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A Day in the Life of an IT Administrator

Mike Freeman is an IT Administrator in our Cambridge office and joined the company in July 2021.

What did you do before joining Costello Medical?

In 2019, I graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in English Literature. In 2020, following in the footsteps of a close friend, I started my IT career with a frontline helpdesk role at a large company, providing support for veterinary practices across the UK.

In this role, I realised I have a passion for delivering improvements. It wasn’t enough for me to just keep things ticking along! The IT Administrator role at Costello Medical immediately appealed to me for this reason; the position would give me the opportunity to make a real difference at a growing, cutting-edge company that values high standards and continuous improvements as much as I do.

What do you like best about your role as an IT Administrator at Costello Medical?

Aside from the fact that I genuinely love helping people and providing them with technology that works, I get to work on an exciting variety of improvement projects as an IT Administrator. These projects give me the opportunity to experiment with new technologies and acquire new skills. For example, I have built and maintained scripts to automate key IT tasks and led on the implementation of major innovations such as the deployment of a password manager.

I have also enjoyed working on a range of cybersecurity tasks, such as analysing activity logs, developing security controls with modern tools like Azure Conditional Access and responding to penetration testing. I also authored most of the company’s IT security training materials, which covered general best practices as well as topics like finding secure Wi-Fi when working outside of the office.

If I had to choose the part of the role I enjoy the most, it would be that we are always looking for ways to improve, both within the TechOps team and for all staff at the company. Every IT process is constantly evolving as the technology we have, the skills in the team, and the needs of the business change; everyone in the team is encouraged to speak up with ideas for improvements, regardless of seniority. We make sure the team stays up to date and connected by frequently visiting each other across the offices, too.

How would you describe a typical day in the life of an IT Administrator at Costello Medical?

9:00am

In the morning, I briefly scan Outlook and Teams to pick up any urgent requests. Most days there are none, but occasionally we will need to spring into action to replace a failed device or investigate a potential security incident.

9:30am

Next, I will resolve any quick administrative requests that have come in. This can mean pulling reports, changing group memberships, creating new starter accounts, and resolving access issues in our main systems.

10:00am

With the “quick wins” out of the way, I will usually get stuck into a more complex request, like setting up a specially restricted patient data folder. I always take the time to double-check my work on tasks that involve sensitive data.

11:00am

Around mid-morning, I’ll switch to working on hardware. For example, if a device has been returned, I will book it in, check it over, reset it, and set it up ready for its next user. I also routinely check stock levels for things like keyboards, mice, and headsets, and place orders if needed.

12:00pm

Lunch time! Sometimes I will take my lunch in the communal kitchen area and catch up with colleagues. If the weather is nice, I like to walk to the park by the office and eat lunch there, often accompanied by my teammates in TechOps.

1:00pm

After lunch, I will crack on with some project work. This can mean researching a new software, testing a new tool, working with the MSP on project delivery, or finding ways to optimise a process.

3:00pm

One of my favourite things to work on is knowledge sharing, like creating technical documentation for a new system, writing user guides, and creating interactive training courses.

This follows naturally from my project work, as knowledge transfer is critical for the overall success and longevity of any process changes or new tools.

4:00pm

As the day draws to a close, it is time to start thinking about tomorrow. I’ll round up any emails that have come in, providing immediate resolutions where I can, requesting additional information if required, and adding any new tasks to my to-do list before heading home around 5:30pm.

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