CAREER DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY Tell us about your role as Helpdesk Manager - what does it entail? At Prima Solutions, the Helpdesk Team are the first port of call for our customers that have gone live with PrimaNet, with many customer relationships being built by the Helpdesk. As Helpdesk Manager, I manage our customers' expectations and calls that come through, in terms of managing their queries and concerns by assigning calls to the Helpdesk Analysts based on their individual skill sets and experience. I also look after the team members in terms of their career progression and making sure they get the most from their role, by holding weekly meetings with each of them to review and develop their Personal Development Plan. Tell us about your background and education Unfortunately I wasn't "mature" enough to study straight after my GCSEs and therefore fell short of the mark in my A Levels (though I'm doing pretty well in hindsight!). I got a job with the Health Service as a Senior Finance Assistant, before moving on to become a Prescription Analyst, although there was little room for career progression. Furthermore this wasn't an IT-based role, whereas I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in IT but I needed qualifications, as it was tricky to get my foot in the door without them. To combat this, I went to college and studied a GNVQ in Computing, before progressing to study a degree in Computing at De Montfort University. Why did you want to work at Prima Solutions? I liked the idea of providing software application support, as I knew that I didn't want to be involved in hardware and building computers. In my previous role as a Prescribing Analyst, I was looking at trends in prescribing and each day was different with great variety, which was similar to the wide-ranging Helpdesk role at Prima Solutions. ANDREW CLANCHY HELPDESK MANAGER “Of all the soft skills and IT knowledge I’ve gained so far, I owe it all to Prima”
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CAREER DEVELOPMENTCASE STUDY
Tell us about your role as Helpdesk Manager -what does it entail?
At Prima Solutions, the Helpdesk Team are the firstport of call for our customers that have gone live withPrimaNet, with many customer relationships beingbuilt by the Helpdesk. As Helpdesk Manager, Imanage our customers' expectations and calls thatcome through, in terms of managing their queries andconcerns by assigning calls to the Helpdesk Analystsbased on their individual skill sets and experience. Ialso look after the team members in terms of theircareer progression and making sure they get the mostfrom their role, by holding weekly meetings with eachof them to review and develop their PersonalDevelopment Plan.
Tell us about your background and education
Unfortunately I wasn't "mature" enough to studystraight after my GCSEs and therefore fell short of themark in my A Levels (though I'm doing pretty well inhindsight!). I got a job with the Health Service as aSenior Finance Assistant, before moving on tobecome a Prescription Analyst, although there waslittle room for career progression. Furthermore thiswasn't an IT-based role, whereas I knew that I wantedto pursue a career in IT but I needed qualifications, asit was tricky to get my foot in the door without them.To combat this, I went to college and studied a GNVQin Computing, before progressing to study a degree inComputing at De Montfort University.
Why did you want to work at Prima Solutions?
I liked the idea of providing software applicationsupport, as I knew that I didn't want to be involved inhardware and building computers. In my previous roleas a Prescribing Analyst, I was looking at trends inprescribing and each day was different with greatvariety, which was similar to the wide-rangingHelpdesk role at Prima Solutions.
ANDREW CLANCHYHELPDESK MANAGER
“Of all the soft skills andIT knowledge I’ve
gained so far, I owe it allto Prima”
Tell us about your Prima Journey
I began working at Prima in 2005 which was my firstIT-based role, and I was brought in to specialise in theOpenAccounts application. After a couple of years, Iwas comfortable with the OpenAccounts softwareapplications, which allowed other members of theteam to move into different product areas to createflexibility within the team. At the same time, theresponsibility I was given with calls was also rampedup. Come 2008, I began looking into otherapplications such as Product Development, tobecome to lead specialist of Product Development inHelpdesk, followed by Business Objects incidents acouple of years later.
In 2011, I became a Senior Helpdesk Analyst and wasmore involved in peripheral tasks by assisting withcustomer conference calls and internal updates at atime when the Helpdesk saw significant growth andwas transferred to a bigger office space. By 2012 I wastaking on management responsibilities in themanager's absence, by leading conference calls andmeetings relating to customer call updates. It wasthen in 2015 that the opportunity arose to step up tomy current role as Helpdesk Manager.
What has allowed your career to develop at PrimaSolutions?
Undoubtedly it's the support structure and thesupport of my fellow colleagues. Without the supportI've received, the transition to Helpdesk Managerwould've been very difficult, but I was happily givenany help that I needed during this phase. What is greatabout working here is you gradually get given more
responsibilities and testing work, to then findyourself leading on a product and becoming themain point of contact for that product, which is abig responsibility that I've really enjoyed.
Why is Prima Solutions different to other placesyou've worked?
Prima is different firstly because it's a medium-sized business; although it's growing each yearthere's still a family-run vibe flowing throughout.For example, I can walk down the other end of theoffice and stop to have a chat with someone I bumpinto; I've never known a place like it! What is more,if you happen to make a mistake, then there's lotsof people around that are happy to help. This iscompletely different to when I worked in theHealth Service, where if you got into trouble youhad to "dig yourself out", but at Prima Solutionswe're all headed in the same direction withopenness and honesty throughout.
How has working at Prima Solutions shaped yourcareer?
Put simply, everything I know about IT, I owe toPrima. At university I learned the backgroundtheories, but it's completely different applyingthese to the real world. Although it was nice tolearn those theories, it's been a great experienceseeing them put into practice using solid softwareapplications. Of all the soft skills and IT knowledgeI've gained so far, I owe it all to Prima.
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