Nick Clark, IT Training Officer
I started work at Ince at the end of 2001 in the role of IT Helpdesk Analyst. Because we don’t divide the Helpdesk between first and second line the role was very open in its scope allowing me to deal with calls from the point of logging them through to their resolution, even if this might require an amount of project work to achieve.
In cases where I was unable to directly solve the issue I had the backup of an Operations Team (responsible for the network and communications infrastructure) and also the Senior Development Team (responsible for the software systems employed within the organization) that would either take over a call or give the support needed for me to find the resolution.
This last point is an important one as we operate in an “open-plan” manner when it comes to the sharing of knowledge. If we don’t know or can’t find something out, we ask and other members of the team are happy to explain the answer. This makes the department a great place to learn new skills and to build knowledge – especially as there is an ongoing investment in our IT infrastructure ensuring it keeps pace (and is often ahead) of others in the legal industry.
Having worked on the Helpdesk for a few years I became a Senior Helpdesk Analyst which gave me greater responsibilities within the team and I deputised for the Helpdesk Manager in their absence.
Aside from the technical aspects of the job, but just as important, is dealing with the User base. In this regard Ince is a great company to work for. The firm isn’t so big you don’t know who you are speaking to on the end of the telephone and more often than not, that person actually appreciates that you are trying to help them!
I found the interaction with the users rewarding and have now moved into a training role within the IT department. As such I’m responsible for the induction and ongoing training of the user base to make sure the most is being made of the available systems. I also carry out testing of new software and systems that are being rolled out and produce the documentation to support their smooth integration within the existing framework.
Although not a large department (currently 13 members of staff in