“I work as a Network Engineer.” I still remember this conversation several years ago with my cousin-in-law.
He was a genius, and as he began to explain his job, many unfamiliar terms were used to describe his line of work. My eyes glazed over.
Working in IT, you probably have seen a similar look from friends or family who simply don’t understand what you do. They do not realize, that you are essentially the “backbone” of your company. While sales people are the front lines, you are hiding in the trenches, engineering, problem-solving, and creating safeguards/redundancies.
You do not get enough credit for your position, undoubtedly.
But I now know your secret. Without you, companies cannot function. One hardware malfunction, or short circuit could bring the day-to-day operations to a screeching halt. The larger the company, the harder the fall would be without your expertise.
Just 4 months ago I joined the team at Summit Information Resources, learning more about network hardware than I thought possible. When I saw my cousin-in-law at Christmas, it felt so rewarding to actually understand what he does for a living…. And he probably loved having a relative that understood what he does!
The craziest part is that I’ve only uncovered the tip of the iceberg. So, Network Engineers, and IT professionals, I tip my hat to you.
