June 21, 2022 • 27 mins
In this episode, we’ll be looking at the Computer Networking Program. We’ll find out what you can expect to learn, what kind of jobs are out there, and where you can find them.
Lincoln's mission is to provide superior education and training to our students for in-demand careers in a supportive, accessible learning environment, transforming students' lives and adding value to their communities.
https://www.bgpodcastnetwork.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:02):
It is never going to go away. It's not it's
not newspaper. It's not it's not any other industry. It's not,
you know, the steel industry or the coal industry. It's
something that's only going to keep getting bigger and bigger
and more important in every business.
S2 (00:20):
The course pretty much lays the groundwork for you for
any position that you're going to go into as far
as the IT field.
S1 (00:28):
I mean, every business as an I.T. department these days.
S3 (00:32):
Every company has an IP department, whether it's only one person,
whether it's a small mom pop store. They somebody takes
care of the point of sales or someone takes care
of their database or somebody has to manage those pieces.
S1 (00:47):
And it's because in order for the heroes that work
on the front lines, they need someone to support. So
they need support departments like accounting or finance or human resources.
They also need I.T. to make sure that their technology works,
that their systems are working. Their account log in is
good and they can log in and do their work.
S2 (01:10):
So the training and the you know, the course, I think,
in tech, honestly, is in my personal opinion, I think
it's fantastic.
S4 (01:18):
Welcome to the official podcast of Lincoln Tech. In this episode,
we'll be looking at the Computer Systems Support Technician Program.
We'll find out what you can expect to learn and
what kind of jobs are out there. You'll also hear
from professors and employers who work directly with Lincoln Tech
to help you succeed in a growing field that isn't
going away. And Lincoln's promise to our students is simple.
We will work tirelessly to help you succeed on the
(01:39):
road to new career opportunities. Now let's dive into some
details about the program.
S3 (01:44):
Hi, I'm Mark Surface. I'm the chief I.T. instructor for
Lincoln Technical Institute, Allentown Location. We are the we teach
computer systems support technician program. I'm a graduate. I graduate
in Lincoln Park in 1994, and I've pretty much been
in the field ever since.
S1 (02:03):
My name is Leo White Line. I'm the director of
Tech Support and Services for Kids Peace Corporation. Kids Peace
Corp is a juvenile and adult mental health care facility
that operates residential and inpatient, as well as outpatient facilities
in eight states on the Eastern Seaboard. So I've been
on the Lincoln Tech Advisory Board, the Curriculum Advisory Board
(02:26):
for about five years now. And I think that that
has helped me see behind the curtain into how these
students and graduates have been trained. I've seen their curriculum.
I've advised on it what I think they should do
differently or do more of. But really, the the Lincoln
(02:51):
Tech graduates that have come and worked for us and
I think we're up to about five or six already,
and that's a pretty, pretty good number considering my entire
team is like 11. So they've, they've entered the workforce
with a really solid fundamental knowledge of technology in general, well-rounded.
S3 (03:12):
Okay. Basically what we teach is we teach everything about
computers from a basic computer, what a computer is, how
a computer works, how the inner workings of the computer
works from the motherboard, how the information gets through the
motherboard from there to the memory to the CPU to
the processor and out to the video card. Then we
(03:35):
break it out. From there we teach the basic computer,
then we teach operating systems. We teach Windows seven, Windows eight,
Windows ten, multiple versions of Linux. We teach a bunch
to Fedora, Cowley, Linux, we teach a little black art,
that sort of thing. Then we teach also server, we
(03:56):
teach server 2012, 2016, 2019 and Server 2022 just came out.
So we'll start teaching server 2022 shortly. Now new class
that we're starting to teach is cloud, which is basically
Amazon is or Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, Azure, and
(04:17):
we teach those services because a lot of companies are
moving their servers from on site into then they move
them quote unquote into the cloud. And we move that way.
And we teach the cloud system.
S4 (04:30):
Lincoln Tech's Computer System Support Technician Program also teaches networking
and help desk and gives you real hands on experience.
As Professor Mark Surface explains.
S3 (04:40):
They install, they take, they they get laptops as part
of their tuition package. They get the laptops and they
get the power them on. And then they have to
set them up. And sometimes things don't work very well
and they have to troubleshoot that. And we give them
real world experience for the a plus. Plus part of
what they have to do is tear down a PC.
So we. We teach them how to remove memory, how
(05:03):
to install memory. We teach him how to install and
remove a processor. We actually they have teardown pieces where
they take them, the memory processor, the video card, everything
out of the PC, and then they have to put
it back in. Well, if they don't put it back
in properly, it doesn't work. And now they have to
start their troubleshooting. Well, what do I see? What do
(05:23):
I smell? What do I hear? What do I know?
What is going on? Do I see LEDs? Do I
see a power light? Do I see a hard drive light?
Do I hear the hard drive booting up? Do I
hear the host beep? So they do all that from
day one, and then every class from then on is troubleshooting.
Everything is troubleshooting. They'll be doing test outs, they'll be
(05:46):
working on their labs. If a lab is not working
and they can't get a lab to work, the last
gasp of the instructor how to fix it will help
the first install, the first student how to fix it.
And then if another student has that same problem, instead
of us going to that student, then helping the student out,
we will actually for them to the first student and
have the first student teach them how to fix it
(06:09):
from there, and then they will go on to help
the next student. So it's not just me or the
instructor teaching and helping the students out. The students are
learning from there how to help each other out. And
then we also teach them not to touch the PC
when they go to work and they help these other
students out. We teach them to put their hold their
hands behind their back so they don't touch the mouse
(06:32):
or they don't touch the PC. They have to tell
the other student how to do it. And then even
with that, we don't want them to give them the answer.
We guide them down the road on how to figure
out the answer.
S4 (06:44):
Not only do you get hands on experience, but you
get real world practical experience and entry level positions within
the field. As Leo went, Line explains.
S1 (06:53):
They have a class where they have to sort of
learn how to be helpdesk. They have to put something
together and ship it somewhere else and then talk the
person through, putting it together and making sure it works. And,
you know, we're constantly giving them scenarios like make sure
that person knows nothing about technology that has to put
(07:13):
it together. Because oftentimes when you're sitting on the Help Desk,
you're going to get the call from the person who
knows nothing about the computer they're sitting in front of.
So you can't just tell them to do these advanced
keystroke techniques and fix their problem. You need to tell
them to make sure that they make sure it's turned
on and that it's, you know, that they can log
(07:33):
in and that it's plugged in and, you know, go
very basic, be able to talk through all of the steps.
So we provide a lot of those scenarios to them
based on real world scenarios that we're getting so that
they can make their classes feel a little more realistic.
S4 (07:49):
The real life experience also continues even beyond the classroom
with internships.
S3 (07:54):
The internship is where they go out to a client
and they have a 150 hour internship where they go
to a client and whatever the client needs them to do,
say maybe image some pieces or rebuild some pieces or WIP.
We have some school districts and right now the school
districts are coming to the end of the year while
all those Chromebooks are coming back in and they have
(08:16):
to be wiped and prepared for the next school year.
So we'll send external out or interns out to do that.
They'll wipe them, they'll reset them up. Maybe one update
they need to be cleaned. I'm sure some of them
are pretty dirty from the students using them, so they'll
actually physically clean them and wipe them down as well
as reset them up for the new school year. They'll
(08:37):
also work on some some Cat five cabling or maybe
they need some cable runs or something of that nature,
or they'll need some servers built or basically whatever it
is that the client needs.
S4 (08:48):
The computer system support technician program gives you the foundation
to succeed in this industry.
S1 (08:52):
So the Lincoln Tech program really sets the graduates up
for a couple of different fields right off the bat
or a couple of different specific I.T. paths right off
the bat. There's a helpdesk path which is quite common,
and it's where a lot of people in it start.
(09:13):
It's a great way to get exposure to a lot
of different things in the field. Also hone your customer
service and your soft skills at the same time.
S4 (09:22):
As an employer. Can you tell us more about the
earnings potential at your organization? For people with computer networking skills.
S1 (09:28):
Those folks are probably looking at anywhere from 30 to
40000 annually plus plus full benefits and some other things
lumped in. There's also the the PC support technician piece,
which is less of a dealing with end users and
more of a dealing with the equipment by itself, fixing, repairing,
(09:50):
replacing equipment. That's also something that would an I.T. graduate
from Lincoln Tech would be in line for. And that's
probably 35 to 40. Five to start with. And then
I know some of their folks have come in and
became network admins or system admins. Those are higher priced,
(10:13):
but you really have to sort of prove yourself right
out of college to get one of those positions. It's
not common to come right out of college and get one,
but I know some people have been able to do
that and they're you're looking at 40 to 50 to start.
S2 (10:27):
So my name is Mike Garcia. I started at Lincoln
Tech in December of 2019, so I was going right
into the 2020 year. So my current job, I'm I'm
a night specialist for North Hudson Community Action Corporation. They're
a medical group who have several health facilities within the
(10:51):
northern New Jersey. So they have about 8 to 9 facilities.
They're actually looking to open up another one. And my
role there is exactly what my title is, is, you know,
I'm I'm it. So the training and the you know,
the course I Lincoln Tech, honestly is in my personal
opinion I think it's fantastic. Just like anything in life,
(11:15):
I feel like you get what you put into it.
So if you're not wanting to do the work and
if you're not willing to, you know, make the dedication
so you're not going to get much, I myself got
a lot out of it, especially with the simple fact
that the course pretty much lays the groundwork for you
for any position that you're going to go into. As
(11:36):
far as the IT field, you start with basic fundamentals
of computer technology and then you go into a little
bit more of the internals on the basics of the computer.
Then you start with networking and then you start with
the security provisions. Then you go into. Active Directory and
servers and all of that that you pretty much need
(11:58):
as a fundamental base to get anywhere. You also have
the opportunity to take certifications, which you have your A-plus certification,
you have your networking, and you have your security. I'm
actually setting up to take all of my certifications and
June right before I graduation, and it was great because
of the school giving me so much information and being
(12:19):
able to show me things. It actually helped me land
my position currently and I was able to get hired
on while before graduation. I started working for North Hudson
in the December 6th of 2021 and it was perfect
because everything I learned there on Lincoln Tech, it was
some way, shape or form. It all correlated to what
(12:41):
I currently do at my job.
S1 (12:43):
We have a great partnership with Lincoln Tech. We are
one of their internship sites, so we have exposure to
their program in their folks. We also, you know, visit
their campus frequently. So that really is a good pipeline
for us. We're getting less applicants. I don't know that
that reflects it. It's that people are leaving one company
(13:07):
to go to a competitor. So you can tell that
the competitors are also struggling to find all the talent
they need when they start to make offers to people
that are already gainfully employed to try to get them
to come over. Demand for jobs is probably higher because
that's where our society and businesses are moving towards a
(13:30):
more digital society. So information technology professionals are in higher
demand than ever. Coupled with things like increased cybersecurity and
cyber attacks has made those qualified folks even more in-demand.
Companies are creating positions for those that didn't exist even
(13:52):
5 to 10 years ago. And then on top of it,
I can tell you that when I posted a job
four or five years ago, I would get a dozen
or so applicants for the job. Now, when I post it,
I get three or four. I don't even know how
I would possibly quantify it other than it's massive. So
(14:13):
there are way more jobs out there and a lot
less available professionals looking for employment.
S4 (14:20):
Who's a good candidate for the Computer Systems Support Technician Program?
S3 (14:25):
Actually, anybody with any kind of interest in not just
computers but the Internet.
S1 (14:32):
So I think you need to be motivated and ambitious.
Technology changes very rapidly. You need to want to stay
up to date on everything because if you don't, you're
going to get passed by.
S2 (14:45):
You have to make sure you have a passion for this,
understanding that in 19, you know, some of the things
can't be repetitive. There are going to be roadblocks with
certain things you may get stuck by. If you're passionate
about doing this, it doesn't matter. None of the roadblocks
or any of the obstacles that you're going to come
across aren't going to be sure at that point because
you're going to be able to get through it.
S1 (15:06):
Also flexibility in that you need to be able to
work in a team environment as well as independent.
S2 (15:12):
The most challenging part of working in today's IP is
my personal opinion is you have to be you have
to know how to deal with people's personalities, whether it's,
you know, you're working in I.T. at a medical facility.
If you're working just in general or if you're doing
it in a retail situation, everybody is a different person.
(15:34):
They have their own personality and you have to be
able to run with it.
S1 (15:37):
And lastly, I think one of the things people don't
really think about when it comes to it is customer service.
We don't have external customers like, let's say a retailer would,
but every single associate that works a kid's piece is
an internal customer. So they're our customers. And we need
to make sure that they're satisfied that we're resolving their
(15:57):
problem in a timely manner to their satisfaction. And people
don't call it when something works and say thank you.
They call it when something doesn't work. And so they're
most likely frustrated. And so, you know, it takes a
special kind of person that can absorb that, reassure them,
(16:18):
stay calm, fix their problem, and make them feel good
when they hang up the phone, even though they're having
probably not a great day right now. And so all
of those other things are important. I think customer service
is probably the most important.
S4 (16:32):
Customer service is also one of Lincoln Tech stronger attributes
with the career services team within the Computer Systems Support
Technician Program.
S3 (16:39):
Michael Granbury graduated from Lincoln Tech in 2015. Yeah, so
upon graduating, you had to meet with the career services
staff and. That kind of pressure that you ready for?
Like the real world, for lack of a better term.
Two different interview prep courses and different resumé writing sessions
(17:05):
and things like that. I really say that, you know,
I've been to school before and I haven't had the
best experience with the entire career services type of department
or staff. But here, in fact, they really seem like
they really want to get you prepped or to get
(17:26):
you ready for the real world. And then we're really
serious about helping their graduates, you know, find positioning within
the career field of choice. There are always willing to
kind of sit down, ironed out some things in your resume,
give you constructive and open feedback as far as the
techniques were. And if you didn't have those interview techniques
(17:49):
or skills, they were they were there to get you
prepped into to give you those skills. You know, I've
worked you know, I've had several jobs prior to leaving tech,
but nothing like really career based. Like I didn't have
a career. I've had several jobs, but not a career.
There's a difference between interviewing for your next job or
(18:12):
interviewing for your next career. And Lincoln Tech really just
sat down and went to the ins and outs as
far as interview questions were concerned, how to conduct yourself,
how to dress, how to really articulate your skills and
how to really answer the questions in in a sense
(18:32):
that would really highlight your professionalism. And it was just
a really good experience, I would have to say. That
was like the biggest bonus for me as far as
my experience. The career services team just really had it
out for your success from resumé building to mock interview
(18:54):
and feedback and suggestive feedback. So that was kind of
my experience with the Career Services Department and kind of
what they did to get you prepped for those real
world experiences as far as the interview is concerned.
S2 (19:08):
Actually, the best thing about the career services team is,
number one, they're they're always willing to help out. You know,
they're they want to make sure that. You get the
information that you need. If they need anything from you,
you know, you send them your resume, you fill out
the the paperwork so that they can get the ball rolling.
And if you need help looking for a job or
(19:31):
even the internship coordinator, just everyone there in general will
do everything in their power, if they can, to help.
And that's been my experience there.
S4 (19:42):
The IT world is not only national but global, and
it's an in-demand career that can literally take you anywhere.
S3 (19:48):
Actually, another one of our sites is fiber optics where
they are. They are global that will knock global that
their national and when they hire our students daily, that
is one of the first things they explain to them
is that they go nationwide this week. They'll be going
to Michigan to install fiber optic cables into a warehouse.
(20:11):
Next week they might be going to Utah or they
might be going to Florida, or they will be literally nationwide.
And like I said, these students, these graduates who went
down to Florida, we have sites in Florida who are
global sites that are offering positions for those people. So
as people do move, a lot of the places are
(20:31):
nationwide or even they are going global. Look at Google.
Google is literally a global organization. Microsoft, same thing. All
those are global. So if you want to move somewhere,
you can get a job with one of these places
and you can travel. Decision one is a company that
I personally worked for and they were always looking for people,
(20:54):
other places in the United States. So I could have
easily traveled and gone anywhere.
S4 (20:59):
A career and it can take you anywhere. But you
have to build specialized skills for an in-demand field that's
ever changing. Take it from Leo went line who employs
Lincoln Tech graduates.
S1 (21:08):
I.t is never going to go away. It's not it's
not newspaper. It's not it's not any other industry. It's not,
you know, the steel industry or the coal industry. It's
something that's only going to keep getting bigger and bigger
and more important in every business, you know? You know,
somebody who owns a restaurant, they need it because they
(21:31):
need wireless in there. Everybody's expecting to have wireless in
their restaurant. They have point of sale systems that are
network dependent. Maybe some of their kitchen apparatus is now
network dependent. Every business needs I.T. and there aren't enough
skilled I.T. folks out there to fill all the jobs
(21:53):
that are needed, whether it's a subcontractor who leases people
out to the bar restaurant industry or people like us
who have an internal I.T. team but are always looking
for really great talent. It's it's a job that it's
a it's an occupation that if you want job security,
you're never going to not have somebody looking for a
(22:14):
skilled I.T. professional. And the earnings potential there are tremendous. And.
The icing on the cake is most of the time
it can work from anywhere. If we have the Internet,
we can log in to somewhere and work. So, you know,
I don't want to be in a cube farm. You
don't have to be in a cube farm. I want
(22:36):
to make a lot of money. You can make a
very nice living in it. I want to make sure
that I have a job forever. I don't think computers
are going anywhere. You're going to have job security one
way or the other. So those are the big three
for me.
S4 (22:50):
Employers like Leo are looking for a future IT specialist
and Lincoln Tech as the programs that can change your life.
I'm at a.
S3 (22:56):
Really good place in life and I really think a
lot of that is really due to Lincoln Tech, really
like making a man out of myself. Because when I
started Lincoln Tech, I was really much so a boy.
I mean, really didn't know, you know, I said, Hey,
I'm in the school, but I'm not you know, there's
a lot of nights that I said, man, you know,
this isn't going to pay off. This isn't going to
(23:18):
take me anywhere, man. But, you know, my instructor missed
out on the living as a collectively as a staff
really just kept pushing me and saying, hey, this is
the right choice. This is I think that you made
the right thing. You're a really good student, Michael. He
keep giving us that effort, keep allowing us to help you,
(23:39):
because I'm sure it will pay off. It will pay off.
It's like I'm just so like I would do anything
for Lincoln Tech at this point. I guess someone needed
me to speak if someone needed me to mentor, if
someone if there's a student that just was, you know,
feeling very doubtful about the program or feeling very doubtful,
(24:03):
you know, about the course within any course that they take.
This doesn't just touch the computer network technician program, support
technician program. This is like collectively. So I didn't take
the data back cause so I know they offer a
nursing course, but I experienced just the overall investment like
(24:28):
that that school has. It was much different from like
your bigger schools and your universities. Like it's almost like
like you become like another number like within those bigger schools.
And there's universities, I believe in tech. It's I would
say it's much more dialed in, for lack of a
(24:49):
better term. Would it be a much more dialed in?
The class sizes are a little bit smaller than your
bigger universities, and you're your bigger school. So therefore, you
get more attention. You get you get more you gain
more of an intimate connection, a relationship with the career
services department than what you would do at a bigger
(25:12):
university if they have a career services department. So they
get to know you more personally than just a student.
That way they become more invested in saying, Hey, because
I really got the impression that my success was their success. Ms..
Walker at the Marietta campus, she was a career services
(25:35):
when I attended and when I graduated, like, I really
felt like she felt my success was her success. And like,
that's just phenomenal. It really, at least for someone like
me who was really looking to make a change, like
I said, moving cars around, watching cars I was in.
I'll be super honest with you, man. I was at
(25:56):
a point in my life where, you know, I was,
you know, really just wasn't in the best headspace, really
wasn't even in the best physical shape and things like that.
But like this is so much of it was so
much of a game changer for me, like my entire life.
It didn't happen overnight. It happened gradually, but progressively, though.
(26:17):
And I think it's all because of the work that
I put in and the work that that was instilled
in me from just the staff and just the program
and things like that. So I'm just like so grateful.
I'm so grateful to be speaking with you. So grateful
to be a graduate of Lincoln Tech, not just the
(26:38):
Marietta campus campus, but campuses all over the world really
made me a shining star. And it's kind of like
I did my training in the dojo, for lack of
a better term. American tech being a dojo were really
kind of made me ready for the real world, and
they really trained me well, and I'm just so appreciative
(26:58):
and so humbled to be speaking with you regarding this podcast,
regarding just my thoughts and my experience with the program.
S4 (27:09):
And Lincoln Tech, your success is our success. Do you
think you'd like to learn more about the Computer System
Support Technician Program and join a growing field within the
IT community where opportunities are limitless? Contact Career Services Today Online.
At Lincoln Tech. Ekiti, you can set up a campus
tour or talk with instructors today. Lincoln Tech dot edu.
It is never going to go away. It's not it's
not newspaper. It's not it's not any other industry. It's not,
you know, the steel industry or the coal industry. It's
something that's only going to keep getting bigger and bigger
and more important in every business.
S2 (00:20):
The course pretty much lays the groundwork for you for
any position that you're going to go into as far
as the IT field.
S1 (00:28):
I mean, every business as an I.T. department these days.
S3 (00:32):
Every company has an IP department, whether it's only one person,
whether it's a small mom pop store. They somebody takes
care of the point of sales or someone takes care
of their database or somebody has to manage those pieces.
S1 (00:47):
And it's because in order for the heroes that work
on the front lines, they need someone to support. So
they need support departments like accounting or finance or human resources.
They also need I.T. to make sure that their technology works,
that their systems are working. Their account log in is
good and they can log in and do their work.
S2 (01:10):
So the training and the you know, the course, I think,
in tech, honestly, is in my personal opinion, I think
it's fantastic.
S4 (01:18):
Welcome to the official podcast of Lincoln Tech. In this episode,
we'll be looking at the Computer Systems Support Technician Program.
We'll find out what you can expect to learn and
what kind of jobs are out there. You'll also hear
from professors and employers who work directly with Lincoln Tech
to help you succeed in a growing field that isn't
going away. And Lincoln's promise to our students is simple.
We will work tirelessly to help you succeed on the
(01:39):
road to new career opportunities. Now let's dive into some
details about the program.
S3 (01:44):
Hi, I'm Mark Surface. I'm the chief I.T. instructor for
Lincoln Technical Institute, Allentown Location. We are the we teach
computer systems support technician program. I'm a graduate. I graduate
in Lincoln Park in 1994, and I've pretty much been
in the field ever since.
S1 (02:03):
My name is Leo White Line. I'm the director of
Tech Support and Services for Kids Peace Corporation. Kids Peace
Corp is a juvenile and adult mental health care facility
that operates residential and inpatient, as well as outpatient facilities
in eight states on the Eastern Seaboard. So I've been
on the Lincoln Tech Advisory Board, the Curriculum Advisory Board
(02:26):
for about five years now. And I think that that
has helped me see behind the curtain into how these
students and graduates have been trained. I've seen their curriculum.
I've advised on it what I think they should do
differently or do more of. But really, the the Lincoln
(02:51):
Tech graduates that have come and worked for us and
I think we're up to about five or six already,
and that's a pretty, pretty good number considering my entire
team is like 11. So they've, they've entered the workforce
with a really solid fundamental knowledge of technology in general, well-rounded.
S3 (03:12):
Okay. Basically what we teach is we teach everything about
computers from a basic computer, what a computer is, how
a computer works, how the inner workings of the computer
works from the motherboard, how the information gets through the
motherboard from there to the memory to the CPU to
the processor and out to the video card. Then we
(03:35):
break it out. From there we teach the basic computer,
then we teach operating systems. We teach Windows seven, Windows eight,
Windows ten, multiple versions of Linux. We teach a bunch
to Fedora, Cowley, Linux, we teach a little black art,
that sort of thing. Then we teach also server, we
(03:56):
teach server 2012, 2016, 2019 and Server 2022 just came out.
So we'll start teaching server 2022 shortly. Now new class
that we're starting to teach is cloud, which is basically
Amazon is or Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, Azure, and
(04:17):
we teach those services because a lot of companies are
moving their servers from on site into then they move
them quote unquote into the cloud. And we move that way.
And we teach the cloud system.
S4 (04:30):
Lincoln Tech's Computer System Support Technician Program also teaches networking
and help desk and gives you real hands on experience.
As Professor Mark Surface explains.
S3 (04:40):
They install, they take, they they get laptops as part
of their tuition package. They get the laptops and they
get the power them on. And then they have to
set them up. And sometimes things don't work very well
and they have to troubleshoot that. And we give them
real world experience for the a plus. Plus part of
what they have to do is tear down a PC.
So we. We teach them how to remove memory, how
(05:03):
to install memory. We teach him how to install and
remove a processor. We actually they have teardown pieces where
they take them, the memory processor, the video card, everything
out of the PC, and then they have to put
it back in. Well, if they don't put it back
in properly, it doesn't work. And now they have to
start their troubleshooting. Well, what do I see? What do
(05:23):
I smell? What do I hear? What do I know?
What is going on? Do I see LEDs? Do I
see a power light? Do I see a hard drive light?
Do I hear the hard drive booting up? Do I
hear the host beep? So they do all that from
day one, and then every class from then on is troubleshooting.
Everything is troubleshooting. They'll be doing test outs, they'll be
(05:46):
working on their labs. If a lab is not working
and they can't get a lab to work, the last
gasp of the instructor how to fix it will help
the first install, the first student how to fix it.
And then if another student has that same problem, instead
of us going to that student, then helping the student out,
we will actually for them to the first student and
have the first student teach them how to fix it
(06:09):
from there, and then they will go on to help
the next student. So it's not just me or the
instructor teaching and helping the students out. The students are
learning from there how to help each other out. And
then we also teach them not to touch the PC
when they go to work and they help these other
students out. We teach them to put their hold their
hands behind their back so they don't touch the mouse
(06:32):
or they don't touch the PC. They have to tell
the other student how to do it. And then even
with that, we don't want them to give them the answer.
We guide them down the road on how to figure
out the answer.
S4 (06:44):
Not only do you get hands on experience, but you
get real world practical experience and entry level positions within
the field. As Leo went, Line explains.
S1 (06:53):
They have a class where they have to sort of
learn how to be helpdesk. They have to put something
together and ship it somewhere else and then talk the
person through, putting it together and making sure it works. And,
you know, we're constantly giving them scenarios like make sure
that person knows nothing about technology that has to put
(07:13):
it together. Because oftentimes when you're sitting on the Help Desk,
you're going to get the call from the person who
knows nothing about the computer they're sitting in front of.
So you can't just tell them to do these advanced
keystroke techniques and fix their problem. You need to tell
them to make sure that they make sure it's turned
on and that it's, you know, that they can log
(07:33):
in and that it's plugged in and, you know, go
very basic, be able to talk through all of the steps.
So we provide a lot of those scenarios to them
based on real world scenarios that we're getting so that
they can make their classes feel a little more realistic.
S4 (07:49):
The real life experience also continues even beyond the classroom
with internships.
S3 (07:54):
The internship is where they go out to a client
and they have a 150 hour internship where they go
to a client and whatever the client needs them to do,
say maybe image some pieces or rebuild some pieces or WIP.
We have some school districts and right now the school
districts are coming to the end of the year while
all those Chromebooks are coming back in and they have
(08:16):
to be wiped and prepared for the next school year.
So we'll send external out or interns out to do that.
They'll wipe them, they'll reset them up. Maybe one update
they need to be cleaned. I'm sure some of them
are pretty dirty from the students using them, so they'll
actually physically clean them and wipe them down as well
as reset them up for the new school year. They'll
(08:37):
also work on some some Cat five cabling or maybe
they need some cable runs or something of that nature,
or they'll need some servers built or basically whatever it
is that the client needs.
S4 (08:48):
The computer system support technician program gives you the foundation
to succeed in this industry.
S1 (08:52):
So the Lincoln Tech program really sets the graduates up
for a couple of different fields right off the bat
or a couple of different specific I.T. paths right off
the bat. There's a helpdesk path which is quite common,
and it's where a lot of people in it start.
(09:13):
It's a great way to get exposure to a lot
of different things in the field. Also hone your customer
service and your soft skills at the same time.
S4 (09:22):
As an employer. Can you tell us more about the
earnings potential at your organization? For people with computer networking skills.
S1 (09:28):
Those folks are probably looking at anywhere from 30 to
40000 annually plus plus full benefits and some other things
lumped in. There's also the the PC support technician piece,
which is less of a dealing with end users and
more of a dealing with the equipment by itself, fixing, repairing,
(09:50):
replacing equipment. That's also something that would an I.T. graduate
from Lincoln Tech would be in line for. And that's
probably 35 to 40. Five to start with. And then
I know some of their folks have come in and
became network admins or system admins. Those are higher priced,
(10:13):
but you really have to sort of prove yourself right
out of college to get one of those positions. It's
not common to come right out of college and get one,
but I know some people have been able to do
that and they're you're looking at 40 to 50 to start.
S2 (10:27):
So my name is Mike Garcia. I started at Lincoln
Tech in December of 2019, so I was going right
into the 2020 year. So my current job, I'm I'm
a night specialist for North Hudson Community Action Corporation. They're
a medical group who have several health facilities within the
(10:51):
northern New Jersey. So they have about 8 to 9 facilities.
They're actually looking to open up another one. And my
role there is exactly what my title is, is, you know,
I'm I'm it. So the training and the you know,
the course I Lincoln Tech, honestly is in my personal
opinion I think it's fantastic. Just like anything in life,
(11:15):
I feel like you get what you put into it.
So if you're not wanting to do the work and
if you're not willing to, you know, make the dedication
so you're not going to get much, I myself got
a lot out of it, especially with the simple fact
that the course pretty much lays the groundwork for you
for any position that you're going to go into. As
(11:36):
far as the IT field, you start with basic fundamentals
of computer technology and then you go into a little
bit more of the internals on the basics of the computer.
Then you start with networking and then you start with
the security provisions. Then you go into. Active Directory and
servers and all of that that you pretty much need
(11:58):
as a fundamental base to get anywhere. You also have
the opportunity to take certifications, which you have your A-plus certification,
you have your networking, and you have your security. I'm
actually setting up to take all of my certifications and
June right before I graduation, and it was great because
of the school giving me so much information and being
(12:19):
able to show me things. It actually helped me land
my position currently and I was able to get hired
on while before graduation. I started working for North Hudson
in the December 6th of 2021 and it was perfect
because everything I learned there on Lincoln Tech, it was
some way, shape or form. It all correlated to what
(12:41):
I currently do at my job.
S1 (12:43):
We have a great partnership with Lincoln Tech. We are
one of their internship sites, so we have exposure to
their program in their folks. We also, you know, visit
their campus frequently. So that really is a good pipeline
for us. We're getting less applicants. I don't know that
that reflects it. It's that people are leaving one company
(13:07):
to go to a competitor. So you can tell that
the competitors are also struggling to find all the talent
they need when they start to make offers to people
that are already gainfully employed to try to get them
to come over. Demand for jobs is probably higher because
that's where our society and businesses are moving towards a
(13:30):
more digital society. So information technology professionals are in higher
demand than ever. Coupled with things like increased cybersecurity and
cyber attacks has made those qualified folks even more in-demand.
Companies are creating positions for those that didn't exist even
(13:52):
5 to 10 years ago. And then on top of it,
I can tell you that when I posted a job
four or five years ago, I would get a dozen
or so applicants for the job. Now, when I post it,
I get three or four. I don't even know how
I would possibly quantify it other than it's massive. So
(14:13):
there are way more jobs out there and a lot
less available professionals looking for employment.
S4 (14:20):
Who's a good candidate for the Computer Systems Support Technician Program?
S3 (14:25):
Actually, anybody with any kind of interest in not just
computers but the Internet.
S1 (14:32):
So I think you need to be motivated and ambitious.
Technology changes very rapidly. You need to want to stay
up to date on everything because if you don't, you're
going to get passed by.
S2 (14:45):
You have to make sure you have a passion for this,
understanding that in 19, you know, some of the things
can't be repetitive. There are going to be roadblocks with
certain things you may get stuck by. If you're passionate
about doing this, it doesn't matter. None of the roadblocks
or any of the obstacles that you're going to come
across aren't going to be sure at that point because
you're going to be able to get through it.
S1 (15:06):
Also flexibility in that you need to be able to
work in a team environment as well as independent.
S2 (15:12):
The most challenging part of working in today's IP is
my personal opinion is you have to be you have
to know how to deal with people's personalities, whether it's,
you know, you're working in I.T. at a medical facility.
If you're working just in general or if you're doing
it in a retail situation, everybody is a different person.
(15:34):
They have their own personality and you have to be
able to run with it.
S1 (15:37):
And lastly, I think one of the things people don't
really think about when it comes to it is customer service.
We don't have external customers like, let's say a retailer would,
but every single associate that works a kid's piece is
an internal customer. So they're our customers. And we need
to make sure that they're satisfied that we're resolving their
(15:57):
problem in a timely manner to their satisfaction. And people
don't call it when something works and say thank you.
They call it when something doesn't work. And so they're
most likely frustrated. And so, you know, it takes a
special kind of person that can absorb that, reassure them,
(16:18):
stay calm, fix their problem, and make them feel good
when they hang up the phone, even though they're having
probably not a great day right now. And so all
of those other things are important. I think customer service
is probably the most important.
S4 (16:32):
Customer service is also one of Lincoln Tech stronger attributes
with the career services team within the Computer Systems Support
Technician Program.
S3 (16:39):
Michael Granbury graduated from Lincoln Tech in 2015. Yeah, so
upon graduating, you had to meet with the career services
staff and. That kind of pressure that you ready for?
Like the real world, for lack of a better term.
Two different interview prep courses and different resumé writing sessions
(17:05):
and things like that. I really say that, you know,
I've been to school before and I haven't had the
best experience with the entire career services type of department
or staff. But here, in fact, they really seem like
they really want to get you prepped or to get
(17:26):
you ready for the real world. And then we're really
serious about helping their graduates, you know, find positioning within
the career field of choice. There are always willing to
kind of sit down, ironed out some things in your resume,
give you constructive and open feedback as far as the
techniques were. And if you didn't have those interview techniques
(17:49):
or skills, they were they were there to get you
prepped into to give you those skills. You know, I've
worked you know, I've had several jobs prior to leaving tech,
but nothing like really career based. Like I didn't have
a career. I've had several jobs, but not a career.
There's a difference between interviewing for your next job or
(18:12):
interviewing for your next career. And Lincoln Tech really just
sat down and went to the ins and outs as
far as interview questions were concerned, how to conduct yourself,
how to dress, how to really articulate your skills and
how to really answer the questions in in a sense
(18:32):
that would really highlight your professionalism. And it was just
a really good experience, I would have to say. That
was like the biggest bonus for me as far as
my experience. The career services team just really had it
out for your success from resumé building to mock interview
(18:54):
and feedback and suggestive feedback. So that was kind of
my experience with the Career Services Department and kind of
what they did to get you prepped for those real
world experiences as far as the interview is concerned.
S2 (19:08):
Actually, the best thing about the career services team is,
number one, they're they're always willing to help out. You know,
they're they want to make sure that. You get the
information that you need. If they need anything from you,
you know, you send them your resume, you fill out
the the paperwork so that they can get the ball rolling.
And if you need help looking for a job or
(19:31):
even the internship coordinator, just everyone there in general will
do everything in their power, if they can, to help.
And that's been my experience there.
S4 (19:42):
The IT world is not only national but global, and
it's an in-demand career that can literally take you anywhere.
S3 (19:48):
Actually, another one of our sites is fiber optics where
they are. They are global that will knock global that
their national and when they hire our students daily, that
is one of the first things they explain to them
is that they go nationwide this week. They'll be going
to Michigan to install fiber optic cables into a warehouse.
(20:11):
Next week they might be going to Utah or they
might be going to Florida, or they will be literally nationwide.
And like I said, these students, these graduates who went
down to Florida, we have sites in Florida who are
global sites that are offering positions for those people. So
as people do move, a lot of the places are
(20:31):
nationwide or even they are going global. Look at Google.
Google is literally a global organization. Microsoft, same thing. All
those are global. So if you want to move somewhere,
you can get a job with one of these places
and you can travel. Decision one is a company that
I personally worked for and they were always looking for people,
(20:54):
other places in the United States. So I could have
easily traveled and gone anywhere.
S4 (20:59):
A career and it can take you anywhere. But you
have to build specialized skills for an in-demand field that's
ever changing. Take it from Leo went line who employs
Lincoln Tech graduates.
S1 (21:08):
I.t is never going to go away. It's not it's
not newspaper. It's not it's not any other industry. It's not,
you know, the steel industry or the coal industry. It's
something that's only going to keep getting bigger and bigger
and more important in every business, you know? You know,
somebody who owns a restaurant, they need it because they
(21:31):
need wireless in there. Everybody's expecting to have wireless in
their restaurant. They have point of sale systems that are
network dependent. Maybe some of their kitchen apparatus is now
network dependent. Every business needs I.T. and there aren't enough
skilled I.T. folks out there to fill all the jobs
(21:53):
that are needed, whether it's a subcontractor who leases people
out to the bar restaurant industry or people like us
who have an internal I.T. team but are always looking
for really great talent. It's it's a job that it's
a it's an occupation that if you want job security,
you're never going to not have somebody looking for a
(22:14):
skilled I.T. professional. And the earnings potential there are tremendous. And.
The icing on the cake is most of the time
it can work from anywhere. If we have the Internet,
we can log in to somewhere and work. So, you know,
I don't want to be in a cube farm. You
don't have to be in a cube farm. I want
(22:36):
to make a lot of money. You can make a
very nice living in it. I want to make sure
that I have a job forever. I don't think computers
are going anywhere. You're going to have job security one
way or the other. So those are the big three
for me.
S4 (22:50):
Employers like Leo are looking for a future IT specialist
and Lincoln Tech as the programs that can change your life.
I'm at a.
S3 (22:56):
Really good place in life and I really think a
lot of that is really due to Lincoln Tech, really
like making a man out of myself. Because when I
started Lincoln Tech, I was really much so a boy.
I mean, really didn't know, you know, I said, Hey,
I'm in the school, but I'm not you know, there's
a lot of nights that I said, man, you know,
this isn't going to pay off. This isn't going to
(23:18):
take me anywhere, man. But, you know, my instructor missed
out on the living as a collectively as a staff
really just kept pushing me and saying, hey, this is
the right choice. This is I think that you made
the right thing. You're a really good student, Michael. He
keep giving us that effort, keep allowing us to help you,
(23:39):
because I'm sure it will pay off. It will pay off.
It's like I'm just so like I would do anything
for Lincoln Tech at this point. I guess someone needed
me to speak if someone needed me to mentor, if
someone if there's a student that just was, you know,
feeling very doubtful about the program or feeling very doubtful,
(24:03):
you know, about the course within any course that they take.
This doesn't just touch the computer network technician program, support
technician program. This is like collectively. So I didn't take
the data back cause so I know they offer a
nursing course, but I experienced just the overall investment like
(24:28):
that that school has. It was much different from like
your bigger schools and your universities. Like it's almost like
like you become like another number like within those bigger schools.
And there's universities, I believe in tech. It's I would
say it's much more dialed in, for lack of a
(24:49):
better term. Would it be a much more dialed in?
The class sizes are a little bit smaller than your
bigger universities, and you're your bigger school. So therefore, you
get more attention. You get you get more you gain
more of an intimate connection, a relationship with the career
services department than what you would do at a bigger
(25:12):
university if they have a career services department. So they
get to know you more personally than just a student.
That way they become more invested in saying, Hey, because
I really got the impression that my success was their success. Ms..
Walker at the Marietta campus, she was a career services
(25:35):
when I attended and when I graduated, like, I really
felt like she felt my success was her success. And like,
that's just phenomenal. It really, at least for someone like
me who was really looking to make a change, like
I said, moving cars around, watching cars I was in.
I'll be super honest with you, man. I was at
(25:56):
a point in my life where, you know, I was,
you know, really just wasn't in the best headspace, really
wasn't even in the best physical shape and things like that.
But like this is so much of it was so
much of a game changer for me, like my entire life.
It didn't happen overnight. It happened gradually, but progressively, though.
(26:17):
And I think it's all because of the work that
I put in and the work that that was instilled
in me from just the staff and just the program
and things like that. So I'm just like so grateful.
I'm so grateful to be speaking with you. So grateful
to be a graduate of Lincoln Tech, not just the
(26:38):
Marietta campus campus, but campuses all over the world really
made me a shining star. And it's kind of like
I did my training in the dojo, for lack of
a better term. American tech being a dojo were really
kind of made me ready for the real world, and
they really trained me well, and I'm just so appreciative
(26:58):
and so humbled to be speaking with you regarding this podcast,
regarding just my thoughts and my experience with the program.
S4 (27:09):
And Lincoln Tech, your success is our success. Do you
think you'd like to learn more about the Computer System
Support Technician Program and join a growing field within the
IT community where opportunities are limitless? Contact Career Services Today Online.
At Lincoln Tech. Ekiti, you can set up a campus
tour or talk with instructors today. Lincoln Tech dot edu.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.