Job Profile: A Look at the Work of a Laptop Repair Technician

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jeremy Herold, a laptop repair technician in the Seattle, Washington, area, to find out more about what being a laptop repair technician entails. Mr. Herold has been the person whom I regularly call for my laptop and desktop computer repairs and upgrades.

MB: Tell me a little about your background. What did you do before you became a laptop repair technician?
JH: I graduated from Borah High School in Boise, Idaho and went straight into the Army. I stayed in for 7 years until I was medically discharged. My job while serving was Air Defense Artillery. During my tour I was stationed first in Schweinfurt, Germany, and then moved to Fort Hood, Texas.

MB:What led you to start fixing computers?
JH: It started with a general interest in computers while I was growing up. As an adult I owned a Macintosh computer that I found I enjoyed troubleshooting software issues on. After I got out of the military I decided to look into find a position that let me fix computers. My first computer repair job was as a Macintosh Repair Technician for CompUsa in Tukwila, Wa. While in that position I gained experience troubleshooting and repairing PC's and that moved me to the Global Service Solution division of CompUsa. From there I moved to a position with another company repairing PC laptops. I worked there for several years until I found a job with a better company in the area, Computer Sonics.

MB: Can you tell me a little about your job? What do you do as a laptop repair technician?
JH: Generally I diagnose and troubleshoot software and hardware issues in laptops and determine the best possible course of repairs, whether that be software or parts replacement. If the customer is comfortable with the diagnosis and cost associated with the repairs then I repair the machine.

MB: Is it necessary to have any special certifications to become a laptop repair technician?
JH: Most employers are looking for A+ certified technicians. I've found that each company I have worked for required additional specialty certifications based on the computers they would repair.