Best Buy or Staples?

ProFamous

Hello all, looking for my first IT job right now, I am 17 and just got my CompTIA A+ and now working on Net+. The jobs around me that are available seem to be:
Staples Certified Technician
Best Buy Geek Squad Consultation Agent
Best Buy Multi-Channel Sales Associate
Best Buy Customer Service Specialist

The BB Customer Service Specialist I would imagine would be cashiering and/or walking around helping people with their questions, and the Sales Associate would be nearly the same. The other two (Geek Squad and Staples) seem to be geared toward actually repairing PCs. What do you all think? Anyone have any experience on what these roles actually do? Leaning more towards Staples because it suggests A+ whereas others just recommend sales experience.
Thanks!

srabiee

I have found that when working in retail, your job is going to be mostly focused on sales, regardless of your title. This includes selling merchandise, extended warranty plans, and "up-sells."

If you are looking to get your foot in the door and begin your IT career, my advice to you is to either stay away from retail, or get out of there as quickly as possible.

Chinook

Apply and take whatever job gets you the most hardware & repair experience. The job that leans more "repair person" than sales person.

Retail may not be the best choice, but the OP is 17 years old. I would argue that him starting in his chosen career at such a young age shows initiative & the desire to learn. He knows what he wants & is willing to go out and get it. The fact he started in retail (in this case) is a moot point.

eyesonly84

I worked in retail for just under 10 years and worked in both retail chains. I've worked in every position, sales, customer service, manager, and warehouse. Here's my experiences.

Staples Certified Tech: The job title has probably changed since I was there so I don't remember if that is just sales floor or actually on the tech bench but my title ended with Master Tech, I was the inhome tech. They required everyone in the PC department to also sell. If you are new I have a feeling that is what you would actually be doing. They also required a separate test like the A+ however if you have the A+ you are not exempt from the test. My store was understaffed so I was expected to be onsite, work on computers in store and also sell on the floor all in under 30 hours. My recommendation is to not go to staples unless you walk into the store and see more than 1 person on the sales floor both weekend and weekday. Staples also bases their pay and raises based on revenue in the store and so if you are stuck in a low performing store you would be looking at a .23 raise for the year, I know because that was what was given to me with highest marks on the performance review I had control over.

Best Buy: I had a lot better experience with this company. Granted your experience at any retail store will be based on the people you work with.
CA (consultation agent) These are the people on the counter at geeksquad (so full white shirt and tie) and you tell the person the computer is broken and either sell them techsupport to fix it or recommend a new one. I was an ARA (advanced repair agent) who worked in the back and fixed the computers. If you could score this job this is the best starting out point.
MCSA (Multi-Channel Asscoiate) This is the job where you are on the phone answering questions and checking stock on the floor. You get a wide range of knowledge on the product because people will be asking the most random questions. When I left best buy they had a horrible call center that would try to help.... they made things worse. We would always give our customers our direct line.
CSA (customer service specialist) This is customer service. You take returns/exchanges/complaints/help out everywhere. It takes a special kind of person to handle this job for long, I personally hated it.

In any interview play up you liking to help people, make lots of eye contact during the interview and look like you love life. Most of the work is actually software based, so your A+ and N+ wont mean much. Most of day was virus removal, new pc setup and data transfers.

Also about your age, being under 18 will hurt your chances of getting a job. Labor laws a pain (but necessary) to schedule around in retail. There were days where I was late to lunch by 2 hours... some hr departments only care that you take one when your over 18 but if you are under then it is a lot harsher penalties if the company doesn't comply. Not sure about your collage/moving aspirations but most places will not allow a transfer unless you have worked there for 6 months. Obviously put in your application at any time but most of the hiring is done during the holidays around black friday. So putting in your application in late October will help your chances of getting hired even if you are under 18.

Hope this helps, any other questions feel free to ask.

Ismaeljrp

If you can't find entry-level helpdesk/desktop support roles then I'd say try for geek squad but even then, it'll mostly be retail.

I'd rather do a non paying Internship actually working in IT than take one of those jobs.

The plus side, is the retail experience helps build people skills.

ProFamous

eyesonly84 wrote: »

I worked in retail for just under 10 years and worked in both retail chains. I've worked in every position, sales, customer service, manager, and warehouse. Here's my experiences.

Staples Certified Tech: The job title has probably changed since I was there so I don't remember if that is just sales floor or actually on the tech bench but my title ended with Master Tech, I was the inhome tech. They required everyone in the PC department to also sell. If you are new I have a feeling that is what you would actually be doing. They also required a separate test like the A+ however if you have the A+ you are not exempt from the test. My store was understaffed so I was expected to be onsite, work on computers in store and also sell on the floor all in under 30 hours. My recommendation is to not go to staples unless you walk into the store and see more than 1 person on the sales floor both weekend and weekday. Staples also bases their pay and raises based on revenue in the store and so if you are stuck in a low performing store you would be looking at a .23 raise for the year, I know because that was what was given to me with highest marks on the performance review I had control over.

Best Buy: I had a lot better experience with this company. Granted your experience at any retail store will be based on the people you work with.
CA (consultation agent) These are the people on the counter at geeksquad (so full white shirt and tie) and you tell the person the computer is broken and either sell them techsupport to fix it or recommend a new one. I was an ARA (advanced repair agent) who worked in the back and fixed the computers. If you could score this job this is the best starting out point.
MCSA (Multi-Channel Asscoiate) This is the job where you are on the phone answering questions and checking stock on the floor. You get a wide range of knowledge on the product because people will be asking the most random questions. When I left best buy they had a horrible call center that would try to help.... they made things worse. We would always give our customers our direct line.
CSA (customer service specialist) This is customer service. You take returns/exchanges/complaints/help out everywhere. It takes a special kind of person to handle this job for long, I personally hated it.

In any interview play up you liking to help people, make lots of eye contact during the interview and look like you love life. Most of the work is actually software based, so your A+ and N+ wont mean much. Most of day was virus removal, new pc setup and data transfers.

Also about your age, being under 18 will hurt your chances of getting a job. Labor laws a pain (but necessary) to schedule around in retail. There were days where I was late to lunch by 2 hours... some hr departments only care that you take one when your over 18 but if you are under then it is a lot harsher penalties if the company doesn't comply. Not sure about your collage/moving aspirations but most places will not allow a transfer unless you have worked there for 6 months. Obviously put in your application at any time but most of the hiring is done during the holidays around black friday. So putting in your application in late October will help your chances of getting hired even if you are under 18.

Hope this helps, any other questions feel free to ask.

Thanks for this excellent response! Based on what you have told me, I still think I will go with Staples because of the actual tech repair job. I understand that I will be asked to also sell, however this will be all I would do at Best Buy as a regular Geek Squad Agent position is not available. Best Buy does seem like a higher quality chain than Staples, and pay is better, however I don't think I would be able to get the Consultation Agent job. It asks for an Associates Degree as well as a year of sales experience, and I only have the A+ and about a year of part time experience working for parents fixing computers when needed. If I can get this job it would be great. Customer Service Specialist- just doesn't seem like what I am looking for. Multi-Channel Sales Associate- actually doesn't sound bad.
Do you have any reason to choose MCSA over the Staples Certified Tech? Would there be a chance that I would be able to change from MCSA to Geek Squad if a position becomes available? Also, should I apply for a full time position or part time? I will be able to work full time for the next three months considering it is summer break, however once school starts I will obviously have to go back to part time. Any tips are greatly appreciated.

alias454

Just as an additional thought, are there any local mom and pop type repair shops in your area? Sometimes those places don't advertise but may be willing to give you a shot.

aspiringsoul

I agree with Alias454. Look for a mom and pop computer repair shop, then consider the major retailers.

By the way, I have worked for Circuit City, Best Buy (Geek Squad), and K-mart.

Don't touch K-mart with a ten foot pole....

I worked for Geek Squad for a few months before I landed my first IT job (a Network Admin at a Bank). I think you'll probably get more hands on time working at Staples as a repair tech. Most of your time working for Geek Squad is spent selling services (or operating a register depending on staffing) than actually performing computer repair.

Ideally, you should be able to land a Help Desk position with a little bit of computer repair experience and the A+ after you turn 18. However, due to academic inflation, the education requirements for entry level jobs are rising. If I were you, I would consider enrolling at a community college or a Public Non-Profit school (stay away from For-Profit schools). A Bachelor degree will open up more doors for you in the future but you might consider starting with an Associate degree from a community college.

I admire the fact that you have direction in life. I did not earn the A+ until I was 23 years old. You're already off to a great start, and I'm sure you will be successful.

Good luck to you.

jeremywatts2005

I will tell you and you can laugh I worked as a Special Agent for Geeksquad. This was more in the heyday of Geeksquad when it was starting and Best Buy was pushing the brand hard. It was 2006 and I was doing small and medium sized business servers, workstations, networks and projects. I was in the downtown Chicago store. It was not a bad job at all. I was not in store and traveled all over Chicago in my Geek Squad beetle. I did not do homes so no worries there. I was exclusively used for business with the exception of training a double agent or two. It was pretty awesome getting to wear the costume and the free car was a great perk cause I could use it anytime.

The double agents who had to do in home were totally miserable because they had to some pretty sketchy places they had to to go. I was training one and we visited a guy who looked like Jabba the Hut. The dude was totally disgusting laying in bed smoking in his underwear. The smell in the house was overwhelming he was so big he could not even move. The PC was totally trashed inside with roaches, food and smoke. That is when I said I would never want to be a double agent. Yeah those were a good 9 months before I got something better.

Not a bad job as a special agent. Do not know about the double agents though and the CIA could be fun if you had the right people to work with. I used to be pretty tough on the CIA's especially on the uniforms. Special agents were supposed to be big on branding so we wore the exact uniform to specification including ironing the short sleeves for creases. Even the high waters had to be precisely the amount from your ankles. I used to keep an iron at the store for the CIA's who came in looking sloppy. I even held a class on how to wear the uniform properly and made sure the uniform was held to spec. We had the precinct inside of the store. It was pretty cool.

RoyalRaven

I third the advice for a local computer store. I cold called one back in the day and landed a tech job. Got to repair all sorts of stuff and run field work on occasion. I did a little bit of selling in the store itself, but usually the customers we had were a bit more technical than you'll see at the regular retail stores. They were much easier to work with on a daily basis.

You may also find a place like this can have more senior/advanced techs take you under their wing and help you develop. I certainly thought it helped advance my IT skills more than it looked like at first....plus we had killer deals on hardware, so my gaming rig at that time was very nice

SteveLord

+1. Avoid retail. Go for the smaller repair/IT support businesses.

ProFamous

I agree with all of you that repair/IT support businesses would be better, however I have called every single one and they all seem to not be hiring or I am not qualified. One guy even referred to A+ as "toilet paper". So I am back to BB and Staples. And I am only a senior in high school however I am taking classes at the University of Cincinnati for an IT bachelors. Internship program is great. However, trying to get as many certs as I can and even more importantly experience. So I ended up applying to both BB and Staples in the end, I will see soon enough. Thanks everyone for your help.

eyesonly84

ProFamous wrote: »

Thanks for this excellent response! Based on what you have told me, I still think I will go with Staples because of the actual tech repair job. I understand that I will be asked to also sell, however this will be all I would do at Best Buy as a regular Geek Squad Agent position is not available. Best Buy does seem like a higher quality chain than Staples, and pay is better, however I don't think I would be able to get the Consultation Agent job. It asks for an Associates Degree as well as a year of sales experience, and I only have the A+ and about a year of part time experience working for parents fixing computers when needed. If I can get this job it would be great. Customer Service Specialist- just doesn't seem like what I am looking for. Multi-Channel Sales Associate- actually doesn't sound bad.
Do you have any reason to choose MCSA over the Staples Certified Tech? Would there be a chance that I would be able to change from MCSA to Geek Squad if a position becomes available? Also, should I apply for a full time position or part time? I will be able to work full time for the next three months considering it is summer break, however once school starts I will obviously have to go back to part time. Any tips are greatly appreciated.

If you apply for the staples job I highly recommend when it comes to the what questions you have part to ask what percentage of your job responsibilities would be repair vs the floor. I just don't see them hire you to that position without having you in the store first to see if you are any good. As someone who hired people I know I would not.

If you started out as an MCSA there is a very small chance you would automatically go to the back as an ARA. Same situation applies that Geeksquad pays more so they want to make sure you are a strong worker. More likely you would go from MCSA to either CSA or OA which is the operations agent, they ship items to the warehouse, answer most of the calls, suppose to do new pc setups and test all the returned items to ensure they are working and can be sold as open box.

As far as going for either part time or full time I would say part time but tell them you are open to hours during the summer. Also if you are willing to work the sells floor or cashier with callouts can very easily give you full time hours, but again only if you want to. Summer is the time of year where retail hours are the slimmest so full time people tend to take up 32-36 hours and part time can vary 10-25. Generally you cannot transfer departments more than 6 months, however the non federal laws are often broken if you are great worker. If you can truly get the full repair job at staples then I would say that, Best Buy is easier to get into your desired department once you are there as the outside interviews are just a formality.

As far as which to choose I would just apply to both and sees what happens, they may answer for you. Any tech work is better than none. I got my current job for the local school district as a Network Analyst because of my retail background (now granted the leadership part helped a bunch) and I was weak in a lot of the technical portions of the interview. I can talk to people, have certifications and had just finished my degree. I was able to learn the rest and I'm up for a promotion I believe is because of my retail experience.

Sounds like you are on your way, Good Luck!

eyesonly84

aspiringsoul wrote: »

I agree with Alias454. Look for a mom and pop computer repair shop, then consider the major retailers.

By the way, I have worked for Circuit City, Best Buy (Geek Squad), and K-mart.

Don't touch K-mart with a ten foot pole....

I worked for Geek Squad for a few months before I landed my first IT job (a Network Admin at a Bank). I think you'll probably get more hands on time working at Staples as a repair tech. Most of your time working for Geek Squad is spent selling services (or operating a register depending on staffing) than actually performing computer repair.

Ideally, you should be able to land a Help Desk position with a little bit of computer repair experience and the A+ after you turn 18. However, due to academic inflation, the education requirements for entry level jobs are rising. If I were you, I would consider enrolling at a community college or a Public Non-Profit school (stay away from For-Profit schools). A Bachelor degree will open up more doors for you in the future but you might consider starting with an Associate degree from a community college.

I admire the fact that you have direction in life. I did not earn the A+ until I was 23 years old. You're already off to a great start, and I'm sure you will be successful.

Good luck to you.

I also worked for Circuit City! My old store got turned into a seasonal Halloween costume shop. I still remember my dps and rpos numbers >.>

I can't speak to all best buys but in my store even the counter agents were not pulled to any other department unless the tech department was super short and the PC manager talked to the geeksquad supervisor super nice. The most I ever had to sell was hey we have tech support and offer a data backup service. Don't need the data backup, cool. Heres the cost of the tech support... it has been the easiest "sales" job ever

ProFamous

So after applying to both, I failed the stupid Best Buy "personality" quiz, was immediately put in the "no longer under consideration" category. This was for the Multi Channel Sales Associate. Have to take another quiz for the Geek Squad position. Staples I am hopeful because it is more tech oriented but still waiting on a response.

NetworkNewb

ProFamous wrote: »

I failed the stupid Best Buy "personality" quiz

Come on.... really? You just answer the way they would want a perfect employee to answer them.

srabiee

Yep, those personality tests are BS. Answer the questions like a corporate robot and pass every time.

ProFamous

They are indeed BS, I don't know how or why I failed this time. I've taken it two times in the past (few years ago) and passed. Guess I will just create another account and try again. Stupid.