job posting: Macintosh Consultant (S.F. Bay Area)

[Noam Birnbaum]

If you know anybody looking!

Thanks,
noam

Noam Birnbaum
http://maccentricsolutions.com/
510.332.3828 (cell)
877.luv.macs x89 (main)


****************************

QUIZ: IS THIS THE JOB FOR ME?

You’re called into a customer because something’s going wrong with  
the computers or network and So-And-So can’t get a crucial part of  
his or her job done.  When you arrive, everybody’s relieved to see  
you and the office manager greets you with, “The genius is finally  
here!”  Do you say:

a. “It’s about time you recognized it.  I skipped the quarterly  
financials webcast for this.”
b. “That's very flattering, but really I’m just a glorified plumber.”
c. “Where is she, can I meet her?”

After you’ve completed your work and written up your work detail, you  
go over all the fixes with the office manager.  S/he gets down on  
both knees and bows all the way to the floor.  Do you say:

a. “You’ll receive the bill at the end of the month.”
b. “Please get up, you’re inciting my god complex.”
c. “Thank you, that’s very flattering.  Next time, chocolate would  
suffice.”

If you did not answer a. to either of these questions, you may be the  
kind of smart, honest, and quirky person we’re looking for.


YOUR MISSION...

... should you choose to accept it, would be to represent our company  
to all its customers as you help meet their technology consulting  
needs.  Some days you’ll be working on issues you’ve seen a hundred  
times; this could be boring or relaxing depending on your mood, or it  
could be an opportunity to try that new troubleshooting technique you  
read about on afp548.com.  Other days, you’ll be in a high-pressure  
situation where an entire office's productivity and profitability is  
depending on your analysis of which troubleshooting method will be  
most efficient; this could be stressful or exciting, depending on how  
much sleep you’ve gotten.  Your quality of life will likely be in  
direct proportion to your ability to manage time, details, personal  
boundaries, and anxiety.

Some days you’ll be at a customer you’ve been at many times before,  
where the trust is mutual.  Other days you’ll be in a new office, or  
working at someone’s home for the first time, where our whole company  
is depending upon you to give that Warm Fuzzy Feeling™ so they’ll  
call us back or pass along a referral.

Most customers are friendly.  Some are brusque and you will think  
it’s because they don’t like you; most of the time you will be wrong;  
sometimes you will be right, and you'll nevertheless have to provide  
the best possible service, and save your feelings for later.  If you  
work this job long enough, chances are that some customers will  
become amongst your closest friends.

But whichever kind of day you have, your many successes will always  
be rewarded with the sincerest kind of thanks and gratitude, and you  
will often have that feeling of a job well done, even if this isn't  
quite what you planned to do with your life.

Still interested?


ABOUT US

We serve businesses, non-profits, and private individuals from San  
Jose to Sonoma to Sacramento, all of whose computer fleets are over  
50% Macintosh.  In the last fifteen months we have grown from an  
individual consulting practice to a four-person firm, and we don’t  
expect you’ll be our last hire.  We place immeasurable value on our  
relationships with customers, associates, and vendors.  This personal  
touch is inseparable from the services we provide, and our company is  
structured to maximize our customers' senses of being well-fed.

We're not in this business because we love server closets, but  
because we love Macintosh, the Cult of Steve, and the spark of genius  
and creativity that Mac users have.  In helping our customers with  
their computers we are ultimately trying to help our customers  
achieve the goals they have beyond the mousepad.

At the same time, our customers also rely on us to support their  
networks, Windows, PDAs, VoIP, and all the other gadgetry of the  
modern office.  You will be a poor fit for this position if you're  
gun-shy about learning everything you can about the technologies that  
support the contemporary workplace.  This job will confront you with  
the unfamiliar *every single day,* and you'll need to respond,  
always, with "I'll try" instead of "I can't."

We also realize we're a bit weird.


ABOUT THE GIG

This position will start flex-time (20-30 hours, variable), with  
potential to go to 30-35 over the next 6-12 months if desired.  The  
qualified individual will be one of the faces that our customers most  
often see, and the voices they most trust on technical matters.  This  
person will be charged with as much responsibility as the company's  
president to provide efficient, expert technical service and  
professional, personable communication.

This person will have the following skills and traits:

• At least three years’ experience installing and supporting Mac OS X  
in networked environments
• Experience with Windows XP network and printer configuration
• A strong desire to help others (yeah, it sounds cheesy, but without  
this you’ll never make it through those what-am-I-doing-with-my-life  
days while watching the TechTool Pro progress bar inch... across...  
the screen...) (because, p.s., you should be taking those few minutes  
of downtime to ask the customer, "Is there anything else I can do for  
you while I wait for this to finish?")
• An incontestable sense of personal ethics, integrity, and honesty
• Stellar written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent time-management, organizational, and follow-through skills
• Belief that if only everybody knew how COOL Macs are... (we don’t  
care what you think of the Dark Side)
• Passion to continue learning and stay current with technology
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to work out of his or her home when necessary
• Current U.S. work authorization
• Valid California driver's license; a car is not required but would  
be awful convenient
• A current Apple certification is not required to apply; however,  
the chosen applicant will have to have passed, at minimum, the ACHDS  
certification exam by date of hire

Mac OS X Server setup and/or administration experience would be a plus.

We do not have a central office.  When not onsite, you would work out  
of your home.  This particular position will focus on supporting our  
Oakland/Berkeley customers, with a decent amount of work in San  
Francisco and farther afield.

This position requires a flexible schedule, including ability to be  
on-call for a 24/7 rotation.  Overtime and emergency work will be  
appropriately compensated.  On rare occasions there will be an all- 
night server install or an emergency call just when you were about to  
go home and watch the next episode of Heroes.  We rely on each other  
to help get through those overwhelming times, but sometimes you're  
the only one who can help the customer.  Caffeine consumption is not  
required, though we've found that it helps.

The hired applicant will begin as soon as possible.


SPEAKING OF COMPENSATION

Commensurate with your experience, salary history, and Apple  
certifications.  In consonance with California law, you will be paid  
travel time to and from work sites but at a lower hourly rate.  We  
currently provide two weeks annually of personal leave plus monthly  
stipends towards your cell phone and a company health insurance plan.


WHERE DO I APPLY?

E-mail the following in PDF format to  
willworkforfood at maccentricsolutions.com:

1. A resume with salary history

2. A cover letter letting us know who you are and why you're applying  
for a potentially exhausting job like this one

3. Answers to the following questions:
a. What's your favorite Mac-related website, and why?
b. The exact text of the reply you would make to the following email  
from a new customer who has never contacted our company before: "Hey,  
some of the folks upstairs are having problems getting their emails.   
Thanks, --Bill"  (yes, that was an actual email we received)

We are an equal opportunity employer and look forward to considering  
all qualified applicants.  Good luck in your search!