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How valuable are computer repair skills?

polycounter lvl 5
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iadagraca polycounter lvl 5
Up till now I've been working in sales to get by as i tech myself for my career. But doing it full time is mentally tiring (I'm honestly not a social person) to where i don't feel like continuing my work at home. This mainly applies to commission jobs cause there's more pressure.

So i have an opportunity to have a job fixing computers (which I've done on the side before), and i'm thinking of just doing away with sales and moving on to fixing computers.

I've always viewed doing sales as a way to tech me how to talk to people and sell myself.

But I'm wondering how valuable 'working' experience fixing computers is to being hired as game artist?

Replies

  • pior
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    pior grand marshal polycounter
    None whatsoever - the only thing that matters is your portfolio.
    A good working knowledge of computers certainly doesn't hurt tho !
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    pior wrote: »
    None whatsoever - the only thing that matters is your portfolio.
    A good working knowledge of computers certainly doesn't hurt tho !

    all of this:

    just about every studio will have an operations person or team, who will handle the hardware side of things.
  • Neox
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    Neox veteran polycounter
    if you don't want to end up as an IT person, all you need to take care is your portfolio as pior says. Usually in most companies you have IT guys doing the jobs of fixing things. and the work grunts should not have to worry about that. Well in our little studio we do the fixing ourselves, but most of the time stuff just works and financing a full time IT guy would be a waste. Also we have so many projects and NDAs that letting other people onto your machine might already be a problem to clients.
  • ExcessiveZero
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    ExcessiveZero polycounter lvl 6
    the only job I have had that the skill has been relevant was working in a cyber-cafe, making and repairing computers is more for your own benefit, does nothing towards winning you employment points when it comes to game art.
  • WarrenM
    Having a large and awesome IT team at work has completely eroded my hardware skills and knowledge. I barely know what the inside of a PC looks like anymore or how to fix anything. I just throw up my hands and enter a help ticket at the first sign of trouble. :P
  • iadagraca
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    iadagraca polycounter lvl 5
    Wow...

    Ok then good to know thanks guys!
  • Neox
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    Neox veteran polycounter
    hey, money is money and a job is a job - you gotta survive and as long as you don't lose your target of being a game artist out of focus any job will do.
    just don't think this will help you much with finding a job as a game artist, your portfolio and skills are there for this.
  • DireWolf
    As a TD and the only tech person in the studio, I had to repairs PC... I hate it.
  • MikeF
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    MikeF polycounter lvl 19
    if you freelance from home then its a good skill to have.
    I regularly perform maintenance and upgrade on my system and knowing exactly where the problems are allows me to get back to work quick without having to pay someone and tie up my computer for days.
  • SuperFranky
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    SuperFranky polycounter lvl 10
    MikeF wrote: »
    if you freelance from home then its a good skill to have.
    I regularly perform maintenance and upgrade on my system and knowing exactly where the problems are allows me to get back to work quick without having to pay someone and tie up my computer for days.
    This is a good advice in general. Every PC user should be able to perform basic stuff like that.
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    I was gonna say that. Repair skills is important to have if you don't work in a studio. It could save you a few hundreds dollar here and there over time. You can also upgrade and replace hardware yourself as well without causing fire or stuff :) Considering more and more ppl are doing freelance, it seems a good idea.
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    WarrenM wrote: »
    Having a large and awesome IT team at work has completely eroded my hardware skills and knowledge. I barely know what the inside of a PC looks like anymore or how to fix anything. I just throw up my hands and enter a help ticket at the first sign of trouble. :P

    Have you tried restarting it 3 times?
  • iconoplast
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    iconoplast polycounter lvl 13
    oXYnary wrote: »
    Have you tried restarting it 3 times?
    Get out of the car, roll down all the windows, roll them back up, then get back in and see if it starts.

    Computer repair skills certainly aren't going to hurt you at all. They'll either be neutral or be helpful. I say go for it as long as it isn't a huge pay cut (or can afford the pay cut, whichever).
  • Spoon
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    Spoon polycounter lvl 11
    WarrenM wrote: »
    Having a large and awesome IT team at work has completely eroded my hardware skills and knowledge. I barely know what the inside of a PC looks like anymore or how to fix anything. I just throw up my hands and enter a help ticket at the first sign of trouble. :P

    Haha, I know exactly what you mean :D
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