Job Title?

[sdow81]

Sorry if this is the wrong area, but I work as an I.T technican, I was wondering when it comes to making a C.V whether I could put down more than 'I.T Technician' to sell myself? I carry out the following tasks in my job:

I work alone in a school managing one server and 110 workstations. My job is to assist users, Backup and maintain server, maintain, update and repair client workstations and printers, add new users to active directory, add workstations to the domain, install software and hardware on server and client workstations. Troubleshoot any networking problems, purchase new hardware and software, maintain licenses.
That's all I can think of that I do at the moment, but there's probably a lot more!

I have an HND in Computer Technical Support, this is the first job I've had. (I was certainly thrown in at the deep end! lol) Although I manage the server, the only areas i'm really confident in, are adding users to active directory, assisting users, maintaining client computers and printers. I hardly know anything about IIS, Exchange, ISA, DNS etc. But I just kinda manage to 'figure it out' whenever a problem occurs!

Thank You

 

[kHz]

You put down whatever title your employer calls you. That way when future potential employers call your current employer and ask about you being the "IT Manager" and you former employer says you were an "IT Technician" you are not caught in a position of explaining job titles.

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> I was wondering when it comes to making a C.V whether I could put down more than 'I.T Technician' to sell myself?
Well, you certainly could, but more importantly, should you?

I don't think so for several reasons. First, if your intension is sell yourself, then you shouldn't misrepresent yourself. Second, it's not you who decides what your job title is, it's your employer. Third, the job description is more important then the job title. There is nothing wrong with an IT Technician who as part of the job, manages servers and the IT environment.

Finally, it's simply not that important. It's highly unlikely that you'll ever get hired based on a job title. You will be judged by your education, experience, professionalism, and presentation.

The first impression of your professionalism will not be your job titles. Rather than worry about the job title, I would make sure that your CV is well-written.

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[grande]

(What's a CV?)

-------------------------
Just call me Captain Awesome.

 

[kHz]

Curriculum Vitae

Here in the good ol' USA it is mostly used for professional positions like college professors, doctors, etc.

But I am guessing the poster is from Great Britain were they use CV instead of resume, and I would suspect that is true in all or most of Europe.

 

[sdow81]

Thanks for your replies. I agree, you are right about the description being more important than the title.
I just thought that since it is known to 'up' your C.V eg a checkout assistant is a 'sales representative' or something like that. That I should make my title look 'better'. Not that i'm saying an I.T Technician is not a good title

Yeah I'm from Scotland, we use C.V over here

 

[svanels]

I work alone in a school managing one server and 110 workstations

I would say you are the IT manager , at least you have to manage a lot of things. Jokes aside the title is not that important, your CV should give a description what are your responsibilities, capabilities and your experience.
Looking at your mini "CV" the following "job areas" come in mind as reference material to develop a full blown C.V

1) Network administration
2) Hardware support (somebody has to repair the stuff)
3) Application support (I bet your antivirus toolbox is the most used one) these poor computers are torn apart by inventive kids
4) Helpdesk
5) Management (at least you have to buy, from specification, evaluating bids resulting to purchase and installation)

Your working environment tells a lot about the skills you supposed to exercise to keep things running.

Steven

 

[aarenot]

You might want to pursue a title change if you feel it does not reflect your responsibilities. Also, if you have responsibilities beyond your title and experience, you might want to see if the employer might cover the cost of some more training for the server end.
You know your workplace better than I, so use discretion in your requests.

 

[kHz]

Is Great Britain and United Kingdom interchangeable? Is it just preference in which to use? I would assume saying GB or UK would encompass England, Scotland, N Ireland, and Wales. With each of those being independent countries. Or are England, Scotland, N Ireland, and Wales like states (e.g., Ohio, New York, Illinois, etc.) in the USA and all of them combined make the UK whereas all 50 states make up the USA?

I know its not a histroy or geography forum but am curious of the names GB and UK and the association of all of the countries that make it up.

 

[cyberspace]

On a purely geographical note:

GB/UK are indeed interchangable.

England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are seperate countries, not states like in the US.

These countries make up Great Britain/United Kingdom

Don't ask why we have so many names!!

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[kHz]

So was the UK developed for defense reasons like NATO for the defense of the west from the former Soviet Union? Or was it developed to benefit commerce between the countries making up UK, and there is only one denomination of currency (pound)? A combination of both? Could Scotland, for example, then refuse to join the European Union since they are an independent country?

At least Wales can claim Catherine Zeta-Jones!

 

[damber]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles_(terminology)

http://ned.ucam.org/~sdh31/misc/uk.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire

A smile is worth a thousand kind words. So smile, it's easy!

 

[kHz]

Thanks for the links, that was extremely interesting.

I wouldn't want to be the social studies teacher in the UK trying to explain that to 7th graders!

 

[sdow81]

I've lived here all my life and didn't know half of that! lol
In GB or UK (whatever you want to call it, I'm not fussy) I think each country likes to be recognised on it's own. There is nothing more annoying than when people think that England is Great Britain..it's only part of it. I once had a letter delivered from a friend in the States, they put Scotland, England on the envelope!

 

[kHz]

Maybe your friend lived in Indiana, Pennsylvania (yes, that is a city in Penn.) and got confused .

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are seperate countries, not states like in the US.
Are they countries, or are they nations?

--------------
Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[sdow81]

They are countries

 

[aarenot]

Correct me if I am wrong. England conquered these countries, or seized power politically(through their monarchies), historicaly?

You do not always get what you pay for, but you never get what you do not pay for.

 

[SteveGlo]

ooh ooh !

"England conquered these countries or siezed power...."

Many Scottish and Welsh nationalists might well agree

but that was a long time ago and on the other hand many English people believe the latterday take-over of England by Scottish members of parliament, Royals etc is just as intolerable.

By and large we (Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, The Channel Islands, etc) get along okay on the individual level, we just hate each other at the national level at football and rugby matches and when we are drunk)

 

[johnstrang]

For clarification:
sdow81 wrote

In GB or UK (whatever you want to call it, I'm not fussy)

GB = Scotland, England and Wales
UK = Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland