“Who would want to waste the start of their career with a dead-end job like tech support?”
I’d heard that from friends, former classmates, even family members. If you had asked me a few years ago what came to mind when I heard the words “technical support,” I would have vented about being on hold for 20 minutes only to be asked, “Have you tried restarting it?”
From that perspective, a job in technical support didn’t sound like the most promising of career choices. But what I found at HCSS was completely the opposite: it has been a launching pad for the rest of my career.
My Background
I spent the past 16 years — from elementary through college — working towards a degree, believing a better education would lead to better opportunities. Though it wasn’t easy, I graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics with a minor in economics. One of the lucky graduates in this economy able to find work, I immediately jumped into full-time employment, eager to start my career. And I found myself at HCSS in an entry-level position in technical support, unfamiliar territory compared to what I had studied in school.
I didn’t know much about the position except what the Internet had told me.
“You’ll sit in a cubicle listening to customers complain all day.”
“You’re just another person there to answer a phone.”
“It’s a dead-end job; don’t waste your time.”
All of these negative assessments obviously placed doubt on my decision to accept the job.
It’s a good thing I didn’t listen to them.
New Perspective
At HCSS, I’m doing more than just answering a phone. I troubleshoot difficult customer issues on a multitude of platforms and environments, keeping me up-to-date on the latest in technology. I act as a business partner for our customers by not just solving their immediate problems but impacting their business decisions and long-term success.
I provide great customer service each and every time I interact with a customer. I have had opportunities to work with other departments on projects involving quality assurance, development, marketing, implementation, and sales, and with each interaction I develop skills that make me more valuable in today’s workplace. Just two years into my career at HCSS, I find myself in our Leadership Academy with the unique opportunity to learn from our executive team. There aren’t many companies that will provide the same level of growth for their employees, especially so early in their careers.
Commitment to our Customers
HCSS strives to find innovative ways to provide software support and, in the process, has created arguably the best customer support in the industry. Providing “exceptionally helpful customer service” has been embedded in our culture since Mike Rydin founded HCSS in 1986, and we continue to operate on the same principle he did 30 years ago: providing instant support by answering all calls in three rings or less, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Every day our support team looks for new ways of better serving our customers, whether it be via online knowledge bases, help articles, instructional videos, or the good, old-fashioned telephone.
Looking back at all my hard work in school, I genuinely believe my efforts paid off. Being an HCSS Technical Support Specialist turned out to be exactly the opportunity I was looking for coming out of college. I’ve found more than just a job; I’ve found a career.