have taught me so much. I’ve done things like disassemble and reassemble desktops, as well as various Dell laptops. I’ve written user documentation, kept device damage and fault logs up to date, and constructed and administered a survey, as well as writing up a summery of its results. I’ve learnt how to interact and provide employees and clients with help and advice, and how to troubleshoot problems. I’ve learnt all the most common faults and flaws with iPads, netbooks, notebooks, desktops, and even a bit about iMacs. I learnt about the importance of warranties, colour-coordinated cabling ,and running diagnostics. I’ve picked up numerous little tips and tricks for all sorts of situations, from data recovery to dealing with customer support. Being a tech-head it might sound strange but, I think I’m a lot more confident with technology now than before. I’m more aware of exactly how it works, and am willing to give it a go, and I have an idea of what to do if something goes wrong.

Much of my new knowledge relates to hardware and comes from a practical approach, because this was the main area of focus in my job. This is probably quite the opposite of what I’ll be covering in my course at university next year, which is more focused on software and theoretical structures. But that’s a good thing. I had an inkling this would be the case when I signed up for the traineeship, and it drove me on because it was a way for me to get some exposure that I wouldn’t have otherwise, from an angle that was important and different. It also means I’ll have an broader understanding than many of my peers, and there may even be parts of the course that I already know, thanks to my experience and the Certificate 3 in IT I completed this year. Technically, this was a gap year, but it seems like a much more useful way to spend a gap year than most, and I feel more ready to start uni now than before, with a bit of wisdom under my hat.

Having said all that, there are a few people I need to thank for making this year what it has been. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to have such a good experience in the first place. So first I’d like to thank Mr Chief and the Professor, and even the Big Bosses: You were all so welcoming and helpful, getting me up to speed early on, and teaching me throughout the year. Your advice and guidance has often helped me out of a corner, and taught me a lot.  And although you didn’t always have time for me, and often did and said things that were rather contradictory to each other and somewhat confusing, I thank you for everything you’ve done for me this year. It’s been great and I hope to keep in contact. To all the employees and clients at the House: Thank you also for being so open to me, and for always suppling me with a plethora of issues to fix, to expand my knowledge. It’s been great trying to sort out your problems, even if some of you were a bit snooty, rude and impatient. To my parents and family: Thank you for your continued support this year, especially when I was finding the whole thing a bit stressful, frustrating and/or uncomfortably alien. I love youse and I owe you so much. And lastly, since I’m thanking people, I’d like to thank you, my audience, my readers: It’s not related to the traineeship, but I’d like to thank you for reading this, and any of my other posts you’ve read. It’s been a great experience to write this blog all year, and while I was pretty motivated to post every week, knowing that there were actually people reading my posts has given me just that little extra kick that has made me determined to achieve my goal. 1 week to go!!

Also, if you haven’t yet (and nearly no-one has), could you please go to my post from a few weeks ago and fill out my blog survey. It’s only 6 questions long, and it’ll take you a few minutes. I really want to get a feel for where I should be taking my blog, going into next year and the future…

So, what did you think of all that? What have you been up to this year? As always, if you have something to say, like a response or a blog topic suggestion , feel free to tell me in the comments below, or on the Facebook fan page.

To Infinity and Beyond,

Nitemice
P.S.

Merry Christmas!!

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