Page 35 - B2B Spring19
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DONNY REICHERT
CO-OWNER / SERVICE MANAGER, ITC BY DAWN ZEHR
Donny Reichert is co-owner
of Information Technology Core (ITC), which has o ces in Montana and Utah. They provide managed IT services to small businesses across those locations. Donny currently acts as a Service Manager for ITC, but he shared some
insight about what it takes to be a Service Technician in the  eld of Information Technology.
Traditionally, a Service Technician acquires a 2-year associate’s degree in any one of the wide ranging areas of computer studies. There are two paths for those interested in working with computers: programming or networking (hardware, setup and con guration, ensuring the end user is productive). Those people working as Service Technicians would follow the networking pathway. An average wage for a Service Technician in Montana
is $14-$16 per hour, and such a person can max out with a salary
of over $100,000 a year. One of
the challenges for IT Service Technicians is the ever-changing technology, which requires frequent re-certi cation in the various technologies they service; they are always learning new technology and deploying it in the  eld. Every
Service Technician maintains certi cations with each of their vendors (such as Dell or HP);
they receive training on the new products that they’ll be servicing or selling. Most of the training and certi cation can be accomplished online, and is self-paced; it
could also be instructor-led, and sometimes it takes place on site in a hands-on setting.
There are three levels of Service Technician, and an individual’s level (beginner, mid-level, or
senior) is determined primarily
by experience, and additionally, training. The progression is different for each person, and
there aren’t clearly de ned steps; however, Donny emphasizes that experience is key to moving into
the next level. A Senior Service Technician would be in charge of projects, and would handle larger installs. He also points out that no one person can do it all – every Service Technician has a different area that he or she can specialize in, whether it’s security, networking,
or desktop application. A larger business necessitates more IT people, which allows for more specialized positions for Service Technicians.
Someone considering the work of a Service Technician should be prepared for a high-paced, high demand and high pro le job;
he or she needs to be capable of prioritizing and completing the tasks at hand. It’s important to have a personality that enjoys being around people, since
Service Technicians interact and communicate often with the end users. Because the job involves changing technology, it is critical that a person in this non-static  eld is adaptable and enjoys learning new things. Other skills that a candidate should have are: an attention to detail, strong written communication skills which are used for extensive documentation, and an active capacity and desire to continue learning.
Working as a Service Technician is highly rewarding; he or she is an active and critical component in helping a business to be productive and function at a high level. He or she also has the privilege of being privy to many parts of a business, seeing what the business is doing from the inside out, and acquiring an inside perspective on how it works. The technology employed for the business ultimately makes
it more successful, the input is valuable, and knowledge he or she has gained can be shared across the customer base.
PERSPECTIVES CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
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