New guy trying to get into the industry, expectations? 2

[cerebralcow]

I'm currently studying for my 1st certification, COMPTIA A+ and I'm wondering what level of education I will need to make at least $20,000 starting pay in IT. I'd like to do just regular tech support starting out. I don't really know anything about the industry tho. I've been tinkering with computers for years. I've built two PCs on my own and I've been using PCs all my life. I'm 27 years old and I live in Columbus GA. Columbus is a moderately large town, I guess. I don't really know what you would need to know about a town to know average salaries but heres the wiki page -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus,_Georgia

Were right outside the 3rd largest army base in the world. It will probably be the largest base in the world in the next few years because they are expanding and bringing all the tanks from Ft Knox over here, along with about 40,000 families.
Anyways I just want to replace my current job of Pizza delivery and get into a regular 9-5 job ASAP. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[cerebralcow]

I don't see an edit link so I'm replying with some more info. I just read about salary.com but I don't know any entry level job titles either. What are a few entry level job titles I should search for and what are their education requirements?

 

[DTSMAN]

Here in Houston, TX, the local craigslist.com has many entry level jobs posted daily. Check yours.

Bo

Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

http://www.redgreen.com

 

[stubnski]

Even an entry level job can be hard to get with no work experience so I always suggest volunteering anywhere (at the local schools, nursing home, ect) so you will have something to put on your resume.

Even if you do nothing but blow out their computers and inventory them it will go a long way.


Stubnski

 

[JCreamerII]

As stubnski mentioned, build your resume. Local non profits are a good place to start. Even small towns have a number of non profits. That can also help build a network of contacts that may help down the road.

Jim C.
IT Team Leader

 

[cerebralcow]

What are some entry level job titles I can search for that I will probably want to apply for once I get a couple certificates?

 

[kjv1611]

I believe if you're talking general IT support type positions, then a good general idea to look for is:

Helpdesk Support
or
Desktop Support

And a $20,000 salary should be a pretty easy target to hit, regardless, I suppose depending upon where you live - and I think that where you live, it should be easy to come by.

Figure this: $20,000 / 52 weeks = $384.62 per week...
$384.62 per week / 40 hours = $9.62 per hour

You can make that much or close working in fast food, retail, etc. What I mean are those working part time or full time as clerks, cooks, waiters, etc.

Frankly, if you can make it on $20k per year right now, then I'd suggest this'd be a good time to first decide are there any particular companies you'd prefer to work for... or are there any particular fields of business which companies you'd prefer to work for. And if you have anything specific in mind, I'd first go for that - see what you can get. With some businesses, your options will be slim to none, I'd imagine. With others, you might have more options than you would think possible.

I guess what I'm saying is if you have an opportunity to really think about what you want to do, whom you want to work for/with, and all of that, then put more thought there. Then, you could end up making $20k and being happy all in the same boat. Whereas if you're not careful, and just look at who will hire you at what price point, well, you could end up making the same money and being miserable.

Doggone if that aint more than you were asking for, and probably more than you care to read/hear about.

Well, those are some thoughts, and I gotta go.

 

[kmcferrin]

KJV nailed it. With some desktop hardware experience and a CompTIA A+ you should be able to get an entry-level job doing call center or desktop support. I don't know about Columbus, GA, but in Columbus, OH you'd be looking at $13-$15 an hour on the cheap end. I knew someone who got a job doing phone support for a web hosting company here that started at around $35k AND they gave you two weeks of training when you started to ensure that you knew their system. Of course it was also a call center job...

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[cerebralcow]

cool, thanks for all the advice. For some reason I never did the math to see how much $20k is hourly. I currently make $25k delivering pizza but I spend about $5k on my car annually. So $20k would replace my current income and I would have a ladder to climb instead of already being at the top. New managers make less than the good drivers at most food delivery companies.

 

[FredWagner]

Since you're in Columbus GA, you might want to check into Federal employment at Ft Benning (see usajobs.gov) or commercial opportunities in Atlanta.

Fred Wagner

 

[MasterRacker]

You might find some of this interesting:

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=546&tag=content;col1

Jeff
[small][purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day
"The software I buy sucks, The software I write sucks. It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me[/small]

 

[FredWagner]

As you pick up experience in various areas, keep in mind the possibility of landing the job as a one or two-person IT shop for a small organization - a small manufacturer, law firm, accountancy, etc.

Fred Wagner

 

[cmeagan656]

...get into a regular 9-5 job...

IT is NOT a 9-5 job in a lot of cases. I frequently get call outs, phone calls, etc. outside of normal office hours because many of my clients work outside of normal business hours and/or work remotely from home. Also, if I require a maintenance window I'm generally told that I can have it outside of normal (9-5) business hours, or on a weekend. I just recently worked Thanksgiving day because that was the only time that I could get a maintenance window.

Hope this helps.

Please help us help you. Read Tek-Tips posting polices before posting.
Canadian members check out Tek-Tips in Canada for socializing, networking, and anything non-technical.

 

[gbaughma]

Now as for myself, I've worked for big corporations as a cog in the IT machine; and I've worked for very small companies (read 3 or 4 people).

I've found my niche; the company I work for now has about 30 people. It's high-paced, but fun. Yes, it does equate to some long hours, being the lone IT guy, but the boss appreciates what I do, which says a lot.



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[kmcferrin]

So I think I am seeing the common thread here. Some people think that by getting into IT they get to work with computers all the time and get paid for their hobby. IT isn't like that at all. You have a specific role to play for the business, and since you work in an area that doesn't directly generate revenue you don't get as much free-reign as you would like.

Working in IT is not about "I know how computers work so throw money and opportunities at me." Too many people come into IT thinking that is the case. JUST LIKE ANY OTHER JOB, the value in IT is understanding the role that you provide to the company and finding the best way to provide value to and support the goals of the business. If you do this well then you will find opportunities abound and you will be rewarded. If you do not do this well then you will end up jaded. Far too many "IT people" are only concerned with learning the technology and are unable to even articulate the business processes that they support. Is it any wonder that those people are considered failures?

Being an auto mechanic is a high-skill job, but the pay isn't phenomenal because you don't have to think to do it. It's all about your technical skills. A car rolls in, you repair what's broken, and then the next car rolls in.

IT is also a high-skill job, but it is about far more than your technical skills. You have to THINK about the technology and how it can best be leveraged. You have to be creative in finding solutions, because there's no one "right way" to do things. You have to be flexible in your work and understand that even though your idea may be the "technically best" way of doing something, it may not win the day because it doesn't meet the goals of the business. People who understand this will be successful in IT. People who don't will not be successful.

You can sit back and disparage me all that you want, claiming that I live in a dream world. But in the "dream world" that I live in I have been steadily employed since I entered IT 12 years ago. I have never been fired from a job or laid off. Every year my salary has increased. I've switched employers several times, moving up every time. My customers, coworkers and management respect me and my opinions. I have a strong reputation for success in my community, so when I have had fundamental disagreements with an employer I was able to leave and step into a better position with just a couple of phone calls. And yes, even in a down/recovering economy I have received unsolicited offers from several companies, as have several of my colleagues.

I wonder who is in a better position to offer people advice about what working in IT is like? Someone who has had a great deal of professional success in IT, or someone who is couldn't make a career out of it?

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[FredWagner]

I've had a wider a variety of IT jobs than most - coordingating the delivery and implementation of the first MS-DOS machines at 48 locations while in the AF, being the first dedicated PC support person in a big S&L (got fired for raising customer expectations) PC support and app developer in a Network store/VAR (employee Nr 12), one-man IT shop in a custom furniture factory, IT Manager for a mid sized law firm, and more recently, a small cog in an 150-person IT shop in city government. I've learned, both technically and organizationally in all of them. No angst, always learning, being really good with the customers, helping point out approaches and possible solutions where I couldn't implement them by myself. Everyone's career will be different, and it helps a lot to have some outside activities and iterests that don't involve IT.
Another point of interest - aside from two vendor training and certifications, and an 'honorary CNE' from Novell, I've had none of the MS or CompTIA certifications. In many instances, I've solved problems that the certified folks couldn't. I learn a lot more by actual problem solving, and referring to forums like tek-tips, than by studying for and taking exams. Your mileage may vary, and your opportunities will be different! I've been in the field 30+ years now, and whenever I get to be really expert at something, it goes out of fashion, becomes unaffordable, or otherwise becomes irrelevant - so I keep on learning and applying the expertise I've gained to the new situations.
Rule 1 - Keep a positive outlook, always!
Rule 2 - things WILL fail or break, so plan what you will do when they stop working.

Fred Wagner