Scored an interview with H&R Block. I think I found my way back in!!

As you guys know from my first post, I had been out of I.T. for 4 years, and was looking for a way back in.

I randomly sent my resume off to H&R Block here in S.E. Michigan, and they got back to me within a half an hour. They gave me a quick telephone tech test ("If a user called and said their monitor wasn't working and they verified the power to both the CPU and monitor were on, what would you suggest they do next?" "What cmd would you use to find out a CPUs IP address?") <-- That kind of stuff...

After that, they sent me a link to take an online aptitude test, and a "personality" test...

When that was done, they called me back to set up an interview, which is tomorrow...

It's a HD/TS job that pays $14.50/hr, and it's only for tax season, but for some, the job could last for a year...

I figured it like this: It's an I.T. related job, recent experience (in addition to the experience I had a few years ago), and H&R Block would be good to put on my resume for when I look for other employment...

Am I correct in "figuring" it like this, or is there some other direction you folks think I should take?

Also, after a LOT of calling/e-mailing, I finally hunted down my N+ and S+ certs... I'm still going to update my MCSE from 2K3 to at least 2K8...

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YFZblu

Sounds good - Crazy amount of techies from MI have been on lately.

Good luck!

Akaricloud

Any recent experience for you is going to be better than none but I'd definitely still keep looking for something more advanced while working that job.

nevanerviss

Akaricloud wrote: »

Any recent experience for you is going to be better than none but I'd definitely still keep looking for something more advanced while working that job.

Absolutely!! I intend to keep looking for a more "suitable" job... Since H&R Block is seasonal, it appears that after april, I won't have much of a choice but to look for another job LOL...

I just look at this job as a stepping stone; a vehicle which I can use to my advantage, while at the same time, refamiliarizing myself with the climate of I.T.

YFZblu wrote: »

Sounds good - Crazy amount of techies from MI have been on lately.

Good luck!

Thanks!! Since you're from Michigan, too (albeit S.W. Michigan), you know what the job climate is like here as a whole... We've been hit hard by this recession, especially those of us who worked for the "Big 3"...

I just hope this works out for me; for ALL of us...

traceyke

nevanerviss wrote: »

As you guys know from my first post, I had been out of I.T. for 4 years, and was looking for a way back in.

I randomly sent my resume off to H&R Block here in S.E. Michigan, and they got back to me within a half an hour. They gave me a quick telephone tech test ("If a user called and said their monitor wasn't working and they verified the power to both the CPU and monitor were on, what would you suggest they do next?" "What cmd would you use to find out a CPUs IP address?") <-- That kind of stuff...

After that, they sent me a link to take an online aptitude test, and a "personality" test...

When that was done, they called me back to set up an interview, which is tomorrow...

It's a HD/TS job that pays $14.50/hr, and it's only for tax season, but for some, the job could last for a year...

I figured it like this: It's an I.T. related job, recent experience (in addition to the experience I had a few years ago), and H&R Block would be good to put on my resume for when I look for other employment...

Am I correct in "figuring" it like this, or is there some other direction you folks think I should take?

Also, after a LOT of calling/e-mailing, I finally hunted down my N+ and S+ certs... I'm still going to update my MCSE from 2K3 to at least 2K8...

Boy oh boy do I have stories to tell you.

I used to work there from Nov 2010 to April 2011...back when it was $10/hr. Oh and the personality tests that they gave you? I was the one (along with others at the time) who served as the guinea pig of those tests for future hires. I worked at "da block" because like you, I needed some IT experience. In the grand scheme of things, H&R Block DID provide me valuable help desk experience that I may never get anywhere else.

HOWEVER, here's what you will expect:

1.) They're going to hire you. Even though it is an IT gig, it IS a call-center enviroment. Henceforth, there is high turnover.

2.) Unless they actually changed how you will be "trained", expect to be thrown into the fire and learn as you go. At first I hated this, but looking back on it, I realized that it was truly the only way to fully grasp things there.

3.) Beware of PEAK. "PEAK" is when tax season starts. Expect nonstop calls and loooooong hours without any breaks. Thankfully, they will provide you lunch. During PEAK, I worked nonstop 12 hour shifts for 23 days straight. PEAK will test your mind, body, and soul.

4.) If you can, try your best to become part of the online chat support team. I went this route and my life became much easier.

I'm not trying to derail you from H&R Block. I'm just trying to let you know what you're going to get yourself into. After H&R Block, I was obsessed with getting a hands on desktop support gig. I valued the experience that I got from there, but I'd be lying to you if I said that it wasn't THEE most stressful job that I ever had. H&R Block is like The Pit from The Dark Knight Rises: you fall in, fight to climb out, and become even stronger than you was before!

If you have any more questions about da block, then PM me.:)

Dakinggamer87

Good luck hope it works out!!

m3zilla

nevanerviss wrote: »

"If a user called and said their monitor wasn't working and they verified the power to both the CPU and monitor were on, what would you suggest they do next?" "What cmd would you use to find out a CPUs IP address?"

I didn't realize CPU had IP address assigned!

nevanerviss

m3zilla wrote: »

I didn't realize CPU had IP address assigned!

CPU = computer... For me, CPU isn't an acronym, I use it as more of an abbreviation...

CISPhD

nevanerviss wrote: »

CPU = computer... For me, CPU isn't an acronym, I use it as more of an abbreviation...

Change that. If someone interviewed with me and referred to an entire computer by anything less than the sum of its parts, I'd be right on to the next candidate. How do I expect you to perform well in your role if you can't even properly name the components of a computer? I'm not insinuating that you're unintelligent, but this is an easy habit to break, and, quite frankly, you're shooting yourself in the foot by doing it.

My $0.02... Congrats on the new gig, and keep looking for a more advanced role while you have your started gig.

DPG

Back in the 90's a "CPU" was that beige box at someone's desk that made noise and had blinky lights.

m3zilla

nevanerviss wrote: »

CPU = computer... For me, CPU isn't an acronym, I use it as more of an abbreviation...

I'm pretty sure "PC" is a shorter abbreviation, and much more accurate!! I guess I don't understand how someone in IT would refer to a computer as a CPU? That's like me referring to the computer as a Hard Drive

paul78

Good luck with getting job. I know a few people that used to work there and they are all very complimentary about the company.

CodeBlox

Some of our users refer to the whole computer as a "CPU" or "Hard Drive" LOL! I would change that habit if I were you. You wouldn't put something like that on a resume as an abbreviation would you?

Zartanasaurus

At least he didn't call it a "brain box" like a lady I worked with. Anyway, the important thing is that words have meanings and if you use them incorrectly, you're going to come across as less knowledgeable to someone with more experience.

nevanerviss

If I'm speaking to an obviously non-technical person (as I was when I had the phone interview), in terms of being specific, I will refer to a PC as a CPU...

I fixed a friend's Pc once, and told her to "bring me the PC"... She showed up an hour later with the "box", the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, her speakers, AND her webcam...

Since then, I've decided to be a little more specific in a way which a non-technical person would understand...

On a resume? No. To someone who doesn't know the difference between "your" and "you're"? Absolutely.

I, however, do appreciate the input though...

bgaudy

nevanerviss wrote: »

If I'm speaking to an obviously non-technical person (as I was when I had the phone interview), in terms of being specific, I will refer to a PC as a CPU...

I fixed a friend's Pc once, and told her to "bring me the PC"... She showed up an hour later with the "box", the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, her speakers, AND her webcam...

Since then, I've decided to be a little more specific in a way which a non-technical person would understand...

On a resume? No. To someone who doesn't know the difference between "your" and "you're"? Absolutely.

I, however, do appreciate the input though...

I interviewed for the position you are interviewing for earlier this month, same position, same pay, just down in Kansas City.

the interview itself was simple, just casual "get to know you, and see if you'll be alright" kind of thing.. they only asked 2 basic technical questions.

As for abbreviations, I think you should listen to your peers on here, as CPU already is an acronym for something else computer related, and PC is more specific when referring to a whole machine (tower). If people don't understand what you're talking about you can explain further, but I've never heard anyone refer to a tower as a CPU, except maybe on a forum.

If you want to add me as a friend on here you are more than welcome, we can share our experiences... if you have any more questions after the interview I can maybe help answer them..

Like I said , the interview is pretty "easy" and the position is in demand, not many people showed up to the career fair and asked about it down here. I am set to start the Monday after Thanksgiving so I'll have a little more to share then.. And I will let you know if the experience is generally the same as when Tracey was working, or if anything has changed.

Anyways... good luck with the interview.. I gotsta get ready!

PurpleIT

nevanerviss wrote: »

If I'm speaking to an obviously non-technical person (as I was when I had the phone interview), in terms of being specific, I will refer to a PC as a CPU...

I fixed a friend's Pc once, and told her to "bring me the PC"... She showed up an hour later with the "box", the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, her speakers, AND her webcam...

Since then, I've decided to be a little more specific in a way which a non-technical person would understand...

On a resume? No. To someone who doesn't know the difference between "your" and "you're"? Absolutely.

I, however, do appreciate the input though...

Not to beat a dead horse, but as an IT professional it is up to you to teach the users good habits. If you come across as someone that knows more than they do (without being snobbish), you command more respect and will have a much easier time dealing with them.

In your example I would have said, "Bring your computer, just the box; no keyboard, no mouse or anything extra."

Kill the bad habits before they become second nature; you don't want to make a slip like that in an interview.

nevanerviss

So, I went to the interview... It was "interesting"... Just as Traceyke said, I didn't even get all the way home before they called me and told me I had the job (contingent upon a bkg chk)...

The place looked like a Wall St. "boiler-room"... I walked in and the first two things I saw were a foosball table and a gumball machine!!

Ideally, I would have like to "sneak" back into the business through the side door, but with this job, I'm going through the front door with a battering ram (figuratively speaking)... If nothing else, this will be a wild ride back into I.T. for me...

paul78

Congrats on getting the offer. Sounds like a good break to get back into IT.

coreyb80

Congrats! Is this full time or part time? I'm asking because I would like to break in to IT myself and this seems like this would be an opportunity to do so.

nevanerviss

coreyb80 wrote: »

Congrats! Is this full time or part time? I'm asking because I would like to break in to IT myself and this seems like this would be an opportunity to do so.

I would say it's "extra full-time"... It's a call center environment, so ALL or their support is remote...

From what they told me, they only have 3 call centers; one in Kansas City, San Diego, and the one here in Detroit (or to be more specific, a SUBURB of Detroit)... They do very little on-site work, but if they do, they have a team to do that...

Are you in Michigan?

DoubleNNs

nevanerviss wrote: »

I would say it's "extra full-time"... It's a call center environment, so ALL or their support is remote...

From what they told me, they only have 3 call centers; one in Kansas City, San Diego, and the one here in Detroit (or to be more specific, a SUBURB of Detroit)... They do very little on-site work, but if they do, they have a team to do that...

Are you in Michigan?

I'm disappointed. I would have loved to try to interview for the same position. I'm having trouble finding my 1st IT job. (Probably my fault since I skipped A+ and got Net+ 1st instead, cuz it was more "interesting" to me lol). But since I'm in NJ, guess that's not a viable option for me, huh? =/

Back to online job ads I go...

WiseWun

nevanerviss wrote: »

"What cmd would you use to find out a CPUs IP address?"

looool. I don't mean to be rude or anything but this really made me laugh. I knew what you meant but as others have pointed out, try changing this habit.