Topic: VACANCY: IT Support Executive/Network & Server Administrator

Job Title: IT Support Executive/Network & Server Administrator

Job Category: Information Technology (Support/Helpdesk)

Job Location: Lagos State

Job description:

Reporting to the Administrative Manager, the position is responsible for all aspects of system and network administration, maintenance and support in a moderately complex, medium-sized network including servers, desktop/laptop PCs, printers, scanners, gateways, routers, switches, other peripherals, communications hardware/software and other office automation IT systems.

Tasks will include:

Manning the Help Desk (receiving, logging and managing incidents and problems)
Technical support to end-users
Providing basic computer usage training to staff
Maintaining servers, workstations, printers and network equipment (routers, switches)
Utilising test and diagnostic software
Troubleshooting/Problem-solving

Skills:

Good knowledge of PC hardware and Windows desktop operating systems essential
Good knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite is required
Ability and experience installing hardware upgrades is required
Familiarity with Windows XP Pro, Vista, 7, 2000/2003/2008 and Small Business Server essential
Good communication skills needed to provide professional technical support
Applicants should have hands-on experience with Microsoft Server Products including Server 2003, Server 2008, and Small Business Server 2008, as well as experience with Server-based Backup and Antivirus software. Experience with Group Policy, WSUS, Exchange and SharePoint is an advantage.

Experience: Minimum of 2 years in a similar role

Education/Qualifications:

HND or BSc (Computer Science, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Physics or related disciplines preferred)
MCP essential, MCSA/MCSE/MCITP preferred
CCNA advantageous
CompTIA A+ and/or N+ certification a definite advantage
Language requirements: English - very good

Employment type: Full Time

To apply please send your CV in Microsoft Word format to itexecutive.cbl @ gmail.com on or before 15 January 2011.

I gave the telephone interview. Less than halfway through the exercise, I realized I had made a mistake by using an email address that I use for other things. Basically, there were more responses than I was prepared to handle on a daily basis (I am not a recruiter, head-hunter or HR person by trade) and some more important emails (my apologies to all job-seekers) were getting lost.

SO:
(1) I created a new email address/user (IT-HR) and pointed/re-directed responses there
(2) I asked (by auto-responder email) that all applicants send us their certification verification details to help us pre-qualify (and reduce) the candidates
(3) We went online to the certification authority sites (mainly Microsoft, Cisco and CompTIA in our case) and used the provided details to check and pre-qualify applicants
(4) I then called and interviewed the people whose certification(s) we could verify online (we stated clearly that only people who sent us verification details would be considered)
(4) In all, there were 35 pre-qualified people. I spoke to 30 of them, personally, in conversations ranging from 3 to 15 minutes
(5) 5 applicants could not be reached because the phone number provided did not go through (although in one case the respondent claimed it was a wrong number and then later called our office line to say he had not been contacted as promised in the email he received)
(6) I sent my recommendations in to the principal, who then scheduled and conducted their own interviews with a representative from us on the panel (not me)
(7) They decided and hired obyno6ix (who incidentally was my top recommendation).

I am posting this for 2 reasons:

1. During the course of this exercise one member of the house accused us of being fraudsters because we asked for verification details. I stated it in a comment under the original post and I am stating it again: verification details are given to you by certification authorities (Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, etc) so that you can give them to others (usually prospective employers) to check that you actually have the certifications you say you have. Anybody can fake a JPEG.

2. We will be running another ad soon. I am hoping that we will not be accused of fraud again.

I hope that the other people who attended (or were invited for) a face-to-face interview (I know there were 5 others) will post here and/or on the original page to share their experience or at least make it known that there was no fraud or extortion.

DISCLAIMER: I asked the successful candidate to post here.