started first IT job and I am stressed and confused is this normal?

Question

First IT job, is the learning curve always this steep :(?
I started my first IT job Tues as a TSS and I am really lost, I am in my 2nd year of college and even though I have had several IT classes I still am lost. They ask me during my interview if I had ever worked with active directory or servers and I told them no and they still hired me and have been training me on it little by little for the last few days, and I am right now just following another TSS around like they told me to so I can learn the ropes.

But I feel like I will never remember all the passwords or which server is for what, also I feel like I'm just standing there at times and not really helping them much because I don't really know what to do.

Are all of these just common fears of a new job and am I just trying to get into to big of a hurry by trying to learn to much to fast. The boss said I am doing good and to just keep doing what I am doing and when I feel comfortable I can just jump right in, but I really think that I am not impressing them much.

Any thoughts

Answer 1

Heh,
I stumbled in to my first sys admin job after having just received an A+ cert and nothing else! It is four years later now, and every day I am sgtill learning some nifty trick. I can also say that I was competent to run the network inside of six months. It has all been gravy from there.(except friggin DNS... Gah! DNS...)

Yeah, try to relax, even though you can't. Carry a note-pad, focus on the big picture rather than the details about passwords, IP addresses, DNS, Stars Trees, and Rings, File and App servers, all that stuff is clutter for now. That's what books are for. Try to see the network, it's purpose, and how it could fulfill that that purpose.
These things in the end are not a jumble of confusing parts. At some point, sooner than you think, something will click, and you will see how it all strings together.
The learning curve is high for any new network. They tend to do approximately the same things, but in very very different ways.

You'll be a senior architect in no time.

Answer 2

This is a normal feeling. You have to remember that classes in school or college teach more on theory. Your new job and co-workers understand this.
The thing to do is take notes, ask questions, and keep applying yourself. One day it will just all of the sudden just "click" and you will start understanding.
You see this is your testing period right now. Can you handle the stress? This is why you feel overwhelmed.
Are you a self-starter? That is why you were told to jump in when you feel comfortable.

Just keep going, and hang in there. Someday you will be the one showing the "new guy" around and will remember your first day on the job and smile.

Answer 3

All new jobs are the exact same with one difference for you. Google is your best friend and remember you can always surf online to groups such as experts-exchange and other IT related forums for tips and tricks. As to the passwords, I am the backup IT person at my company so I don't have all the passwords all the time and we change everything every forty days. I typically keep a post-it affixed to the back of a cc with enough ambiguity that no one knows what it is if it was ever lost.

Answer 4

This sounds quite normal and it's very common to get stressed out in IT, especially when you're inexperienced.
As you're working with Active Directory, then you're obviously working with Windows systems and likely a Systems Administrator. Start studying for your Microsoft MCSE and you will really learn a lot from that, plus have a great certification at the end.

Answer 5

dont stress out. this is just the adjustment period. its normal to get confused at times. you will do good if you are already well adjusted to the job. make each day as a learning experience