A+ certified but no practical skills

I am woefully inadequate when faced with PC troubleshooting issues. I have a couple of interviews for a PC tech position.
How can I quickly get up to speed on the basics for interview purposes?

I tried googling some topics, but I thought you guys would have better thoughts on how to hone in on the necessities.

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Comments

Tackle

Nothing will work quickly and there is no magic potion. You won't gain those skills until you are faced with different situations and scenereos. Find some friends that are having PC issues and start by fixing them. Make sure you freshen up info you've learned from the A+ and Net+.

cyberguypr

I agree with Tackle. If you don't have experience you can't BS your way through an interview, at least not with a knowledgeable interviewer. Remember that sometime companies look for individuals with the right attitude rather than tech skills. Some are willing to train if you seem like a good fit. Just be honest.

bud08

I have a volunteer job right now and I have already learned A LOT, but this one interview has guidelines that I know I will bomb.
It is so hard out there when people want 5 or more years of experience and are only offering Part-time 10-15 hours a week, $11/13 to start. Their expectations are insane.

This was my problem when studying for the A+ was that there was just so much to know. I guess I will just hit my old A+ books.

Tackle

Employers most always list a grocery list of "Requirements" that are not actually required. I had an interview yesterday that wanted more years of experience and a higher degree than I have. There were also a few things "required" that I did not know (Suse and Novell).

During the interview I asked what skills they're looking for and what they would be OK with teaching or letting me learn. They said the only required skills are communication skills, and basic PC knowledge. This was for a large organization.

Take the requirements with a grain of salt. I would guess they put all those on their in "hopes" to find the perfect candidate. Granted, the perfect candidate usually requires higher pay than they are willing to give.

SteveLord

Tackle wrote: »

Employers most always list a grocery list of "Requirements" that are not actually required. I had an interview yesterday that wanted more years of experience and a higher degree than I have. There were also a few things "required" that I did not know (Suse and Novell).

During the interview I asked what skills they're looking for and what they would be OK with teaching or letting me learn. They said the only required skills are communication skills, and basic PC knowledge. This was for a large organization.

Take the requirements with a grain of salt. I would guess they put all those on their in "hopes" to find the perfect candidate. Granted, the perfect candidate usually requires higher pay than they are willing to give.

Great info. Especially about the perfect candidates. Sometimes they will opt for those who will accept a lower salary because the money happens to be more important than how much the person knows at this point. I've been there.

Ch@rl!3m0ng

Tackle wrote: »

Employers most always list a grocery list of "Requirements" that are not actually required. I had an interview yesterday that wanted more years of experience and a higher degree than I have. There were also a few things "required" that I did not know (Suse and Novell).

During the interview I asked what skills they're looking for and what they would be OK with teaching or letting me learn. They said the only required skills are communication skills, and basic PC knowledge. This was for a large organization.

Take the requirements with a grain of salt. I would guess they put all those on their in "hopes" to find the perfect candidate. Granted, the perfect candidate usually requires higher pay than they are willing to give.

I Agree with Tackle here. I have seen helpdesk jobs that require a Degree CCNA and MCSE. It did not stop me applying for them. I left the armed forces some 4 years ago now and had a lack of commercial experience. So long as you can show a willing to learn and dont BS in the interview they may give you a shot. I remember been asked a question on configuring CISCO routers for a helpdesk role I went for. I answered that I did not know but would like to learn. I ended up getting the job. (though it was a contract)

Speaking of contracts (I know there not for everyone) they are a good way to gain the much needed experience requied for the Perm Jobs that pay better.