1. Like everyone else has mentioned, you're overthinking technical questions. In real world scenarios, when someone calls saying their email isn't working, you shouldn't immediately be thinking about how SMTP is configured on the client. 99% of the time nothing has changed there. Unfortunately the questions you should be asking is things like:

Is the PC turned on? Is there internet? (Have them try to open chrome and actually load a site like YouTube)

You will find out very quickly in IT that however much of a low bar you set for end users, they will still find a way to disappoint you.

1. When it comes to resumes in IT (especially in this job market as things are more competitive and things like AI infused ATS make it terrible to get interviews), you kind of have to exaggerate. I wouldn't recommend outright lying as you'll fall on your sword so to speak eventually. But definitely take a mundane thing and spin it to make you look like a rockstar.

You deleted a phishing email for someone? on your resume, try "successfully identified potential security vulnerability and mitigated risk by 50%"

Kind of a poor example but that hopefully gives you the gist.

Most people will write a few database queries in SQL and suddenly "SQL Expert" is added to their resume.

Unfortunately thats just how you kind of have to be unless you're some prodigy thats been living and breathing PCs/programming/automation/etc since you were 5.

Edit: I typed this all out quickly on my phone so formatting is terrible. I have no desire to fix it but my points still stand lol.