Task 1. Resume & Cover Letter

Description:  This task will require that you apply for a technical support position with a fictitious company named Virtual Imagination.

When the job announcement is posted you will need to read it and submit a cover letter and resume prior the closing date.

You can locate the job announcement at www.tvc.uaf.edu/its/review

In this task you will be expected to demonstrate our ability create a resume and cover letter that could be used to apply for a real technical support position. You will also demonstrate your ability to write clearly, use correct grammar and spelling and proofread your work. You are expected to use document formatting so that the document layout is clear logical and easy to read.

Task 2. Technical Support Resources Webpage

Description: This task will require you to create and publish a web page containing links to useful technical support resources. The links may be to resources that would be useful to you, useful to end users you would support, or both. The page should be published to a web server connected to the Internet. You will present your page to the certification review committee and explain the resources that you have gathered.

Purpose: In providing technical support you will need to be able to locate technical support resources; both for yourself and for the users you support. You also should possess an understanding of how to create and publish a basic web page. In task you will demonstrate both your ability to develop a useful collection of technical support resources and your ability to create and publish a web page

Expectations: You will be expected to create at least a single web page containing a list of quality links and that is accessible on the Internet. A quality link is a link that you are clearly able to express how the link is useful to you in providing technical support or how the link would be useful for end users that you support. Your web page should demonstrate that you can write clearly, use correct grammar and spelling and proofread your work. You are expected to use document formatting so that the document layout is clear logical and easy to read.

Description: This task will require you to create an end-user support document that provides useful information about how to perform a technical task. Examples of an end-user support documents include: step-by-step guides; help documentation; and quick reference sheets.

Purpose: In providing technical support you will often need to create documentation to assist the end-users you support. In this task you will demonstrate your ability to create technical documentation that helps an end-user perform a technical task such as installing a program, configuring an application; or performing a technical task within an operating system or application.

Expectations: You will be expected to create an end-user support document that would be useful and easy for a typical end-user to read and follow. The documentation should include all the information and/or steps required for non-technical computer user to make use of the document. The documentation should utilize screen shots that are clear and appropriately sized for the document. Your document should demonstrate that you can write clearly, use correct grammar and spelling and proofread your work. You are expected to use document formatting so that the document layout is clear logical and easy to read.

Description:  This task is a multi-part task consisting of the following tasks:

1.      Research and Recommendations
2.      Technical Support Plans
3.      Cost Analysis

1. Research and Recommendations: Select one of the following environments and research the computer systems and software that would be appropriate for that environment:

• Home/Personal User environment
• Small Business environment
• College Student working with the UAF environment

Write up a Recommendation Summary that documents your research and provides for the following recommendations:

• Minimum specifications and components for a complete computer system. The system should be adequate for 3-4 years of use.
• Brand computer and/or components that should be purchased.
• Minimum software that should be installed— to include utilities, applications, browser add-ins, etc. Software can be purchased, freeware, shareware, etc. Installation of software must be in compliance with the software license agreement.
• Options for Internet service in the local area and components that must be purchased or obtained to utilize the service.

Somewhere within your Recommendation Summary, include a list of questions you would ask the end-user of this system that would enable you to make more specific recommendations.

2. Technical Support Plans: Develop the following technical support plans:

• Security Plan: The security plan should provide recommendations about software to protect the system from malware such as worms, viruses, spyware and adware. Your recommendations should include research and reviews that support your recommendation. Your security plan should also include information about ways in which you would recommend configuring the operating system to help secure the system.
• Backup & Disaster Recovery Plan: The backup and disaster recovery plan should provide information about any additional hardware, software and/or services that should be purchased or obtained to ensure that the end-user’s data is protected. This plan should provide a clear strategy about how to implement the backup and disaster recovery plan.
• Maintenance Plan: The maintenance plan should include information about maintenance tasks that should be performed on the system. The plan should include information about how often these tasks should be performed and indicate the tasks that must be performed manually and the tasks that can be configured to happen automatically.

3. Cost Analysis. Finally, you need to provide a cost analysis worksheet. Your cost analysis worksheet should be built within a spreadsheet and should have a total cost field that will update if items are added or removed or if there is a change in the quantity of an item within your worksheet.

Purpose: As an IT Support professional, you will be required to make recommendations about the type of computer system an individual or organization should buy. In addition to making recommendations about computer systems, you will need to recommend the software and peripherals that should also be purchase – items the end-user may not even realize they need. You will also be responsible for making decisions about how systems should be secured, how data should protected and how systems should be maintained. Finally, you should be able to provide information about costs related to each of these areas.

Expectation: You will be expected to document your recommendations. You can document your recommendations by providing a list of links to the resources and reviews you have used to make your recommendations. Your security, backup and disaster recovery, and maintenance plans should clearly indicate the software, hardware and operating system configurations that relate to each plan. Your cost analysis worksheet should be created in a way that makes it easy to update, add and or remove items to the worksheet, and adjust the quantity of an item within the worksheet.

In this task you will be expected to demonstrate that you can write clearly, use correct grammar and spelling and proofread your work. You are expected to use document formatting so that your Summary Recommendations document and your support plan document layout is clear, logical and easy to read. Your worksheet should use document formatting and borders so that the worksheet layout is clear, logical and easy to read.

In this task you will be demonstrate your ability to use both written and oral communication to present your recommendations, plans, and cost analysis.

Description: Through browsing the web and thinking about current trends, make two predictions that you believe will impact the profession of computer support in the next five years and create a weblog (blog) that documents and supports both your predictions and conclusions.

You will be required to provide answers to the following three key questions for each prediction you make:

1.      What is the evidence for your prediction?

• For each prediction you must provide at least three sources that support your prediction. Sources should be documented at the end of your blog post for this prediction and clearly labeled as supporting sources.
• For each prediction you need to provide at least one source that contradicts your prediction and be able to explain why you believe the source is wrong. Sources should be documented at the end of your blog post for this prediction and clearly labeled as contradicting sources.

2.      What new opportunities will appear for technical support professionals, if your prediction comes true?

3.      What skills will you need to develop in order to remain current if your prediction comes true? How will you develop these skills?

Purpose: Because of the changing nature of technical support, you always need to be scanning the horizon and making predictions about how the IT landscape is changing and think about how these changes affect you and the users you support.

Expectations: In this task you will be evaluated on how well you address the above three questions for each of your predictions. You are expected to document a minimum of four sources (three in support, and one in opposition) for each prediction. Finally, predictions must be relevant to the computer support profession.

Description: This task will require that you create a check list of tasks you want to remember to perform any time that you are working on a computer system. This check list should be created in such a way that it will be useful in helping you to remember and check-off key tasks that should be done to any PC and have room to add custom or new tasks to the check sheet.

Purpose: In any profession it is important to do things right the first time. Being called back to fix something that wasn’t configured properly or to perform a configuration that was simply forgotten can serve to undermine your credibility as a support technician. Because there are a great number of detailed tasks that typically need to be performed and because it’s easy to get distracted, it can be very helpful to have a check list of standard tasks and standard tests that should be completed prior to completing any computer system support job. The purpose of this task is to have you think through the list of tasks and test that should be performed. Use the Topical areas to expect on the hands-on scenario task section of this preparation guide to help you begin preparing and organizing your checklist.

Expectation: Your check list should demonstrate that you’ve thought about the standard tasks and test that should be performed on any PC. Your list should be generic enough to be useful to check off tests and tasks for any PC. You should be able to explain and justify the items you’ve chosen to included on or exclude from your check sheet You are expected to use document formatting so that the document layout is clear logical and easy to read.

Description: During the implementation of your hands-on scenario, you will need to create the following documentation:

• Baseline: The baseline documentation should provide information about the computer and environment prior making changes to the environment.
• Change Log: The change log should document all changes to the computer system and environment and should include the time that the change was implemented.
• Summary: The summary document should be a ½-page to 1-page document that communicates changes made to the system and the environment. The summary may also include recommendations about foreseeable upgrades, the users should be aware, of that were not made; such as a need for increased memory, hard disk space, peripheral upgrades, etc.

Purpose: One of the most important tasks in providing technical support is developing and maintaining documentation. In this task you will develop three different types of documentation. The purpose of the baseline is to document the systems and environment prior to making any changes. The purpose of the change log is to provide detailed information about the changes made to all systems in the environment and the amount of time spent on each change. The purpose of the summary document is to provide a general summary and description of the changes that were made to systems and the environment.

Expectations: The documentation you submit should provide enough information to answer questions a user might have regarding work done on their computer. The documentation should clearly indicate how much time was spent and provide enough detail that it could serve as a billing document. Good documentation provides enough information that a technician working on the computer, months later, can determine what work was performed on the computer in question.

Task 8. Human Relations

The entire portfolio presentation is to document your human relation skills.

Throughout this certification review process you will be expected to act professionally even if you feel you’re under pressure. You will need to be able to provide clear reasons for the recommendations and configuration decisions you make and demonstrate that you have the kept the end users in mind. You also should be prepared to answer questions posed by the review committee.

Task 9. Project Management & Implementation

The entire portfolio project documents your project management and implementation skills.

The certification review process you will be expected to complete and submit all work by scheduled deadlines. You are expected to show up on time for your hands on scenario and portfolio presentation appointments.