A manager commented at a support staff meeting, "What you know about how to solve computer problems is less important than the skills you have to locate information." Do you agree or disagree?
This is one of those broad statements that tends to draw a line right down the center of two opposing views. As someone who was mostly self-taught in the information technology field I would tend to agree with this opinion on a very basic level. The idea that being that with the abundance of information at our fingertips now, the majority of problems we face in the support field have answers published somewhere. I feel that in the course of troubleshooting if I can't figure it out on my own in a timely fashion it's equally as important for me to know where to go to find the solution to the problem. With that in mind knowing where to look for an answer and knowing how to fix something are two entirely different things.
The problem with the manager's statement is that it minimizes the importance of education, skills and experience necessary to work in the technical support field. The manager is essentially telling his team that a group of skilled researchers could come in and do just as good, if not better, work than a team of skilled technicians. I don't agree with this. I think practical knowledge of troubleshooting, and knowledge of where to seek information from go hand in hand. As I said before I am mostly self taught in the technical support field and I have become a skilled technician based on my ability to go and seek out answers and information. That being said my skills in locating information are the same now as the day I began and I would say the skills I have picked up in technical support or troubleshooting have made me a much stronger technician. I would say that my skills in solving computer problems are vastly more important than my ability to locate information. When I apply for a job they don't ask me if I am certified in locating information, even though it's a part of my job, I'm expected first and foremost to have the skills necessary to solve computer problems. It's important to realize that, as I said before, the two things go hand in hand. Knowing how to fix the problem is the best, but if you don't know how, the next best thing is being able to know how to find out. I would trade my troubleshooting experience and education for all the research skills in the world because in this field one without the other is worthless.
I agree in part if not wholly. Being able to research is a vital component of being a repair technician. I have truly learned exponentially from working in the repair clinic. Experience does count toward your research. Instead of aimlessly sifting through topics and forums. I am much more focused in my searches now and can better filter the information. There are of course times when you are at a loss totally and feel like a newbie to the field. To make a long story short, experience is invaluable in this field and lends itself to every aspect of a technician.....
ReplyDeleteExperience is key because there are things that cannot be taught and you need to experience for yourself to be able to fix it and understand what is happening. But this is one of those topics in which it is hard to be one-sided. Without the knowing how to research this job becomes very difficult. Researching allows you to reap the rewards of another's experience.
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