|
I built my first computer at the age of 13 3/4 since the age of 13 i have been working with hardware i upgrade my parts regularly never broken any computers would you let me fix yours
showing 5 of 8
show all
|
The question has been closed for the following reason "The question is answered, right answer was accepted" by Tim Fontana Aug 15 '10 at 14:03
|
This question is largely down to interpretation - I think it comes down to what the problem is, who the person is which then can be expanded into the knowledge, professionalism and maturity of the person. As I have mentioned in a previous question I was very keen around 14 years old to fix computers and design and develop websites. Websites are 'easier' to get into because the 'end product' can be seen without any risk taking place. There is no data to be lost, no hardware to be damaged or software to be configured incorrectly. If you want to get into 'computer repair' at an age of 14 you should first use one opportunity which you use everyday - school. I got involved within my school's IT team and I learned a lot doing day-to-day tasks. Interacting with staff and students. I also got an insight into corporate networking which is a facinating subject, particularly when you get into switching, filtering and fibre networking and server load balancing. I got involved by speaking to my head of year and helping at lunch times. You have to be careful, however. Do not claim to know everything, use it purely for learning but do not let yourself get exploited. When I had been working my IT team for around 2 years another student got involved, a year younger than myself. I found out sometimes later that he was on the school payroll, getting paid for doing exactly what I was doing. I decided to drop the voluntary work as I was doing more work than the paid student. I have since come out on top and he is doing "gopher" work. Summary:
As an extra note, would you let a Med School Graduate treat you for a serious disease or operate on you? Everybody has to start somewhere. By 'feeling' on this subject can be summarised as:
Apply the same principle to yourself. Don't assume you know all; learn; ask questions; enjoy. I hope this helps, and not confused the issue or strayed from the point. 1
yeh thanks, im tempted to email one of the local pc repair shops and ask if i can dpo some voluntary work for them 2
You may find it difficult to get into businesses due to your age. The insurance for you is very high. Your school is probably your best option, don't discount it. Look at your options and evaluate them carefully. yeh, i am doing a thing at school, we have recently reconditioned 2 old servers. timn96? you may know him, is doing th server side stuff, i am mainly sticking to hardware. i guess the insurance would be high, as most people my age are inexperienced. do you reckon there are any degrees, courses or achievements i can take that give me a form of credential? I'm not aware of any courses that you can do currently. However, if it is something that you're wanting to pursue as a career the 'industry standard' is in Cisco Qualifications, CompTIA A+, MCSE etc. These courses are expensive but are worth bearing in mind. Not 100% sure on the cost of liability insurance, Timn96. You could probably find under-the-table work and avoid the insurance and child labor issues if you work for a small local business (and you don't want to work for some chain store anyway, believe me). Don't let government pigs tell you you're not entitled to work; some of history's greatest people became great because they didn't wait around for permission to get that way ;)
showing 5 of 6
show all
|
|
i AM 14 and would trust myself to fix a computer. BUT i also know a lot of 14 year olds that i wouldnt trust to fix a rock. So it depends on the person. |
|
It depends on the person, and how well you know them. If it is a random stranger on the Internet like you I'd probably say no. But if we were friends in school and I knew you I would say yes. |
tell you what...if my CPU lights on fire..Ill come to you first
lol not sure if he can do much then, besides replace it
no, but then is there much most shops will do besides replace it
A good shop would do every thing they could to save your stuff pics,docs and anything they can. Many issues today are software and not hardware.
Actually there is one place sir , PC World They do everything! You should go there! But this time instead of getting AMD Get intel they don't crash and burn
i can recover pic and stuff, its just a case of using a linux distro
I started off the same way and ended up fixing PCs for friends and family soon after. I was doing it for side cash by the time I was 16; after a bit of a sidetrack I got work as a professional technician. Now I am a web software developer and Linux sysadmin. No reason you couldn't do the same. Get experience working for people you know first. There is a lot out there that you may not anticipate given your experience with your own machines - geek boxes tend to be idiosyncratic. Then, after you're comfortable and confident, start asking for recommendations to others and asking for a little bit of money.
Swinnie has some good advice too, though personally I would stay away from working for your school if I were you. They'll run you into the ground and, typically, condescend and patronize you constantly while they do it. At least that's been my experience personally and what I've heard from others. Your mileage may vary. In general, treat it like a job and be professional - refuse to be treated like a child and don't let them act like they're doing you a favor by deigning to let you help them.
i can backup from a crashed os