The Complete Guide to Becoming A Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairer

I'm a high school junior trying to figure out what to do after graduation, and this book was the first thing that actually told me what the job is like — not just the salary. The chapter on a day in the life was eye-opening. I had no idea so much of the job is driving between calls and dealing with customers. I feel way more prepared to decide if this is for me. Highly recommend for anyone in my position.

As a career-changer from retail management, I was drowning in vague career-site descriptions. This book gave me real numbers: what entry-level pay looks like, what a certification costs, and how long it takes to get hired. The self-assessment checklist in chapter two was brutally honest — I checked almost every box, which made me feel confident to start applying. The first chapter alone is worth it for the breakdown of tools and typical workday.

It's a solid book with good information, but it felt a little repetitive at times. The first chapter is excellent — really concrete about the work. But some of the later chapters felt like they were padding word count, especially the FAQ section where a few answers just repeated earlier points. That said, I did appreciate the honest salary breakdown and the comparison table of training paths. It gave me what I needed to make a decision, even if I skimmed a few parts.

I was on the fence between this and IT support, and this guide made the choice a lot clearer. The emphasis on being on your feet, working alone, and driving to different sites for every call — that's not something you get from a job posting. I liked that it didn't sugar-coat the frustrating parts, like ATMs that break again the same week you fixed them. The chapter on landing your first job has a solid checklist that I actually used. Four stars because I wished it had a bit more on how to handle the physical demands, but overall, really useful.

Useful and grounded. I appreciated that the author didn't promise you'll be a millionaire. The salary table is realistic, and the breakdown of different paths — like community college vs. on-the-job training — helped me decide to just start applying as a shop helper. The reviews from other readers are spot on about chapter one. It's a bit dry in places, but for a decision-making guide, that's fine. I've already used the interview advice from chapter five and got a second interview.

It's a decent overview, but I felt it could've gone deeper on the actual repair work. I wanted more specific examples of common failures and how to fix them, but the book is more about whether to enter the career than how to do the job. That's fine, given the title, but I was hoping for a bit more of the 'how.' The honest look at the pay ceiling was a bit of a letdown, but it's better to know that now than after two years of training. Three stars — good entry point, but not a deep dive.

I've been working in a print shop and thinking about moving into repair, and this book made me reconsider the travel aspect. I didn't realize how much of the day is on the road — that's a big part of the job. The self-assessment checklist is helpful if you're honest with yourself. I scored a bit low on the 'patience with repetitive problems' part, which gave me pause. The book is well-written and honest, but it didn't make me want to rush into this career, which is probably a good thing. Three stars.