job posting: Mac Help Desk Support Specialist / Consultant-in-Training

[Noam Birnbaum]

Our company is looking for a help desk Mac-head.  If you know =20
anybody, please pass it along!

Thanks,
noam


Noam Birnbaum
President
http://www.maccentricsolutions.com/
877.luv.macs x89

=F0 Apple Certified Technical Coordinator
=F0 Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

MACINTOSH HELP DESK SUPPORT SPECIALIST / CONSULTANT-IN-TRAINING


QUIZ: IS THIS THE JOB FOR ME?

You=D5re called into a customer because something=D5s going wrong with =20=

the computers or network, and So-And-So can=D5t get a crucial part of =20=

his or her job done.  When you arrive, everybody=D5s relieved to see =20
you and the office manager greets you with, =D2The genius is finally =20
here!=D3  Do you say:

a. =D2It=D5s about time you recognized it.  I skipped the quarterly =20
financials webcast for this.=D3
b. =D2That's very flattering, but really I=D5m just a glorified =
plumber.=D3
c. =D2Where is she, can I meet her?=D3

After you=D5ve completed your work and written up your work detail, you =20=

go over all the fixes with the office manager.  S/he gets down on =20
both knees and bows all the way to the floor.  Do you say:

a. =D2You=D5ll receive the bill at the end of the month.=D3
b. =D2Please get up, you=D5re inciting my god complex.=D3
c. =D2Thank you, that=D5s very flattering.  Next time, chocolate would =20=

suffice.=D3

If you did not answer a. to either of these questions, you may be the =20=

kind of smart, honest, and quirky person we=D5re looking for.


ABOUT US

We provide contract I.T. support to businesses, non-profits, and =20
individuals from San Jose to Sonoma to Sacramento, all of whose =20
computer fleets are over 50% Macintosh.  Within the last two years we =20=

have grown from an individual consulting practice to a five-person =20
firm, and we don=D5t expect you=D5ll be our last hire.  We place =20
immeasurable value on our relationships with customers, associates, =20
and vendors.  This personal touch is inseparable from the services we =20=

provide, and our company is structured to maximize our customers' =20
senses of being well-fed.

In helping our customers with their computers, we are ultimately =20
trying to help our customers achieve the goals they have beyond the =20
mousepad.  This is our company goal; our method for achieving this =20
goal is to strive to be the best Mac consulting firm on the West Coast.

We're not Mac-heads because we love server closets, but because we =20
love the spark of creativity, candor, and wackiness that Mac users =20
usually have.  It is not a requirement that you accept compensation =20
solely in iPhones; however, if you have June 29th marked on your iCal =20=

in ALL CAPS, and at least considered camping outside an Apple Store =20
that night, you're probably a good fit.

At the same time, our customers also rely on us to support their =20
servers, networks, Windows, PDAs, VoIP, and all the other gadgetry of =20=

the modern office.  You will be a poor fit for this position if =20
you're gun-shy about learning everything you can about the =20
technologies that support the contemporary workplace.  This job will =20
confront you with the unfamiliar *every single day,* and you'll need =20
to respond, always, with "I'll try my best" instead of "I can't."  =20
You must be brave even if you're not confident.

We also realize we're a bit weird.


ABOUT THE GIG

This is a help desk position which serves two primary purposes: 1. =20
Provide caring Tier 1 support for our customers' problems, and 2. =20
Give you the experience you need to graduate to an onsite Mac I.T. =20
consulting position.  Given our historical growth rate, you'll =20
probably have the opportunity to leave the desk within six months.

Some specific duties:

- Respond to Tier 1 support requests that come in via phone or email
- Escalate issues to the managing consultant and coordinate =20
assignment scheduling
- Monitor our daily ticket queues to assist consultants in providing =20
timely resolutions to Tier 2+ problems
- Make followup calls after consultant visits; escalate problems to =20
the managing consultant
- Remotely monitor client backups for problems
- Track our company's technology inventory and serial numbers
- When you got nothing else to do: assist in sales and marketing =20
duties, especially cold calling and lead generation

(Yes it's true, that last piece has nothing to do with providing I.T. =20=

support.  Perhaps you'll be too busy to do it.)

This position will be full-time (9-6 M-F).  You will be able to work =20
from your home, if it's quiet.  As a matter of fact, we'd prefer that =20=

you work from your home because if you can't, since we don't have an =20
office, you'd have to work from one of our homes... and that means =20
we'd have to clean.  Regularly.


WHO WE HOPE YOU ARE

We're looking for somebody with the following talents and circumstances.

- At least two years=D5 experience installing and supporting Mac OS X =20=

in networked environments
- A current Mac OS X 10.4 ACHDS certification
- Experience with Windows XP network and printer configuration
- Really amazing and bizarrely meticulous time-management, =20
organizational, and follow-through skills
- Stellar written and verbal communication skills
- An incontestable sense of personal ethics, integrity, and honesty
- A strong desire to help others (yeah, it sounds cheesy, but without =20=

this you=D5ll never make it through those what-am-I-doing-with-my-life =20=

days while watching the TechTool Pro progress bar inch... across... =20
the screen...) (because, p.s., you should be taking those few minutes =20=

of downtime to ask the customer, "Is there anything else I can do for =20=

you while I wait for this to finish?")
- Belief that if only everybody knew how COOL Macs are... (we don=D5t =20=

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 your home when necessary
- Current U.S. work authorization
- Valid California driver's license; a car is not required but would =20
be awful convenient


SPEAKING OF COMPENSATION

 =46rom  the high teens to the low twenties per hour, commensurate with =20=

your experience, salary history, and certifications.  We currently =20
provide two weeks annually of personal leave plus monthly stipends =20
towards your cell phone and a company health insurance plan.  You =20
will be paid for some ongoing training and professional development.  =20=

You'll get a company laptop.


WHERE DO I APPLY?

E-mail the following in PDF format to =20
willworkforfood at maccentricsolutions.com:

1. A resume with salary history

2. A cover letter letting us know who you are and why you want this job

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 =20
from a new customer who has never contacted our company before: "Hey, =20=

some of the folks upstairs are having problems getting their emails.  =20=

Thanks, --Bill"  (yes, that was an actual email we received)

We are an equal opportunity employer and look forward to considering =20
all qualified applicants.  Good luck in your search!