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I’m a computer technician. I’ve been in this industry for about seven years. The majority of my experience was with a large insurance organization, where I provided internal computer support and repairs to the
employees working there.
My work involved repairing, maintaining and training employees to ensure the company’s computers and related peripherals worked properly so everyone could do their job.
The work I do is pretty specific and in many cases; those who require assistance with computer related problems often think computer technicians can fix any computer problem.
That’s not always the case. Some computer technicians focus on software, hardware or their related equipment. We’re not all one in the same.
Although I’m the proverbial “computer geek” that enjoys resolving computer problems, I’d rate my job a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Seems like a low rating, but people can get very upset when their computer breaks and it takes time to resolve the issue. Computer technicians in general can take on multiple projects, all of which are high priority.
The Career Path Of A Computer Technician
I’ve been working with computers since a young age and had the opportunity to not only obtain my
education through a state grant, but find employment immediately after graduation. At a young age, I was making a very good salary, which of course was appealing.
I didn’t realize the demands of the job would be so intense. If I could go back and change anything, I might have focused my education in an information technology discipline that’s less demanding. Let’s face it, computer geeks are typically introverts, so being on the phone helping employees and customers can really go against our nature.
I wouldn’t want to mislead anyone about the work. If you’re customer service oriented and enjoy working with people and technology, this is definitely a
career for you. The work can be very rewarding, especially when you’ve resolved a bad technical issue.
In some cases, you save your employer and customers thousands of dollars. I got up and went to work each day for that challenge and the financial satisfaction of my career. I knew I was making a good living doing what I love to do most, which is troubleshooting and resolving computer issues.
Although the job is stressful, I do maintain a healthy work-life balance. It’s generally a standard eight-hour work day, so when I leave the office, I literally leave the stress behind.
Not all computer technician jobs have this kind of balance, but if you’re employed to generally help internal employees and customers, it’s rare you work overtime. That’s the part of the job I really enjoyed. I made a good living and rarely worked overtime or on-call.
The working world is much more stressful than what my education and training required, especially dealing with computer problems.
Today, technology is an important part of any business and it's used daily for almost all employees to accomplish their work on a daily basis. Employees often became very stressed when their computers had issues. I understood why; they had to complete their work everyday.
I earn about $15.00 per hour. My company offers bonuses, benefits and paid time off for the work I do. My vacation is 10 days and I accrue more with my years of service to the company. I always take my vacation time by selecting time off throughout the year. It’s never enough, but I don’t think anyone is happy with their current salary and benefits package.
I would love to earn more, and frequently look at other job openings, but generally many companies pay the same wages.
I’d like to continue my education. In the information technology industry, you have to be current with technological advances and obtain a variety of certifications to earn higher wages.
Anything related to computers continues to evolve and anyone interested in this field should understand they’ll need to continue their education to advance.
Although chances are I’ll always be employed because of my skills, I won’t earn much higher wages unless I continue my education and keep up with technology trends.
In five years, I hope to move into a supervisory role or even become self-employed in this industry. Technology is becoming a way of life and I feel if I can offer my knowledge and expertise to anyone who needs it, it could lead to early retirement.
My work is not only a “job,” but also a hobby, so I think I’ll be happier if the money I earn is through my efforts rather than a company paying me.
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