IT Support

How to Steer Your Career into Tech

If you are thinking about transitioning into a lucrative tech career, this is a perfect time. Many tech companies are growing quickly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, like retail stores or delivery service companies. If you don’t like your job anymore, or lost it due to the pandemic and find yourself with more free time, then start doing something productive. 

The faster and easier way to start your tech career, if you don’t want to spend four years getting a bachelor’s degree, is by enrolling in coding bootcamps. All of these skills can be learned at an average of six months. And, all are in high demand in the tech world, which will ensure your future career.

React

React is a JavaScript library that allows developers to easily build user interfaces with blocks called components. It was developed by Facebook and is maintained as an open-source project. JavaScript is a crucial part of all the interactive features on websites. This language is used with HTML and CSS to create beautiful and animated websites we are used to. Plus, by learning React, not only will you be able to build web applications and sites but also mobile applications with React Native.

One benefit of learning React is the feature we use to build blockchain elements like smart contracts. Blockchain is a fairly recent technology that has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years. So, by learning this skill, you will be making a very successful path for your tech career.

React is included in most web development courses. But, General Assembly offers an online React development course in the part-time modality for just 10 weeks. Students will learn about the JavaScript library including components, JSX, states, props, how to build multi-page websites, and much more. General Assembly also offers a complete web development course and has more than 25 campuses. It offers several payment options that include ISAs, deferred tuition, upfront payments, monthly installments, and loan financing.

Software Development

Software development is a wide branch in the tech industry. Software developers design, create, deploy, test, and maintain all the software for our devices but they can specialize in creating operating and hardware management software. They develop programming software like Android Studio or Pycharm and application software like Microsoft Office and Photoshop.

Because the skill can be used almost everywhere in the tech industry, it makes studying it a good choice. You could become a software engineer or developer and later decide where you want to go. Software developers can later specialize in product management to have an even better job position. It just a matter of what your career goal is.

Microverse offers a very good software development course with no upfront cost. It also offers a collaborative environment and global opportunities for remote positions after graduation. Students will learn JavaScript, Ruby, databases, Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, algorithm, data structures, and much more. Students only start paying the course after finding a job with a salary of at least $1,000 per month.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing revolves around promoting a product or service online. It has many different methods like email campaigns, SEO practice, social media management, ads platform, and so on – the choice depends on the type of marketing strategy and the audience you want to reach. Digital marketers can do all that and more as they are experts in planning and deploying marketing strategies to help brands reach their audience.

Digital marketing is a good path for a tech career as it has many options and it doesn’t necessarily have to be related to programming.  If you are a creative person and want to steer your career in tech, digital marketing is a good option. Plus, it has a place in almost any industry you can think of. All companies need a good marketing strategy after all. 

Thinkful offers a six-week digital marketing course to learn the fundamentals, how to plan marketing campaigns, branding, content and email marketing, and much more. Thinkful offers ISAs for tuition and living stipend, monthly installments, loan financing, and upfront payments. The school gives its students one-on-one mentorship and helps them build an industry-worthy portfolio. Study with Thinkful and choose between more than 50 campuses or their online options.

Python

Python is a multi-purpose programming language that supports different programming types, which makes it multi-paradigm too. It has many applications in different disciplines but is mostly used for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Python is a high-level language, which means its syntax is easy to understand because it resembles human communication.

Python can be used for scientific and numeric purposes and web development with Django and other frameworks,  GUI applications, software development, and more. It is an excellent option for your first programming language. It is really easy to use and learn, and with a wide range of applications, it can open many opportunities in tech. 

Because Python can be used for many purposes, this language is taught in different courses. For example, IronHack’s data analytics course teaches Python among other skills. Students will learn the fundamentals in programming and statistics, APIs and web scraping, databases, and more. IronHack lets its students make payments by income-sharing agreements, upfront payments, or ask for loan financing.  It has campuses in different countries and the option to do online courses.

In Brief

Invest your time and money in something that will give you a short-term reward. Coding boot camps and online courses are the perfect examples of how to learn a new skill fast or at your own pace. It is in your hands if you want to learn about React, software development, digital marketing, or Python. The hardest part is deciding to begin, after that you will have a professional certificate and a new career in tech in no time.

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Finding the Right IT Support Company for Your Business

It can be a daunting task trying to find the best IT support a company has to offer and the right IT support services for your needs. There are so many factors to take into account, and it can often feel like navigating a minefield.

The truth is that if you want your business to operate at its peak potential, it’s a minefield you must conquer. One of the key factors in running a successful business, and optimising your activities and processes, is finding the right IT support company.

Here’s a rundown of the process of choosing, and the essential steps to getting it right.

Step 1: Assess your requirements in terms of IT infrastructure

This can be quite an involved process, but it’s pivotal that you get it right! Assess your current IT requirements and identify what you need right now, and what you’re going to need moving forward.

Step 2: Do some research

Make a list of prospective IT support companies and do some research. Be sure to get several references and, if you can, speak to someone at a company they’re currently servicing. Check out their customer reviews and client testimonials -They should have dedicated sections on their website where you can freely view these. Google the company and see if they have a Google business account – this includes reviews!

Step 3: Get in touch

Once you are crystal clear on what you need (now and looking ahead) and you have your list of possible companies, get in touch with them and tell them your requirements. Ask for an obligation-free estimate. Gather responses, and see what they come back to you with. Don’t be afraid to meet them in person and discuss your needs. Think of it like any other interview – if you were hiring a new assistant or manager, you wouldn’t rely on email or even phone calls, you’d interview the candidates in person. You need to see how you get on, personally, and whether or not you’re compatible enough to form a good business relationship. Get them into your office. While they’re there, assess their attitude and perspectives, bring up a specific issue or two that you’re having, or have had in the past, and see how they react.

Step 4: Read the fine print

A tedious but completely necessary step is to look at the fine print that comes with each of the companies you’ve met with. How good is their confidentiality agreement? What are their terms? How long would you need to give notice if you needed to change to a new company? Are there any ‘hidden’ charges that might apply to you? There are a myriad of small details like this that can sway your final decision. Make a pros and cons list for each company based on their estimates, your experience while meeting them, and the benefits and downsides of working with them.

Step 5: Make a decision

It’s time to be decisive! Making the final decision really comes down to a combination of price comparison, the benefits on offer, and gut instinct. When all else is equal, go with your gut!

Step 6: Choose a person

The work doesn’t stop when you choose a company to work with. It’s your responsibility to keep on top of things, take care of all the basics and liaise with your new support company to ensure you are getting exactly what you need. You should appoint a single person to act as the point of contact between your business and your IT support. One person who always deals with them and knows the workings of your relationship backwards. Any problems, on either side, they deal with them – it will make everything run a lot more smoothly!

Step 7: Start a fault log

This is a simple but often overlooked process. Start a log of all faults in your system. It ensures you have a record if you need it and will aid your new support company in looking after you as best they possibly can.

Contact Compuville Systems today to learn about our Managed Support plans. 1-866-300-5151

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Are you getting enough IT support for what you’re paying?

Often we get calls from people who already have an individual or company providing IT support, but are looking for a second opinion on their IT infrastructure.
Here is a list of the top 5 problems that we hear about other IT providers:

  1. Slow Response
    You have a number to call but you can’t get in touch with your IT provider. You leave a message but don’t hear back in a timely manner. We see this happen often with independent IT consultants. They’ll run around just fixing computers, putting out fires. The problem is that you need help now and you have better things to do than wait. At Compuville Systems, we address this by having a team of engineers standing by, plus a dedicated Service Manager to route calls and ensure that your issue is dealt with in a timely manner.
  2. The Same Problems Keep Cropping Up Over and Over.
    There’s a difference between a band-aid fix and a solution that will eliminate the problem from happening over and over. Our job is to make your life easier, so we create solutions that resolve problems for good. Our Managed Services clients also benefit from 24×7 Monitoring systems that keep an eye on  your workstations, laptops, servers, network devices, and printers. This means that often we can fix the problem before you have to call us.
  3. Technicians That Don’t Speak Your Language
    We  firmly believe that just because we understand technology does not mean we have to speak over your head with techno-babble. We train our staff to speak to you in terms that you’ll understand and don’t over-explain details that you don’t need/want to hear about.
  4. Poor Customer Service
    We have all experienced calling a large company and being transferred from technician to technician like they don’t care about your business. Don’t they know that their customers should come first? Our Help Desk technicians are trained to handle your technical issues and put customer service first. We treat you like a person, not a number. It is our company culture to put the client you are working with at the moment as your top priority. We see issues through to resolution, no matter what it takes. We aim to resolve quickly and efficiently, but we’ll never rush you.
  5. Invoices are higher than expected
    Nickel-and-dimeing over services wastes everybody’s time. We offer monthly flat-rate pricing so that there are no surprises month to month. Regardless of the amount of service and support you use in a given month, you’re still paying the same monthly fee. This makes it easy for you to predict your budgets.

Here are some other benefits in taking advantage of our fixed-fee monthly Managed Services.

  • We manage multi-vendor, multi-technology environments effectively
  • We can hit the ground running in the deployment of new networks and systems
  • We help you reduce spending and focus your budget on the most strategic technology for your organization
  • We remain agile and meet strategic business priorities
  • We minimize risks by keeping track of your systems through 24×7 Monitoring & Maintenance on all of your systems in order to fix issues before they become big problems.

If you’d like a second opinion about the management of your IT, contact us today to find out if you’re eligible for a free IT Assessment worth $1000.

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10 things to look for in an IT Support Company

1. Do they have the broad experience to help you with your Vision?
If they offer cloud services or onsite services but not both, look elsewhere. You need to know that you are getting the best mix. And let them justify their design. Ask for a reference from an existing client.
2. Do they log everything that is done in a system that is accessible to you?
Good IT companies make sure that there is a complete record of the work performed.
3. Does the company understand your business? Can you speak to the business owner?
No matter how big the IT Company is, the business owner or someone who can make decisions on behalf of the business owner should be accessible to you.
4. Does the data always belong to you, no matter what?
Make sure that the contract stipulates that YOU own any data that is generated, even if the data is generated a third party. A note of caution, in the case of Xero the Xero subscriber owns the data, even if you are the owner of the business. Ensure that you have full admin rights to your account.
5. Does the company cover the very important basics? – BACKUP, DISASTER RECOVERY AND SECURITY!
The IT Company needs to set systems up so that you are confident about the functionality of your backup. Always and without fail! Recovery and security plans should be in writing. It does not have to be much, but from time to time you have to be assured that the most important things are in place.
6. Is an engineer available after hours and can they work remotely?
Without expecting engineers to work 24×7, there will be times where you wished that you could get hold of an engineer. IT engineers should be available at reasonable hours after 5pm and before 8:30am.
7. Do you hold licensing information and password credentials?
Your IT Company should be guarding this information vehemently and there should be a process in place for handing information of that nature over to any party. At no time should you be dependent on the IT Company for this information.
8. Does your IT Company use remote monitoring of your systems?
Remote monitoring ensures that the IT company can pre-empt any problems occurring are react before they occur. This potentially saves your business considerable downtime.
9. How does the company charge for services? Do they have a fixed fee option?
With a fixed fee option the onus is on the IT support company to ensure that your IT environment is economical and reliable.
10. Look at a monthly maintenance report.
Maintenance reports must be understandable to non-IT staff and show information that is targeted to the business. An automatically generated report from a monitoring system is useful, but never complete. If you don’t understand the maintenance it is useless.

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