Going in for my interview tomorrow...

Johner

Title says it all, and I'm getting those pre-most important meeting of you life jitters. I found this forums just the other night in a mad search for some footing on the subject.

The position is in my hometown. The company has damn near a monopoly on the cities data, phone, and cable. Meaning if I screw up here I'm well and surely buggered. The position is for the overnight NOC center. That is about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. I have a family member working in a nearby department and I got an early interview because of it.

The reason I'm so nervous is I've got zero certs. I've got no formal training on networking or system management. Everything I know is self taught and more along the lines of buildings PCs. She informed me however they take entry level candidates all the time however.

Does this sound normal? I cannot tell if I'm tackling a phone job where I assist people whom cannot find the internet explorer icon or will they let me drive the bus at night?

Also if I do get the job, what are some of the basic need to have certs in this industry? I haven't attended college yet because I've seen some many people blow 60k and 4 years switching their major every other semester and ending up with a Degree in Xeno Theology.

Essendon

Welcome to the forums!

It is normal to have pre-interview butterflies. Just be your usual self, speak slowly and coherently, shave, shower, dress pants and shirt, perhaps a tie. If it's a chick that'll be interviewing you, ensure you trim your nails too, trust me those women look at your nails. I mean dont go painting them, but just clean. BTW, what's the job description? If it's an overnight gig, it may not be a phone based role at all, more like raising tickets, doing some basic Level 1 stuff, replacing failed HDD, you know basic stuff.

Good luck and I hope you stick around.

Johner

Essendon wrote: »

Welcome to the forums!

It is normal to have pre-interview butterflies. Just be your usual self, speak slowly and coherently, shave, shower, dress pants and shirt, perhaps a tie. If it's a chick that'll be interviewing you, ensure you trim your nails too, trust me those women look at your nails. I mean dont go painting them, but just clean. BTW, what's the job description? If it's an overnight gig, it may not be a phone based role at all, more like raising tickets, doing some basic Level 1 stuff, replacing failed HDD, you know basic stuff.

Good luck and I hope you stick around.

Thanks for the welcome!

The job description is loosely based idea of what goes on in the mysterious room down the hall where the nerds preside and fix things when the red lights go off. Like I said, this is hearsay on top of gossip formed from the conclusion of very reliable water cooler discussion. A gift from my very loving Sister in law in the overnight call center.

From what I can understand the NOC handles all the data and phone management. I would be the only personnel on site between the hours of 9PM-7AM

She mentioned that she occasionally transfers calls over there when a customer has a tech question she cannot resolve. However those are maybe a once or twice a night occurance. So I'm trying to brain out what the heck I'd be responsible for the other 9 and 1/2 hours of my shift.

The trains is supposed to last 3 months, if that helps narrow down the field.

Cayden

Think you should be ok.

I work with a NOC that interfaces with may other NOCs such as AT&T/Verizon and their NOCs seem fairly simple. Most of what they do is gather information and pass it on to other departments (which is the case of most NOCs) Your training should be what gets you prepared for they job, they shouldnt expect you to know much of anything being self taught as far as the monitoring programs they use and how to respond to them.

NOCs from my experience are usually full of regular people with no Certs/Engineering experience. All they really do is relay "intelligent" information to the real engineers so the issue can get fixed. If your interest is an Engineering career the NOC is usually the breeding ground if they higher internally.

Zartanasaurus

Have fun storming the castle!

Johner

Just got back from the meeting and it went phenomenal!

I was a nervous wreck about lacking hard related experience but the interviewer, who will also be my direct supervisor, completely put me at ease.

The position will be a Tier 1 NOC tech for the midnight swing shift. Will a side of cross department It support. 4 night blocks of 10hrs with a good chance of overtime.

I feel confident a bpout my chances after I got him laughing and we began talking about the magic of ones first PC construct and face palming about Vista nightmares. He let me in on a secret. I would get the job not because of experience but attitude and willingness to learn what I need to. After 7 years of hiring on certs alone there was just a pattern that he didn't appreciate emerging. Much better results were drawn when he found the right person then made him fit the job, instead of the other way around.

I'll be lurking around for the next few months if I snag the position. I've got a hell of a lot to learn.

Armymanis

congrats!

drew726

Johner wrote: »

Just got back from the meeting and it went phenomenal!

I was a nervous wreck about lacking hard related experience but the interviewer, who will also be my direct supervisor, completely put me at ease.

The position will be a Tier 1 NOC tech for the midnight swing shift. Will a side of cross department It support. 4 night blocks of 10hrs with a good chance of overtime.

I feel confident a bpout my chances after I got him laughing and we began talking about the magic of ones first PC construct and face palming about Vista nightmares. He let me in on a secret. I would get the job not because of experience but attitude and willingness to learn what I need to. After 7 years of hiring on certs alone there was just a pattern that he didn't appreciate emerging. Much better results were drawn when he found the right person then made him fit the job, instead of the other way around.

I'll be lurking around for the next few months if I snag the position. I've got a hell of a lot to learn.

All I gotta say is, use your time wisely.

Kasor

Good job...

Psoasman

Johner wrote: »

He let me in on a secret. I would get the job not because of experience but attitude and willingness to learn what I need to.
I'll be lurking around for the next few months if I snag the position. I've got a hell of a lot to learn.

This is very true. I got my first IT job having zero real-world experience by demonstrating the ability to learn and get along with people.
I'd start working on your certs once you are settled in. Depending on your level of knowledge, the A+ would be a good place to start. You could do the CCENT or Net+ after that to give you a solid foundation.

whatthehell

Glad to hear it went well!

Johner

Psoasman wrote: »

This is very true. I got my first IT job having zero real-world experience by demonstrating the ability to learn and get along with people.
I'd start working on your certs once you are settled in. Depending on your level of knowledge, the A+ would be a good place to start. You could do the CCENT or Net+ after that to give you a solid foundation.

I was actually just looking at that last night. It will be a week before I know and then 2 weeks to give my current employer some time to find a replacement. From what I hear A+ can be done in a month or so if you commit to learning it and have a general grasp on the basics already.

I think I'll start on that early so I can get my first cert a week or so into the job. It can only help and should make my supervisor confident he picked the right candidate. Am I oversimplifying the A+ material though? I mean it can't be that easy but it also cannot be all that difficult.

Psoasman

Johner wrote: »

I think I'll start on that early so I can get my first cert a week or so into the job. It can only help and should make my supervisor confident he picked the right candidate. Am I oversimplifying the A+ material though? I mean it can't be that easy but it also cannot be all that difficult.

The A+ was my first cert. I had little experience and I think I took around 3 months to do the Essentials and Technician exams. My advice is to always get the exam objectives so you know what to study for. Highlight what you are not comfortable with and go over that material. Save your practice exams for after you've gone through the material. Too many people rely on the exams to pass, without actually learning the material.

toshinden5

congrats man, but man graveyard shift is very tough. I did it for 6 months and couldn't take it anymore and found a new job that are day shift. good luck!

Heero

Whenever I have an interview that I am really nervous for, I just stop being nervous and spend that time preparing for anything and everything they will throw at you in the interview. Preparation is the name of the game.

Devilry

Did you get the position? Let us know!

nx1no

I was waiting to see the "I GOT IT" post...what happened man?!