The following is a list of the main differences, both good and bad, that I have noticed since leaving a job as a Desktop Technician for a job as a Quality Assurance Testing Engineer. The transaction has been drastic to say the least. The world of the businessman is amazing different than the world of the IT geek. In no particular order here are 10 ten differences I have found between the land of the Geek and the world of the businessman.

1. From raised flooring to carpet
- No more instant air conditioning
- No more secret storage
- No more running wires whenever
+ No more water puddles from snow
2. From Mainframe Cooling system to normal air flow
- No more comforting buzz of the Mainframe Cooler
- Now hear weird sounds coming from my PC I never heard before.
3. Tied to a desk (not only a desk a cubicle!!)
+ A plus is that I now have a real desk
- Lost all my hardware toys from my old workbench
- Can’t wonder the floors of the buildings anymore
- Lost knowing what was always happening all over the company.
4. Meetings, Meetings, Meetings
- If I’m not at my desk I’m in a meetings and if I’m not in a meeting I’m heading to another meeting.
+ Its cool to see the other side of the company, were decisions are made, but sitting for hours only to listen to people talk about nothing gets old fast.
5. Formal Reports
- There are a lot more formal rules and guidelines to follow. I have to prepare a formal request to do just about anything.
6. Weight Gain
- Since I no longer walk the halls working on PCs I don’t get the exercise I used too. As a result I have less energy during the day.
- I also gained 10 pounds within the first few months
7. Proper Attire
- Working in the world of the businessman now requires that I appear as them. No more comfortable shoes or shirts.
8. Relying on other IT
- I no longer have the access rights to configure and change things on the company computers.
- I have had to experience the joy of calling the helpdesk and waiting for help.
9. Working with Women
There just aren’t that many women working in computer support.
This is both a positive and a negative.
10.Cool Gear
- I lost all my cool computer gear. Broken hard-drives, monitors, mice.
- Don’t have new test equipment to mess with.