Create Multi-week job placement bootcamp for Tech Support Representatives

[grumo]

• Bootcamp URL: https://mench.com/TechSupportRep

Part of the issue to create several vocational/soft skills bootcamps #1702

[shervine]

@grumo This in-house approach is the opposite of #1724 which leverages expert relationships to create this multi-week Job Placement Bootcamp for Tech Support Representatives.

Trying to build the first version of this Bootcamp in-house would take us away from our Marketplace model as we take more control over the product stack by taking more responsibility over the product offering.

My gut tells me that we should only focus on #1724 first as building that funnel, creating content and starting engagement seems like a lot of work. Trying to build the MVP action plan suitable for a $500-$800 product might take away critical time and not be so effective.

Not sure if we tackle this issue, #1724 or both. @grumo Watchu think?

[grumo]

@shervine I've started on the placeholder bootcamp to show as a reference to a potential expert so they know what we're after. Once we find someone, they can build/change the content for each week or add/remove weeks as they see fit.

[shervine]

@grumo Love that approach, makes sense 🙌​

[shervine]

@grumo For now you want to focus on creating the single weeks that you can eventually glue together this Monday when I launch #1726

[grumo]

@shervine Here is an untapped opportunity. Re-training people over 50 either to get a job or to teach them tech skills. Main advantage fo this target:

• We both have the skills to create a ton of content to teach people basic computer/web/marketing/content creation skills
• I consistently identified this need on my students. Over 60% of my students are over 50 and struggle with was basic computer skills (managing files, storing files online, managing email, basic video editing)
• Our 7-day bootcamps would be perfect to help the older generation to get up to speed in tech so they feel relevant in a world were software is eating the world.
• They have money. Definitely more money than starving students.

Interestingly enough, the topics for the job placement bootcamps we were considering fall squarely with the jobs suggested for people over 50 in the article copied below:

5 Great Tech Jobs for the 50+

Source: https://www.aarp.org/work/job-hunting/info-2016/great-tech-jobs-over-50.html

1. Quality assurance specialist

The nitty-gritty: No stone goes unturned here. This is a position for the detail-oriented worker with a discerning eye. You're responsible for making sure software products meet quality compliance regulations and standards through periodic reviews and testing. You may also be the conduit for customers complaining about problems.

Annual pay range: $36,302 to $82,233 for all fields of quality assurance, according to PayScale, an online salary, benefits and compensation information company.

Qualifications: A bachelor's degree in business administration or industrial engineering can be a prerequisite, but requirements vary by company. Certification is often not required but can't hurt. The American Society for Quality offers credentials as a certified reliability engineer, certified quality engineer and certified quality auditor.

2. Technical support specialist

The nitty-gritty: Nerves of steel, a calm, reassuring voice and tech smarts are must-haves for this troubleshooting position. Not everyone is hardwired to calm a frustrated client when a system crashes.

Employment of computer support specialists is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, according to the BLS. Help-desk technicians often work for support service firms that contract with clients that don't have the financial resources to afford their own IT departments. Lower-level tech support jobs can be found in call centers.

Annual pay range: $32,912 to $70,879, according to PayScale. The highest-paid workers, however, earned more than $81,260, according to the BLS.

Qualifications: You may need certifications from a technical school or community college in specialties such as Cisco Networking and Microsoft Access. Employers often will provide on-the-job training about their specific product or service.

Something to keep in mind: For in-house positions, there may be some real-world heavy lifting — desktop computers and monitors can weigh up to 25 pounds.

3. Web search evaluator

_The nitty-gritty: _Skip the algorithms prowling beneath the cyber surface. Web-based companies and services need the human touch, too. Your job is to play the role of a typical user and rate the quality of the results of a posted internet query, so as to help clients improve the relevance of their search engine results and performance. This is generally an independent contract, part-time venture — plan on around 20 hours a week.

Firms that hire evaluators include Lionbridge, Ap pen and Leapforce.

Annual pay range: The average salary is $27,500, according to Glassdoor. Hourly pay typically runs $13.50 to $15. However, you may be paid per task.

Qualifications: Before hiring, many companies will give you a basic course on their operations and then require you to pass a qualifying exam. You'll need a high-speed internet connection and a computer or mobile device such as an Android phone or iPhone.

4. Digital marketing specialist

The nitty-gritty: Do you have a mind for clickbait? Your job is to ramp up your employer's following on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. You may also be tasked with tweaking the website's design and keeping it updated and accurate.

Annual pay range: $31,000 to $66,000, according to Glassdoor.com. Salaries vary widely by location. In Washington, D.C., for example, a digital marketing specialist can make $67,900, which is 58 percent higher than the national median.

Qualifications: Strong writing and communications skills are essential. You'll want to be comfortable creating HTML content and working with software packages such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop and Illustrator) and Microsoft Office.

5. Technical writer

The nitty gritty: Writers, get your typing fingers limbered up. If clearly explaining techie topics appeals to you, look no further. The rise of high-tech products in the home and the workplace, and the increasing complexity of medical and scientific information in daily living, are creating many openings for technical writers. These gigs come in a variety of flavors — part time, telecommuting and home-based projects — and run the gamut from writing how-to manuals to tutorials and "frequently asked questions" pages. You might also find yourself writing grant applications.

Annual pay ranges: The median technical writer salary is $54,027, with a range typically between $46,424 and $62,277, according to Salary.com.

Qualifications: Top-drawer writing skills and a yen for technology and scientific subjects. The Society for Technical Communication and other associations offer certification for technical writers. The American Medical Writers Association offers extensive continuing education programs and certificates in medical writing. And some employers provide short-term on-the-job training.

Kerry Hannon is a career transition expert and an award-winning author. Her latest book is Getting the Job You Want After 50 for Dummies. She has also written Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness and Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy—and Pays the Bills. Find more from Kerry at Kerryhannon.com.

[grumo]

This website contains job placement advice: https://www.hays.ca/CareerAdvice/index.htm

[grumo]

@shervine will push to a later milestone so I can focus on building a single 7-day job placement training bootcamp and test Craigslist for lead generation

[shervine]

@grumo Like the approach. We we said before, we'd need to focus on mastering 7-days before we can succeed at multi-week

[shervine]

@grumo Closing this as we're no longer focus on CS job placement

[shervine]

@grumo Will actually keep it open and assign to a later Milestone as it might be handy to start doing this at some point so we can add more value to our enterprise clients #1696

[shervine]

Not a priority for now