Ethan’s career in technology began early – he helped at his dad’s IT business during the school holidays. His first ‘proper’ job in IT was at Birmingham Airport, ensuring computers at check-in desks and gates were fully operational. More recently, he landed in Cornwall and joined Aztek as a First Line Junior Service Desk Engineer.
It’s been an interesting and eventful change. He’s started an apprenticeship. He’s learning to drive (essential in Cornwall). And he’s got an unusual career/home setup that seems to work for him and for Aztek.
In our chat, we talk IT support, learning new skills, life away from work and a bit of a bombshell about Cornish beaches. You have been warned…
Behind the Service Desk
Hi Ethan. What does a First Line Junior Service Desk Engineer do?
Essentially, I’m one of the first people our clients speak to when they need support. My role involves taking support calls, gathering as much information as possible, triaging tickets, and troubleshooting a variety of IT issues.
Give us some examples of the fixes you assist with.
A lot of it might be helping a new starter – setting up their device, getting their accounts ready and linking them to the groups they need. It might also be issues with Outlook, a SharePoint set-up, installing an app, or fixing a printer that’s stopped working.
What sort of people skills are important for this role?
People often panic when things go wrong so, you need to be calm and patient in order to help them effectively. Good communication is also key, as you need to explain technical problems in a way that makes sense to people with different levels of IT knowledge.
Be honest – what do you wish people would sometimes do before they call you for a fix?
I’d never want to discourage people from calling us, as we’re here to make their day easier and help wherever we can. If I could ask one thing, it would be not to panic. IT issues can be frustrating, but staying calm and having details such as your asset tag or PC name ready can help us get to the root of the problem much more quickly.
Feel-Good Fixes
What’s the best thing about your job?
No two days are the same. Even when you’ve seen an issue before, there’s often a slightly different twist to it. I really enjoy troubleshooting issues, as there’s always something new to learn.
On that note, what’s the most satisfying fix you ever undertook for a client?
I had a client who had arranged for their calls to be forwarded to an external company over the bank holiday weekend so their customers would still be able to get support while their staff were away. However, the forwarding wasn’t working and calls weren’t being picked up. This wasn’t something I had dealt with before but I was able to identify the issue and fix it quickly. The client was very grateful, which was nice.
More Than IT
Tell us about Aztek. What’s the atmosphere like? And how are your colleagues?
They’re all horrible. [Laughs] No, don’t publish that! Everyone’s really friendly and we have a good laugh together.
It’s a very supportive environment. If you get stuck, there’s always someone willing to help, and I’ve learned a lot from the people around me. There’s also plenty of opportunity to develop your skills and take on new challenges if that’s something you want to do.
We also understand you’ve been getting a lot of career development support.
I am starting a Level 4 Network Engineering Apprenticeship. It covers different network setups, troubleshooting and problem-solving, and is going to help me build my knowledge and strengthen my understanding of networking.
I’ve also been learning to drive since moving from Birmingham. I never really needed to drive when I lived in a large city, but down here it’s definitely more important. Aztek has been really supportive with this, allowing me to work around my driving lessons. At the moment I’m fully office-based, but once I’ve passed my test, I’ll be able to drive the Aztek vans and visit clients on site.
Redefining the weekend
We hear you’ve also redefined the weekend.
Yes, I work on Saturdays and Sundays, so my “weekend” is Wednesday and Thursday. That means I’m off when everyone else is working. It has its benefits. I can choose the music I want to play, and because weekends aren’t as busy, I can catch up on anything outstanding from the week.
I also do some server monitoring at weekends, which has been a great opportunity to learn more about that side of IT. I’m responsible for keeping an eye on alerts and investigating any issues that arise, working to resolve them as quickly as possible or escalating them where necessary. I’m not always the most popular person if I have to call somebody on their weekend, though!
Cornwall’s Shortest Commute
You live above the Aztek Cornwall office. Tell us about your commute – and what it’s like living on top of the business.
[Laughs] It’s quite a long commute, to be fair – it takes a while to get down those stairs! Seriously, though, it does have its perks. On my lunch break I can go up to the flat and relax for a bit, which is nice. The downside is that you can’t really hide on a day off. I think the worst is when I order Domino’s and everyone seems to appear at the same time to say hi. I’m very popular when I’ve got pizza.
From Birmingham to Cornwall
How do Cornwall and Birmingham compare? Similarities and differences, please.
I definitely miss the variety of food options in Birmingham, but I prefer Cornwall’s quieter, more laid-back pace of life. I have been known to spend quite a bit of time indoors, but since moving down here I get out and about much more. My wife and I enjoy walks in Tehidy Woods or trips to some of the local beaches. Not actually on the beach, though. I hate the sand.
Hating sand in Cornwall? That’s a brave admission. So, what else do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I’m heavily into Warhammer 40k. I spend a lot of time building and painting figures for my army. I have a couple of friends who also play, so we sometimes get together for tournaments.
I really enjoy the fact that you physically build your army yourself. The end result feels like an achievement because you’ve spent time creating something with your own hands. As a bonus, everything you build can then be used in the game.
Meet more Aztek people
See our staff profile with Qasim Akbar, our Senior Project Engineer who leads IT projects, migrations and technology rollouts for our clients.
From IT thrills to coffee spills, he shares his journey into IT and what makes his role so rewarding.
