Monthly Archives: March 2016

March 24, 2016

This week I learned how to create labels in my Gmail and how to change my settings to better organize my inbox. I can automatically put certain senders under certain labels by modifying the settings. This is really helpful for all the e-mails I will be receiving for not just work but also for my personal professional/social use. It really helps to have my e-mails organized so that I can quickly access important messages in my inbox.

Delegating is an important part of being a senior consultant. It may be difficult at times when the person you are delegating to is someone who is not just a fellow coworker but also a friend. As a senior consultant I should always maintain a professional environment and delegate fairly and properly. Regardless of what my relationship is with someone outside of work, I should always be professional and aware of my role within working hours.

ITSM is a significant component of our role as not just a senior consultant but also a consultant. It is significant for mediating issues to the proper specialists and also for record keeping. When creating an ITSM ticket for someone who has called the Support Line I must always take down as much information as I can and obtain their NetID, name, phone number, and e-mail address. This is a crucial part of finding a solution quickly and smoothly.

 

March 19, 2016

With Spring Break coming to an end, so marks the end of our original shadowing schedules. It is good to gain as much knowledge as possible by learning about different leadership styles/experiences. I feel like as the semester goes by more and more I am becoming more comfortable with support line tasks although I am only gaining access to just a glimpse of what is to come. I have been working on my Lynda workshops also this week during work. Spring break is the quietest I have ever seen the library and the SINC sites. I opened Main SINC site for the first time and it was a good experience because it was different from remote site procedures. Spring Break was a good and quiet time to work because all the shifts were in multiple hour blocks with barely any students coming and going. It is a good time to catch up on required Lynda Workshops.

March 10, 2016

One essential lesson I received this week was about the significance of the cookies and cache on our computers. When our cookies and cache get too full, the internet/programs can get glitchy. For instance, a student tried to submit an assignment on Blackboard but when they tried to press “submit” an error message would pop up. In situations like these, it is very possible that the issue is due to a full cookies and cache. You could ask the user what web browser they are using and ask them to try to switch onto a different web browser or clear their cookies and cache.

I also asked my first attendance quiz on SBconnect with my mentor’s approval and guidance. My question was “What is standard protocol for when you are running late to your shift?”. I asked this question because there had been an earlier situation in which one of the consultants in the morning made the mistake of calling the front desk instead of our supervisors about running late. I realized that the attendance quiz is a platform to attend to possible confusion about a specific policy or procedure and kill two birds with one stone.

This week was especially exciting because I experienced my first few support line phone calls. However, there was an unfortunate incident where I accidentally hung up on my first phone call as I pressed the wrong button to keep the user on hold. Thankfully, the user called back right away and I was able to apologize to her and continue on with resolving her issue. Her issue was that her professor had confirmed with her that her clicker was registered but her clicker poll answers were not being submitted. Through the help of my mentor, I was able to resolve her issue. Students make the mistake of submitting a clicker answer as a “message” instead of a “poll answer” and end up not get credit for their answers. This is especially easy to make mistake of with the new clickers that are being used for this year.

Another phone call I received was with regards to obtaining Blackboard access as an alumni. The policy for post-graduation e-mail and BlackBoard access is that you must request access within 200 days of graduation. E-portfolio access however is not denied past the 200 day mark. Users can request E-portfolio access by contacting them directly.

It was a great experience learning what it is like to interact with users through the phone rather than face-to-face as a regular consultant. It was a lot more demanding also because it required more specific areas of knowledge. Spring break is next week and I am excited to see what my new mentors will teach me and what new experiences will come next. Also, I am thankful for the guidance I received thus far because all my mentors are genuinely interested in helping me and improving my skills.  There are some great leaders in TLT!

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March 4, 2016

Guest Access and Printing

When someone requests for guest access printing, the first thing I must ask them is “Are you sponsored by one of our faculty?” If they are not, I must tell them that guest access has been stopped for our computer sites but I could try to put in an ITSM ticket for them. This is a new policy implemented to enhance safety and security within our school system.

Senior Consultant Interview Session Responsibilities

Senior consultants are responsible for evaluating the applicants and judging their potential. They must look for candidates that exhibit leadership skills is a team player and is eager to learn. Also, senior consultants are responsible for sharing their experiences and skills gained from being a consultant to the potential candidates.

Accounts

Users who need to create a UNIX (Sparky) or Lotus Notes account must come to the Main Library Sinc Site. They will be directed to the accounts terminal and one of the senior consultants can guide them through a simple process. The accounts terminal can also be used to change SOLAR passwords.