IT support

James Garty is studying for a Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences but fixes PCs part-time. Picture / Sarah Ivey

Name: James Garty
Age: 22
Job title: IT support
Working hours: 20 hours week (part time while studying)
Employer: Qwerty PC, other IT support companies, in-house IT support divisions
Pay: $12/hour rising with experience
Qualifications needed: Self-taught, polytechnic and university courses, software company training programmes, e.g. Microsoft
Career prospects: IT support in larger companies, IT sales, management roles, self employment

Describe your job.

On a daily basis, work can range from troubleshooting over the phone for clients with computer problems, on-call help when we go out to fix computers on-site to fixing computers dropped into us. On-site work is for people with point-of-sale systems such as those running shops where the computer is the main part of the business. A lot of home users will deliver their computers to us and we'll fix them overnight or through the week. That can range from fixing little software problems, setting it up the way they like it, upgrading their computer or just fixing a hardware problem.

Why did you choose the job?

I'm studying at Waikato University for a Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences and your brain goes nuts 24/7. Sometimes you want to chill out and do a mundane job so you can switch off. I used to work at a supermarket but it was boring even though I was a supervisor.

I wanted to do something a lot more challenging that would allow me to interact with business customers and enable me to apply my practical knowledge. I'll end up making and selling business software so it's handy to get some background experience in what small businesses are like. It's really valuable seeing all the different kind of users and how people can screw things up and wreck the computer.

Why is the job important?

Not everyone can fix their computer. It's just like a car mechanic. Not everyone knows how to do it. So it's important to provide a software solution to a business, help them increase their business performance and allow them to do things a lot faster and more efficiently. It's also important to keep those systems going so their productivity can stay up.

What's the best part of the job?

Being on call - going out and being able to see different people and talk to a wide range of users. Being able to leave the office, fix the computer somewhere else, talk to the customer and maybe sell something to them. Then you can also just sit in the office and fix computers when you are not in a talkative mood. The variety is cool. There's always something challenging, something new even after years in the job. The totally worst part is telling girls in the pub what you actually do because of the stigma of the computer geek.

Have you got computer-user tales?

Someone will ring up and say they have a computer virus but they haven't. They just haven't turned on the monitor. Or people will say this program doesn't work anymore but they need to put the CD in. Or they say this laptop is broken, or it keeps crashing and all you find you need to do is plug it into the charger. They don't realise that the battery dies.

What are your strengths?

Communication with the customers. I can talk to the customers and be as friendly and understanding as a computer geek can. A lot of people I associate with - computer geeks - don't understand that some people don't know how to use computers, haven't used them their whole lives, and don't use them 12 hours a day so they can't sympathise when someone's got a problem or is in unfamiliar territory. I could work on some of my problem-solving skills. I can go head first into a problem without thinking too much first, consulting or researching. I can get too cocky - a lot of geeks do - and you can screw things up or lose a computer or someone's data.

What's your job-hunting advice?

Other than looking at situations vacant ads, the best thing would be to get your CV together, ring up the local IT firms or talk to anyone you know who works there, dress smartly and just go in there and tell them what you know and what you can do. See if they have any part-time work or any work at all. Try offering to do work experience so they can see what you can do. I was referred by a friend for my job. The main thing is to get your foot in the door and once they can see what you can do, they are likely to give you more hours or employ you fulltime.