Anyone a easy tech?

Well I have just been offered a job at staples as an easy tech and I am deciding if I should take it or not. I would jump on any pc repair/sales job but I will be the only in house tech and thats the part that is scaring me, im not sure if i will be able to handle it alone seeing that it is my first pc tech position

but anywayz anyone a easy tech and care to explain if it is a good job or not

any opinions or suggestions would greatly be appreciated

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Comments

jryantech

Honestly you will not get anything you can not handle if you have an A+ and Network+...

Staples out of themselves, Best Buy and Circuit City probably get the easiest of jobs.

And I'm 99% sure they have a phone line you can call if you can't figure something out.

Be happy you got the job offered and do not let this slip by!

kripsak

Take the job! The current economy is not that great compared to a couple years ago. And just like jryan said, you've got the certs to help you tackle your average computer problem from those big box stores. Now is the time to put your knowledge learned from those certs, unless your a brain dumper

grayfox587

ah good point guys

its just its been like 3 years since i got a+ certified so i dont remember very much, guess ill crack open the books and do some reviewing

guess ill have to roll the dice

just very nervous, going to be working on comps and the only one there

kripsak

Yup, crack open the review test from the books and don't forget techexams cert tests.

That's what I usually use when I go in for an interview just to condition the old brain on the old certs.

Daniel333

Don't bother reviewing your A+ or net+ or anything.

Read up on removing bad malware infections and maybe watch some training on Vista/XP.

undomiel

Nothing beats OJT. Take the job and jump in there. You might get burned a bit at first but if you learn then you'll settle in pretty swiftly. You'll learn more than if you just review books.

Anonymouse

From what I've heard from guys working at Staples as a computer tech is that you end up working around the store doing typical retail duties rather than fixing computers. It's still something to put on your resume though.

ironlung

If its your first IT job then maybe.Have you applied at firedog and geeksquad if you want to be a bit more technical?.Put yourself in a position to learn more.If your going to be the only in house tech my guess is it's not very busy inhouse.

dynamik

grayfox587 wrote:

but anywayz anyone a easy tech

I'm about as easy as they come...

Mishra

Congrats! Take it and be confident that you can learn everything you can!

BrianLowell

I am an Easy Resident Technician at one of the Staples stores in Maine. I love my job, and the managers are great. You can max your pay out at 15.00 dollars an hour, and if you stay long enough and wait for Staples Corporate to fund the "EasyTech Operation" around 2009, you should be able to move up in the company without a problem.

brandonbm

I work at Staples as an EasyTech, I like it alot. I think you should take the job, it was my first tech job after I got my A+. You learn alot, and you gotta wing it sometimes... but im happy I took the job, and hey what do you mean by EasyTech Operation?

grayfox587

thanks for the post brandon and others, i took the job and things were goin good the first few days but then they had to send me to another store for training, the store was not in my comfort zone(close to downtown ) so i had to quit my 3rd day because they refused to send me to a better location. I know its something i should get over but im going to school to avoid places like this so its something i stand firm on

so the job hunt begins again

Mmartin_47

Lucky on the easytech job. I applied to several locations that were looking for one. No response. Oh well.

StaplesEasyTech

I'm a Resident Tech at Staples and personally I think it's an awesome job. If they hire you strictly as Resident Tech then you will spend 99% of your time behind the bench working on computers. I was originally hired as an Easy Tech Associate so 3/4 of my shifts during the week are Resident Tech and the other 1/4 is spent on the floor which I really like. I recommend taking the job and I would see if the store is "Best Tech" because it's a great environment to work in. Good luck with your decision!

Michael.J.Palmer

Way to dig up a two year old thread,

. The fact that they mention Circuit City should have been the dead giveaway that this is old.

SkyPC

StaplesEasyTech wrote: »

I'm a Resident Tech at Staples and personally I think it's an awesome job. If they hire you strictly as Resident Tech then you will spend 99% of your time behind the bench working on computers. I was originally hired as an Easy Tech Associate so 3/4 of my shifts during the week are Resident Tech and the other 1/4 is spent on the floor which I really like. I recommend taking the job and I would see if the store is "Best Tech" because it's a great environment to work in. Good luck with your decision!

Hi!

I looked up the requirements of the position online, and there does not seem to be a requirement for any sort of certifications (such as A+). I am currently working on my A+ cert and I was wondering whether Staples provides any sort of in-house training for those who may not be certified.

Thanks!

Michael.J.Palmer

SkyPC wrote: »

Hi!

I looked up the requirements of the position online, and there does not seem to be a requirement for any sort of certifications (such as A+). I am currently working on my A+ cert and I was wondering whether Staples provides any sort of in-house training for those who may not be certified.

Thanks!

I'd assume that they work like Geek Squad for the most part in this regard. Workers for Geek Squad aren't required to have any certs unless they're in a management position or one of their upper-level agents. Of course most PC issues aren't actually handled at the Geek Squad location anyways and are shipped off to either a regional HQ to be fixed or sent to specialists for virus removal (I've actually heard of some Geek Squad locations use Support Space experts, lol).

Just keep that kind of stuff in mind before you apply. If you want to put your A+ to work then look for a local PC repair shop in town and apply there. You'll get far more experience with everything future employers will look for in a candidate then you could ever get by going to a large corporate retail team like Staples or Geek Squad, or even Office Depot now.

SrSysAdmin

I realize this is a two year old thread and this poster likely isn't even around anymore...but it's hard to believe somebody would quit a job on their third day there because they were sending them to training somewhere "outside their comfort zone".

Who does that? Was he scared to cross the street without holding his mother's hand as well?

SkyPC

Michael.J.Palmer wrote: »

I'd assume that they work like Geek Squad for the most part in this regard. Workers for Geek Squad aren't required to have any certs unless they're in a management position or one of their upper-level agents. Of course most PC issues aren't actually handled at the Geek Squad location anyways and are shipped off to either a regional HQ to be fixed or sent to specialists for virus removal (I've actually heard of some Geek Squad locations use Support Space experts, lol).

Just keep that kind of stuff in mind before you apply. If you want to put your A+ to work then look for a local PC repair shop in town and apply there. You'll get far more experience with everything future employers will look for in a candidate then you could ever get by going to a large corporate retail team like Staples or Geek Squad, or even Office Depot now.

Thanks for your response, Michael. I am exploring different avenues as I prepare a career change into IT. My preference would be to find an opportunity in a local repair shop as you suggested. With just a A+ and no prior work experience in IT, I am concerned that it might be challenging to find such a position.

Anyway, we'll see when the time comes. I still have about a month or so of studying.

Thanks again!

Bl8ckr0uter

SrSysAdmin wrote: »

I realize this is a two year old thread and this poster likely isn't even around anymore...but it's hard to believe somebody would quit a job on their third day there because they were sending them to training somewhere "outside their comfort zone".

Who does that? Was he scared to cross the street without holding his mother's hand as well?

I was honestly wondering the samething myself lol

Anonymouse

StaplesEasyTech wrote: »

I'm a Resident Tech at Staples and personally I think it's an awesome job. If they hire you strictly as Resident Tech then you will spend 99% of your time behind the bench working on computers. I was originally hired as an Easy Tech Associate so 3/4 of my shifts during the week are Resident Tech and the other 1/4 is spent on the floor which I really like. I recommend taking the job and I would see if the store is "Best Tech" because it's a great environment to work in. Good luck with your decision!

I went and applied to be a Resident Tech at my local Staples after reading this. Hopefully I can get an interview and find out if it's any better than being a computer operator haha.

jopapi

Lol, I was accepted into my local staples as an easy tech associate. I haven't been certified in anything dealing with computer repair, but I do possess a fair amount of knowledge regarding that. The assessment test is pretty much a joke and I doubt the job will be anything but dealing with infected computers

zerglings

Michael.J.Palmer wrote: »

I'd assume that they work like Geek Squad for the most part in this regard. Workers for Geek Squad aren't required to have any certs unless they're in a management position or one of their upper-level agents.

Not true. They're requiring A+ for their computer techs, at least the last time I worked there (6 years ago).

Of course most PC issues aren't actually handled at the Geek Squad location anyways and are shipped off to either a regional HQ to be fixed or sent to specialists for virus removal (I've actually heard of some Geek Squad locations use Support Space experts, lol).

Not true. They do most of the stuff in house. They only send it out when they do not have the parts to do it in house, mostly laptop parts.

Just keep that kind of stuff in mind before you apply. If you want to put your A+ to work then look for a local PC repair shop in town and apply there. You'll get far more experience with everything future employers will look for in a candidate then you could ever get by going to a large corporate retail team like Staples or Geek Squad, or even Office Depot now.

Can you expound more about this?

Michael.J.Palmer

zerglings wrote: »

Not true. They're requiring A+ for their computer techs, at least the last time I worked there (6 years ago).

Not true. They do most of the stuff in house. They only send it out when they do not have the parts to do it in house, mostly laptop parts.

Can you expound more about this?

Sounds like a lot has changed since the last time you worked at Geek Squad. I actually tried to get a job there and was turned off by the amount of work that actually was sent off to either their regional location or outsourced entirely (I've had classmates of mine who work on SupportSpace handle calls for Geek Squad). Local Geek Squad departments will tend to only handle software or OS issues and that's it, any hardware issue that is brought through their door is sent off normally to be fixed. The CIA position itself is just a front desk sales position now and nothing else.

The field techs may do actual work, but that's not checked in computers at the location itself, and those individuals are usually required to have their A+ or some experience closely related. I'd run by your local Best Buy and just inquire about it and see if things have actually changed. You have to keep in mind that Best Buy operates like any other large retail chain, and that's at cost efficiency. If it's more cost efficient to hire a small group of individuals to work out of a single location and ship items to that location than to hire ten times as much people to work a much larger base of locations then they'll choose that route. My best guess is that they chose to try and cut cost by changing stuff up, it doesn't mean that you can't get the service you want from Geek Squad, it just means that if you're an IT tech looking to get a foot in the door and utilize that A+ knowledge, you might be better served working in a local repair shop.

I've done contract work for local shops and currently work part-time in the busiest local shop in town. I can guarantee you I see more break/fix, virus removal, OS corruption, etc. issues in just a day then entry level position at Geek Squad handles in a week. That's what I meant by they'd be better served using that knowledge and building on it in a local shop atmosphere.

Lamini

I started the EasyTech at my local Staples branch couple years ago, certification was not a requirement. Easy job, minus the customers who think you're some idiot. But, handing off my bussiness cards to all those customers in the store and parking lots, 3 yrs later is still paying off. One thing I cant forget is how bad the pay is, was like $7.65/hr in 2007-2008, not sure what it is now, but, times were desperate and I needed a part time job on top of my full time job. I would recommend it to anyone starting off in the IT world, though not for long as its very easy to outgrow it. They do require you go through some training (on your own, but you get paid to), CBTs and stuff. Then I learned there was another division that did all the travel work, and that I could not, and that was just another reason to not sticking around. Not that pulling ink out of inventory to stock up the shelves did not frustrate me enough or being told by kids 1/2 my age to mop the floors or clean the bathrooms. Breaking all sales records for my section and getting nothing for it did not help. But if I could do it over again, that sure beats flippin burgers at McDonald's at $4.25/hr, and theres experience to learn

HLP123

Hey guys. I'm new here. I know this is an old thread, but I found it on google.

My local staples in Glendale, Ca is looking to fill a few "Easy Tech" positions. There are 3 different positions to apply for.

1) Easy Resident Technician
2) Easy Technology Associate
3) Easy Technology Expert

Can anyone briefly explain the differences between the 3. From what I understand, The 1st one is basically a floor salesperson, 2nd helps out the experts and works the sales floor too, and 3rd is basically working on pc's the entire time.

Also, How much do they start you off at, for each position, in Los Angeles/Glendale?

I don't have any certification but I've been working on PC's for about 10 years now. I can build them, remove viruses, diagnose some hardware problems, find/install drivers, clean/tune up pc's, reimages, etc. If I don't know how to do something, I just search google and I'm usually able to fix it.

I've taken Computer information system classes and A+ Preparation classes, but never stuck to them long enough to get certified. For those that are currently working as an Easy Tech, do you think I'm fit for the Expert position based on my knowledge?

Thanks

Slowhand

Man, this thread's gone from necro to outright zombie after getting revived twice!

If you've been a PC tech for a decade, then I'd say you're more than qualified to be an in-house tech in a retail store. If you've been doing break/fix stuff for friends and family, chances are you're probably going to see a more hectic pace and a few new issues you've never come across, but you're still in the ballpark. The one question an employer's going to have, though, is going to be why you're not A+ certified. I've been asked similar things during interviews, and just be ready for some awkward moments if you try to answer that you don't need it. The plus is that they'll probably have you take the tests on their dime if you get the job.

As for the pay-rate in your area, I'd say asking at the store might be a good idea. I'd imagine you're spot-on for the job-roles of the different positions, but it's probably not a bad idea to find out about that as well if you should choose to go into a store and do some scouting.

tushster

HLP123 wrote: »

Hey guys. I'm new here. I know this is an old thread, but I found it on google.

My local staples in Glendale, Ca is looking to fill a few "Easy Tech" positions. There are 3 different positions to apply for.

1) Easy Resident Technician
2) Easy Technology Associate
3) Easy Technology Expert

Can anyone briefly explain the differences between the 3. From what I understand, The 1st one is basically a floor salesperson, 2nd helps out the experts and works the sales floor too, and 3rd is basically working on pc's the entire time.

Also, How much do they start you off at, for each position, in Los Angeles/Glendale?

I don't have any certification but I've been working on PC's for about 10 years now. I can build them, remove viruses, diagnose some hardware problems, find/install drivers, clean/tune up pc's, reimages, etc. If I don't know how to do something, I just search google and I'm usually able to fix it.

I've taken Computer information system classes and A+ Preparation classes, but never stuck to them long enough to get certified. For those that are currently working as an Easy Tech, do you think I'm fit for the Expert position based on my knowledge?

Thanks

Let's see if I can revive this old thread haha.
I've been an Easy Tech in each of those three positions (I'm currently the Expert at my local Staples). The differences are as follows:
Easy Tech Associate will rarely work on computers (especially if your store has a Easy Resident Tech and/or a Tech Center Expert). The Associate will perform daily tasks that relate to the store (stocking shelves, working on load, and assisting customers on the floor. The pay starts pretty low (almost near minimum wage if you have no prior experience).
Easy Resident Tech (sometimes called Easy Certified Tech) will be behind the bench working on computers a majority of the time. There have been new positions introduced to the Easy Tech, including Tech Center Expert and COT. The Tech Center Expert is the lead behind the tech bench. The COT (Certified On-Site Technician) is like the Resident Tech, but he's also certified to perform services on-site. Having some kind of technical knowledge (ie. A+, Network+, etc) will certainly help you. The pay will vary by state, but in California, the starting salary for this position is $10/hr vs the Tech Center Expert who will make close to $15.
Easy Tech Expert is the lead of the tech/BM department of the store. He/She is responsible for making sure the shelves are stocked and recovered nightly so things are easy to find. They are also required to make sure they promote ESPs and tech services because Tech Sales and ESP numbers are on their shoulders. The ETE is rarely behind the tech bench, but will be called there if no other tech is available, as long as they've successfully completed their certifications. The pay for the ETE in California is between $10 - $14. If you have a cool manager, they will likely be more than willing to negotiate with you.

When I started working with the company, I had no IT certifications to account for, but I had previously worked on computers. They accepted that, but had provided me with Staples' own certifications I had to complete.