Potential NOC Job

SteveFT · October 2013

There was a NOC job that I applied to a week or so ago. The job was listed as an entry-level position, requiring 0-1 years of experience. They did list vendor certifications as a preference and unfortunately I only have the A+ and Network+ at the moment.

So, yesterday I received a call from someone in HR. I called back today and completed a quick HR screen. She scheduled me for a phone interview with the hiring manager on Friday. I am hoping for the best because this is an exciting opportunity for a first IT job. At the same time, I am trying not to get my hopes up too much because someone could come along with experience and a few vendor certifications.

Any tips of the interview or NOC work in general? Some of the requirements included basic Unix/Linux, Windows, and Networking. I'm going to try to emphasize that I am currently taking a Linux course, have been completing certifications, and I am eager to learn new technologies. Hoping to have a great chance to start my new career here!

networker050184 · October 2013

Be honest with your knowledge level. Nothing worse than someone trying to BS you. For an entry level job I'm looking for someone that has a good train of thought. Someone that seems genuinely interested in technology. Show that and I think you will do well.

Good luck!

puertorico1985 · October 2013

I'll agree with Networker. Be confident, study up on the main topics, and (try your best to) be aware of what you don't know. Nothing worse than trying to BS the interviewer. For an entry level job, employers are looking for a good head on the shoulders type of guy. Show them that you are willing to learn, and that you are motivated for the position, and you will do great.

SteveFT · October 2013

Thanks for the feedback! Not that I am the type the BS anyways, but I have heard consistently from people in here that it is annoying when people BS in interviews. The only necessary skills they listed was Office, so I'm trying to brush up on some skills there because I don't really ever use Access or Outlook. For all I know, they might just be talking about basic Word/Excel, but I'd rather be over-prepared.

Thank you again. Very excited and I hope this is going to work out.

Verities · October 2013

Sounds like an exciting opportunity. Don't worry, as long as you have 2 arms and can breathe, you can figure out MS Office.

SteveFT · October 2013

I still have the phone interview in the morning, but I also heard back from a friend about a potential help desk position. The help desk position is a part-time contract position. I still need to see how things play out, but I may have to decide between the full-time NOC position with a not so well known company versus the contract help desk position at the bigger company.

I'll write back after the next steps which are a phone interview tomorrow and an in-person interview at job #2 on Monday.

PCSPreston · October 2013

Take it because we all start somewhere and NOC is good start!

DoubleNNs · October 2013

When trying to get experience, don't look so much at the name of the company. Long story short, I did that recently which may or may not have been the best idea.

However, if you can support yourself while working part time for a while, that might be a great opportunity to complete some certs/studying and work on your skillset on the side.

Go to both interviews, see what the results are, then decide.

SteveFT · October 2013

So I had the phone screen and it lasted ~40 minutes. Questions included why I'm changing careers, what I thought of the A+ and Network+ exams, what a DMZ is, what WAN technologies I was familiar with, an instance of when I have troubleshooted recently, and what I would do in the case of a BSOD.

I was fairly nervous in the beginning, but became slightly more comfortable with time. I'm not very practiced with interviews. This was my first interview with technical questions, so it was something I was not used to. In any case, I was told that I would have a second interview, but the hours are actually overnight, not daytime as advertised.

I hope that everything goes well on Monday because the NOC job is looking less promising. There are many opportunities to learn there and it does seem like it would be an excellent place for an internship. That being said, I'm not sure that my willingness to learn makes up for the current deficiencies in my knowledge.

Time to prepare for Monday!

DoubleNNs · October 2013

Just make sure you use the experience learned from the interview going forward. Knowing how to interview well is a skill in itself.

Good luck!!

cruwl · October 2013

Don't sell the NOC position short. A lot of people get stuck in a help desk role and would kill for a NOC position like this.

If your career goals are more in line with a networking admin/engineer the NOC is the better place to start.

Just my 2 cents.

SteveFT · October 2013

cruwl wrote: »

Don't sell the NOC position short. A lot of people get stuck in a help desk role and would kill for a NOC position like this.

If your career goals are more in line with a networking admin/engineer the NOC is the better place to start.

Just my 2 cents.

I understand that this is a desirable position. That is why I'm sure there are many other candidates. They probably won't schedule me for a face to face for another 1-2 weeks. I don't want to be negative, but I don't think I'm a strong candidate with an unrelated BS degree, a few CompTIA certifications, and no recent IT experience.

At the other company, I have two friends who are already working there. They both have moved out of a help desk position in <1 year. Granted they had an additional 1-3 years of experience, but they were able to move up nonetheless. This company also seems to be looking for someone now.

I won't give up on the NOC because I think it would be excellent experience. That being said, it might be a good place to apply to in a year or two after I have some more experience.

pamccabe · October 2013

If your career goal is in network, I would look long and hard at the NOC job. I went through what you are going through recently. I was doing an internship with an NFL team as a help desk representative. It was a dream job for me. They kept extending the internship and there was some thought about maybe the position would turn into something long term.

Then, I applied for a NOC job but didn't think anything would come of it. Long story short, I was offered the job and accepted. Instead of dealing with password resets, printer jams, and imaging computers (I can't stand help desk lol) I am now working with the configuration of Cisco routers and switches. I work with service providers to upgrade to T1 lines, among other things. Sure, the company I work for isn't glamorous, but I've never been happier at work.

There is some great advise in this thread. Go with what you want to do career-wise and will make you happy.

N2IT · October 2013

Play to your strengths if you are out going and charismatic then go with that. If hard core training and labbing is your game make sure you are up on all your topics especially the ones in the job requirements. Anything advertised on your resume is fair game and they will expect you to know it and will be turned off if you don't If you put strong understanding of the OSI model and you stumble around your layers, next. Make sure you lock into what you put on your resume and play to your strengths. Like I said earlier if you are 6 ft 3 and in great shape wear a nice suit to compliment that physique. Whatever you can do to gain the advantage you must do it.

DoubleNNs · October 2013

I'm 6 ft 3 and in great shape.

lol

Bigmacattack7 · October 2013

Agreed with all of the previous comments about playing to your strengths. In a lot of entry level positions, they are looking for someone who has a base where they can be taught all of the various things the company has their hands in. So a lack of work experience or lack of knowledge in a certain area can be overlooked. Most managers look for someone who would work well with other employees for entry level. You whole job is going to be based around relations with your escalation points and client services. I like to sort of hijack an interview and start asking my own questions after the technical part is over. I once got a job because I had a 5 minute conversation about BBQ in the middle of the interview, because I found out he was from Memphis, haha. It shows you have a propensity to work well with others.

SteveFT · October 2013

Verbally accepted the help desk offer today. This is contract, 24 hours a week. That being said, I pretty much doubled my pay after considering the loss of benefits and having to pay some extra taxes. I am happy with the rate of pay considering this is my first job. I will need to like for something permanent after I lose health insurance in 6 months though.

DoubleNNs · October 2013

24 hours a week? Awesome - you can use those 16 extra hours to study towards your next goal and still have plenty of time for your personal life.

Congrats on landing the job. Good luck moving forward!

gbdavidx · October 2013

How much does it pay at if you don't mind me asking?

typfromdaco · October 2013

Congratulations on the job, I hope you the best!

SteveFT · October 2013

DoubleNNs wrote: »

24 hours a week? Awesome - you can use those 16 extra hours to study towards your next goal and still have plenty of time for your personal life.

Congrats on landing the job. Good luck moving forward!

Thank you! I was thinking that knocking out a few certs might give them more of a reason to hire me. I will also try to stay late off the clock when needed. I want to give them reasons to hire me.

SteveFT · October 2013

gbdavidx wrote: »

How much does it pay at if you don't mind me asking?

The pay is ~$30/hr. From what I understand, the average in the area is like $15-20/hr. I really lucked out with the company liking me and having a common friend. The downside is I will likely take a considerable cut if I am hired (~$10/hr), but I will also get benefits which will matter when my health insurance from the parents is up.

gbdavidx · October 2013

that is really good! I have an interview tomorrow for a noc position and the pay is around 23 an hr... but i am stoked if i can get it!

Potential NOC Job

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