How to get that phone call for a potential computer technician job

Paul

Hiring now concept on bright office workspace background

How did I get a call for a Technical Support Specialist position?

I’ll tell you what I know and It might seem down right strange but it happened.   I applied to a company on Tuesday, the day after labor day.   Since this was labor day weekend, most places don’t work on Monday.   This job was put up on the local Indeed.com job boards, and they just put it up that morning.   I applied for the job and I kid you not, they called me like 30 minutes after I applied.   He even said I was the first one to apply.   We Talked for like 10 to 20 minutes and it seems really promising, and he said He’ll get back with my later on this week for a possible in person interview.   So How did I do it? What’s the secret?  I am sure people are curious to know what did I do to get him to pick up that phone to call me.

Cover Letters

The first thing I did was construct a cover letter, telling the potential employer why I was a good match for the job and give examples to that extent.   Indeed even has an example of a good cover letter to use as a template.   I did use that to at least get ideas on how to make my own cover letter, you can even find some good sample cover on the web for IT support.  Draw on what you have done, or what you have learned in the past to show how you can be a valuable employee to the company that you are applying to.

Have Relevant work experience

I don’t say this lightly, if you are going to try to go into technical support, then you will most likely have to something to show that you have experience working on computers or know how a computer works.   I’ve heard time and time again people applying to a job and not having the experience to back up the job.   They aren’t going to make you have all the requirements but they will want you to have some experience with customer service and even computers to do the job they might be looking for.   This guy I talked with today he’s had people who would apply and only put down they work for burger king or some other fast food restaurant and not show they know anything about technical support for the job they are looking to hire.   This might be a reason why they didn’t call back or consider your application.

 Be Honest on your Resume

Some people try to embellish there job skills but a hiring manager will know when they talk to you that you might not have the experience they are looking for.  You might not even get that job that you wanted because you wasn’t completely truthful on your resume.   I’m not saying it will stop you from getting that job or it might not even matter in the long run, it however will be hurdle if the hiring manager suspects you weren’t completely truthful on your application or resume.   So why not start off on the right foot and just be honest with them in the application process.

These are just a few things you can do to help get you that job you are looking for.   I’m sure these are nothing new to some of you but I thought I would at least talk about it as I go through the hurdles of getting hired and trying to find a job that I have always wanted to do.   It can be difficult to find that job and this might just help someone out that is looking into the job field.

How to prepare for Comptia A+ certification exam

Paul

If We Can Dream It...

 

Can You do it?

This is probably the first time you’ve come to this class and you’ve seen what is going to be like.   You sweating and worried you’re going to not get your certification.   This is what most of you are thinking at least to a point.  I can see those blank faces and those stares.  CompTIA isn’t going to be easy, in fact, most you will probably have to do it at least twice to get the certification.  I am sure it isn’t going to be fun, and we will see people get sick over trying to pass the certification.  Just like everything else, if it was easy there would be so many more people doing the jobs that we wanted.  You’ve seen the economy and the need for CompTIA A+ certification, if you haven’t go do some basic research or looking for your self what field you will be going into and what you are trying to accomplish in your academic studies.  Is it for the dream job, or is it just because you want to be able to talk about how good you are.  If you’re that guy, you might want to learn to be more humble and know that it’s not all about the certifications.   Now for the rest of US that are looking for a serious career in IT and having that CompTIA A+ certification, you don’t know there are resources out on the web to help you to even make sure you are even ready to take the final test to get that A+ that you’ve been wanting since you started this journey.

CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association)

When it comes to understanding technology, we’ve been doing it forever it might seem.  It however is still relatively new area that has developed over the years.  I can remember a time when just having a computer was a big deal.   I can even remember a time when having a TV was like the biggest thing in the house.   You’d go to work and say, Yea we watch “So and so” and be able to brag about having that TV to your coworkers.  Boy am I showing my age.  There are people who have seen students pass and even fail in courses just like this and I don’t want anyone to fail the exam.   This is where I am going to impart to you my wisdom, ack there’s my age again.   I’ve seen a lot and that might be saying a lot but this isn’t going to be as difficult as you are thinking or even worrying.   If you’ve seen the video an Core 1 Test Objectives Video and not at least thought about what you will do to prepare for this exam, Then your either over sure of yourself or not here to take the exam, either way this is probably not going to phase you.

Web Resources

Now what can you do to prepare for this exam?  This is probably what you are thinking or wanting to at least know if you haven’t already thought about it.  Here is what I am going to show you some great ways to get ready for the exam.  This isn’t a complete list and it by far isn’t going to be anything that I haven’t at least looked at and even thought about doing.   It however will probably make it so much easier for the time when you are going to want to take the test again or maybe it will help you get that certification the first time around.   If you really try, you might be see a certification in your hand by the end of all this.

  • Check out the CompTIA Website (https://www.comptia.org/home)  — CompTIA have some great pretest exams and will help you know where you might need to work on even more to pass the exam.
  • IT Pro TV (https://www.itpro.tv/)  — If you haven’t checked out this website, you really should.  They have some great free videos to help you prepare to take the exam.  If you are wanting to go farther than that, this this is a great resource to keep you getting those certifications.
  • Professor Messer Free Videos on the A+ Certifications

Here are some sites Practice test exams for the CompTIA A+:

These are few sites that I know from just doing my research in this area and being that I like to listen to podcasts.  I’m always listening to a lot of InfoSec and there’s an exam for that also.   Either way, if you’re truly serious about passing the exam, you’d be nuts not to at least look at these places and search even more for other resources that might even help you even more.   Just remember, you’re not in this alone.  You’ve got your friends, family, and even teachers rooting for you to pass this course and other courses.  That’s what they are here for to help you get the education that you need to get that job you are wanting or dreamed about.   Even I have seen teachers help those who are struggling, just to see them pass the course.   All the teachers here are available to help you if you just remember to ask for the help, if you ask them.   Happy Monday and hope every succeeds in the field you are looking to get into.

Why most computer technicians are all over the place.

Paul
Miniature Computer Technicians

Too many things and to few technicians

This is really the most common problem.   If you haven’t been watching there seems to be a labor shortage, that means most jobs aren’t getting filled even in the really tech related market.  I can pretty much say with some certainty, businesses are going to be picky who they hire and why they will not hire others.   They might have a goal, or want to fill a position with the best possible candidate.   I am sure most of the businesses are trying to fill the positions but people have thought long and hard and wanting to be appreciated.   This is going to not stop the labor shortages anytime soon.   You can expect that the shortage to last for some time in the future as people rethink what they want to do and how to get that dream job.   It will make it harder on the technology industry also because they will always be short handed until this levels off and the work load gets back to normal.

Most technicians are probably ADD(Attention Deficient Disorder)

Yes, you’ve probably guessed right.   We tend to be more all over the place due to to have the attention span that is normal with working on computer.   There are some that are way better at hiding it or maybe they don’t have it in the first place, but I’m willing to bet at least half do have some form of this disorder.   It’s got to be because it’s why we got into the computer field.   We enjoy seeing what might be around the  corner or what will a customer bring into a computer repair shop.   That’s something we have a lot of experience with is seeing how broken the system is due to inexperience people.

Most technicians have high level of intelligence


This could be bad or good depending on how you see it but I’ve found this to be true with most technicians.  If you seen the Big Bang Theory and seen how Sheldon reacts that is kind of what a technician might do.   Technicians sometimes don’t have those filters you would expect them to do have but they are very friendly.   I am sure if you think about Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory, you might see some of what I am talk about.

Technician’s are not socials sometimes

It might not seem like but sometimes I tend to stay around people they know or maybe even be around people that know about computers.  I know myself, I rarely go to events that isn’t interesting.   If it interests me we can talk about it for days but if it isn’t that interesting, I would probably fall asleep.   This is where computers for me at least brought me into the field of being a technician.

I know this is a short post but I thought maybe some of you would like to know what a technician might be or how he might react.  Do you have suggestions on why a technician might be all over the place or even why he acts the way he does.   Why Not leave a comment and tell your story or tell me what you know.

Are discussion boards really that Effective in Colleges?

Paul

Productivity: Adjusting a Personal Kanban for Unexpected Work

What are discussion boards?

Discussion boards are what teachers seem to rely on more and more to help keep the discussion going between students, but there seems to be no real discussion between student and teacher in these discussion boards.  I’ve been going to an local college to get my local certifications for a better job.   I’ve been doing these classes for several months now and still I get the idea that most instructors seem to want to use with their students in an online learning way.   I am sure the instructors are trying to use them good.  I’ve seen some instructors who did that and are really good at wanting to create a good discussion about a really good topic but that just seems to be far and in between for others.

Are discussion boards helpful?

This is the real question for some people because we have those students who really just don’t know how to use discussion boards.   We have the introverts and extraverts and those who are a little bit of both but I’ve found something really interesting with at least me.  I have always have been an introvert and I’ve been thriving on these boards.   I guess the problem with students is the real fact that they don’t know how to use the boards properly or have that same passion that I do with words.   The real problem is that it just really creates more work for students and I really don’t know if it is helping or just making busy work for students.   It could even be a waste of time for some students because they might know more than most about a subject and it could very well potentially scare the new students from making any comments on the discussion boards.

Do students expect anything from Discussion boards?

I have always wondered what students really expect from discussions boards.  The expectations from instructors can be a lot for new students and those who have never done any blogging or writing in their life.   This can create a real challenge for them, I suspect because they aren’t this type of a learner but more of a visual learner.   It may even be a way to check on students to make sure they maybe learning on their online classes.   I can’t really know why instructors expect so much from students but I can’t really blame them for it.

Do discussion boards look for plagiarism?

Sometimes I wonder if they are really checking for plagiarism.   I’m not really sure what it is checking for or if it actually does check for it because I’ve copied stuff from the discussion board onto my website because I thought I would share it with the world also.   I haven’t seen anything from my teachers saying I shouldn’t be copying to my website but who knows.   I am just saying if they are, the teachers haven’t said a word to me.   It could be that since I wrote the articles that I am not plagiarizing my own writings.   I can only guess.

What are the best practices of Discussion boards?

This is something that I am very sure of at least when it comes to me using the discussions boards on canvas .  People need to be considerate of other people’s discussions.  I haven’t had any problems with any students on the discussion boards but I am sure it has happened to someone.   I am also sure the teachers will step in and make sure the students don’t do that but you shouldn’t be that guy.  The are some other etiquettes that you should consider when posting to a discussion board.  Here’s a few other things to consider when posting.  Some things you should say in a reply are:

  • Don’t be that guy that just says “Hey good post” or “That’s an awesome post”
  • Make the reply something that you would say in person.
  • Find something that makes you change your thoughts on the subject
  • Consider if the person doesn’t know much about discussion boards
  • encourage the writer/reader by saying something good about the post.

More about Discussion boards

I thought it would be interesting to at least link to other blogs or discussions about the discussion boards.  I am sure it might be interesting to at least check out what other’s have said about discussion boards and consider how useful they might be in your current situations.

These are just a few that I found that might be helpful to those who might want to know more about the subject.   I am curious to know what people think about the discussion boards?  Do you like them or hate them or do you think it is useful?   I want to hear what you think by leaving a comment and talk about your experiences on the subject.

 

How virtual desktop infrastructure will help us in the IT field

Paul

BGinfo Group Policy

 

What’s is VDI and why do we need it in IT?

Virtual Desktop Infrastructures (VDI) are just that Virtual desktops that anyone can use on any given system around the world.   According to Citrix each VDI “includes an operating system image, typically Microsoft Windows“.  So what does that really mean?  The real question we should be asking ourselves is what does it do or how can we use that in virtualization.   The answer is quite simple, the truth of the matter is that VDI will help servers move a desktop from one server or even allow the user to do what they would normally do in the office and be able to do it anywhere the world.    The company could also give them really cheap or maybe even Chromebooks to do their work from home.   Ever since the start of virtual machines this has been something that was readily deployed because it kept the information in a centralized server and the user wouldn’t need to worry about any sensitive information leaks by someone stealing a laptop or a desktop.

Persistent and non-Persistent

Each VDI can allow a user to make changes to the desktop or not make changes depending on the settings the administrator decides to use.   Although this has not been a major point to people to try to get around the need to make the desktop a more personable environment.   It does help to prevent unwanted programs and people making changes to the OS which could make it even harder to prevent malware and viruses from getting onto the VDI.  Administrator’s have the option to allow users to change the desktop or keep the desktop as it is and you have to use it like it is.   If you have several users that are using the same exact desktop than this would be my option to keep all the users happy.

Considerations of VDI

Even I know the power of Virtualization but some users will not know what they are missing or getting when they are using a VDI.  According to IT Pro Today, We should consider a multitude of things when we deploy a VDI.   Security is always going to be a big issue when it comes to how the user will interact with the virtual desktop, which could bring even more problems but most of time it will help keep the problems away.  They even go as far as to make a point of how important it is to control the BYOD or even know the level of the user who is using the Virtual Desktop.   Each one of these is important to keep the user safe and secure.   It just depends on how well we control what they do and how they do it on it.   We should be able to monitor the VM and know that it is safe in our hands as we can control the group policies of it and keep the user from going to sites or installing software that isn’t approved to be used on the system.   Yet, I am sure we will see more users try to get around those restrictions because of one reason or another.  Time will always be against the administrator because someone is bound to test the limits.

Do you agree or disagree, or do you think it will help us or hinder us to have to be watchful of the users and how they use the VDI?