Becoming a computer/laptop repair technician??

Under_Graduate

Hi, I was previously looking into software development as a career path, but am also interested in computer repairs as, I think there's a lot of work to be had there also. Something like a computer technician.

But I'm totally unaware of the route to go to become trained in something like this.

Does anyone have any pointers here?

I have a degree in Civil engineering which, is of course unrelated but, perhaps an indication of competency on some level at least.

Am I asking in the correct forum and/or, which forum would be most suitable?

STEINBERG

Best bet is to start with the A+ certification

http://certification.comptia.org/getCertified/certifications/a.aspx

With that then try to get part time work i guess in a tech shop.

ED E

Under_Graduate wrote: »

...am also interested in computer repairs as...I have a degree in Civil engineering

Wow, do you really hate engineering?

PC Repair is fun for about a month. Then it gets real old real fast. And typically it won't really lead too far, helpdesk at most.

Under_Graduate

ED E wrote: »

Wow, do you really hate engineering?

PC Repair is fun for about a month. Then it gets real old real fast. And typically it won't really lead too far, helpdesk at most.

Yes I hate it.

I understand that are other Comptia qualifications to be had that would offer better employment potential.

Can anyone point me in the direction of where I would go about finding out what's involved or where I can sign up?

excollier

Go for CCNA ignore CompTIA, except for Linux+

Ash.J.Williams

I'm in the service industry and if i could go back i'd be a developer....they go home and have feck all to worry about every day, just about every point of failure in the company is on my back!

ED E

CCNA is networking, OP hasnt indicated any interest there.

A+ then a repairs shop is a good start. You can practice a load yourself the old laptops bought on adverts for €20 a pop.

Have you considered a conversion course? If you've a BEng then you could do a 1yr MSc course and go into a dev/ops role. Plenty of work going in those areas, in fact that bigger firms are fighting to get the best interns.

Under_Graduate

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

I'm in the service industry and if i could go back i'd be a developer....they go home and have feck all to worry about every day, just about every point of failure in the company is on my back!

When you say a developer, do you mean like a Java coder or C++ coder?

I had initially looked at that area as springboardcourses.com have great offers there at the moment, but to be honest, I'm looking for something less taxing.
I figure, it certainly seems, obtaining these qualifications and resulting work is perhaps a little easier than learning a coding language and becoming a developer.

In fact, that's the reason I'm moving away from engineering - it's just too labor intensive.
I see a more relaxed role working as a technician in a computer shop - PC world, something like that.

Ash.J.Williams

Under_Graduate wrote: »

When you say a developer, do you mean like a Java coder or C++ coder?

I had initially looked at that area as springboardcourses.com have great offers there at the moment, but to be honest, I'm looking for something less taxing.
I figure, it certainly seems, obtaining these qualifications and resulting work is perhaps a little easier than learning a coding language and becoming a developer.

In fact, that's the reason I'm moving away from engineering - it's just too labor intensive.
I see a more relaxed role working as a technician in a computer shop - PC world, something like that.

In the service end you will need to update your skills regularly

Under_Graduate

excollier wrote: »

Go for CCNA ignore CompTIA, except for Linux+

Can I go for CCNA with very little/no IT background?

Ash.J.Williams

Under_Graduate wrote: »

Can I go for CCNA with very little/no IT background?

If i was you i'd avail of your degree and do a post grad in IT. Pick up a cert or two along the way ie ccna or mcse and off ya go.....i would not do the A+ etc and try and get work.

testaccount123

Why are people telling this guy to get a CCNA if he wants to work in a computer repair desk like in PC world? CCNA is an industry professional networking qualification and has no application for reformatting virus-ridden home PCs or replacing failed motherboards.

excollier

Because computer repair is a low paid dead end

otoolepw

Have to agree with Ash, then I guess it depends on who you work for. The support guys in my place (a mid sized co) get dumped with every conceivable thing computer related, smartphones & tablets of all varieties are a huge headache nowadays, actually anything remotely tech they get hit with. There was a power outage in the area where I work recently and the whole place was on them like a tonne of bricks... when will the power be back? I'm working on a powerpoint! I have external people coming in!! So if it's a kettle cable, landline, internet, TVs (lots of big flat screens in meeting rooms now), they're supposed to fix it all. I'm a dev and while I have a whole rake of other stuff to deal with, I can generally manage my time and calendar, but the support guys are yanked everywhere, anytime, be it some iffy Excel "macro" to why isn't jackie AT orgwithcrapemail dot com not getting my emails??, batteries for my wireless mouse, I want my (deleted) files back? VPN issues, photocopiers (a nightmare), etc. No amount of coin would be enough to put up what they're expected to endure. Thankless work and paid buttons. Sounds like an interesting career to start out in, assembling/upgrading PCs, configuring networks, vmware, citrix, but you if you're bottom rung... Our guys are A+/CCNA/MCSA/MCSE too. HR take the view they're easily replaceable too!

Under_Graduate

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

If i was you i'd avail of your degree and do a post grad in IT. Pick up a cert or two along the way ie ccna or mcse and off ya go.....i would not do the A+ etc and try and get work.

Thanks for the point of view.

When you say "along the way", do you mean, after I've attained some IT experience through a post grad?
Again I have to refer back to my initial question as to whether I can even do something like CCNA or MCSE with little to no IT background?

If say, I was taking the next year off, and perhaps going to do the post grad next year, and in the interm I wanted to get into IT - what option could I best avail of?
I guess that's the real question for me here, cause that's probably what I'm going to end up doing.

Under_Graduate

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

If i was you i'd avail of your degree and do a post grad in IT. Pick up a cert or two along the way ie ccna or mcse and off ya go.....i would not do the A+ etc and try and get work.

And I have to quote this again as I have another question...

Even if it was as a short term/interm means to an end?

And again I'm faced with the question - I'm based in the west of Ireland.
Where can I actually do the A+ or related courses?
And what costs am I looking at?

You guys have any idea?

Lu Tze

Under_Graduate wrote: »

And I have to quote this again as I have another question...

Even if it was as a short term/interm means to an end?

And again I'm faced with the question - I'm based in the west of Ireland.
Where can I actually do the A+ or related courses?
And what costs am I looking at?

You guys have any idea?

You can self study the A+ and just do the exams. There will be centres around the country that host them. This seems to be a well recommended free self study resource for it on boards

http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/free-a-plus/

It will also establish if you have an interest in pursuing this as a career! Im a civil engineer, but would have tinkered with computer hardware etc. for years. Would tackle most hardware related issues i come across - the logical problem solving background does help (a bit).

Ash.J.Williams

Under_Graduate wrote: »

Thanks for the point of view.

When you say "along the way", do you mean, after I've attained some IT experience through a post grad?
Again I have to refer back to my initial question as to whether I can even do something like CCNA or MCSE with little to no IT background?

If say, I was taking the next year off, and perhaps going to do the post grad next year, and in the interm I wanted to get into IT - what option could I best avail of?
I guess that's the real question for me here, cause that's probably what I'm going to end up doing.

While you are doing your post grad, obtain a few certs of your choice ie microsoft/cisco/vmware and you will be worth money!

Under_Graduate

Lu Tze wrote: »

You can self study the A+ and just do the exams. There will be centres around the country that host them. This seems to be a well recommended free self study resource for it on boards

http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/free-a-plus/

It will also establish if you have an interest in pursuing this as a career! Im a civil engineer, but would have tinkered with computer hardware etc. for years. Would tackle most hardware related issues i come across - the logical problem solving background does help (a bit).

Thanks for that link.

I think that's the best thing I could do.

Just looking at it, the area's covered are:

PC Hardware
Networking
Laptops
Printers
Operational Procedures

Operating Systems
Security
Mobile Devices
Troubleshooting.

Apparently a total of 19 hours worth of study.

So, this website can really provide me with the necessary information to be able to pass the comptia A+ test?

Under_Graduate

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

While you are doing your post grad, obtain a few certs of your choice ie microsoft/cisco/vmware and you will be worth money!

Can I do these certs through FAS or online or which?

Anzu

They can be done online here http: //www. ecollege.ie /moodle/course/index.php?categoryid=2 Just remove the spaces in my link.

The courses are separated into fee paying clients and unemployed. Unemployed versions are more feature rich in terms of access to quizzes, assignments, tutors, and they will cover the cost of the exam as well as practice questions/labs from Measureup.com . The fee paying courses, Security + at least which Is what Ive recently done, are very meagre in terms of what I listed. You only seem to have access to video tutorials and ecollege' s own version of test questions; testprep, but still useful in helping you pass the exam. As someone else mentioned, you have access to all of professor messors videos online for The A+, and lots of other Comptia/Cisco certifications if you wanted to progress that way. You can this certification easily using online resources that I listed which are part of a structured moodle website.

DopeTech

otoolepw wrote: »

Have to agree with Ash, then I guess it depends on who you work for. The support guys in my place (a mid sized co) get dumped with every conceivable thing computer related, smartphones & tablets of all varieties are a huge headache nowadays, actually anything remotely tech they get hit with. There was a power outage in the area where I work recently and the whole place was on them like a tonne of bricks... when will the power be back? I'm working on a powerpoint! I have external people coming in!! So if it's a kettle cable, landline, internet, TVs (lots of big flat screens in meeting rooms now), they're supposed to fix it all. I'm a dev and while I have a whole rake of other stuff to deal with, I can generally manage my time and calendar, but the support guys are yanked everywhere, anytime, be it some iffy Excel "macro" to why isn't jackie AT orgwithcrapemail dot com not getting my emails??, batteries for my wireless mouse, I want my (deleted) files back? VPN issues, photocopiers (a nightmare), etc. No amount of coin would be enough to put up what they're expected to endure. Thankless work and paid buttons.

Sounds just like my place!

excollier

Under_Graduate wrote: »

Thanks for that link.

I think that's the best thing I could do.

Just looking at it, the area's covered are:

PC Hardware
Networking
Laptops
Printers
Operational Procedures

Operating Systems
Security
Mobile Devices
Troubleshooting.

Apparently a total of 19 hours worth of study.

So, this website can really provide me with the necessary information to be able to pass the comptia A+ test?

I can vouch for Professor Messer.
When I did my A+ and Network+ at FAS we used his videos a lot, and his .pdf guides are worth the $10 that they cost as they can be shared with someone else.
He is very concise and usually brief, unlike the CBT Nugget videos we also used (yawnfest) which tend to be very detailed but very long winded.
And you just have to love that Floridian accent of his....

fleet

excollier wrote: »

Because computer repair is a low paid dead end

This OP.

I did it for a few years, margins are so thin that pay is poor, and prospects are nill for advancement.

I bit the bullet and did a CCNA/NP and had to push back the job offers.

One word of advice: always be studying for your next exam.

FortySeven

Fixing computers is the easy bit, it's dealing with the people that sucks. They always know better than you yet can't fix it, want it done right then and will be unhappy for the most part. It is a thankless job and does not pay well. Also, devices are getting cheaper and easier to fix, there are also more people willing to have a go themselves due to the excellent tutorials available online. It's not something I would leave engineering for, however much you hate it. You will also be retraining for the rest of your life. It is a constant grind. You just get used to one OS and along comes another.

Find a niche in IT and specialise in it.

Under_Graduate

FortySeven wrote: »

Fixing computers is the easy bit, it's dealing with the people that sucks. They always know better than you yet can't fix it, want it done right then and will be unhappy for the most part. It is a thankless job and does not pay well. Also, devices are getting cheaper and easier to fix, there are also more people willing to have a go themselves due to the excellent tutorials available online. It's not something I would leave engineering for, however much you hate it. You will also be retraining for the rest of your life. It is a constant grind. You just get used to one OS and along comes another.

Find a niche in IT and specialise in it.

I've been mulling over this question, as to whether I should go the repair route, or the development route.

Perhaps you can shed some light.
When you say, find a niche in IT - do you mean like, development wise such as mobile applications, games, web etc??

Honestly, I wanted to get into an area easier and less taxing on ones life, like engineering is.
Also, the travel with that was a pain - you gotta go wherever the job sites are, basically.

The feedback I seem to be getting is, do a post grad IT, far more so than the repair route, as they both seem difficult in their own respects, but one pays vastly superior to the other.
Would that be correct?

Under_Graduate

excollier wrote: »

I can vouch for Professor Messer.
When I did my A+ and Network+ at FAS we used his videos a lot, and his .pdf guides are worth the $10 that they cost as they can be shared with someone else.
He is very concise and usually brief, unlike the CBT Nugget videos we also used (yawnfest) which tend to be very detailed but very long winded.
And you just have to love that Floridian accent of his....

But, just to clarify my question I suppose - does that list which I took from the Prof Messer website, does that cover everything I need to know in the exams?

excollier

Pretty much, but look for other sources too and some reading such as Mike Meyers' book on A+.
If you pm me and have a dropbox account I can share a little literature with you

The Black Oil

I listen to the podcast Tech Vets, they describe how they work in the trenches. They've often said it's hard to make a living from break-fix. You have to find other ways to, in their words, add value to your services. This might be cloud support, back ups, supporting servers, etc. Do you know how to get paid, manage invoices, i.e. manage people, as said above? Are you going to advertise or rely on word of mouth referrals? If you were a school leaver they'd tell you get a job with somewhere like PC World just to get that real world experience of dealing with retail customers. Grunt work before trying to start out on your own.

Take a look at https://www.technibble.com/