The IT Hook-Up

On my first day of work at my current company, I was worried about a lot of things. For example, did my boss really care if a I took a whole hour lunch break? Could I go on Facebook without getting caught? Could IT read all my g-chat conversations? But my main concern during those first few days of being the newbie was if I was ever going to make any friends.

In my past work experiences, I hadn't found it that difficult to make friends. I'm not trying to brag here but it seemed my co-workers and I all had one thing to bond over and that was what we hated about work. As a camp counselor, we had all complained about not being able to play Hangman in front of the kids (I didn't know children these days were so sensitive). At my job as a hostess, it was the long hours for practically no pay. At my internship, it was my boss who we swore was a clone of the Devil Wears Prada.

At my new job though, no one complained. This was the real world. This wasn't an internship or a summer job cleaning tables or wiping mud off kid's knees. No, this was reality where you had to find common ground with your co-workers that didn't involve your hatred for your job because telling the wrong person could get you fired.

This left me friend-less for a few months until The Boss's computer started acting up and I met my IT hook-up. And not hook-up like you're all thinking. No hanky-panky was involved whatsoever. Get your minds out of the gutter! No, when The Boss's computer went whack-o on her and I was ordered to get it fixed while she was in her 2 p.m. meeting, I called IT. In walked my first work friend who I refer to as Buffalo Soldier.

Buffalo Soldier turned out to be Jamaican and as WG1 and I have mentioned before we are big fans of the island of Jamaica since we spent our senior Spring Break on the beautiful isle. So Buffalo Soldier and I already had common ground, which led us to a great IT relationship. He and I aren't the kind of friends that eat lunch together or grab drinks after work. Our friendship is strictly work-related but that common ground has led me to some great benefits. 

Which leads me to my great realization, making friends with the IT department is an absolute must. When you start a new job, don't try to make friends with people in your department the first day. Sure this is important for day two and three, but IT is where the hook-up is and therefore priority numero uno. 

Buffalo Soldier knows that The Boss is no friend of technology, so whenever she has a melt-down and needs me to fix something ASAP, I call Buffalo Soldier and he comes running. When the printer doesn't work, my IT buddy will deal with my whining until the machine is fixed. When I couldn't figure out how to use Microsoft 2007, Buffalo Soldier was there with a tutorial. And my latest IT hook-up? Last week all of upper management got new faster, cooler looking computers. When they had a leftover in the bunch? Yep, you guessed it. All mine.

Heed my advice. Make friends with IT first - they can make your life oh so sweet or oh so horrific.