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×InformationWindows update impacting certain printer icons and names. Microsoft is working on a solution.
Click here to learn moreInformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
Windows 11 Support Center.
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Here is another entry from our guest blogger, HP Expert Holly_J. Enjoy!
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The first time I signed up to participate in an HP Expert Day event, I was excited - but just a little bit terrified. Expert Days give you a chance to ask your toughest technical questions of the people who designed and made the HP products you're using, or who wrote the manuals and online support docs for them. There were over 100 employee and customer Experts online all day, keeping an eye on both the Consumer support forums and the Business support forums.
The first questions I saw were hard, challenging, even with years of experience working with computers. A colleague and veteran Expert, Mister_Do, nudged me towards some questions he knew I could answer easily and confidently, such as where to find the right audio drivers or the user guide, but still I hesitated to press the Enter key. What if I made a mistake? Would the "real" experts unmask me and put me to shame? Would the customer I was trying to help be upset if I couldn't fix their problem? Turns out, I needn't have worried. People are pretty nice when you're genuinely trying to help them - even if you don't succeed in solving their problem and have to refer them elsewhere. And those "real" HP employee and customer experts? They're awesome. Engineers and writers have a natural affinity - sometimes they can tell me a complex answer quickly, and I can write it out step-by-step to make it clear.
Some Experts even post helpful videos – from tips for improving your PC’s performance to what to do when your computer won’t start. I work with these two – they’re every bit as knowledgeable and helpful off camera as they are on. Want them to show you how to use Windows 8? There’s a video for that!
“Imposter Syndrome”?
That might have been my biggest hesitation in joining the HP Forum as a contributor and eventual Expert--in an effort to help customers--having to remind myself, almost constantly, that I am an expert to someone who doesn't know, and needs to know, something I can teach them. I don't have to be an engineer or a third level support guru or understand Einstein's special theory of relativity to make a contribution. Or as one friend pointed out, when I was afraid to camp in Black Bear habitat a few years ago: "You don't have to be faster than the bear. You just have to be faster than me." So, I may be "bear bait" to the engineers I work with, but I trust them not to throw me in the Grizzly den - and to my kids and many of my friends, I'm a computer geek.
Solution!
If you know how to read the clues like Sherlock and how to use deductive reasoning (or a search engine), odds are, you can answer questions or help someone solve a problem in the HP Support Forums. Don't be shy. It's actually fun.
The cool thing about the HP Expert program is that it's part friendly competition - who can come up with the best answer fastest? - but also highly cooperative: If I spot a question I can't answer, I can always turn to other Experts for help. The camaraderie is amazing, and it really gets fun on "Expert Days" when most of us are online at the same time. Be brave –you can be somebody’s “Expert” (and hero!) today.
Remember – I’ll be blogging and Tweeting about my experiences at the HP Social Support Summit 2013. Be sure to follow @HollyAtHP on Twitter (and watch for Tweets with the hashtag #HPS3). Jump on in - if you want to join us next year, come on over to the HP Forums, share your knowledge and skills, and get involved – become an Expert!
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