YAIT : Technical Support Lines

[imported_LoKe]

Just got a call back from Stream, a company that deals in Technical Support and whatnot. I've got an interview on Wednesday so I've got a few questions:

1) They scheduled an interview pretty quickly, is that a good sign?
2) What are some common questions asked by this kind of company. What don't they like to hear?
3) If they ask "why do you think you'd be an asset to our... etc," what would be your response?

EDIT: The call was basically a phone interview. Asking why I want the job, when I'm available, if I'm going back to school, if I need time off in the next 90 days, what are my skills, what experience do I have, etc.

 

[SearchMaster]

1. It probably means they're hiring actively, not just collecting candidate names, which is good.
2. Don't tell them you want to start your own company in 2 years. And when I interview, I hate it when a candidate tries to tailor his/her answer to what they think I want to hear - I'd rather hear, "No, I don't have much experience in that area but I pick things up quickly, blahblahblah".
3. See #2

 

[Lyfer]

Tech support = high turn over rate = active hiring.


goodluck btw.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: SearchMaster
1. It probably means they're hiring actively, not just collecting candidate names, which is good.
2. Don't tell them you want to start your own company in 2 years. And when I interview, I hate it when a candidate tries to tailor his/her answer to what they think I want to hear - I'd rather hear, "No, I don't have much experience in that area but I pick things up quickly, blahblahblah".
3. See #2

For #2, that's more or less how I answered on the phone. I was honest and mentioned my experience with computers, but nothing certified and nothing relating to phone work. I know that there's a good bit of training, so I figure you're right and they'll just want honesty; they can teach you what you need to know later.

Thanks. =]

Originally posted by: Lyfer
Tech support = high turn over rate = active hiring.


goodluck btw.

Is that a good thing? Thanks.

Starting pay during training is $10/h, $12/h once I actually start. Sounds pretty good, considering I'm fresh out of HS.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

It's Stream, expect low pay, long hours, and stupid management. My GF worked for them. If you want to go anywhere in your career, I suggest start looking and use Stream as a hold over.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Hm...time to tailor my resume. I've got moderate experience in customer service; I worked in a kitchen as a dishwasher and cooks' assistant. I also worked as a mechanic with BMW. How would you put that into words to reflect customer service experience? I can't come up with anything that sounds good.

 

[imported_LoKe]

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: LoKe
Hm...time to tailor my resume. I've got moderate experience in customer service; I worked in a kitchen as a dishwasher and cooks' assistant. I also worked as a mechanic with BMW. How would you put that into words to reflect customer service experience? I can't come up with anything that sounds good.

That's because neither of those are customer service; you didn't interact with the customer. Just be honest, although if you have no job experience I would suggest getting an entry level cert. We are all aware that A+ doesn't mean that you are an expert, but the majority of companies will treat this as a comparable amount of experience, which will help you get your foot in the door. Personally I only hire techs with at least one cert (unless they have >1.5 years experience) this ensures that whoever I hire was at least smart enough to memorize the answers for the test before hand, and I can market my business as consisting of certified technicians.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Ah, I had mentioned to the woman on the phone that I only had that experience, and she said it was still customer service, heh. Oh well, I've got my resume in order now. Thanks!

 

[Fritzo]

I've also found that they frown upon bringing beer to an interview.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
I've also found that they frown upon bringing beer to an interview.

*Puts down 24 case.* I was gonna share!

 

[Kwaipie]

I worked for Stream a LONG time ago providing corporate support for Windows 95, then HP inkjet printers then Netscape 1.1, yes, it was a long time ago. Stream, like any call center, will focus very hard on call volume. There will be frequent opportunities for overtime and management will suck. If you're lucky, you will receive some good training prior to picking up the headset, focus on that. There will be zero chance of promotion within your team. Good luck.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Lyfer
Tech support = high turn over rate = active hiring.


goodluck btw.

qft

tech support sucks ass.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Kwaipie
I worked for Stream a LONG time ago providing corporate support for Windows 95, then HP inkjet printers then Netscape 1.1, yes, it was a long time ago. Stream, like any call center, will focus very hard on call volume. There will be frequent opportunities for overtime and management will suck. If you're lucky, you will receive some good training prior to picking up the headset, focus on that. There will be zero chance of promotion within your team. Good luck.

Heh, sounds good. I have the time (as you can tell from my post count) and a fair bit of knowledge when it comes to this kind of thing. Overtime would be pretty cool. Yeah, I heard the hours were all over the place. I've heard that it's 5 weeks of training, too. =P

 

[imported_LoKe]

Bump incase anyone else has some advice.

 

[SampSon]

It's a phone based tech support job, the turn-over is high and they almost always actively hire anyone they can get their hands on.
You really don't need to fluff your resume at all because call centers are basically sweatshops, so unless you're completely retarded they will hire you.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: SampSon
It's a phone based tech support job, the turn-over is high and they almost always actively hire anyone they can get their hands on.
You really don't need to fluff your resume at all because call centers are basically sweatshops, so unless you're completely retarded they will hire you.

So I'm more or less in? I don't know what the term "turn over" means.

 

[wasssup]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: SampSon
It's a phone based tech support job, the turn-over is high and they almost always actively hire anyone they can get their hands on.
You really don't need to fluff your resume at all because call centers are basically sweatshops, so unless you're completely retarded they will hire you.

So I'm more or less in? I don't know what the term "turn over" means.

Yeah, you're in.

I worked in two call centers before getting my "real" job. Just some advice to keep your sanity: actively look around for another job while you're here. I did tech support for ~13 months, and i'm still recovering from burnout.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: wasssup

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: SampSon
It's a phone based tech support job, the turn-over is high and they almost always actively hire anyone they can get their hands on.
You really don't need to fluff your resume at all because call centers are basically sweatshops, so unless you're completely retarded they will hire you.

So I'm more or less in? I don't know what the term "turn over" means.

Yeah, you're in.

I worked in two call centers before getting my "real" job. Just some advice to keep your sanity: actively look around for another job while you're here. I did tech support for ~13 months, and i'm still recovering from burnout.

Nice! What kind of questions did they ask you?

Fortunately, their website tells me exactly what they'll be asking:

What is Stream?s interviewing style?
Our interviewing style is behavioral. Our questions require you to provide real-life examples of what you have done in specific situations in the past. For example, we may ask you to describe a high-pressure situation you have been in, and the steps you took to work through it.

But that much was obvious.