Daniel Hand, owner of Computer Medics of Northern Virginia LLC and founder of the Association of Computer Repair Business Owners, has more than 20 years of experience in planning, implementing and managing large scale projects in the industry. He has extensive experience in leading people and project teams, implementing and overseeing technology programs, and has administered multimillion dollar projects. He also shares computer support and tips on his Computer Repair Blog, where he talks about his experiences in computer support and with help desks.

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
I was actually working in communications when I was in the military and I started to do computer networking. From there, I sort of just fell into the field.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field?
A lot of it is self-taught. You learn a whole lot by trial and error, reading a lot of books and online blogs on the topics associated with computers and IT. In this field, experience is pretty important.

What was your career path like in this field? 
I started at entry-level positions and help desk type positions just helping with computer support and troubleshooting and the like. After that, I progressed into systems administrations and network engineering and then into program management.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
To work with computers you will need technical skills, people skills and communication skills. Patience is also needed, especially in entry-level positions and for computer support, as you will be working with customers who are upset, angry, not technology friendly and those that just don't understand computers and what they are trying to do. But, as long as you are able to help someone with whatever they need, you should be fine.

What do you do on a typical workday?
Well, I own a computer business and work on that, but I also work as a program manager. With the computer repair business, I repair computers all day. That can include going on house calls and actually going out to a client's home to fix their computers, or go to businesses as well. This can also include working with spyware, virus removal, small computer network setup and the like.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field? 
Growth and goals are always important, but with computer repair I do run my own business so it's hard to advance positions with that. As a project manager or other positions in the industry, you can always move up to the CEO of a company or the like, depending on your specific achievements and aspirations.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
In this field, and with this industry, it needs to be someone with a lot of patience and initiative.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
It's good to always try to keep your expectations low. Everyone thinks that they're going to get into IT and make a whole lot of money real quick without having to gain experience and grow. But, the truth is you need to have initiative, be motivated to work hard and want to excel in this field in order to do so. It can definitely be done, you just need to understand that.