Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Wed, March 11, 2009
Tue, March 10, 2009
support.com: PC Tips for Troubled Times: support.com Offers Tech Tips to Survive Job Loss
REDWOOD CITY, CA--(Marketwire - March 10, 2009) - With a tough economy putting job losses on the rise, many people may find themselves suddenly without a company-provided computer and tech support, possibly for the first time in years. support.com®, the remote technology services company that makes owning and maintaining technology pain-free, is ready to help with tips to make transitioning to one's own computer and support easy and seamless.
Whether preparing for a social network powered, modern-day job search, or embarking on a new challenge in the world of work-from-home or consulting, smooth-running technology is more critical than ever.
"In such uncertain times, support.com is the consumer's advocate, empowering them with the knowledge and tools they need to feel confident that their technology will be there for them when they need it most," said Anthony Rodio, Chief Operating Officer at support.com. "Whether it's avoiding additional costs by making inexpensive upgrades to an existing home computer, or protecting one's privacy when conducting a job search on a public network, support.com has tips to help consumers understand their tech options and choose the approach that is best for them."
Immediately after a layoff, people might find themselves scrambling to set up their personal technology for a modern-day job search. Here are some tips to decide whether you can make do with what you have, or should consider buying new technology:
-- Computer Requirements: Assess whether your home PC can pull you through a job search. At minimum, you'll need (1) a computer running either XP or Vista with at least 1 GB of memory (2 GB for Vista); (2) a 1.4 GHz or higher on the processor; (3) a decent sized hard-disk (80GB minimum, 120 GB preferable) with broadband capabilities. -- Good Quality Printer: Don't forget to have a good quality printer for presenting your resume or previous work samples in hard copy. Assess your needs before making a purchase. For instance, artists and other marketing or PR professionals may need a photo quality printer, while other professions will do fine with a standard color printer. -- A Note about Netbooks: Job seekers need a solid multitasking machine. In most cases, the slower speed, limited software options and smaller keyboard of a Netbook will lead to more frustration in an already tense situation. We suggest a lower-cost or even pre-owned laptop for job seekers over a Netbook. -- PDF: Get PDF995 or Adobe for converting your resume and other documents into PDF format for emailing to recruiters and hiring managers. MS Word 2007 has a built in function for this. Make sure to have your resume in PDF format, so that it cannot be altered or edited. If you have a Smart Phone such as a BlackBerry or iPhone, keep it with you at all times so you can email your resume at a moment's notice. -- Updated Software: Check that you have the most updated versions of office software. Sending an attached resume in Windows 2000 might cause some problems if the intended recipient has a newer operating system, such as Windows Vista. If you aren't running at least MS Office 2007 make sure to get the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack. -- New Contact Email: Sooner rather than later, send an email out to all your contacts letting them know your new contact information, and the best way to reach you. If you don't already have one (or better yet, two) free email addresses, you can get them though Gmail or Yahoo! (And, we don't really need to remind you to keep your user name professional, do we? Nobody wants to hire HaloHottie439.) -- Social Networking: Get serious about Linked In, Facebook, and other social networking sites. You can really kick-start your job search by getting into a Web 2.0 mindset.
Additional tips available on the [ support.com blog ] include:
-- How to keep a [ "public" job search private ]
-- What to do when considering a change to [ contracting or working from home ]
The complete tips are available at [ http://www.support.com/blog ] and on twitter: [ http://twitter.com/layoffPCTips ].
In addition to the tips, support.com is offering people who are facing a job transition a 20% discount on any tech support service, including its popular subscription plans, with the discount code FRESHSTART20.
About SupportSoft and support.com
support.com, a leading provider of remote technology services, wants to fundamentally change the way people fix technology problems. Previously, a computer meltdown meant pleading phone calls to tech-savvy friends and family, a trip to the computer store or a long wait for a technician to arrive. support.com's suite of tools mean a qualified Solutions Engineer can diagnose and repair most technology problems quickly over the phone, typically for less than the cost of in-store or in-home service. Additionally, support.com's services can happen while you watch, so they are ideal for people who are concerned about privacy and security.
The company behind support.com is SupportSoft, Inc. (
SupportSoft, the SupportMan Logo and support.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of SupportSoft, Inc. or its affiliates in the US and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
