IT help desk analyst Tier 1 interview

MeanDrunkR2D2

Awesome update! I told you June would be a different story. I think I've dealt with that recruiter from Atlanta for the same role. And yes, it's mostly Desktop work, pay was decent (Right in line with what you need) but was slow in moving to the next steps. I got to the point that they wanted to bring me in for an interview, but that was after I had accepted my current role. I'm sending you a PM with a recruiter based out of Tulsa that frequently has job openings here in the area. Would be a good one to check out.

ImThe0ne

Like others, just read through this entire thread as well. I commend you on the ability to go through all of this, I would have been pulling my hair out by now. I have had the fortune of getting every IT job I have walked into an interview for, so I don't exactly know how it feels for you, but I imagine it stinks.

My suggestion, would be to try and take a break from the shotgun job searches and finish the certs you have studied so hard for. Not to be harsh or anything, but you have been talking about getting them for 6 months, go ahead and knock it out! I think getting at least your CCENT would show that you are making the effort, especially if someone you previously interviewed with comes back around and sees the certs you were talking about last December still haven't been completed.

Best of luck to you and I look forward to following along your journey!

Chadius

I was going to start the CCNA, but WGU wouldn't let me. So I start it second term. I figured I would let them pay for my certs. :P
I start the ccent in late June. Shouldn't take me too long to get my CCNA.

But I hear ya. If it wasn't for WGU and them paying, I would have jumped on it months ago. I have been studying for the VMware cert. (off and on)
I like that alot. I could do that for a living, and be really happy.

Anyone ever went with a recruiter named Resolution Technologies? They are submitting me for a Systems admin position.

Chadius

Just saw your post mean drunk. Yep same place as my above post. Prolly the same position. lol

Thanks for the pm. I will contact them.

ImThe0ne

Chadius wrote: »

I was going to start the CCNA, but WGU wouldn't let me. So I start it second term. I figured I would let them pay for my certs. :P<br>
I start the ccent in late June. Shouldn't take me too long to get my CCNA. <br>
<br>
But I hear ya. If it wasn't for WGU and them paying, I would have jumped on it months ago. I have been studying for the VMware cert. (off and on)<br>
I like that alot. I could do that for a living, and be really happy. <img src="http://www.techexams.net/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" title="Smile" smilieid="1" class="inlineimg"> <br>
<br>
Anyone ever went with a recruiter named Resolution Technologies? They are submitting me for a Systems admin position.

<br>
<br>The truth about "specializing" and deciding what you'd like to do for the rest of your life, really comes to letting someone give you the different experiences. You dabble in multiple areas, to me the perfect job for you would be one that they allow you to touch MS servers (including standalone hyper-v nodes and clusters), Vmware, Cisco, Linux, Citrix, etc. Typically you can think all day that "blank" is what I want to do, but until you do it on a daily basis and work with frustrated customers because of the outage, downtime, etc. you really can't say. <br><br>
For example, I was dead set on becoming a high level Network Engineer with a CCIE or two until I worked somewhere for a while as a Sys Admin, 30% of my job was Network Engineer work with an all Cisco multi-location MPLS environment. I got multiple Cisco certs for it and enjoyed it for the most part. At that same place I worked 20% or so with Windows Servers and VMware, I liked it, but I didn't do it enough to know if I loved that or not. Even with me only having networking certs, I was offered a "Technology Engineering" position (I am a Wintel Server Engineer) and have been doing that for about 1.5yrs and can honestly say I would have never expected to, but prefer working with the Servers and Virtualization aspect of it more than I ever did with Cisco. <br><br>So, the good thing at this point, is that you haven't specialized in anything yet. You're a blank slate to choose what you want to do and you should feel good about that. <br><br>I don't regret getting my Cisco certs and will continue getting them to keep them current, even though they do absolutely nothing for my paycheck. I just know it makes life easier from a server standpoint when you are familiar with networking principles and can troubleshoot on the network teams level to assist in solving issues. They don't have to "dumb things down for the server guys to understand" and it makes life easier.

Chadius

Just got back to work from the Systems Support interview. Seemed like it went really well. I answered all questions intelligently, did not bring up any negatives, was able to converse with the IT manager about all technical questions he had. I had questions for them. Seemed really good. They told me that they will wrap up interviews this week. The VP of IT or the company, is out on vacation this next week. The HR lady said he might want to do a follow up interview with people whom they like. And then background and pee test, and then an offer. So 10-14 days I assume. Maybe a week longer depending. My background, experience, and motivations match up with what they want. Help Desk/Desktop support, and in down time work with the Network Technician and Security Analyst. They want the person who gets hired, to absorb from the two people. I dressed nice, minus the suit jacket. Freaking hot here in Kansas.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Chadius wrote: »

I was going to start the CCNA, but WGU wouldn't let me. So I start it second term. I figured I would let them pay for my certs. :P
I start the ccent in late June. Shouldn't take me too long to get my CCNA.

But I hear ya. If it wasn't for WGU and them paying, I would have jumped on it months ago. I have been studying for the VMware cert. (off and on)
I like that alot. I could do that for a living, and be really happy.

Anyone ever went with a recruiter named Resolution Technologies? They are submitting me for a Systems admin position.

I spoke with that recruiter and they did seem to be pretty good with communication. Too bad their clients were slow on the trigger.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Chadius wrote: »

Just got back to work from the Systems Support interview. Seemed like it went really well. I answered all questions intelligently, did not bring up any negatives, was able to converse with the IT manager about all technical questions he had. I had questions for them. Seemed really good. They told me that they will wrap up interviews this week. The VP of IT or the company, is out on vacation this next week. The HR lady said he might want to do a follow up interview with people whom they like. And then background and pee test, and then an offer. So 10-14 days I assume. Maybe a week longer depending. My background, experience, and motivations match up with what they want. Help Desk/Desktop support, and in down time work with the Network Technician and Security Analyst. They want the person who gets hired, to absorb from the two people. I dressed nice, minus the suit jacket. Freaking hot here in Kansas.

Sounds very promising! And good on you for staying positive throughout the process. It will shine through even though you may lack the experience others may have. Attitude is huge and companies that are good will realize that they can teach skills, but they will have difficulty teaching attitude and positivity. Wishing you luck on this job!

And yes, it is hot and was today for sure. I guess that's why I ended up mowing the lawn at 8am when I got home so I didn't have to deal with that heat in the late afternoon after I woke up.

Chadius

Oh yea, I forgot you work 3rd. lol

Yea, I read on Reddit, that being negative about past experiences or employment, will look bad in the eyes of your interviewers. So I made nothing but positive remarks. Today's phone interview with Comdata, has been moved to Monday.

I just sent yesterdays interviewers a thank you email. Here it is, just for critique purposes:

Good morning HR Lady.

(please forward this email to interviewer guy, as I do not have his email)


First off, I would like to thank you and Rod for the opportunity to interview for the position of Systems Support Specialist at Insurance Company.


I know I would be a good fit for your team. I have the work ethic, skills, and experience to hit the ground running day one.
I am passionate about technology and continue to grow my skills each day.



Interviewer guy, you said that you need to move your experience down to the Network Technician, and then to who ever works in this position.
I know I will absorb any knowledge, tips, tricks you have to offer.

I am very interested in working for your company and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,


Chadius

MeanDrunkR2D2

You're definitely doing everything right, which is a real good thing. Keep it up and you'll be rewarded in the end. Plus, they are good habits to have and will definitely help you even further down the road. I know that even when things may be crappy and I'm down on myself, I do make sure I motivate myself and put on my positive pants. It does make a difference. There is a fine line between cocky and confident and sometimes a person has to tightrope that line as best they can.

Chadius

Man I hear ya. I got my self psyched for the phone interview today. He called me a noon, and we talked until almost one. It wasn't by the book, it was just us conversing. I told him, I might not have all the skills, but I work hard and I will find answers to problems any way I can. He will be in town the 22nd-23rd for face to face interviews. Hopefully I get to that part. The recruiter is going to call him and see what the feedback is. As I said before, it is 80% desktop support and 20% sysadmin duties. The position is for a systems admin though. Here is the job description:

JOB DESCRIPTION:
The primary responsibility of this position is to provide and improve the quality of desktop service; windows based servers and local area network and telephony devices.

Job Description:
· Provide timely and courteous desktop support service to local customer base
·Maintain image software for desktop operating system and required applications
·MS office, Exchange, active directory, Windows 7 desktop support for 150+ end-users and troubleshoot other offices over the Web
·Maintain inventory of replacement systems
·Maintain inventory of licensed software
·Provide user administration services to clientele (password resets, file share access, VPN support, Cisco Call Manager support, etc.)
·Provide application support services to clientele (Microsoft Office, Outlook 2010, etc.)
·Maintain network connectivity for desktop systems (support from desktop NIC to switch)
·Provide telephony support for clients (moves, adds, changes)
·Responsible for local server administration, including but not limited to: performance monitoring, VMWare, MS Hyper-V, RAID configurations, tape backup administration, file share administration, virus protection, etc.

Qualifications:
· Windows 2008/2012 Server and Windows 7 Workstation Certification
·2-5 years experience in the IT industry working with Windows Servers and workstations
·1-2 years’ experience supporting telephony users (Cisco VoIP)
·Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office 2010 and Windows 7
·Exceptional troubleshooting skills
·Working knowledge of Ethernet networks

Chadius

*Update*

So I got a call from the job posting in my previous post. I had thought I was on to the next level of interviews, since we scheduled one. But the recruiter called and canceled it last week. Then today they told me that the IT manager is going forward in the process with two people who better fit the job. The recruiter said I am not out of the running, because they could not work out and I should be ready. This round was with the VP and HR manager. Then with the IT manager in person next week. (he is coming in town) With the time line given, I'd say I don't have much of a chance.

I emailed the insurance company about where they were in the process. I interviewed almost 2 weeks ago. There was supposed to be another interview with the VP and then an offer to whomever made the cut. No answer from them yet. Should I call? Last time her and I emailed each other, it took her 3 weeks to respond to my email.

The last place is still on first round of interviews. They did tell the process would take 30-45 days. Due to the sheer amount of applicants and the addition of a 2nd round tech interview.

I have a phone interview tomorrow afternoon. Not sure about that one. I reached on it. It has a lot of desktop support duties with a small amount of network admin duties. That will be another, that I probably will lose out to someone with more experience on. Careerbuilder says 18 applicants, over half with Bachelors, and 5 years experience. lol But I'll do it. Even it all it does is makes my list more impressive. (my list of interview face to face and in person that I have done since last summer)

This sucks. I say this not only because it sucks in the way most think, but because we are so busy at my work, that they are looking at adding 2nd shift. (just for us) And I get the sneaking suspicion, that I am one of them they are looking at putting on 2nd. That's no bueno for me, because that equates to almost no more IT work, and all engineering. Wouldn't help my endeavors much.

Chadius

To add to my rant from above. I just need some place to take a chance on me. I fully aware that most companies can't do that. But I know my skills, my drive, and how quickly I learn tech etc. When you get rejected so many times, it makes you wonder if there are other problems I am not seeing.
Is it my age, the way I look, how long I have been at my work, the lack of certs/bachelors/experience? I take my CCNA next month. (the CCENT part) Will that make any difference?


Sorry, just had to get it off my chest. Seriously though, some place just give me tech interview, and I'll show them. Not a weird one like Dell gave me, but a bonafied tech interview.

Chadius

Chadius wrote: »

Oh yea, I forgot you work 3rd. lol

Yea, I read on Reddit, that being negative about past experiences or employment, will look bad in the eyes of your interviewers. So I made nothing but positive remarks. Today's phone interview with Comdata, has been moved to Monday.

I just sent yesterdays interviewers a thank you email. Here it is, just for critique purposes:

Good morning HR Lady.

(please forward this email to interviewer guy, as I do not have his email)


First off, I would like to thank you and Rod for the opportunity to interview for the position of Systems Support Specialist at Insurance Company.


I know I would be a good fit for your team. I have the work ethic, skills, and experience to hit the ground running day one.
I am passionate about technology and continue to grow my skills each day.



Interviewer guy, you said that you need to move your experience down to the Network Technician, and then to who ever works in this position.
I know I will absorb any knowledge, tips, tricks you have to offer.

I am very interested in working for your company and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,


Chadius

My positive/motivation pants are missing today. I'm trying to stay positive.

MeanDrunkR2D2

It's ok to have days like today where you are bit on the negative side. Just let it slide and put them back on tomorrow and stay motivated. Getting that first break is a hard one to do. Getting certs will definitely help you out as it shows you do have knowledge and the dedication to learn and move forward into IT.

Chadius

Yea, my spirits are better today. Yesterday was bad. I didn't know about certain rules at WGU. Talking to them pissed me off so bad.

But today is a new day.

Just got a call from that recruiter who said they client is going forward with other candidates. Apparently I still have a chance for face/face interview. So they asked if I could Monday at 2 pm. So we will see how it goes. I am in a candidate pool of a few people.

Chadius

They called back again. I do have the interview set up. Time to put my best foot forward.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Good luck later today! Hope all goes well for you and knock it out of the park!

Chadius

Update-

Got there 30 minutes till the interview. Went in at 20 minutes till 2 pm. (got tired of waiting. The recruiter said do not go in before 15 till)
I wore a suit. :P I got out of the interview at 4:30. So about 2.5 hr interview. Met with HR, and got the usual HR type questions. Then spent an hour with the systems admin. Talked about everything. Literally. Then met with the IT manager for an hour.

I think the interviews went great. I know I have said that before. I think if it were up to the Systems guy, he would hire me. But the IT manager could always hire someone with more experience, even though we all had a great rapport. I think I asked all the right questions. I even got into a good discussion about upgrading part of the workforce to thin client versus white box. Truly, this is probably my best interview I have given. If I miss out on the offer, they must have hired someone way personable and/or experienced then me. The systems guy said he doesn't want me to know everything, but be able and willing to learn. He was wanting to find out if I could talk to users, and if they would like me. He said he thinks so.

They are finishing up interviews tonight and tomorrow, and then the IT manager goes back to Tenn. So I guess I would hear something sometime soon? The recruiter will most likely contact him. The systems guy had to leave early for the day, because his wife went into labor. So the positive, the guy right after me, didn't get to interview with him. The minus: The IT manager might want to get someone sooner than later, and since the other guy is gone, bring in someone more flush with experience than me. lol (that is the pessimist in me)

myUsrNme

Wow, I just finished reading through this whole thread. I really hope this one works out for you Chadius. I thought I was having troubles finding a new job but I've only been half heartedly looking for the past few months and just got my first contact for an interview this past week. I will definitely look here again when I need a lesson in patience.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Sounds very positive and hopefully good things will come soon on this opportunity. Sounds like a good place and good experience as well. Hope to hear a good update on this interview here in the near future.

Chadius

I have yet to hear back from Monday's interview. I am hoping to hear something by the end of the week.

But I did hear back from the insurance company. They went with another candidate. They sent me a letter.
I hadn't heard from them since June 4th, so not a shocker. (I had called and emailed them)

So the one from Monday and the help desk admin job left. The latter said last week, that they were still on the first rounds.
I will email them again first of next week. The next round are technical interviews.

I really hope I get the one from Monday though. I think it went great.

scaredoftests

Just keep on sending out resumes just in case...

Chadius

I am.

Just seems like the job postings go up and down. Sometimes I have spent an hour constantly applying to places. Other days, maybe one at most. Guess that's how the cycle goes. But yea, I have sent out 10 or so in the last 2 weeks.

Chadius

Update:

Recruiter called. Said I did a good interview and they liked me, but went with someone better in their eyes.
I can't help but think the guy's wife delivering the baby early, pushed their hand towards someone more qualified. Because during the interview, the non manager guy said he would train me in things I am not up to speed on. But I think since he left unexpected for his child birth, it pushed the manager into crisis mode. Making him choose someone that wouldn't be needing his hand held as much. I'm not saying I would need hand holding. I just know that a new place takes some time to get used to it. Someone more seasoned than me, with more experience and credentials, could be seen as a no brainer at that point.

I have one open job left, besides the network tech job. That guy is on hold for hiring until later July or something. The last time I emailed him, just to touch base, he kind of snapped at me a little. I responded saying I was just saying hi. lol He must be super busy. The one job that is open, I think just got done with round one interviews. I'll email them and check. I had a first interview with them for an hour and a half. So I hope I make it to the technical interview round.

I take my CCENT test in 3 weeks. The next part is about September I think. Not sure if that cert will help at this point. I have had 16 in person interviews, 9 phone interviews (some of which led to in person ones), and some misc dumb ones. That's quite a bit for 10 months.

Chadius

The third job I have interviewed with recently, is still in the process of deciding people to come back for 2nd round tech interviews.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Thanks for all the updates. You'll be rewarded with your dedication. It can be crushing at times, especially when you feel you have done well and expect the best only to be brought back down to earth. It happens to all of us, even with great experience. Just keep at it and you'll get what you deserve. You're getting great feedback, which is great. Experience seems to be the one thing that is keeping you from getting what you want, but soon enough someone will give you that break and it will be gravy from here on out. Good luck on that 3rd job and hopefully if you made a good enough impression on one of the others that went another direction they'll remember you and you'll have a good shot with them. Getting that first break into IT is always the hardest, but once you get that chance your hard work will pay off.

Chadius

I'm hoping your right. I have IT experience, but apparently me doing desktop support part time, isn't enough.
I could possibly take a lower paying job, but it would crush us financially. One I think I could get, offers max pay at $17. That is considerably lower than I make. I had previously talked about this maybe coming to fruition, me taking a lower paying job to take two steps forward in the future. But to not go bankrupt or lose things we need (i.e. cars home etc), I would need at least $19, with the hope I would get a raise with in a year. My thought, is if I am almost making the offer with the positions I am applying for, why go lower and be screwed financially? Seems like it is just a matter of time before someone looks at my tenure, how I interview, and whether I know what I say I know....and gives me a chance.

But after being at it for almost a year, and 16 interviews face/face, I am tempted to take the lower paying job, just to get out of where I am at.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Chadius wrote: »

I'm hoping your right. I have IT experience, but apparently me doing desktop support part time, isn't enough.
I could possibly take a lower paying job, but it would crush us financially. One I think I could get, offers max pay at $17. That is considerably lower than I make. I had previously talked about this maybe coming to fruition, me taking a lower paying job to take two steps forward in the future. But to not go bankrupt or lose things we need (i.e. cars home etc), I would need at least $19, with the hope I would get a raise with in a year. My thought, is if I am almost making the offer with the positions I am applying for, why go lower and be screwed financially? Seems like it is just a matter of time before someone looks at my tenure, how I interview, and whether I know what I say I know....and gives me a chance.

But after being at it for almost a year, and 16 interviews face/face, I am tempted to take the lower paying job, just to get out of where I am at.

I can totally understand you, and I've done that in the past myself. When I broke into IT, i did take a step backwards in pay (had just myself to support at the time) and took a 10k per year pay cut, just to get that first experience. 1 year later I moved onto a better position that paid me back at the level I was at prior. A few years later, the economy crashed hard, and I was laid off from my gov position. Ended up taking an even bigger step backwards making 12 an hour doing very basic computer repair work. It sucked. I just had myself, but my fiance was living with me and unemployment just was not cutting it. 3 months after I started that job I found a position that put me above where I was prior to the job loss by a nice percentage.

Fast forward 4 more years, Have wife, and a kid, and my wife got a big promotion and we moved to our current position. I took a nearly 12k per year pay cut to get to working here in the area while I searched and looked for something more in the range and skill of what I was looking at. Sure, losing that income and vacation time sucked. I was sold on this job that it would become permanent, but it became rather clear that the recruiter lied out his butt just to get me to agree to work with them. Potential to go full time was slim to none. And at that point the chance of moving up into a better position was even less. They did dangle the carrot out in front with a person having hopes that they'd make it, but I realized what the game was. I started looking for something better within 2 months of starting there. Fast forward a few months and I found the job that I am currently in. I'm at the highest pay I've ever had anywhere. I LOVE the company I work for and the people I work with. And they are actually grooming me for growth within the company which is something I have not had the luck of experiencing. Many talk about doing that, but few actually show you what they are doing to achieve that as a goal. Sometimes to take that step forward one must take a step back. I've done it a few times with great success.

Now, if that pay doesn't quite cut it out, it may be worth while to pick up a side job somewhere to help fill in the gap money wise, but not cripple your home life either. (Nobody really wants to work 60+ hours a week)

Chadius

I get ya. Some of the more help desk type jobs have asked if I am ok with 12-14, and one was at 17 for a school district. That would be about 9k less a year. I would have to do some major restructuring of our finances to make it work.

On a more positive note, the lady who I used to speak with at your job.....finally emailed me back 8 months later. She wants to do a phone thing today at 3 pm. Said she might have a couple of positions worth trying for.

But back to what your saying. If my kids were younger, it would be easier to take the lower pay in order to make future steps forward. But my kids are middle school and high school age. Telling them we can't have something we have always had, because daddy is making a career change full time......doesn't go well with the way I am perceived. lol Plus, they are my step kids. They tend to compare me to their dad. (I usually win comparisons) My wife said we can do it, if the pay isn't too low. Just have to run a tighter ship I guess. It would be nice to go to something closer in pay though, so there wouldn't be too much outside of work stress bill wise.