General Discussion - Computer Knowledge

Author

Computer Knowledge

oddish

2004-09-08, 11:32 pm

I wonder why do people who really don't understand computers, maybe just enough to work their word processor, email, power point and internet. Think that just because you are a Tech person you know everything about every software know to man, nuts bolts about hardware? I work on the network, and replace broken computer components. Is there any books on everything? Do anyone else have bosses, supervisors, co workers who expect you to be an Super Computer God?
Are there any books on being a SUPER COMPUTER GOD?

peterd

2004-09-09, 3:48 am

Hello,

it works the other way around too.

We have guys in IT here who've been IT professionals for any number of years but users who poke around a bit at home think that they know as much, if not more, than the IT guy.

Regards
Peter

oddish

2004-09-09, 7:33 am

I agree. There are alot of staff workers who play around with thier home computer and come in telling me how easy things are on a network. They don't even understand what a hub is or any thing else that deals with a network. I fight with that all the time.
It even get so bad that some of managers' spouses work with computers and tell them what I should know or do. Yet the manager doesn't know anything about computers acept how to use excel, and word for reports.

yanqui

2004-09-09, 9:38 am

Can you tell me how you got a job like that? I DO know stuff and I can't get a job because I don't have experience and/or a degree.

curiousgeorge

2004-09-09, 1:19 pm

oddish-

I completely agree. I actually had a guy get mad at me because I couldn't INSTANTLY figure out a problem with a G3 Mac that is literally 7 years old running OS 7.6.1!

Number 1- It's a Mac... I don't work on Macs
Number 2- The damn thing is 7 years old. GET A NEW COMPUTER!
Number 3- It's running OS 7.6.1 (That's the Windows equivalent of 3.1)
Number 4- The computer and OS are so old, it won't support what he wanted.

Some people kill me with their demands.

Yanqui-

When I first got into IT, I was working as a Business Analyst. I told my boss that I wanted to be more involved in IT. He put me on an IT committee, then I was involved in IT department meetings, then I did desktop support when I wasn't busy.

That got me enough experience to get a full time IT job.

If your company is big enough, tell your boss you'd like to be involved in IT. Suggest that you can be the desktop support person for your department.

It worked for me.

yanqui

2004-09-09, 1:54 pm

I appreciate your suggestion. Actually, it's become commonplace for everyone in the department to come to me for application support, for windows support, and even for basic PC support (see thread regarding system resources). In many organizations that would be noteworthy. In ours, it's simply an aberration (sp?). Never having been employed by another company as a PC technician, I have "no experience."

I DO understand about people expecting miracles with no resources, though--and that includes my husband. When I decided that the solution to a certain situation was simply to not do that particular thing, he said, "I thought you were a PC technician--fix it." I said, "That IS the fix. Sometimes the fix is repair. Sometimes the fix is replace. Sometimes the fix is abandon the practice. This time, the fix is abandon the practice."

My lack of experience notwithstanding, there was a tech here with experience and absolutely no common sense and no perseverance. When he left, (and I wasn't interviewed to fill his position, by the way) a particular printer issue was assigned to somone else--and a printer that couldn't be relied on for a whole year now prints consistently.

In my ongoing efforts to move to IT in this company, the "experience" card is the one that's always played. Clearly experience isn't everything--but there's no way I can raise that issue in relationship to my application for a tech position with this company. They're hiring three techs--and I still haven't been interviewed, and yes, they have my updated resume and a dazzling cover letter. The writing is no longer on the wall, and I give up here. I'm looking for a company that's willing to take a chance (and not much of a chance, either) on someone that wants to excel and grow for and with the organization.

JKHunter

2004-09-09, 2:02 pm

quote:
Originally posted by oddish
Think that just because you are a Tech person you know everything about every software know to man, nuts bolts about hardware?

Back when I was a child I remember thinking that way about my grade school teachers when it came to vocabulary words.

Tekhead79

2004-09-09, 2:57 pm

Oddish,

What I find even more baffling is when the person who called you with the problem takes it a step further and tells you how you should repair it (though their concepts are completely absurd). Then if you try to correct the theory, they go off explaining how they have a friend, family-member, etc, who works with computers and told them this is the way it should be done.

sandy7000

2004-09-09, 3:36 pm

Just goes to show that experience will get you in the door, but people skills will keep you in the room.

Tact is so important when working with inexperienced users who hate not knowing what to do..or worse, THINK they know what to do.

Probably part of the reason you're still where you are, Yanqui, is that you're very competent at it. It's part of the game.

Think about it their way: they pay you to do pc technician's work, & they pay you less than a pc technician as well as having you do your current job.

I was in that spot & left to go back to school. They were upset about that one for a while, but they weren't willing to work with me to help me reach my goals as well as theirs.

yanqui

2004-09-09, 3:41 pm

At least it keeps my hand in the game while I'm looking--and I am actively looking--for a real opportunity.

I agree with you about people skills--a lot of everything depends on customer service skills and communication, and then on follow-up. OUr techs don't do that, they're typical computer nerds that fix and forget.

oddish

2004-09-09, 6:05 pm

Curiousgeorge-
That was funny what you said about MAC computer. Where I work we have both MACs and PCs. Of course they want everything to be crossplate form. What a joke.
Just today I got a call from the Executive secretary because her printer wouldn't work. When I got there another secretary from another department came in and ask what was wrong. Then she started telling me all I have to do is turn the printer off and then turn it back on or save the document then reboot the computer because sometimes the printer lose it signal. I looked at her and said why didn't you fix the printer you seem to know alot. To make a long story short. I had to delete the printer and reinstall the printer because there were 4 copies fo the same printer,and they were not working. Isn't it nice to have so much help

peterd

2004-09-10, 4:34 am

Hi Yanqui,

you have to embellish your CV or covering letter a little.

Don't say that you've had no experience because it's not strictly true. You have had experience even if it's on a 'voluntary' level.

Down-play the bit about your current work and expand on the IT work that you do for your current employer. It's close to lying, but it's the only way to get interviews.

I presume that you're competent enough to answer a few techy questions in an interview?

The rest should be plain sailing as it's all about attitude and presentation.

We rarely get full credit for the work we do with our current employers. To gain extra benefits for the training that we do and the experince that we gain we have to move to a new employer.

I'm seriously looking too.

Regards
Peter

yanqui

2004-09-10, 11:10 am

Actually, my resume does state that I've been doing troubleshooting, repair and maintenance work for X number of years, and that I'm the "go to" in our department for technical issues. My cover letter highlights my character traits that make it worthwhile reading my resume, like seeing the big picture and understanding consequences down the chain, being dedicated to the job and not being a clock-watcher, taking responsibility for understanding the situation and for the other end of the conversation as well, etc. I can answer the technical questions in the interview, there aren't a lot of technology jobs around here yet and there are a bunch of us that want them. I don't want to over-embellish, and I'm a good enough candidate that I can get an interview with the truth. I do have a concern that my resume shows more experience than my face shows; I have a young-ish looking face and it doesn't seem to go with 25 years' workplace experience, so people may be thinking I've already fudged. If that's the case, my best bet may be a government job where I have to have a background investigation so that it's obvious that I'm telling the truth!

aplus_aspirer

2004-09-19, 1:05 pm

Maybe you don't over-embellish your resume and cover letter, but the other people who send theirs in *do*, and their resumes look even better than yours, even if their work experience, knowledge, and skills aren't at your level.

You've got to wrap up the truth in nice threads to make it look better. I know that it sounds unethical, but it isn't, really. Experience, skills, and knowledge could be compared to a lump of clay. In your case, you've got really good quality clay, but it's up to you to make a nice vase.

You should make your application look even better than it already is. Besides, the people who read the resumes probably expect a certain degree of truth-bending. They might see your resume (which is entirely truthful, may I add!) as a hyped-up one, and then downplay it, because they expect you to be buttering it up. You've already got more than the other shmoes, so it wouldn't be *too* hard to embellish such a good resume.

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