call the help desk a few times a week..at different times, with different problems....and hopefully with diff people.
see how the help desk is trained to respond.
this way you get a glimpse inside...and a heads up on what may be expected from you.
as far as the compensation..I would suspect, you are more inclined to the benefits of the job, no disrespect meant btw, than salary compensation...a financial planner is really whom you should consult in that area.
You may perform some due diligence also to find out what the current wages statistics are for this kind of work in your area/region...so you are getting your fair share..and likewise, you aren't pricing yourself off the charts.
The tech job has a much shorter commute than my present job. That's worth $1- 2.00 an hour.
It's not the money --so much. It's the stress factor that concerns me. I do know that I have been turned down for jobs with companies, and then called their help desk, only to find they know much less than I do.
But you also hear so many horror stories about this kind of work.
Collapse -
You need to have a humours attitude towards life and your job
I once couldn't figure out why my desktop wouldn't boot, when the power had been out for several hours.
I find that people - especially intelligent people - tend to start out on the defensive when they're in over their heads and they know it. Especially if they're a man, and the tech is a woman. Add this to the panic they feel when their PC dies, and it can get volatile.
So it must be important to bring things down to earth asap.
I was once told that I should never say: "Are you sure the computer is plugged in?"
But rather say: "Unplug it and plug it in again. Sometimes that helps..."
I've dealt with the public all my life. And you're right. Sense of humor is the most important thing.
First you - tactfully - have to find out what THEY mean by "Login".
Will the pc even boot? Are they at the log-on screen and nothing happens? Do they (as usual) just mean they can't get their email?
If a password issue, you can boot them into safe mode to the admin account - (If XP)
(Unless their long gone ex boyfriend set up the computer 3 years ago, and set the admin PW as his favorite private body part.)
If it's Vista, you can reformat and install XP. ;-)
Of course, you have to first find out the OS. I find that singing the opening fanfare works best to acertain this, sinc emost home users don't know what "Operating System" means.
If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.
Should I take the help desk job?
Around that time everything was off-shored, and I ended up at a Cicuit City with several formerly well-paid geeks.
Since then, I've applied for every help desk job that was out there, with no luck.
Now I'm 62, and only apply for these jobs as a formality.
So, or course, I just got a call back for an interview. I'm not sure now whether I want the job or not.
Do I??