Fake It ‘Till You Make It: When an IT Professional Really Isn’t
As an engaged (and experienced) IT Professional, I participate in many different professional IT forums and groups. Naturally, I encounter (and assist with) all kinds of IT-related questions. Yesterday, I came across a particularly scary question in one of those groups.
I want you to read the quote below – and then re-read it.
"Advice please:
I am now the IT guy for 4 businesses with servers. All 4 are doing basically the same things. All 4 are sharing files in a shared folder. Two are using common software on the clients but that's about it. The businesses are small, 4 employees, 6 employees, 12 employees, and 16 employees. I am now getting more server business work. I've taken 2 college courses specifically for Win Server management a few years ago. I did that so I'd be more comfortable at the keys of a server. It has helped.
Here is the advice part:
What should I be doing to service these clients properly? Emailing logs to myself? Looking at specific logs? I do qtrly visits to 2 of these clients. What should I do and/or look for when I do my visits. How about best backup practices? I have setup two of these servers and the other 2 I have inherited. I am looking to be better at cutting off server problems before they happen. I just don't know where to look and what to look for? Thanks"
The quote above is a question that was asked by a “professional” IT consultant the other day on one of the support groups that I participate in. This question was asked by an IT consultant that was hired to support 4 different businesses. This was not a question asked by someone just getting started in the IT industry.
Another quote I came across:
"never put antivirus on a server"
Say what? The above quote was made to me by another “IT Professional” in response to some guidance that I provided to the person responsible for the first quote.
Scary, isn’t it?
As a business owner (or executive), are you sure that these aren’t your IT people asking these questions and making these comments? Do you need to be worried that your current IT person is asking these same questions? Do you even have an IT person available to you that can answer the hard questions?
Think about it, there are at least 4 businesses out there, right now, that are humming along – and relying on these “consultants” if things go south today with one or more of their servers. There are NUMEROUS other businesses that are all in the same boat and don’t even know it. Are you one of them? Even worse, are you a business that has no reliable IT support at your disposal?
Let me be clear – I’m not writing this article to disparage the people responsible for these quotes. I am, however, writing this article to make you think about who you have supporting your production IT environment – especially if you are a small business.
Small businesses are often more “at-risk” for this type of stuff because they don’t often have large IT budgets, nor do they often possess the in-house technical knowledge to ensure that the IT consultants they hire actually know what they are talking about. Heck, many small businesses have no IT support at all, even when it costs less than a few hundred dollars per month.
When choosing someone to support your IT infrastructure, it’s critical to ensure that the consultant you choose is knowledgeable and competent. Otherwise, you could find yourself up the proverbial creek without a paddle when things go bad. By following three key pieces of advice, you can ensure that the IT help that you hire can actually handle the job at hand.
Ask Questions
Before turning the keys to the kingdom over to an IT consultant / service provider, you need to ask questions. You need to ask about past projects that the consultant has completed. You need to ask about other environments the consultant has supported. You need to ask about certifications that the consultant holds.
You need to know that the consultant that you are going to be relying on can do the job – especially while under pressure.
Request an Assessment
A written assessment of your environment will tell you a lot about the consultant providing it. If you request an assessment of your environment (even if it costs you a few dollars), and your consultant produces a 2-page summary, you should be worried. On the flip side, if your consultant produces a multi-page document that’s professionally produced, and contains details and suggestions based on findings, you may have a winner.
Spending a few dollars on a proper assessment of your environment gets you a tangible product that provides insight into your environment, allows you to judge the consultant providing it, and is far less expensive than signing the wrong consultant to a long term contract.
Ask for Referrals
Asking for referrals should be a no-brainer. A solid consultant will invariably have past customers that are happy with his/her work. Ask for referrals. If a consultant / service provider can’t produce valid referrals, you have to ask yourself why.
Access to a knowledgeable, experienced, and competent IT professional, even on a part-time or retainer basis, doesn’t have to be expensive – nor does it have to cause you grey hairs when things start breaking. By asking the right questions BEFORE hiring an IT professional, you can ensure that you are getting what you paid for – and NOT someone that is visiting IT forums and groups, asking for remedial help.
Don’t have an IT support professional that you trust? Stop by and say hello.