Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tips and tricks
So You Want to be a Mac Tech
When I was about thirteen, my older brother, Craig, was really into cars and fixing them. I'd follow him around and watch him work on his Camaro in the garage. Like a doting little brother, I wanted to be like him and was awestruck at how much he knew about cars and engines. I can remember asking him how he knew so much about them and how I could learn what he knew. Craig handed me a huge stack of car magazines and told me to start reading. I was flabbergasted. Where do I start reading? Which do I read first? Is Car&Driver more important than SuperChevy? I can remember flipping through a few of his magazines and quickly being overwhelmed at the amount of information I'd have to know to be like Craig. I soon went back to my Garbage Pail Kids cards and DOS manuals. I gave up on being a car mechanic but learned an important lesson...the best way to start learning something is to just start learning it. It doesn't matter where you start as long as you start somewhere and keep at it long enough until the knowledge begins to gel in your mind.Being a good Mac tech starts with knowing the Macintosh and its operating system--namely, Mac OS X. Good car mechanics are often filled with arcane knowledge about the vehicles they work on. They tend to know which parts break down first and can diagnose a problem from an extensive knowledgebase of vehicles and engines and parts. I've discovered that good Mac techs are the same way--they tend to know pretty well the insides of many different Macintosh models and the peculiarities of each. They know, for instance, that the Rev. A iMac G5 often suffers from logic board failures and "exploding capacitors". They can often diagnose a problem--or if one is happening--just by using the computer in question.
The Fundamentals
You have to know Mac OS X, and I don't mean "know how to use Mac OS X." My Mom can use Mac OS X. A good Mac tech needs to understand the fundamental structure of the operating system and how the components relate to each other. For instance, know what Frameworks are and how they differ from Extensions. You should understand the various levels of the operating system, like why there are three "Library" folders or four/five "Fonts" folders. If you're not sure about what's lurking underneath the glossy GUI that Apple gives us, then start investigating. You don't necessarily have to change anything, but it doesn't hurt to look. Start reading some of the excellent tutorials on the Web like those over at kernelthread.com or ArsTechnica You don't necessarily have to understand everything right away. Just immerse yourself in the technology and eventually it'll start making sense.
Up-to-Date Knowledge
I don't care if you know how to use Conflict Catcher. Really, I don't. What's that, you say? You know that Suitcase 8 conflicts with the ATM control panel? Good for you. I'm sure that knowledge will we useful here in mid-2006 just like that certificate you got in operating a telegraph machine. I was that guy 10 years ago and I made a good living doing it, but that was the state of tech ten years ago. You don't want to be that guy today. The one exception to this that I'll grant is that there are still a few stubborn holdouts using Macs running System 8 and Mac OS 9. If you're the unlucky soul that has to support these machines [waves at D.C.], then sure, keep that knowledge and use it. But you should probably be preparing yourself for the inevitable switch to Mac OS X (or to Windows, shudder).
Consider Learning Scripting
Some Mac techs are lucky enough to have come from a Unix background and have mastered shell scripting. The best Mac techs I know are scripting wizards and can whip together a script to do almost anything. That is the true power of Mac OS X, you know. Its Unix underpinnings make it versatile, stable, and secure. Buy a good beginning book on shell or Perl scripting and start experimenting. I am certainly not a scripting whizkid, but I've gotten to the point where knowing some scripting is helping to reduce my workload, which is the ultimate goal anyway, right? What's that? You like performing the same identical configuration task on each of 400 Macs?
Use the Resources and Stay Current
The Mac community, and by extension, the Mac technical community, are lively collections of interesting, fascinating, and helpful people. Learn about websites like AFP548.com and MacEnterprise.org. Lurk on some of the better Mac technical mailing lists, even if their subject matter is over your head. I subscribe to half-a-dozen Mac tech mailing lists (such as Mac-Mgrs, MacEnterprise, Mac OS X Server, and Tidbits) and the collected knowledge in their archives is incredible. If you subscribe to a list, just lurk for awhile and follow the list rules. I've found a Gmail account and its handling of email conversations an astonishingly good fit as a mailing list receptacle. Whenever I encounter a new problem, I immediately turn to the mailing list archives (most are online and searchable) to see if anyone else has encountered the problem and whether there's a known solution or workaround. Another sometimes-overlooked but amazing resource are Apple's own discussion forums. The signal-to-noise ratio is quite high, but there are a lot of really smart people answering questions, many of them Apple employees.
Documentation
Practice keeping documentation of the problems you've solved, or at least bookmarks to sites where you found a solution. I've lost count of the number of times I've solved a problem, didn't document it, and then had to re-solve the problem 2 months later. Documenting your troubleshooting steps and process will also improve your articulation, writing, and communication skills. You don't have to make your documentation public, but many people do. You might even contribute to the mailing lists or websites that I've been talking about in this post, or even to that scrappy little TUAW blog.
Consider Certification
Apple's professional certification program has come a long way in the last few years. They now offer several levels of technical certification and a wide range of classes to better your knowledge of Mac OS X and its related technologies. If your goal is to be an attractive candidate for a Mac technical position, having an ACTC or ACSA certification is certainly going to carry more weight than having only Microsoft certs or no certs at all. For awhile, i was teaching some of Apple's courses and know that the team of people they have working on the manuals and course design is very knowledgeable and competent.
Following some of all of this advice will likely get you started on your way to becoming a good Mac tech. There's a lot more that I could put in this post, and I'm sure that some of our readers will have things to add as well in the comments.
Oh yeah, remember my brother Craig who taught himself to be a car mechanic? Last Christmas he bought a computer. He was pretty new to computers so he asked me for help teaching him how to set it up and use it. I tried to explain to him what this whole Internet thing was about and what I do for a living. He looked at me and shook his head, "How on Earth do you know all this!? Jeez!" I smiled and handed him a stack of computer magazines and said, "Start reading."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
cycomachead said 5:16PM on 7-21-2006
s=nice article- and aplies to me (a 13yr old) as I am not sure if I want to take the tech route of the programing route hmm life decisions (like deciding not to wait till the keynote to have my dad get me a MacBook)
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Kevin said 5:31PM on 7-21-2006
Thanks. I've been thinking of moving my career into Mac support and was never sure where to start or when I would get my arse in gear. This post add some extra spark to get me moving.
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stephen said 5:33PM on 7-21-2006
I'm a Level 3 user at the Apple Disc. Boards, and I'm not sure about "many" users there being Apple employees.
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Fra said 5:40PM on 7-21-2006
I can solve a Windows problem faster than a OSX one, but I'm speeding up :).
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Chris said 5:53PM on 7-21-2006
As a mactech, a nice summary, exactly how I got started, and now i am finally getting paid for it. (nice job right out of college even).
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Ken R said 6:04PM on 7-21-2006
Yo, I don't know if it's the same MacEnterprise, but the one I use is MacEnterprise.org, not .com!
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Ken R said 6:09PM on 7-21-2006
(It doesn't look like MacEnterprise.com even exists)
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navin said 6:09PM on 7-21-2006
From a former mac genius...for many software problems, embrace the power of the Archive & Install.
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Joel Conrad Bechtolt said 6:37PM on 7-21-2006
Thank you for the excellent article. I make my living doing Mac support/ training housecalls for clients that reach me through a craigslist posting. It's a great gig that never gets boring. I'm far from being a UNIX shell dude, and my experience with hardware doesn't go much further than replacing logic boards on G3 iMacs so I appreciate your advice and resources.
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Chris Meisenzahl said 6:44PM on 7-21-2006
That was a good read, thanks.
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systemsboy said 6:56PM on 7-21-2006
Damien,
This is another really great post. The advice is really sound. I am a lab admin myself, and completely self-taught, so I can attest to the do-it-yourself approach described here. You actually can learn systems on your own and make a living at it. It really just requires obsessive immersion and a willingness to experiment (read: break stuff).
I would add, as a precursor to the advice on scripting, that at least a modicum of command-line familiarity is a must in the Mac OS X world and will make life as an admin much more manageable. The shell affords admins opportunities and advantages that simply don't exist in the GUI. (foreach anyone?) It's incredibly powerful.
Also, regarding documentation, this is another great suggestion that I've only discovered in the last year or so. My method has been to set up a free Blogger blog that primarily deals with systems troubleshooting and fixes, but also with the methodology for new projects. It's been invaluable to me, and, thus, to my clients. It helps me understand and articulate what I'm doing, and serves as useful a reference when problems reoccur. It's also a very satisfying experience to have this record in written form. You get a sense of your effectiveness. I can't recommend documenting your work highly enough. It's something a lot of admins neglect, but it's well worth the effort, particularly when you get to a level where you're working with other admins or you just can't keep it all in your head any more.
I would also append all this great advice by saying that, in a constantly changing business like systems, you must never stop educating yourself. There is always something new to learn. Which is why I love it.
Thanks again for this article. More like this, please.
-systemsboy
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Damien Barrett said 7:19PM on 7-21-2006
Ken, I fixed the typo. Of course it's MacEnterprise.org and not .com. Thanks for the headsup.
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birdDog digital - Nationwide Mac Sales + Expert Tech Help & Free Podcast said 7:57PM on 7-21-2006
Also, find a way to be relevant to your clients for all technology, and provide them everything you can, including Apple Hardware, software and more.
Most people, consultants even, don't know that you can make a buck (5% commission) selling Apple Hardware. Click the link to see how we do it, and email me if you have any questions about it.
I made a few thousand dollars from Apple last year doing this.
It's great getting a check from Apple Corporate with your name on it.
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martin said 10:53PM on 7-21-2006
I wish there were more money to be made in just being a Mac tech. On the flipside I wish it were as easy on the PC side. There's A+, Linux+, RHCE, Security+, Network+...and that's just what I'm doing for fun! I'm getting my MCSE so I can bring in more dough.
It's really confusing being a PC Technician/Consultant...and using a Mac at home.
What's really fun is trying to get a client's Macbook Pro to logon to a Windows VPN server, get on the Windows domain, and connect to the other Windows shares. Oy vey. It's not Apple's fault, if it were a Linux VPN and Domain with SMB shares then it would work fine. With Windows the main issue is that some weird encryption is enabled by default...turn that off and it all works pretty well. It's still a pain to set up.
Maybe someday everyone will transition to Linux and the Mac OS. Really OS X is going to bring Linux to the forefront because people are going to stop using Windows once Vista bombs, and they're going to want their pretty new Macs to be able to connect to their office networks seamlessly without any stupid tricks.
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codepoet said 2:50AM on 7-22-2006
Having been a Mac tech ... there's no money to be made. There's a living to be made, sure, but you won't get rich at it. And while it's great to know the technical side, if you can't deal with human beings then just buckle up and learn to code because your career is shot as a technician.
People are stupid. If you can smile at someone exuding the sheer essence of vapid, then you're good. If the thought of someone cleaning their computers with Windex and Ajax and then being confused as to the damage makes you angry inside, you're not cut out for it.
I've seen far too many WONDERFUL techs get into the job and then just shatter like an instantly-frozen rose after a few months of being knee-deep in stupid. Hell, I was one of them, but somehow ignored it for many years. Don't do that.
Take up a normal, non-technical retail job or something as a test to yourself. If you can handle those people then you're more than set for normal technician work. If that drove you insane, just back away and grab that C++ book.
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Warui said 2:13PM on 7-22-2006
I'm no proper technician, more a programmer and web designer for some years on the "how can i do that?"-way. (But I switched to Mac with my girlfriend and am still in love with OS X and its shell and workflow). But i already have that "deep knowledge" with background and technical aspects and aesthetics&color theory (well, webdesign ;) ), that I also experience such feedback: "How did you get to know all these things?" Well, it somehow diggs in, i'd say :)
And now I'm going to dig myself into Cocoa and looking forward to new frontiers. So why not dig also into more technical aspects, make friends with Apple Center, until that guys from Cupertino open their stores right here in Good ol' Germany :-D
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mrtotes said 7:43PM on 7-22-2006
3. Stephen. Agreed.... in fact I've never seen a single Grey Apple (i.e. Apple Employee) ever. Several of the Purple Apples (i.e. Moderators) have recently reverted to Bog standard User Levels (I've heard rumours abouit what's happened but no announcement as yet). So Discussions is a little wild at the moment.
It is true though that the knowledge held by the L3/L4/L5's there is outstanding and the vast majority of issues are fixed v.quickly. If you spend time reading Discussions you can learn a lot.
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Paul Stamatiou said 2:31AM on 7-23-2006
Wow, original content on TUAW! I'd like to see some more of this.
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pts said 4:45PM on 7-23-2006
Yeah, great advice, although I don't know why you got so confrontational about it. Lighten up, comrade. We're all friends here.
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Jesse French said 12:07AM on 7-26-2006
Hi Damien,
dig the article, and TUAW in general. As an audio geek, however, I have to point out the glaring (to me) error: a high signal-to-noise ratio is a good thing, means more signal, less noise - but you seem to have it reversed. Sorry for nitpicking :D. Keep the faith!
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