Just Another Day at the Shop: From Small Business to College IT

In the fall of 2012, I closed the doors of my computer service and repair shop and started working for Carleton College as a Computing Support Specialist stationed in the help desk. Though the client base I supported increased tremendously and my title and responsibilities changed, at the end of the day my goal was still the same: provide end users with the best technical support in town. In this paper I will examine how the skills gained and lessons learned running a small IT business (interrupt driven time management, customer service as a way of life, and Murphy's Law as a constant) can be applied to the unique demands of IT in higher education.