Job Responsibilities
Respond to tickets generated by end users and others meeting
company wide SLA requirements. This position is primarily driven
by our internal Tech Excel ticketing system.
The position requires familiarity with a variety of the IT
field's concepts, practices and procedures. It relies on
experience and judgement to plan and accomplish goals. A wide
degree of creativity and latitude is expected.
Respond to trouble tickets 90%
Provide solutions regarding end user issues which include
operating system, network, software, program configurations,
digital phone system, security, viruses, spyware, adware and
backups. Perform duties on site or remotely.
Tickets also include items to maintain, analyze, troublshoot and
repair computer systems hardware and peripherals. Create
Documents, maintain, upgrade or replaces hardware and software
systems.
Support and maintains user account information including rights,
security and system groups. This also includes administration
duties such as adding and setting up new users in AD, deleting
terminated users, managing OU's, granting or denying permissions,
creation of email accounts, fowarding and management of email
accounts and servers.
Finally it also includes issues regarding our phone system and
voice mail.
Non ticket items will include the following:
Checking daily logs for out of bound network traffic and taking
appropriate action. 1%
Maintain Backup tape library 4%
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Job Requirements
The position requirements are very loose. Most of the guys
including myself have a bunch of certifications ranging from A+,
MCP all the way up to MCSE, CCNA and even a CISSP. They don't
formally require any certs because then they would have to pay
more for those who have them or obtain them while working at
First American.
Many of the people working with Escrow and Title directly may
need some sort of license or Cert for that position.
First American doesn't have any outside training available and no
tuition refund program. They like to keep us dumb so we stay with
the company a long time. The only training offered is for our own
internal software and procedures such as filling out HUDS for
closings and things like that plus the Customer 1st program.
Any additional education you choose is totally on your own. They
don't even let you learn new systems they've implemented during
work hours. You have to learn it at home during your own personal
time.
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Uppers
One of the best things about this position is my fellow employees. We have a
real sense of family here.
We are a very customer service oriented company.
First American provides an excellent benefit package that's reasonably priced. A
401K match tied to company performance. This could range upwards of $2 for every
dollar contributed up to 3%.
They also offer a 403B plan to purchase company stock at a 15% discount.
Typical benefits of working for a Fortune 500 company.
The upper management of First American seems to guide the future course of this
fast growing company quite well.
They accept family members as employees (even in the same department). They also
accept moonlighting, after all how could you not when you pay your employees such
low salaries. Probably 50% of the people have second jobs and couldn't live
without them.
They let you keep any frequent flyer miles you earn.
Willing to invest in new technolgy and equipment.
We are the best at Title Insurance and take good care of our customers.
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Downers
First American works you like a dog and the lower and middle
management doesn't care if you have a life or not. They keep
piling more and more work on you with total disregard for the
individual or his/her life. They take a lot and give very little
in return. I'm not sure upper management even knows what goes on
down in the trenches.
I'm making half the salary of previous jobs and I have twice the
work. If I look up my position on the Internet (salary.com) for
this area and my years of experience I'm not making anywhere
close to what I should - at least 10K under the STARTING salary.
Never mind the middle or top end.
I took this job because I was laid off from my other position and
accepted work at a lower salary figuring that after proving
myself I would get back up to what I was earning. Boy, that was a
mistake. If you are a top performer here the most you can ever
look forward to is a 5% increase per year. If you are not, you'll
get somewhat less (if that's even possible) or nothing at all.
Some guys here haven't had an increase in years! What's even more
troubling is I heard from a few other employees that the managers
bonuses are based on keeping down salaries. Every increase they
give is money out of the managers own pocket. You don't stand a
chance so if you decide to work here, you better get the money
you want up front.
If you are working on a project in another city away from home
they will fly you back home weekends, but you can only fly on
Saturday and Sunday. If you want to fly back Friday after work,
YOU have to pay the airfare. This policy only applies to longer
term projects.
There is also a real reluctance to hire enough people to do the
work at hand. The regional VP has to approve any new hiring
(other than filling an existing position).
Cube farms and lots of them. As space fills up the cubes just
keep getting smaller.
They are shipping more and more jobs overseas to India and the
Phillipines.
Hard to take time off because no one does your job while your
away.
SE Region of US is the worst to work in. High pressure, low
wages, long hours and managers that get rich from your hard work.
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Lifestyle
The work hours are long if you are salaried, with the increasing demands of the
job, the only way to get the work done is to work longer hours. This gets a lot
harder if you work two jobs. Forget about a family life!
As far as business travel goes, you have to book using the corporate travel
agency, you get to keep your frequent flyer miles, and stay at decent hotels.
They pay for all meals while traveling and surprisingly alcohol too.
Social events are typical, nothing exceptional. Dress code is business casual
which should be relaxed for some. I can't tell you how many articles of clothes
I've ruined here.
The company is as diverse as the area it resides in and the types of people who
apply. You can be male, female, black, white...etc. As long as you'll work like a
dog you'll get hired. Speaking Spanish is a real plus right now. If anything they
are more likely to hire a female or a black because they'll accept a lower
salary. The majority of employees in this area are female.
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Compensation
$35k per year, small Xmas bonus. Compensation is poor unless
you're in management.
First American provides an excellent benefit package that's
reasonably priced (Medical, Dental, Life). A 401K match tied to
company performance. This could range upwards to $2 for every
dollar contributed up to 3%.
They also offer a 403B plan to purchase company stock at a 15%
discount.
Hourly 6 sick days per year, salaried, they never discuss it and
everyone tells you something different. My manager once told me I
had 1 sick day per year being salaried, HR said it's unlimited.
Don't worry about taking any sick time, your work load will be so
heavy you'll never have "time" to take it.
2 weeks (10 days) vacation per year, then 15 after 5 years and 20
days after 15 years. If you reach the max and don't use it, you
stop accuring. Unused portion can carry to following year. A good
portion of the people I work with are always hitting the "stop
accuring" point because they don't have "time" to take it. Get
used to taking days rather than weeks because no one does your
job if you take time off. A week off will cost you dearly
afterwards.
It doesn't matter if you have a high school degree or a masters.
The same opportunity (or lack of) and the same wages apply to
all, with middle (and I'm assuming upper) management being the
exception.
They are quick to give you a pat on the back and tell you what a
great job you're doing. If that's compensation you can get rich
here.
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Advice to Jobseekers
First American is experiencing explosive growth, so much so that
it really does hurt. Lots of hiring for "some" positions, but
also people leaving (some to competitors) to make more
competetive wages.
If you want to work here you better make sure you get the maximum
amount of money up front. You'll be faced with nothing but 5%
increases from then on and that's if you really work your butt
off. Do an average job, and you might not get anything.
If job security is what you're after come here. If you work hard
you'll never get laid off. As times change and the work load
shifts, employees have an opportunity to transfer to another
position, department or company (we also own Security First,
HomeBanc and a few others). Your odds of actually being laid off
are very slim.
They take the 90 probation period very seriously. At least 25% of
the people don't make it.
Great place to build up retirement savings, with a matched 401K
and stock options build it up and then go somewhere else that has
decent pay.
If you are the second bread winner in the house, your husband
earns good money, you know a lot about Title and Escrow, want
some flexibility for the kids (a lot depends on your manager) and
excellent retirement savings this might be a good place for you.
First American is very customer service driven from the top to
the bottom. Your customer can be on the outside or another
employee (or department). If you don't have good customer service
skills don't even try to work here.
If you bring in a lot of money, they'll give you an award.
If you like low wages, good benefits and a fast paced, high
pressure job this is for you. Just remember the harder you work
the larger your bosses bonus. Maybe he or she will share the
wealth with a gift card.
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