I have an interview for a tier 1 Helpdesk. I have some questions.

phenom_001

I got this job through a temp agency. I will be providing live chat support to usps. the pay is very low it's around $11-$12 an hour. I only have an associate degree and two certificates, this will be my first job in the computer field, so I am hoping to get it without regard for the pay to get some IT work experience on my resume.

Anyway, I was wondering how will job work exactly? I know I have to help people through chat, but will I need to know the answers myself or will there be a basic troubleshoot guide for some questions? at the interview if they ask about my weakness, what would be a good response for that? I was thinking I should say not having prior experience in this field makes it feel like a weakness to me. I focused on the key points of the interview, just this question that gets me.

I am also confused about the job since it's for HP but I will support usps, so I am not sure if I will support customers or the people who will at usps. If I get the job, will they give me a crash course or am I expected to know everything from the get go? What kind of computer questions I should study on and refresh my memory on what they might ask me since there might have to take a test there? Finally, the temp agency sent me specific guides on what to bring for the interview including the resume (without the phone or address on it for some reason) but should I add the cover letter on there anyway? I am not sure since it wasn't part of the instructions, the same with the Thank You letter, is it a good idea if I send one after the interview or is that an outdated tradition?. The interview process will last about 2 hours, with such low pay and not asking for much experience, should I be as worried and terrified about not getting it?

Thanks in advance, I know I asked a lot of questions, but I am trying to do all of my preparation by tomorrow since the interview is Tuesday.

Oh I am sorry I forgot about that I didn't mention my degree. I have an Associate in Computer Information Technology, and three certificates that i recieved in the college while attending, they're not the typical Comptia certificates, they required certain classes for me to take. Sofware Specialist, Open Source, and IT Foundation are the certificates. The recruiter told me they want to focus on multi-tasking which was a huge part in my last job, Microsoft Outlook will also be a huge part of the job, I am familiar with the basics, but I am planning to watch videos and youtube and look more information about it to get to know it even better. Finally, the thing I have to focus on is they said Oracle Platform, which I don't know anything about, I am also planning to do some researches on it.

eyesonly84

If you get the job there will some training time, each place is different on the time. This is where you will learn (usually by shadowing) how to answer the most common questions, when to escalate the issue, and when you should spend time looking it up the answer since most call centers/online chat are big on how much time you spend helping the customer. I'm also very big on honesty during an interview, so if you are having a difficult time with any technical question I would relay that and how you would plan on learning more. Help Desk/Call center jobs also focus on Customer Service so there might be more questions on how to help the customer then technical.

It's hard to say what to study for since we don't have the job description in front of us and also don't know what your associates is in or your certifications. I would try to look on glassdoor or linkedin to see what people of the same position have as far as experience and glassdoor might have interview questions they asked. If their is a way to get more information from the recruiter on what they are looking for in a candidate. Finally if they have a guide on what to bring that is what I would bring. You can write a cover letter just in case they end up wanting it but I wouldn't attach it. However it seems like you don't have a lot of info on the place you are applying for so I wouldn't write one because yours would sound very generic. Also a thank you letter or email is nice but I would worry about that after the interview not during.

As long as you can live on what they offer to pay you then I would say take the job. Experience is good.

Interviews usually go with an introduction of your self and the person interviewing you. Then they will start with the questions to see if you are a fit for the job/culture with the company. Even if you don't know the answer keep talking. Say what you would do to find the answer and make sure you make eye contact and have a good attitude. If you have previous work experience keep that positive and talk talk bad about your last boss. The end of the interview will be them seeing if you have any questions. Ask questions, It shows you have interest working for the company and not just looking for a pay check. I've had interviews were I was sure I was getting the job and didn't and one where I walked out saying there was no way but it was a good experience and got the job.

Good luck!