After reading many of the postings I have more questions than answers. I am a 26 yr old, self-employed, Direct Tv installer and service tech. I am starting an Associates of applied science/Networking program at a local,fairly well respected tech school tommorrow and i'm not very sure of anything. After talking to several people and some soul searching i've concluded that I am IT material. Installing satellite dishes isn't exactly intellectually stimulating, but its pretty good money. So i am asking all you seasoned veterans which avenue would you take if you were in my shoes? I grasp tech type stuff pretty quickly, have a pretty high IQ, have strong anylitical thinking skills, and being self-employed, have become very creative at problem solving. Taking personal preference out of the mix- Where Do I Fit In in IT? s-)
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Pre-Newby Needs Career Mentor 2
- Thread starter jtlsat
- Start date
As in everything else in life, you've got to start somewhere. PC Technical Support or Desktop support is a good entry point for those who have technical abilities, but no experience. Consider gaining an industry certification, like the A+ certification offered by CompTIA (see A certification will not get you a job, but it will, in many cases, get you an interview. What you do with it beyon that is up to you.
If, as you say, you pick up technical things quickly, you can get the A+ certification by self-study. No need for a pricey training class.
Most of all, get involved in something to gain experience. A great place to gain a load of different experiences in a short amount of time is with a large company's help desk. You'll be exposed to almost everything in 6 months.
After that, specialize. What part of IT do you want to work in for the next 20-30 years? Programming? Networking? Messaging (Email)? the Web? There are too many generalists out here. Pick a field and become a top expert in that field.
Go get 'em - and good luck. ;-) - Bill
"You can get anything you want out of life, if you'll just help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar
If, as you say, you pick up technical things quickly, you can get the A+ certification by self-study. No need for a pricey training class.
Most of all, get involved in something to gain experience. A great place to gain a load of different experiences in a short amount of time is with a large company's help desk. You'll be exposed to almost everything in 6 months.
After that, specialize. What part of IT do you want to work in for the next 20-30 years? Programming? Networking? Messaging (Email)? the Web? There are too many generalists out here. Pick a field and become a top expert in that field.
Go get 'em - and good luck. ;-) - Bill
"You can get anything you want out of life, if you'll just help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar
CitrixEngineer
Technical User
I totally agree with Voyager. There are so many empty positions in the IT market waiting for a good tech to come and fill them.
Like you, I reached a crossroads at 26. No matter how I tried, I couldn't seem to break into the IT arena - until I took a help desk job. I was on the help desk for just under 3 months, before my manager asked me to do 2nd level. Within a year I was admin for the entire network, a year later I was the Citrix expert with half the company migrated over from Novell.
I knew nothing about Citrix when I took the job on!
Let's just say I didn't pick my handle out of thin air... ;-)
Like you, I reached a crossroads at 26. No matter how I tried, I couldn't seem to break into the IT arena - until I took a help desk job. I was on the help desk for just under 3 months, before my manager asked me to do 2nd level. Within a year I was admin for the entire network, a year later I was the Citrix expert with half the company migrated over from Novell.
I knew nothing about Citrix when I took the job on!
Let's just say I didn't pick my handle out of thin air... ;-)
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Permit me to provide a different spin.
I avoided the Help Desk like the plague. (but mind you I find Operating Systems and Networks about as exciting as watching paint dry). I started taking extension courses in Programming at a local University. I spent about 18 months working a mindless job during the day (actually graveyard shift) and slinging code in Perl, C, Java, SQL, HTML, Lingo, Javascript in the evening.
When I got my Certification I went job searching for about 3 very frustrating weeks and got my first programming job. It paid more money then I have made in my life, and had so much fun coding that I couldn't believe they were paying me for it. Since then I have moved through several positions and am still enjoying every day of it.
But note..if I have to do this again in my next life, assuming I don't come back as a frog or something, I would seriously consider a Help Desk approach. The people on the Help Desks that I have been involved with get a chance to work with so many different technologies, it makes for quite a buffet.
G'Luck,
Ivan In not now, when?
If not here, where?
If not us, who?
Just do it!!
I avoided the Help Desk like the plague. (but mind you I find Operating Systems and Networks about as exciting as watching paint dry). I started taking extension courses in Programming at a local University. I spent about 18 months working a mindless job during the day (actually graveyard shift) and slinging code in Perl, C, Java, SQL, HTML, Lingo, Javascript in the evening.
When I got my Certification I went job searching for about 3 very frustrating weeks and got my first programming job. It paid more money then I have made in my life, and had so much fun coding that I couldn't believe they were paying me for it. Since then I have moved through several positions and am still enjoying every day of it.
But note..if I have to do this again in my next life, assuming I don't come back as a frog or something, I would seriously consider a Help Desk approach. The people on the Help Desks that I have been involved with get a chance to work with so many different technologies, it makes for quite a buffet.
G'Luck,
Ivan In not now, when?
If not here, where?
If not us, who?
Just do it!!
Hi,
Interesting posts and quite timely...as I'm going to start programming in C extension course in two days here in Silicon Valley. I've been teaching myself over the past few months with a few books on C and BASIC. Decided it was time to get serious about it...
As a someone who is a fairly advanced computer user (since '86) can use many apps (including 3D modeling/animation), and can take apart/upgrade computers myself, I'm wondering about how long before it might be possible to apply for a hi-tech job doing programming or something else to get started.
I know companies are always looking for people but have been a bit nervous from looking at online/newspaper ads.
Appreciate any input anyone might have.
Mark
Interesting posts and quite timely...as I'm going to start programming in C extension course in two days here in Silicon Valley. I've been teaching myself over the past few months with a few books on C and BASIC. Decided it was time to get serious about it...
As a someone who is a fairly advanced computer user (since '86) can use many apps (including 3D modeling/animation), and can take apart/upgrade computers myself, I'm wondering about how long before it might be possible to apply for a hi-tech job doing programming or something else to get started.
I know companies are always looking for people but have been a bit nervous from looking at online/newspaper ads.
Appreciate any input anyone might have.
Mark
CitrixEngineer
Technical User
In my experience, on-line job sites are better than newspapers (except possibly Computing). I got my current job through one of these sites.
With your experience, you should be able to go straight into a support or coding position - but, if you don't have a degree or other higher qualification, I'd recommend getting one of the industry ones (MCSE/D), because HR departments tend to "skills match" on these criteria.
Good Luck!
With your experience, you should be able to go straight into a support or coding position - but, if you don't have a degree or other higher qualification, I'd recommend getting one of the industry ones (MCSE/D), because HR departments tend to "skills match" on these criteria.
Good Luck!
My two cents of advice,
1. build your own learning environment, good foundation go a long way, and it's important to discover your own niche.
2. pro-active & keep pace with new technology.
Oh man, Web era flooded more programming or scripting
languages faster than we can imagine.
3. build good personal networks, mentor will path you to Sanfrancisco GoldMine
4. Pursue Certification, Java, CCNA or MCSE...is salary, is bonus, is good addon value, is tick of performance appraisal in your Boss Eye.
5. Be good to yourself, IT's life is fun and is also tough.
Live well. LOL
PsychoDave
Technical User
I have just left the Navy after 15 years as an electrician. I first started thinking about my future about 5 years ago and had a similar dilemma. Instead of hoping to gain experience, I decided that I had to make somebody think that they were getting something for nothing. They got V.cheap labour......I got experience!
I approached an owner of a small business and asked if he wanted help in the workshop on Saturdays. This paid off a treat. I got to know more about hardware, builds, upgrades, various OSes and Networks. Went on a Datacomms course last year to enhance the network side of things (self financed). These two things have now landed me a customer service roll (call logging and basic support), with a view to moving into 1st line after about 1 year. I'm "cutting my teeth" on ATM, GiGE,Token Ring etc, with vendors such as Marconi, Cisco, Extreme, and Juniper, have been in the job for 2 months now, and loving it. CCNA / P / IE are actively encoraged, the company even paying to send you on an ICND course AND pay for the exam if you pass it. If it's quiet in the office, we can even go into labs and "play" with kit.
The upshot is:
1. Good jobs really are out there, even if you start off as the "tea-wetter".
2. Make opportunities for yourself, even if it means giving up your own time - often for nothing.
3. It's never too late to retrain to do something you really want to do, even though I had been "typecast" as an electrician - at 31 years old.
4. Be determined and enthusiastic, it shines through in interviews!
GOOD LUCK, and GO FOR IT!!!! If, at first, you don't succeed.......
Buy a Budgie!!!
I approached an owner of a small business and asked if he wanted help in the workshop on Saturdays. This paid off a treat. I got to know more about hardware, builds, upgrades, various OSes and Networks. Went on a Datacomms course last year to enhance the network side of things (self financed). These two things have now landed me a customer service roll (call logging and basic support), with a view to moving into 1st line after about 1 year. I'm "cutting my teeth" on ATM, GiGE,Token Ring etc, with vendors such as Marconi, Cisco, Extreme, and Juniper, have been in the job for 2 months now, and loving it. CCNA / P / IE are actively encoraged, the company even paying to send you on an ICND course AND pay for the exam if you pass it. If it's quiet in the office, we can even go into labs and "play" with kit.
The upshot is:
1. Good jobs really are out there, even if you start off as the "tea-wetter".
2. Make opportunities for yourself, even if it means giving up your own time - often for nothing.
3. It's never too late to retrain to do something you really want to do, even though I had been "typecast" as an electrician - at 31 years old.
4. Be determined and enthusiastic, it shines through in interviews!
GOOD LUCK, and GO FOR IT!!!! If, at first, you don't succeed.......
Buy a Budgie!!!
RaeAtSafeway
MIS
I love all this advise.
But what do you do when somehow you've wound up doing IT work and making great money, but not enjoying it? I'm more interested in art, or project management, or human development. I am very grateful for my job and have learned a lot, but it really isn't my thing. I am currently working toward my BA in Managment. How can I use my IT skills and new degree to leap into something equally lucrative, but more fulfilling (for me). My IT skills lie in MS Access, relational databases, report writing, desktop trouble shooting, and desktop publishing . . .
-Rachel
But what do you do when somehow you've wound up doing IT work and making great money, but not enjoying it? I'm more interested in art, or project management, or human development. I am very grateful for my job and have learned a lot, but it really isn't my thing. I am currently working toward my BA in Managment. How can I use my IT skills and new degree to leap into something equally lucrative, but more fulfilling (for me). My IT skills lie in MS Access, relational databases, report writing, desktop trouble shooting, and desktop publishing . . .
-Rachel
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If you are interested in Project Management, check out the Project Management forum here at Tek-Tips. PMI (Project Management Institute) has a new Certification program. The old one was only open for people with a minimum of 3 years of PM experience. But for 2002 they have PM Associate certification, that only requires 1 year of experience, and as project staff, rather than project leader. The demand for this certification is growing very quickly. Take a look at the prep material listed. If it bores you, it's not your field. This is my view of the IT career paths:
Management/project management: enjoy coordination, scheduling, focusing on other people and developing staff or developing a product/process. Usually spend most of their time communicating via reports, email, phone, meetings.
Programming/Software: enjoy thinking about ideas, developing logic, exploring complex problems, searching for a needle in a haystack. Usually spend most of their time in isolation, testing & debugging.
DBAs: not much experience with this but I mainly enjoyed and spent time on design, getting to know the product inside and out, and writing SQL, which I think of as bits of programming code that don't involve complex logic. In a heavy production situations it seems to get more into trouble shooting and monitoring/tuning.
Ive never worked in HelpDesk/Hardware/Networks, but I SEE a lot of ad-hoc projects, trouble shooting, and often a high-pressure, fix it NOW urgency not as common in the other areas. I see a lot of burnout especially at HelpDesk. If you can't be tactful to the upteenth person as you tell them to try plugging it in <grin>, spare everyone the grief and don't start at a helpdesk .
Management/project management: enjoy coordination, scheduling, focusing on other people and developing staff or developing a product/process. Usually spend most of their time communicating via reports, email, phone, meetings.
Programming/Software: enjoy thinking about ideas, developing logic, exploring complex problems, searching for a needle in a haystack. Usually spend most of their time in isolation, testing & debugging.
DBAs: not much experience with this but I mainly enjoyed and spent time on design, getting to know the product inside and out, and writing SQL, which I think of as bits of programming code that don't involve complex logic. In a heavy production situations it seems to get more into trouble shooting and monitoring/tuning.
Ive never worked in HelpDesk/Hardware/Networks, but I SEE a lot of ad-hoc projects, trouble shooting, and often a high-pressure, fix it NOW urgency not as common in the other areas. I see a lot of burnout especially at HelpDesk. If you can't be tactful to the upteenth person as you tell them to try plugging it in <grin>, spare everyone the grief and don't start at a helpdesk .
Well Rae...if Project Management is your thing, then lucky you. Surfing Dice.com I have to conclude that the highest paid position is that of a Software Development Project Manager. I believe $130,000/year.
Good technical managers are making more money then most of the technical staff. Problme is...their are not to many technical managers that can wear both a people hat and a technical hat.
Elizabeth is ..as usual...right on.
g'luck
pivan In not now, when?
If not here, where?
If not us, who?
Just do it!!
Good technical managers are making more money then most of the technical staff. Problme is...their are not to many technical managers that can wear both a people hat and a technical hat.
Elizabeth is ..as usual...right on.
g'luck
pivan In not now, when?
If not here, where?
If not us, who?
Just do it!!
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