No two days are ever the same for ICT Systems Manager Andrea Walsh.
The post: ICT Systems Manager, South Eastern HSC Trust
The post holder: Andrea Walsh
Here’s how she became an ICT Systems Manager
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I first came into the health service as a universal placement student and loved the diversity of the role. When I graduated, I applied and was successful in getting a Band 4 post in ICT in the Trust where I was involved in desktop support, networks and system management.
Throughout my time here I have progressed up through the positions staying in systems management and have recently secured a band 7 position as Systems Manager and am responsible for the Trust’s Sharepoint, App-V, SQL and Single Sign On environments as well as the day to day running of over 300 local and regional systems.
What was your favourite subject at school?
At school I loved Art and of course computers!
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so, what did you study and where?
After my GCSEs I completed an Advanced GNVQ in IT in Downpatrick campus of SERC. On completion I went on to complete an honours degree in Software Engineering in the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.
How did you get into your area of work?
I always enjoyed IT right from school and got into ICT in the Health Service from my university placement year.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
Yes. I’ve always liked working with computers.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
I would say an ICT degree is useful but experience really is essential in this role.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
As I mentioned I went down the GNVQ route, many others have chosen A-levels and the traditional route is university and then work. We have had some NVQ students in ICT over the years and this is a great way into the job as it provides a wealth of experience.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
This job requires a lot of patience and understanding. It can be difficult dealing with under pressure doctors and nurses who are just trying to do their own jobs but are frustrated by systems and computers in general.
Many users have told me in the past that they aren’t computer literate, to which I respond, “well I don’t know how to take blood, so I think we are even!”
Another obvious trait required in this job is problem solving, sometimes issues are easily fixed and others not so much, it can often take time and a process of elimination to determine the root cause of an issue.
What does a typical day entail?
As expected, I get a lot of emails – many of these are generated by SCOM a tool we use to monitor our server performance, so it’s important to check that everything is running as it should. Faults are another part of day to day work for my team and I, if users have issues, they will log a call and we will attempt to resolve the issue.
On occasions this is escalated to me if the issue is severe or the team are unable to resolve. I also attend meetings on a daily basis with regards to projects for new systems which the varying services in the trust would like to procure and implement. No two days are the same!
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
The best part of my job is definitely the team I work in. We always get the work done but like to have a laugh along the way. ICT in the trust is a relatively small department split into subsections but when required we all rely heavily on one another to get the job done. Unlike some other businesses in the health sector, ICT is a constant 24/7 operation which poses its own challenges as everything is a priority.
Why is what you do important?
As we work in ICT, we obviously do not directly affect what happens to patients, however it’s nice to know that improvements, like Single Sign On, actually help our clinical staff and give them more time to treat patients. Our goal in ICT in the Trust is to enable our staff to better do their jobs, which is to provide them with the tools (equipment and systems) and to use technology to streamline their workflow in order to save time and ultimately give this back to the patient.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Work hard and be passionate about what you do – you have to like your job as you’re in it for half of each day. We have all started at the beginning answering phones, dealing with faults and creating accounts – use this knowledge to expand your experience. Keep developing yourself by undertaking ICT courses/qualifications and keeping up to date with the latest technology – new ideas are how we improve.
If you could go back, what is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Don’t wear a suit! ICT is a professional environment, but we are relatively laid back – smart casual is definitely the way to go.
Describe your ideal day off.
Going for a walk in Castle Ward with my husband, two girls and the dog and finishing off with some tea and a bun in the coffee shop.