Received a phone call about a position in Greenville, SC

veritas_libertas

Hello everyone,

I just got off the phone with a staffing firm, Apex Systems, about a Level I Help Desk job with Nuvox Communications.

Has anyone ever dealt with this staffing firm before? Any advice? I am excited and a little nervous at the same time. They sent me a mock IT support resume to supposedly help me refine mine. Personally I think mine looks much better than theirs. They want me to send them my updated resume. Does this mean they didn't like my original one?

Please help, I will take any advice I can get :

L0gicB0mb508

Dealing with staffing firms can be hit or miss. It really depends on the recruiter. I've had some very very good ones that went the extra mile, and I've had a few that more than brushed me off. Just ride it out and see where it goes to be honest. As for the resume, a lot of the time staffing firms have a specific format they keep resumes in. I know on more than one occasion mine was reformatted to fit their specific style.

I guess your next step (if the client likes your resume) is an interview with client themselves. I wish you the best of luck!

laidbackfreak

most recruitment firms will put your information into their format but I've never been asked to do it for them lol

Personally I think if they called you based on your resume then thats good enough in my books.
If you feel yours is better tell them that and ask why they feel the need to change it ?

ps good luck with job hunt

L0gicB0mb508

laidbackfreak wrote: »

most recruitment firms will put your information into their format but I've never been asked to do it for them lol

Personally I think if they called you based on your resume then thats good enough in my books.
If you feel yours is better tell them that and ask why they feel the need to change it ?

ps good luck with job hunt

Yeah I do find that kind of odd. They always reformatted mine for me.

networker050184

Like others have said they probably have a preferred format. I'd hook it up like they want and send it to them. Good luck with the job!

Bokeh

Apex Systems recruits nationwide. I do not know anyone personally wha has gotten work through them.

The reason a recruiter wants an updated resume, is simple. The one they saw posted might not reflect current job status, current certs/education, etc.

Even if you are not looking for a position, it is a good idea to keep your resume updated at all times. You just never know.

bwillford

Not familiar with Apex, but I've worked closely with Nuvox and some of the people over at the Greenville location quite a bit. Good group of guys over there.

btw I am a Sys Admin in Spartanburg, SC.

Where do you go to school at?

veritas_libertas

bwillford wrote: »

Not familiar with Apex, but I've worked closely with Nuvox and some of the people over at the Greenville location quite a bit. Good group of guys over there.

btw I am a Sys Admin in Spartanburg, SC.

Where do you go to school at?

I am still at Muskegon Community College in Muskegon, MI http://www.muskegoncc.edu. I have one class left that I am currently working on. I will be finishing it next week. My reasons for moving are to get away from the snow/cold (Down to 40 degrees one time earlier this week at night) and bad unemployment (suppose to be up to 20% by this fall). @bwillford I would like to get together with you and talk when I move down the first week of August.

veritas_libertas

Just got finished with ProveIT test for Apex Solutions. Scored a 89% on it If I was more familiar with Vista I would have nailed it down in the 90% area I believe. I was told I would probably get another phone call Monday. These folks are really polite and nice to deal with.

Icecube0045

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Just got finished with ProveIT test for Apex Solutions. Scored a 89% on it If I was more familiar with Vista I would have nailed it down in the 90% area I believe. I was told I would probably get another phone call Monday. These folks are really polite and nice to deal with.

What type of questions do they ask you?

veritas_libertas

Icecube0045 wrote: »

What type of questions do they ask you?

Very basic common sense questions. If you can get even a low score on the A+, than you wouldn't even blink at this test.

Allot of it was about how you should take support calls, and when to escalate them. I have prior Help Desk experience as student tech so it was easy for me.

veritas_libertas

Just got off the phone with Apex. I was told the only thing her hiring manager is concerned about is my low amount of experience (1 year professionally). He told her that if I had a great personality this should not be an issue. I found that comment amusing actually. Guess I need to brush up on the people skills

I am now feeling a little nervous about this.

networker050184

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Just got off the phone with Apex. I was told the only thing her hiring manager is concerned about is my low amount of experience (1 year professionally). He told her that if I had a great personality this should not be an issue. I found that comment amusing actually. Guess I need to brush up on the people skills

I am now feeling a little nervous about this.

Sounds a little discouraging, but just go in there and show them you have what it takes. If you wow them they will forget about the experience (or lack there of).

Do you have an interview set up?

veritas_libertas

networker050184 wrote: »

Sounds a little discouraging, but just go in there and show them you have what it takes. If you wow them they will forget about the experience (or lack there of).

Do you have an interview set up?

Not yet. I forgot to say that I should hear more from them by the end of this week.

I haven't yet moved down to the Greenville area so I will not be doing an in person interview till the first week of August. They asked me if an over the phone interview was an option if that came up and I said absolutely.

veritas_libertas

Well I moved into Greenville, SC last week. I gave a phone call to the lady that I have been working with at Apex. She told me she is still waiting for a response from her manager. Hopefully my having moved down here will speed the process up a little. I also had an interview with **********. The guy from there has a lead on a job that I am really interested in. Hopefully something will happen this week. If anyone has a lead on any IT jobs in the area help desk or network administration please PM me.

veritas_libertas

Still waiting on these companies to call me or email me with updates While I have been waiting for them I received two short term contract offers. The one was for printer installations which I greatly despise (I did printer deployments for a short term and hated it). The other offer I received is for imaging / destroying images on laptops bound for Iraq. I talked to a very nice staff member who was convinced I was perfect for the job. I told him I would refuse to take it unless I could drop it any time for a full time position if I was offered one. He agreed and it looks like I now have a full time job for two months 10 hrs a day / 6 days a week at $14 hr.

P.S. I am unsure how I am perfect for imaging laptops

GT-Rob

veritas_libertas wrote: »

I am unsure how I am perfect for imaging laptops

Do you have a pulse? Then you are perfect! :P


Hopefully the companies come through for you. Trust me, sometimes it takes a long time. They will say 'we need someone ASAP', but then take 2 months to actually hire someone. In fact, I am going to a final interview for something next week that I did the first phone interview for in June. And that job said they needed someone 'immediately'.

veritas_libertas

GT-Rob wrote: »

Do you have a pulse? Then you are perfect! :P


Hopefully the companies come through for you. Trust me, sometimes it takes a long time. They will say 'we need someone ASAP', but then take 2 months to actually hire someone. In fact, I am going to a final interview for something next week that I did the first phone interview for in June. And that job said they needed someone 'immediately'.

Well supposedly I start tomorrow. I guess we will see

ColbyG

Good luck. I worked there, it's a great company.

Edit: I'm talking about NuVox, not the staffing place.

veritas_libertas

ColbyNA wrote: »

Good luck. I worked there, it's a great company.

Edit: I'm talking about NuVox, not the staffing place.

Yeah, I wish I would get another phone call from them. I have tried calling them as well as e-mailing. Nothing

On the other hand, I have started working a contract job for a major international company in Greenville. It's horribly boring but pays the bills. I am ghosting images to laptops headed for Afghanistan / Iraq. I get the title IT Technician so its definitely resume material

Update: I got a phone call about a Desktop Support job. I am going to have to wait for further information from them tomorrow.

veritas_libertas

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Yeah, I wish I would get another phone call from them. I have tried calling them as well as e-mailing. Nothing

On the other hand, I have started working a contract job for a major international company in Greenville. It's horribly boring but pays the bills. I am ghosting images to laptops headed for Afghanistan / Iraq. I get the title IT Technician so its definitely resume material

Update: I got a phone call about a Desktop Support job. I am going to have to wait for further information from them tomorrow.

Well according to the staffing agency Nuvox has suspended hiring for the help desk position, and the other agency said that Desktop Support position has been filled. I guess I will be stuck ghosting laptops for a while. This does make me nervous that I am going to be trapped. I am not sure what to do next. I guess go full force and finish up a BS degree.

GT-Rob

Everyday there are new job postings. There is no thing as trapped

veritas_libertas

I just received an e-mail from my former Network Administrator in Michigan. He wondered if I would be interested in being considered for his position. I don't know what is going to happen but I am hanging on for the ride

My guess is that he got a promotion.

dynamik

Sounds promising; good luck!

networker050184

veritas_libertas wrote: »

I just received an e-mail from my former Network Administrator in Michigan. He wondered if I would be interested in being considered for his position. I don't know what is going to happen but I am hanging on for the ride

My guess is that he got a promotion.

Good luck!

If you get the position you are going to have to turn around and move right back? That would suck, but if its the job you want then you have to do what you have to do.

Man, nobody sticks it out in Greenville very long. Its not that bad

veritas_libertas

networker050184 wrote: »

Good luck!

If you get the position you are going to have to turn around and move right back? That would suck, but if its the job you want then you have to do what you have to do.

Man, nobody sticks it out in Greenville very long. Its not that bad

I was excited at first until I started thinking about the absolute pain of moving. I hate moving, the packing, the cost of a rental vehicle, Banks, new apartments If I get an offer I will have to decide then.

I called my former Network Administrator and he told me that he got moved up to Technology Director and immediately thought of me for the Network Administrator position. The community college has a an outside company managing the IT department. I sent him my resume and he forwarded it on. I maintained a great relationship with the IT department so I think I have decent chance.

P.S. I actually like Greenville Networker!

tpatt100

veritas_libertas wrote: »

I am still at Muskegon Community College in Muskegon, MI http://www.muskegoncc.edu. I have one class left that I am currently working on. I will be finishing it next week. My reasons for moving are to get away from the snow/cold (Down to 40 degrees one time earlier this week at night) and bad unemployment (suppose to be up to 20% by this fall). @bwillford I would like to get together with you and talk when I move down the first week of August.

Hey swing by Ypsilanti and take me with you or at least arrange a time for my wife and I and my cats and dogs to be out of the house when it mysteriously burns down

veritas_libertas

networker050184 wrote: »

Good luck!

If you get the position you are going to have to turn around and move right back? That would suck, but if its the job you want then you have to do what you have to do.

Man, nobody sticks it out in Greenville very long. Its not that bad

Well, the wife and I got around to seriously talking about whether or not we really wanted to move back to Michigan. She made it pretty clear that she hates the cold, and hates being out of work. Jobs are scarce and even if I did get this one she would probably not be able to find one for quite a while. I am also not keen on the cold. Sooooo, the search goes on I am actually beginning to enjoy my job. They realized that I would never be content just ghosting computers so I have been taking on additional responsibilities. I have developed a line of communications with several staffing agencies in the area and they know what I am looking for. I still get calls every week about different jobs in the area.

My next major goal is to knock off my Bachelor degree at the University of South Carolina. I will begin this pursuit next fall. I think I should be able to knock of my Security+, CCNA, and MCITP Server Admin before then.

ColbyG

networker050184 wrote: »

Man, nobody sticks it out in Greenville very long. Its not that bad

Yes it is.