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Graduate case studies

Graduate case studies
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Ian - 
IT Service Desk Supervisor

Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

About the job

Main responsibilities

Responsible for Level 1 Service Desk, incident management, request fulfilment, and recovery management.

Typical day

Supervising outsourced level 1 support team, defining processes for support ticket work, reporting on workflow and volumes, central coordinator for urgent situations.

What do I enjoy about my job?

Solving problems, building processes that improve situations for everyone going forward.

Challenging aspects

Situations with an air of conflict are frustrating, and it is a high-pressure role.

Why did this area of work appeal to me?

I enjoy problem solving, analysing something complex and explaining it in plain language, and challenging myself.

Skills/qualifications I use in my job?

Problem solving, written communication, IT experience and training

Training I receive as part of my job

ITIL Foundation (Standardised IT service framework)


Career information

Brief history since leaving University

Dartware LLC - Tech Support
Entry-level tech support role at a small software company

Bullhorn, Inc - Technical Support (Tier 2)
Senior tech support role as a software as a service company in the staffing field

FINEOS - Sr. Support Engineer
Senior tech support role at a software company in the insurance field

Homesite - Service Desk Supervisor
IT Support supervisor at an IT-focused insurance company.

Self-employed as a photographer and writer, on top of all of those position.

Where do I see myself in the future?

I would like to continue to grow my IT career, but my main interest is in transitioning to a creative career related to my photography and writing.


Advice to students

My piece of advice to students

Be sure to gain demonstrable experience along the way, alongside your education. What we learn by doing is also very important. That said, there's no such thing as too much formal education.


Last updated: 04 Apr 2013