Hey there. I’m your IT department.
No, not part of a team. Not “one of the tech guys.”
Just me. One human. One coffee-fueled, semi-burnt-out digital janitor holding this entire circus together with duct tape, Google searches, and sheer panic.
And let me tell you: being a solo IT admin? It’s the most gloriously underappreciated, stress-inducing, caffeine-powered, thankless job on the planet. But hey, who needs gratitude when you have constant system alerts and passive-aggressive printer errors, right?
Welcome to My Life: Chaos With a Side of “Can You Just…”
Let me paint you a picture. You walk into work, ready to start your day. You hit the power button on your computer.
It turns on.
Your email loads.
You connect to the internet.
You print that 47-page report.
Everything works perfectly.
You smile. Life is good.
Meanwhile, I’ve already:
- Blocked three phishing attempts,
- Restarted a frozen server at 3 a.m. from my phone while half-asleep,
- Found a workaround for software that definitely predates YouTube,
- And reset Greg’s password for the fourth time this week (Greg, buddy… write it down. Somewhere secure. Please.)
Did you notice any of that?
Of course not. That’s the job.
It Only Takes One “Little Issue” to Ruin My Week
There’s a special place in IT admin hell reserved for the phrase:
“Hey, real quick… do you have a sec?”
Spoiler: I never just “have a sec.” Because your “quick” request is actually:
- A 90-minute printer troubleshooting session,
- A firmware update last touched during the Obama administration,
- And a machine running 37 Chrome tabs like it’s a NASA supercomputer.
But sure. Real quick.
I Don’t Just Turn Things Off and On Again (…but it does usually work)
Yes, rebooting solves like 90% of problems. Yes, that’s often my first suggestion. No, that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing. It means I’m a highly skilled professional who understands the ancient, sacred art of “just restart it.”
I’ve been asked to:
- “Hack into” a Google Doc someone forgot the password to (???)
- Make the Wi-Fi “faster with one of those codes” (???)
- Fix a mouse that wasn’t plugged in
- Explain why a laptop won’t charge when it’s not connected to power (you already know the answer)
But yes, by all means, suggest that I turn the building off and on again.
I Am the Firewall, the Helpdesk, the Patch Notes, and the Light
Being a solo IT admin means you are literally everyone.
The helpdesk? That’s me.
Network goes down? Still me.
Suspicious email from “Amazon” asking for bank info? Yep—also me.
The printer hates you? Join the club, I’m president.
It’s like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle… on a tightrope… over a pit of outdated drivers.
Do I Love It? Weirdly, Yes.
Yeah, I rant. I sass. I threaten to quit at least once a month (usually on Patch Tuesday). But honestly? There’s something weirdly satisfying about being the go-to fixer. When I solve a problem no one else could, or stop a cyberattack before it hits—chef’s kiss.
Also, let’s be honest: I get to drink absurd amounts of coffee and call it “critical support fuel.”
No one questions the person rebooting servers with a latte in hand. It’s science.
So yes, this is a thankless job.
And yes, I’m probably one “printer jam” away from faking my own death.
But until then—I’ve got coffee, a stable(ish) network, and a reputation as the person who makes the magic happen.
Sincerely,
Your Entire IT Department (Me)
Still waiting for someone to refill the coffee pot. It’s fine. I’ll do it. I always do it.
If you work with a solo IT admin, go give them a thank you. Or coffee. Or both. Mostly coffee.