My Name is Matthew Benson and I’m 19 years old. From a young age I was always fascinated by two things, Aircraft and IT.

For more than 6 years I have been a member of the Air Cadets, learning how to fly and shoot with the lifestyle of the RAF. With this knowledge I joined the Royal Air Force with the aspiration of becoming a Helicopter Pilot in either the Chinook or Sea King. In March 2009 I became seriously ill, losing nearly 10kg of weight in just a week, putting me in hospital for a further week. This medical condition meant that I was no longer medically fit to join the RAF or any other Service and I was left to find another way to make a living.

So it was more by luck than judgement that I enrolled at the Telford Zenos IT Academy, after seeing a small advertisement for open days at the bottom of the jobs page in my local paper. I was drawn to the challenge of getting a fistful of IT qualifications in just 5 months, and the lure of the Zenos Trainers saying that it would not be easy was what made me decide I would apply for an interview. I think more than anything Zenos taught me that if you put the effort in to what you’re doing then you will get the desired results and that it is always good to have something to aim towards, having seen what happened to others who didn’t take their opportunity seriously. One of the best aspects of the course was the way in which we practiced doing real support requests and using a basic call logger in our work so that we understood the underlying concepts and got working environment experience before starting a job.

In January 2010 I finished my 5 month course at Zenos learning how to be a desktop support technician and began working for JamesCash.co.uk, providing IT Support in Birmingham.

I applied to work with JamesCash.co.uk whilst I was still at Zenos finishing MCDST. Both James Cash and Richard Tubb of JamesCash.co.uk came to the academy to interview me and others for the job. Before I went in I had visions of RAF style interviews , and I was extremely nervous. By the end of the interview I had calmed down a lot and came away feeling that I had left a good impression. Shortly afterwards I was asked to come down to Dudley to the JamesCash.co.uk office for a trial day to work alongside a technician and watch how things were done. I’m glad to say I was offered the role, and I have been working for over a month now and I am really enjoying myself. Every day is a learning experience and I constantly find myself pulling up on knowledge gained doing the MCDST and CompTIA A+ courses at Zenos. I am hoping to keep the learning constant throughout my career to continually push myself forward and achieve the best I can. I am particularly enjoying the pro-active approach to our support as it means I always have something to do and we don’t have to wait for things to go wrong.

Outside of work I have a keen interest in Cricket and Rugby, and when I can find the time I am a bit of an artist as well. I still miss the military environment of the RAF but I feel much better knowing that I took my second chance and made the best possible fresh start.

Matthew Benson is the subject of CompTIA’s first Career Success Spotlight – check it out!

Do you know someone in business that could benefit from our IT support services? Simply refer them to us and we’ll reward you for your effort.

You could spend a day at Silverstone racing a Ferrari, a day relaxing in a luxury health-spa, enjoy a weekend break for two, or treat yourself with £200 of high-street shopping vouchers.

How does the referral scheme work?

Refer someone to us and, after we meet them, we’ll send you a voucher for £50. If they become a customer of our IT support services, we’ll send you a further £150 in vouchers. The vouchers can be used in a wide range of high street shops or you can exchange them for a variety of experiences and activities.

To see the wide range of potential benefits visit the following website: http://www.capitalbonds.co.uk

What type of referrals are we looking for?

We’re looking for small to medium sized businesses in Birmingham and the West Midlands area. Ideally they’ll use between five and fifty computers, and will be open to a no-obligation meeting with us to discuss their IT support requirements.

What’s the next step?

Simply email the details of the person you’d like to refer to james@jamescash.co.uk and ask them to mention your name when we contact them.

JamesCash.co.uk provides high-quality IT services to SMEs within Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area. Services include consulting, installation of new systems, and maintenance and support of existing systems and networks.

We are looking for a vibrant and energetic individual to join our IT support team. The aim of the role is to proactively maintain our clients’ networks and effectively deal with clients’ support requests.

Our aim is to grow our business through positive word-of-mouth, as a result of providing extraordinary service, and are looking for someone who will contribute strongly in that aspect.

Principle Duties and responsibilities

• Respond to client support requests via email or telephone
• Resolve clients’ requests remotely or in-person at the client site
• Work with team members and third-parties to resolve complex issues
• Respond to proactive monitoring alerts and resolve issues as required
• Manage a list of outstanding tickets and prioritise workload without supervision
• Deal with people at all levels within client organisations
• Occasionally represent the company at business events

What we’re looking for

• A positive attitude is a must
• Good communication skills are essential (writing and telephone)
• Must be comfortable dealing with people at all levels within client organisations
• High level of IT literacy
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
• Ability to prioritise workload and work unsupervised
• Good team player
• Willing to help out in other areas of the business when necessary
• Will go the extra-mile for clients when necessary

Further Information

This is a graduate level position and previous IT support experience is not essential, but may be beneficial.  Full training will be provided.

Starting salary: up to £18k
Additional benefits: Laptop and iPhone
Working hours: 0800-1700 Mon-Fri with 1 hour break per day
Holiday entitlement: 20 days + 8 bank holidays.  A time-bank is in operation to provide some flexibility to working hours

In the first instance, please send a c.v. and covering letter to: jamesATjamescash.co.uk

JamesCash.co.uk’s new Operations Director Richard Tubb has been nominated in the Computer Weekly Blog Awards 2009.  World renowned SMB IT consultant Richard has been shortlisted in Category 2 – IT Consultant and Analyst.

You can view Richard’s blog here:
http://tubbweb.spaces.live.com/blog

If you like Richard’s blog, you can vote for him here (category 2):
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/11/03/238190/vote-in-the-computer-weekly-it-blog-awards-2009.htm

As a result of our merger with Netlink IT, we’re delighted to welcome Richard and Sharon to the team at JamesCash.co.uk.  Here’s a brief introduction:

Richard Tubb – Operations Director

Since founding Netlink IT in 1999, Richard Tubb has amassed a decade’s worth of experience in providing IT consulting services to small and medium-sized business, charities and educational establishments throughout the UK.

Before starting his own IT consulting firm, Richard built a solid background in IT support at companies including GE Accident Assistance, Ernst & Young, NHS Information Authority and ITnet. A former pupil of Shenley Court School in Birmingham, Richard is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and a Member of the British Computer Society.

Sharon Howard – Office Manager

An Office Manager wears many hats, and Sharon’s diverse experiences and interests will be invaluable in her role at JamesCash.co.uk. Her past positions range from a school governor at Frankley High School to a casework assistant at Forensic Science Service. She is currently a charity trustee with the non-profit Link-Upp Birmingham, where she previously served as vice-chair.

Currently pursuing a degree in Health Studies from the Open University, Sharon also received a University Certificate in Autistic Spectrum Disorders from the University of Birmingham.