LinkedIn/Angela Felix
Angela Felix
Angela Felix loves her job.That may not seem unusual, unless you know what her job is. Felix is a tech support worker.
IT support is like the Rodney Dangerfield of tech professions. It gets no respect and is widely considered one of the worst jobs in the industry, something entry level people do until they can move up the ranks as quickly as possible.
There's good reason for that reputation. IT support people are the ones dealing with frustrated customers, who often yell at them during their calls. And the job is one of the lowest paying in tech too. On average, US tech support workers earn $36,000 a year, according to Glassdoor.
But there's a flip side to the job, said Felix, who works for a major insurance company in Arizona, according to her LinkedIn profile. Tech support work offers the chance to help people, she wrote in a post that went viral on LinkedIn, which she gave Business Insider permission to share.
"I had someone recently make a jab at my job title, calling my Help Desk Lead role a 'little beetle bailey help desk job.'
"It bothered me and I found myself trying to justify why I'm almost 40 and not in a management or director-level role in IT after 13 years. This is why.
"I love what I do. Do I like resetting passwords for the same folks every day? No. But I do love the sound of relief after I have. I'm grateful I'm the first person people reach out to when they don't know what to do. I like knowing people feel they can count on me to get the job done right the first time. I'm blessed enough to be trusted by my company with access to just about any application we have, and I'm thankful my team respects me enough to hang on for the ride. So...so what I have a 'beetle bailey help desk job.' At least I find value in people and not titles."
Felix's post has been liked by over 25,000 people and has received over 2,000 comments. Many have been gushing, like this one:
"You are an inspiration, Angela! It's clear you take pride in your work and that the people who contact you are treated kindly, professionally and competently. They are NOT just another number. It's also heartwarming to hear about how you have stayed in your position because you love what you do and you have not succumbed to the pressure to change jobs in order to 'move up the ladder' and land in a role that may not be as satisfying."
Or this one:
"Helpdesk function is very critical for any IT organization to make any meaningful impact of the services they provide to business users."
Or this one:
"You are the definition of success."