so, first off some background information:
Our school recently made a new rule that you need 100 hours of volunteer work to graduate. This can be either charity work or you can apply for the work experience program where they get you a job in a field you are interested in. I'm in grade 11, but I signed up for the work experience program so I can get it done before I have to compete with a million other people for decent placement.
so along comes company1. I called them up and asked for an interview. I met with the owner since it's a really small company and he was a cool guy. We talked about random crap and then he said that they were short staffed at the moment and that he'd be happy to have me there. I'm working mainly as a computer guy for now, but he's training me on how to do the other things they specialize in, telephone systems, sound systems, security systems and radio communications.
So I got in for my first day of work today, an 8 hour shift. I expected to be stuck with grunt work but he actually had me doing everything that he was doing, and if I didn't understand it i'd watch him do it while he explained everything.
Now, lots of the stuff I did today was security related and I had to sign an NDA so I can't really go into detail, but I learned the basics of setting up an asterisk PBX and how to integrate a security system into the network. Pretty neat stuff.
in the afternoon we want back to the 'office', which is really the guys basement, although its a huge freaken room. It's split up into two halves, first half is the employees desks (there are two guys who work in the office + the owner). Now, surprisingly they set ME up with a desk, two computers and a laptop. I don't get to take the laptop home though, it's just for when I need my files while i'm out doing field work with someone. My first computer is a beast. Brand new core duo with FIVE freaken monitors. Part of my job is to maintain networks that the company set at buildings. After I signed the NDA I was given a binder full of information about every network the company has done. This also includes a list of administrator usernames/passwords for about a quarter of the businesses in this freaken town. (including my school, har har). I thought that was neat. If something goes wrong with one of the networks I can login on my computer through some form of remote access (usually just plain old windows remote desktop, but linux systems have SSH and a few use VNC) and do what I need.
The other computer is for whatever I want really. It was just sitting around so they gave it to me. I was putting linux on it, might make a decent music server.
the only part of the job that i'm not too fond of is that when i'm in the office I have to play secretary. So I have a phone with a bazillion little buttons on it that I answer and say "[company] koharski speaking! how can I help you?" and then take notes and crap.
buuuttt I have to go have a shower. More on this job later.
okay, another awesome perk of this job is that I get free ******. The company only does commercial stuff, and lots of times when we're replacing old computers they'll just dump the old ****** with us. They sell most of the computers and stuff but if something cool comes along one of us scoops it. Like my brand new 22" CRT! Flatscreen! too bad it's like a mile deep though. I need to find a male-male VGA connector. Other times he lets employees resell stuff they get. For example, we recently purchased 30 computers from our supplier and they had a deal going on that each professional workstation gets a free 19" LCD. They shipped them seperate, and so a week after the computers are installed we get a shipment of 30 19" LCDs. Two of the employees bought 15 each for 1500$ and resell over the internet for anywhere between 200-300$.
Our school recently made a new rule that you need 100 hours of volunteer work to graduate. This can be either charity work or you can apply for the work experience program where they get you a job in a field you are interested in. I'm in grade 11, but I signed up for the work experience program so I can get it done before I have to compete with a million other people for decent placement.
so along comes company1. I called them up and asked for an interview. I met with the owner since it's a really small company and he was a cool guy. We talked about random crap and then he said that they were short staffed at the moment and that he'd be happy to have me there. I'm working mainly as a computer guy for now, but he's training me on how to do the other things they specialize in, telephone systems, sound systems, security systems and radio communications.
So I got in for my first day of work today, an 8 hour shift. I expected to be stuck with grunt work but he actually had me doing everything that he was doing, and if I didn't understand it i'd watch him do it while he explained everything.
Now, lots of the stuff I did today was security related and I had to sign an NDA so I can't really go into detail, but I learned the basics of setting up an asterisk PBX and how to integrate a security system into the network. Pretty neat stuff.
in the afternoon we want back to the 'office', which is really the guys basement, although its a huge freaken room. It's split up into two halves, first half is the employees desks (there are two guys who work in the office + the owner). Now, surprisingly they set ME up with a desk, two computers and a laptop. I don't get to take the laptop home though, it's just for when I need my files while i'm out doing field work with someone. My first computer is a beast. Brand new core duo with FIVE freaken monitors. Part of my job is to maintain networks that the company set at buildings. After I signed the NDA I was given a binder full of information about every network the company has done. This also includes a list of administrator usernames/passwords for about a quarter of the businesses in this freaken town. (including my school, har har). I thought that was neat. If something goes wrong with one of the networks I can login on my computer through some form of remote access (usually just plain old windows remote desktop, but linux systems have SSH and a few use VNC) and do what I need.
The other computer is for whatever I want really. It was just sitting around so they gave it to me. I was putting linux on it, might make a decent music server.
the only part of the job that i'm not too fond of is that when i'm in the office I have to play secretary. So I have a phone with a bazillion little buttons on it that I answer and say "[company] koharski speaking! how can I help you?" and then take notes and crap.
buuuttt I have to go have a shower. More on this job later.
okay, another awesome perk of this job is that I get free ******. The company only does commercial stuff, and lots of times when we're replacing old computers they'll just dump the old ****** with us. They sell most of the computers and stuff but if something cool comes along one of us scoops it. Like my brand new 22" CRT! Flatscreen! too bad it's like a mile deep though. I need to find a male-male VGA connector. Other times he lets employees resell stuff they get. For example, we recently purchased 30 computers from our supplier and they had a deal going on that each professional workstation gets a free 19" LCD. They shipped them seperate, and so a week after the computers are installed we get a shipment of 30 19" LCDs. Two of the employees bought 15 each for 1500$ and resell over the internet for anywhere between 200-300$.
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