working as a technician with no real experience 4

[greetcup]

Hi,

I was wondering of what kinds of opinions experienced technicians on this forum could give.

I have my A+, Network+ and MCP certifications but I have no real experience except for taking apart my old XP computer.

I found this job where I will be traveling from client to client, and it requires knowledge in PC hardware for laptops and desktops, and maintaining comptuers at client sites.

I have only book knowledge and I have only experience fixing my computer. Do you guys think that if I just review books on desktop and laptop repair like crazy for one week I should be ready for the job? Thanks!

 

[rclarke250]

No. But that is because I think that a book will only get you so far, and no book can fully prepare you for what you will encounter in the field. If the company is smart, they would have you "ride along" with someone for a few weeks. Because doing the computer repair is one thing, doing it with all of the processes that the company has, and the people skills needed to find out what is wrong with the computer and fix them along with the computer issue is all part of it. Every call is different, because every person is different.

Trying to give good advice on forums like this is hard, because you have to deal with how a person wrote about the issue, and asking questions is hard, and time consuming. It's in how one interprets what the user is typing. I read something and think that the OP has said one thing, and Ben,Phil, or others have come to their own conclusions on what the OP is trying to relay to us. In a face to face conversation with a customer it is much easier.

Learn to ask open ended questions, not yes or no. Most of the time, the user will need someone to vent on, and that person is you, so don't take it personally. Also I believe there is no better way to learn than hands on, in the field. And you learn the most from the calls that kick your butt.

 

[xit]

There is no substitute for experience period. Book knowledge is just the beginning in the art of learning. I agree that you should have someone to guide you along for a period of time for everyone's benefit.

You have a hard journey ahead of you but if you apply yourself, listen and learn you will prevail, each day you learn you gain the needed experience required to continue on.

Best of luck

 

[greetcup]

How did you guys start getting good at repairing computers and accumulating more knowledge?

The only resources I am relying on are books and the internet but it seems that the information is incomplete, so I have to read a ton of resources on the subject. And even still after reading a lot I don't feel ready for any computer repair role.

And it's hard finding a job to gain experience on top of that.

Are there any other methods to becoming a really good computer technician, and to geting a job as a computer techincian?

 

[rclarke250]

To get experience you can look for jobs on Dice,Monster and such that are contract jobs. Or if you are lucky someone will be looking for installers at schools, A lot of them are doing technology refreshes right now, before the new fall semester starts.

Read everything you can. And hands on, If you work at it, you will get better with time. You will never stop learning,technology turns over so fast.

 

[edfair]

I had 16 years of field service in data processing equipment and had been around big computers (I/O repairs, no CPU) for that time.
Agreed that book knowledge is just a start. I spent the better part of a year studying TTL and microprocessors when the little ones appeared then bought a kit to build one. When I got it working I did machine language stuff with it to learn about the innards, including scoping lines and using a logic probe to diagnose problems. That was 33 years ago.
Whenever I've started on a new learning experience since then I've acquired equivalent hardware to work with and study on.
It is probably a two year learning curve to become proficient and the technology will be changing on you continually. At the two year point you will have seen most of the common problems and gained the confidence to tackle the more difficult new ones.
If you can tie into a service group that refurbs hardware for the disabled you will gain good experience.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[DrB0b]

Just to throw in my two cents.....
Sounds like you are mostly going to be working on end user PC/laptops and maybe the occasional printer. Agreed with the above, the questions you ask will directly lead you to the answer of the problem or at least in the correct direction to head. My advice would be, if you have the free time, stop by a locally owned PC shop, not a Best Buy, and talk with them. That's how I got my first full time job fixing computers even though I was basically in the same boat you are. Plus if they are competent, they would be a good resource to have.
If you are like most of us here, you will have a basement/garage with at least 1 old functioning but not worth anything PC laying around. Bring it up and pop it open to familiarize yourself with the innards so you can have an air of confidence when you have to do it out in the world. Every PC is going to be a little different but once you understand what is what and how it is seated, removed and replaced you should be fine.
Laptops are a bit more tricky in the take apart department but the theory of how and why things break are similar to desktops.

And one final thing.... if you dont know how to do it, Google it before going crazy or breaking anything. It is a very valuable resource I wish more people used.

"Silence is golden, duct tape is silver...

 

[greetcup]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, it is letting me see what direction I can go.

I have studied for certifications and so far I have earned A+, Network+, Security+, and the MCP. I am currently studying for the 70-291 exam to get the MCSA.

With all these certifications and no experience, how long do you guys think it will take me to get an entry-level job as a helpdesk?

It seems that with all the job postings out there, employers are looking for 2 years experience, sometimes I see a post that is looking for 0-1 years experience though. Should I bother applying to the jobs that are looking for 2 or even 3 years experience?

 

[rclarke250]

Most help desks I am familiar with do not do hardware repair as such. That is for the service personnel that does the maintenance and warranty work. Help desks deal with software and network issues, but rarely open a box up. I go to help desks all the time to repair the computers. Some are resellers,but I have a few like Family Christian Bookstores,Kellogg,Dow,Johnson Control that just have extra machines that they will image and put in place, set the others to the side in the lab, and place a service call for us to come in and fix.

 

[FredWagner]

You learn by doing, and by being careful. If you're in a climate where low humidity can be an issue (winter with heating, or dry desert), be careful about static discharge, grounding yourself to the case before touching any internal components.
Back in 1983, in the Air Force, I was the key person for an initial order of 45 Zenith Z-100's, including numerous hardware upgrades - extra memory, serial cards, etc. When the first one arrived in the office, and I unpacked it, and popped the lid to add the RAM and other items, I got challenged if I had 'been to school and trained on the procedure'. There WAS no school or procedure! I'd been a Ham Radio operator for many years, and worked on radio and audio gear, and used the precautions I'd learned. It worked. Be careful, read directions, and as others have advised, when in doubt, use the manufacturer's web site, Google or this forum to get an idea what you're getting into.

Fred Wagner

 

[edfair]

You could go to thrift stores and pick up some of their resale stuff to practice on. Get it working and trade it back for one or two not working.

When I run across fairly late equipment, likely broken, I buy it for my use. Think I have $60 in my working 4 machines plus 2 power supplies, 1 hard drive, and 1 memory stick. Plus a bunch of hours resolving the problems on the drive and memory.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[kjv1611]

If you talk around to folks you know, you may even land a couple of computers that are "broken" anyway that they want to get rid of. Then you can do whatever you want to those, trying to fix. If it's free to you, and the other party just wanted to part with it, then even if you do break it, no real loss. Just remember what you did for the next time.

And whatever you do, don't get so busy you leave out your family - if you are married. If not, then I suppose don't get so tied up in your job or hobby that you cut off all outside connections.

As far as for those married, I have heard this quote a few times:
"Don't get so busy earning your salt that you forget your honey."

It's a way to make you think and remember for sure. I've not ruined my marriage, but I do still think I could have done better at times. I let myself get too caught up in fixing 'puters at times, and I wish that I could go back and change some of that. However, I know you can't change the past, and I've learned from that past.

Here's another saying along those lines - about worry. Because if you have any concern about anything, it's easy for it to turn into worry:

"Yesterday is a cancelled check. Tomorrow is a promissory note. So don't worry about a check you can't cash, nor a note you can't touch today." - The last part (part about today), I can't remember for sure, so I'm sort of ad-libbing that piece.

Of course, Jesus in the Bible teaches about that more succinctly:
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34

 

[goombawaho]

I'm late to the party, but you'll be in a trial by fire if put on the spot to fix things. There's something that I call my "computer intuition" and you gain that by having experience. The simple things are, well, simple to diagnose and fix. There are other times that you need a sixth sense to lead you down a path to discover the root cause of a problem.

You need to find a company that will let you grow into the position rather than throwing you into the fire. That's how I got started - they wanted somebody (relatively) smart, quick learner and I started with virtually no computer maintenance/repair experience and no formal training at all.

So, I learned by small trials by fire - one after another until you start to get confidence and can say "I've seen this before".

 

[Sympology]

A quick and dirty rule for hardware (and a lot of software!)

Socket Backwards.

Is it plugged in at wall / floor (If network is it plugged in at switch)
Is the cable good?
Does the NIC / Power have a light?
Does the MOBO have a light.
Is the part seated correctly?

Most times it's someone's kicked out a cable or rolled over it with a chair.

One more, never, ever trust them. Users lie!
Yes I've checked it's plugged in. no I didn't spill anything on it, no I haven't changed anything and on and on.
Experience?
12 year'a in the business and heard everything :-0

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

http://alvechurchlounge.org.uk

 

[kjv1611]

Yeah, I remember many things I've run into - both with the side PC work and helping folks who just knew I'd have the answer at work(my full time job).

For instance, one just came to mind:
Coworker: "Can you look at my computer, and see why I can't get anything on the screen?"
Me: "Sure, no problem."
<walk to the coworker's desk/cubical>
Me: <Checking wires - lo and behold, the power cable was pulled out of the back of the monitor - plug in, problem solved.>
Coworker: <blushing>



We're all human, and we all make mistakes. So never assume you won't make one either. If you're smart, start making a list of what you have done to fix different items. Keep that list for a reference, organize, sort it, whatever. Then as you gain new experience, you won't forget the old. Something I've always meant to do, but never get around to it.

 

[rclarke250]

LOL, Sympology, I ran into that just today, drove 97 miles to plug in the AC cord that was loose in the power supply socket. This was after the customer said they plugged the cables in at the wall and back of computer. I like your "customers lie"!

 

[FredWagner]

rdclarke50 - a parallel to that one - after many cycles of PC replacements, where each new PC came supplied with a new power cable, and now and then a replacment tech just pluged the new equipment into the old cable, rather than replace the old cable. The result is that years later, a PC or monitor will mysteriously become powerless some minutes after turning on and working. The springy parts of the end of the cable that connects to the power supply lose their grip, the contact gets loose, gets hot, and opens completely. After a while it cools down, and power is restored.
so, greetcup, have a new(er) power cable or two with you, and be alert for situations where there's a power issue, and the AC cord looks to be way too old and dusty to have been installed with the equipment it's connected to!

Fred Wagner

 

[edfair]

Been there and done some smart stuff, done some dumb stuff, and done some really stupid stuff. When you do, get over it.

Customers aren't the only ones that lie. Suppliers, manufacturers, and designers all will lead you astray, often without knowing it.

The only thing you can trust is your own judgement and you'll find out soon enough that it can get you into trouble too.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[orypecos]

With all of your book learning, it is a shame that you dn't have more time. You could do a unpaid intership at computer shop to take all of your knowledge and get the hardware hands on experience that you need.

 

[Sympology]

See if there is a local Charity / Non-Profit that needs some help.

Since working with mine I can now do:
MS Steady State PC's
OpenOS Server
Joomla CMS

Nothing like being the techie running everything from a PC, to public wifi to building an entire website to getting businesses to part with hardware.

Crash courses and vertical learning curves ahoy

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

http://alvechurchlounge.org.uk