It was August 1992. I had been in school at N.C. State for about two months, allegedly studying computer science but really spending time in the computer labs downloading commercial software like IBM’s OS/2 operating system. One day I saw a posting on the university’s job board for a part-time computer operator at State Employees Credit Union. The pay was pretty good and I knew the credit union would have some interesting “big iron,” so I went for an interview and was soon hired.
The job entailed monitoring the credit union’s statewide network of ATMs in case … what … I don’t know. I’m not sure we were trained much on how to identify or fix problems, though we could reset an ATM machine if a member called in to report a jam or malfunction. Rumor had it that the prior pair of ATM operators had used their positions to embezzle $250,000 from the credit union. I never found out if that was true or not but I do know that the display in front of us listed every transaction as it took place and included bank account balances, too. Having been bonded before from a prior job selling jewelry and being fresh from holding a security clearance, there was no question about my trustworthiness.
My shift was on the weekends and typically lasted about 4 hours. I would park my car outside of the operations center, buzz the intercom, and make my way through a series of hallways to get to the windowless room off the server room where I worked.
The primary responsibility was to answer the phone whenever an ATM user reported difficulty with a machine. Given the four-character ATM code on the front of the machine, I could direct that the ATM be reset. Sometimes that cleared things up, sometimes it didn’t. This was back in the day when SECU’s ATMs were primarily IBM models.
Users would also complain when the ATM would keep their card for whatever reason. If the card in question was a credit union card it was pretty easy to return the card to its owner. Other banks could use SECU’s ATMs (as part of the Plus Network), though, which meant it was a lot tougher to track the owner down. For those who thought to call us, I would take down their contact information so the card could be returned. In-between calls I could read or work on my homework. If I recall, I was not allowed to wander very far.
It was interesting to see how the IBM mainframes worked, though I was limited in what I could do with them. The boss was nice, the pay was good, there was little stress, and I got a membership in the credit union that I enjoy even today. It was, alas, a very lonely job. Working in a small windowless room all alone, with noisy computer fans roaring in the server room next door wasn’t the most exciting thing to be doing.
I began to look around for something a little more fun. A few months later I found it. I turned in my resignation to the credit union, leaving on good terms.
Things came full circle when I returned to the credit union last year for a few job interviews. The credit union was in need of a network management guru and it looked to both parties like a good fit. It was not to be, however, as I had already gotten an offer from my current employer and the credit union could not move as quickly. I still hold the credit union in high regard, though, and would enjoy working for them again someday.