Was just offered a Geek Squad job...

bobofgog

So, I was just offered a full-time (read: 32 hours minimum) job at the Geek Squad for a new store in the suburban Illinois area @ $12/hour. Unfortunately, this is the only job offer I've had in the past month (still waiting to hear back from a couple interviews). I interviewed with the GM and am waiting to get back to him.

Of course, I've heard all the horror stories, etc, and I also have a good friend who's a DA and started off with the job I've been offered (he started at 12.50 apparently).

Now, the only reason I'm looking is because I was laid off at my current job because they needed to get rid of all the office-related operating overhead and couldn't afford to pay me any more. This would be between a $5000-7000/year paycut for me, but, seeing that I don't have any certs and just the job experience from my last job, it's been pretty difficult finding IT work. Heck, even when I was in retail before I switched to IT I was making WAY more than what he offered me.

I could probably make it on $12/hour, 32 hours a week, but do you guys think I should keep looking for something better? Would it be worth while to take the job but keep my resume out there? I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple other interviews, and a Tek Systems recruiter called me this morning to let me know he might have a two-month contract @ $16/hour.

Thanks for any advice!

Smallguy

always keep an eye on the market place and keep making connections.

take the job for now but still keep ur resume out there

Slowhand

I've been in the McTech (Geek Squad, CompUSA, Fry's) field, and I have to say that it's not a place you really want to stick around. My advice is as follows: If you get the contract position from Tek Systems, go for it. I got a gig from them once, and it's what allowed me to move up to the job I have now. If you can't get the contract, take the Geek Squad job for now, and look around for something better.

Either way, you should be taking this time to look at getting some certs or possibly doing some school. Check with your local colleges, with online places, and see what's out there. If nothing else, a place doing retail tech will want you to get A+ and Network+ certified. In fact, I believe that Geek Squad also encourages doing MCSE and CCNA, which will get you put in a position to be management for them. Look into it, see what they're willing to pay for.

It's better to have a temporary or lousy job than to have no job at all, so make the best of the time and use it as a stepping stone to get to where you'd rather be.

davenport

I agree with the guys above. I'd jump on it and keep my eyes peeled. I've always been told "it's easier to find a job when you have a job". Take it for what it's worth.
Oh yeah and enjoy the Geek Squad VW bug. I'd beat the crap out of that thing.

mikej412

You should always be looking for something better.... but you don't want to look like a job hopper either.

If you don't have to accept or decline on the spot when you hear back... see what happens with the other interviews. But at some point a job in the hand will be worth more than interviews in the bush.

I've never used Tek Systems, but I've heard of them -- and it was nothing bad. When you talk to the recruiter next, you may want to ask them what certifications are useful....

No matter which job you get/take, it may be time to start on your certification path.

plettner

It's also been mentioned on this forum before that employers are wary when people have a large "hole" (a period of unexplained unemployment) in their CV. It may be worth taking what job you can and hoping a better opportunity exists to avoid having this gap.

To avoid "job-hopping", you can remove some jobs from your CV and "adjust" the periods of work where you fell it may be more beneficial to list the work you've done.

mikej412

plettner wrote:

To avoid "job-hopping", you can remove some jobs from your CV and "adjust" the periods of work where you fell it may be more beneficial to list the work you've done.

When you call, most companies will verify titles and dates of employment -- and if you say a salary, they might confirm.

Since verifying employment is usually the easiest, its one of the things our recruiters would check first. Once the dates on job history don't check out, it was just assumed that the rest of the resume was lies and was "round filed."

crap I forgot my old pwd

I worked on Geek Squad for a couple years. Best Buy has some of the lousiest managers, worst service, and about 50 other problems. My store never really screened people in interviews to see if they could even fix a computer. Most people there couldn't. Also, many of us spent long hours at night closing the rest of the store, and shipping, and cleaning. If I wanted to ship boxes all night, I would've applied for FedEx... Customers there don't care if you fixed their computer or not, they will STILL be angry at you. You will get sweared at by customers (a lot). Oh, and one of my biggest problems was that no one there took responsibility for their own actions. (ie. someone starts a computer, has to leave, and assigns the work to someone else and the new tech never touches it). I am gonna stop now because I probably could write several novels over it and produce several movies about it as well. (Oh, and me and the other 2 A+ techs all got payed the same as the people who say "I've never opened a computer before" when you ask them to dust out a computer).

Bottom line is this, if you can deal with the job and make the most of it, great (the discounts are nice). But as for me, coming from that job, I'll never work retail again.
Best of luck to you.
btw I used to also work in a best buy in suburban IL so its probably not too far from you.

crap I forgot my old pwd

Oh and about a previous comment. The only certification best buy cares about is a small business MCP exam (I forgot the exact exam #). But thats it. (One of our techs had an MCSE and made less than I did). BUT if you DO decide to get that cert, the quality of your job becomes better since you deal more with small business people (who are usually nicer). However, most of the people in Geek Squad DA and SA positions find jobs elsewhere relatively qucikly because they are not getting paid very much at all. (If DAs and SA's don't bring in x amount of dollars/hour, they will lose their jobs).

plettner

mikej412 wrote:

plettner wrote:

To avoid "job-hopping", you can remove some jobs from your CV and "adjust" the periods of work where you fell it may be more beneficial to list the work you've done.

When you call, most companies will verify titles and dates of employment -- and if you say a salary, they might confirm.

Since verifying employment is usually the easiest, its one of the things our recruiters would check first. Once the dates on job history don't check out, it was just assumed that the rest of the resume was lies and was "round filed."

To be honest, I've never had an employer verify my dates. With the jobs I've gone for, they just ring the referees I've provided who I normally get along well with.

I've never used a recruitment firm. But you're right, if that's a check these recruiters use, then be wary!