one week to prepare for desktop support job

Wazzywasawoman

Reputable
Oct 10, 2014
3
0
4,510
I have one week to fine-tune my skills for a desktop support position. Looking for some quick tutorials (written or video), prep suggestions, tips on maybe some tools I need...etc.

What I know about it so far:
The network consists of about 150 users and desktops (all at one site), with about 75% WinXP and rest Win7, and I heard they might use Ubuntu for some desktops later. Most of the desktops are old and slow. Network uses VLan to separate departments, dell and IBM laptops, dell servers. I hear there are hardware vpns on several computers (or servers not sure how that works). There is a disaster of a server room with ugly cable management, and I might be asked to clean it up. The company is cheap, and I will be probably doing short-term fixes, cheap repairs, cable management, making and running cables, and terminating an old phone system myself. Training will be minimal because there is only one other guy, and he will be gone often.

Unfortunately this is all I know. My skills are pretty basic on the above tasks, and I know nothing of hardware vpn or VLan technology.

That being said, if this were you, how you you spend the next week preparing?
 

deadfish

Distinguished
Aug 5, 2009
130
0
18,710
Studying for certification every single day of my existence and praying <mod edit> doesn't go down.
Maybe get a definite answer as to what exactly are your responsibilities... and process for escalation.
If you are the "go to man for EVERYTHING"... you best step up your game. Ask what are the most common problems they have. Study solutions.
Didn't they give you some kind of evaluation before being hired where your skillset was?

Realistically, you could fake it till you make it.. as long as you got access to internet.. if that goes down.. and you are pointman for that... good luck!