So I am currently going to school for network systems and would like to try to find some sort of entry level IT position to gain experience. I am looking for advice on how to "get my foot in the door", so to speak. I should have my compTIA A+ certification by the end of feb and was wondering if there was anything else that I should be looking into. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
When I was working on my associates degree, part of the final semester was getting an internship in the field. The school helped me get a job at a local PC repair center. I worked there for about a year fixing spyware, hardware, software issues. Then I got a full time job with a local school district as a computer tech...which turned out to be a systems administrator job. So I was administering about 30 - 40 servers, over 3000 users and 600 PCs. I just left that job back in June and I'm now working at Saint Louis University as a systems administrator...all with my associates degree. I'm about 3/4 done with my bachelors degree.
Moral of the story, start small...like a local repair shop and work your way up. Experience counts for A LOT in the IT field.
Last edited by momoceio; February 2nd, 2010 at 12:39 PM.
Thanks for the info. I am 28yrs old. Yes I do have bills I have to pay, otherwise it make taking an internship much easier. I will have my assoc degree in nov. I have been trying to get into geek squad for a little while now, but the best buys near me seem to always be on hiring freezes (i know a couple of supervisors and managers at a couple of bb's). I havent tried staples yet, and will have to look into what opportunities they currently have available. Again, thank you for the feedback.
Go for your CCNA and get some MCP's as well at least one server and one client mcp cert. I am big on self study and don't do well in a classroom. CBT Nuggets is a great resource for videos to understand and get your certs. The ccna and mcp's will give you a taste of what you really want to do. . .
When you do hunt for that job. Check craigslist.. their are a lot of screwdriver shops that hire and pay decent from the start... plus you wont have to drive around in a vw bug
I'm about to graduate with my Associates in Computer Networking, Security, and Information Systems. I was able to get a position at my local school district with no prior experience or certificates. The catch is that I only work 20-29 hours a week and make $7.50 an hour for working on as Help Desk/Field Technician.
Good luck with your A+ cert. I took the test last summer, passed the first test, and missed the second test by 1 point because I was rushing it because I was having a bad stomach day which really sucks!!
I agree with doing some simple PC repair on the side. I post on Craigslist and the city's local classified and some times I'm dead and other times I'm doing pretty decent. Anything you work on is experience, regardless if you fix it or not.
I have had my associates in networking, pc support/helpdesk, and information assurance for almost a year now and haven't had any luck finding work in the field myself. I interned for the city which got me some cool experience but everything has a hiring freeze around here. Not to mention, I've yet to pick up any certs mainly due to being nervous about it. I've never been a good test taker and tend to lock up come crunch time.
Ya the test are pretty hard. I took my A+ cert during the summer, went into the first test pretty confident and then found out that nothing I was studying was on the test. Second test I had to rush through the test because I was having a bad stomach day. Missed it by 1 question!!! argh!
Started at a hospital in the IT field while getting my associates degree. I'm now with a small company working as their only IT guy and have no certs. The money is really good and I get to do what I please. You will talk with many people, it's not what you know, it's who's butt are you gonna kiss to get a better raise.
I want to get into the IT field but all these courses and classes are pretty expensive and I just don't have the money to spend more than $1500 where I live to study this =/ Sucks
CCNP? I think he should go for the CCNA. The CCNP cert exam is no fun at all.
Get some MS certs, CCNA, and A+. Internships are the best way into the field. If I were you, I would ask some of my teachers (many of them have contacts in the IT field).
Try getting on as a support technician at a local company that has a call center. I work for a local bank as a server administrator, and we have 8 support technicians that answer phones and help users with their issues. I've seen several people promoted out of that group to bigger and better jobs in the 2 years I've been here.
OK, I'm almost done with my college education in Network Engineering, and really, beyond a degree, any certification in the world, or the ability to make a dead router levitate over your head and magically work again, employers will be looking for experience.
Get a Hell Desk (read: Help Desk) Job. Can't Find one? 1. Bullshit. HellDesk sucks, and the turnover rate is ******edly high, even in this crap economy. 2. Really? Ok, Go volunteer. There are 2,686 YMCAs in the United States alone, and the experience I got at my local one has made potential employers much more interested in me over other people near my knowledge level. Especially because its non profit and you learn REAL FAST how to work within very limited budget when working at a Non profit. In addition, I was able to move up from my volunteering position to part time which helps pay for things while I finish my college degree out.
In 2004 Cisco moved a shitload of content from the CCNP to the CCNA. The CCNP now serves its purpose. Proving you're better than the CCNA guys and can do more things, instead of proving that you can do your job. The CCNA proves you can do your job now. Get a CCNA, you'll be fine for most things, just don't expect to be a communications supervisor at <major telecom here> with a CCNA.
If you can, learn how to be a Wirehead (jargon, node: wirehead (2) Ignore the part about a Ethernet terminator. You are too young to know and you will never have to know) because the need for wireheads is ongoing and its a great skill to have. Remember that the ability to color code the back of a jack and use a punchdown tool does not make you a wirehead, you have to be able to run the cable, know what kind of cable belongs in walls and what doesn't, how to run cable to not violate fire safety codes, stuff like that. Its skill that doesn't go away either. You run Cat6e in pretty much the same way lodger probably used to run Cat3 and thinnet "back in the day" (I spent about a week last year pulling all the thinnet out of the ceilings at my job, simply to clean things up) and with the exception of fiber optics (which you have to be careful with) you'll probably be able to tear Cat7 right through walls at 40m/s like most wiring assholes (everyone in the industry, myself included) do.
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Very good information @ diekatze88. I was about to say that you can enter the IT field in different ways. Like being a programmer, network engineer, systems engineer, operator, technician etc. And depending on what career you want you will need different certifications/degree for each one.
I am 16, and have worked at my school for about a year now. Me and my friend (he also works with me) are thinking about starting a local repair shop with all the stuff we have learned at our school job. We wont quit the school job, but just imply the skills. Good/bad idea? We have both repaired computer software issues, replaced hardware, fixed cpu LCD monitors, etc.
Also, We are going to start our first big computer project- buy about 6 Dell Optiplex gx280s, and make a Linux Cluster! Has anyone made one of these?
If you want a government IT job, CompTIA Security+ cert is really good to have. Currently i am in Afghanistan as a Computer Administrator Contractor working for General Dynamics. If your looking for really good money and dont mind spending a year or so over seas hit up GDIT.com, we need more people over here. With the uplift for being in a war zone you start at 100k+ a year, as an entry level person.
I am 16, and have worked at my school for about a year now. Me and my friend (he also works with me) are thinking about starting a local repair shop with all the stuff we have learned at our school job. We wont quit the school job, but just imply the skills. Good/bad idea? We have both repaired computer software issues, replaced hardware, fixed cpu LCD monitors, etc.
Also, We are going to start our first big computer project- buy about 6 Dell Optiplex gx280s, and make a Linux Cluster! Has anyone made one of these?
Advice would be great!
Its less than you think it is. Schools run on their own special rules, and often their situations don't apply outside the schools in question. As I stated before, some of the best experience you can get early on is Hell Desk.
Made a linux cluster once, couldn't think of anything to do with it, dismantled it.
I went down a route of a modern apprenticeship, I had no experience and started in the NHS (UK) stayed there for 4 years and now work for an insurance company providing IT support. I have no qualifications which hasn't proved me any issues, I guess you have to be at the right place at the right time but experience seems to be more wanted than qualifications. This may change as I move up the ladder which is understandable but at the moment I get great benefits and salary and its a great place to work at. I cover around 8 differents sites throughout the UK supporting various different applications and also support around 50 home users.
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Originally Posted by scottyinco
Try getting on as a support technician at a local company that has a call center. I work for a local bank as a server administrator, and we have 8 support technicians that answer phones and help users with their issues. I've seen several people promoted out of that group to bigger and better jobs in the 2 years I've been here.
I agree, a local ISP help desk might be a good place to start as well. They usually make good start points for Network Analyst/Engineer positions in a year or two.
In college I worked for a friend doing PC/Server/Network support, after graduation I started at an ISP DSL TAC, been moving up from there, working on Static IP/Data Circuits now. CCNA cert is a good move too.
Thanks for all the useful information. I currently work Tech Support at a law firm and am trying to do the same as a lot of the posters above: transition into a IT job, preferably network analyst. Working on my Network+ now and soon to follow CCNA.
I am 16, and have worked at my school for about a year now. Me and my friend (he also works with me) are thinking about starting a local repair shop with all the stuff we have learned at our school job. We wont quit the school job, but just imply the skills. Good/bad idea? We have both repaired computer software issues, replaced hardware, fixed cpu LCD monitors, etc.
Also, We are going to start our first big computer project- buy about 6 Dell Optiplex gx280s, and make a Linux Cluster! Has anyone made one of these?
Advice would be great!
What are you going to do with the Linux cluster? Your intent will guide what architecture you want. I admin a several hundred CPU Linux cluster running Sun Grid Engine.
A+ and Network+ are a good start. Security is growing like crazy and pays well, so if you're interested in that, get the Security+ or CISSP cert. You'll likely start as a help desk person and hopefully move out of that quickly. Craigslist is a good place to find an entry level job in IT.
I got my B.S. in Computer Info Systems and got the MCP, Network+, A+, Security+, and I have one more test for the MCSA. I've worked for the State of Colorado, Wall Street on Demand (where pretty much any stock chart you see on the internet comes from), and now I'm with a San Francisco-based company doing all of the IT work for their Denver office. Lockheed Martin has offered me a couple of positions as well. But I love my current job.
Finding a good Job in IT that pays decent may be difficult if you live in a small town. You may want to consider moving to a big tech hub or large city. Phoenix has great IT since many data centers are there. Raleigh NC is also become the silicon valley of the east coast. Hunt around on dice.com for network engineer and compare the available jobs and evaluate where you want to live. Good luck.
I spent a few years in tech support both user facing and serverside and hated it. Your an expensive to the company and the view/treat you as such. IMHO being the creative / money making talent is the way to go. I was originally going to go further into IT but after my experience decided to become an electrical/computer engineer. I find the work more interesting and rewarding too. And there is more money to be had too.
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I graduate with my associates in June. My friend who is in the exact same boat as me is making $20 an hour P/T for Colgate through the co-op program at the University. My plans are to obtain Linux,Net,Sec+ during my Bachelor's stint. CCNA is good to have, but requires a bit more studying. Something that I definitely want within 6 months after my BA. I chose the Linux+ route as I hear they make more money compared to a MCSE, MCSA. Let alone all of the prerequisite tests that you would have to take for M$.
I would start off small, any experience is good experience when presenting at an interview. If you do some research, companies usually say "x certification is a plus" but what they are really looking after is experience. It shows that you have been in the field for a substantial amount of time and you are comfortable with the job at hand. Not much more advice I can give, but I wish everyone the best of luck to the current and future society of the IT industry.
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I got my start in 1983 with an Atari 800XL, and also took 1 class in high school. GWBASIC... Basically was in the right place at the right time... Got a job in the Lab at a hospital I worked at... Worked as a midnight reports operator for 5 years. Then worked for an insurance company for 6 years... Followed by a poor excuse for an insurance company (3.5 years), and finally on to my current job in non-profit (last 11 years)... Each time stepping into something a little deeper... Currently I'm responsible for all aspects of the data dept for 160 employees. 6 locations, t-1's voice and data... 14 Win 2003 servers, 3 citrix servers, 1 unix, and 1 linux. mysql, and ms sql, ASP, wiring and etc. Report writing on and on...
Here's the kicker. I know my job well, but I have no certification. I am a hands on learner, not a book smart learner. Therefore I have absolutely no certifications under my belt. I'm scared sh*tless to go and try to get any certs due to the fact I can't parrot whats in the study material.
@CrackBurglar - Why would you want to? Are you looking for a change in venue?
I began fixing computers in my high school about 15 years ago. I worked part-time as a help desk tech through college, then got a full-time position with the same company. I even did my time with Best Buy, but before the Geek Squad. (Learned how to fix A/V equipment, too.) Several years later and I'm the Director of IT for a small company in San Francisco. I have no certifications whatsoever. I've never needed them as I got most of my jobs through connections, and once I got my foot in the door, my experience was more valuable than any certifications. In fact, nowadays, when I'm doing the hiring, the last thing I want to see is a resume with a ton of certifications, but limited or no practical work experience. For me, experience is everything.
The truth is, the only real benefits to hiring a less experienced, younger person are that (a) you can pay them less, and (b) they are more likely to be capable of lifting heavy objects (which I have painfully learned over the years to be an expected part of any hands-on IT job). It's a tough time in the enterprise IT industry right now, and experienced, qualified network admins and engineers are a dime a dozen. It's sad, really.
My advise would be to look into programming. Software development is where the jobs are, where the money is, and where the future will be. This kind of training is generally cheaper, if not freely available on the Internet. It's just a matter of practicing and perfecting your skills. Computer hardware is becoming less important (virtualization, cloud computing) and easier to maintain with fewer hands. That can only result in fewer IT jobs with an already large number of unemployed IT folk.
...but you'll always need someone to write software...
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Seems this thread is computer systems/network heavy so I'll add a little bit for those more inclined to programming
Anything with databases...PERIOD. The larger companies, whether they be brick-and-mortar or online, rely heavily on databases for a huge portion of their internal operations. For my part I work in data warehousing/Business Intelligence, which is currently a hot field and has been for the last 10 years or so.
To get started, learn some object-oriented programming like Java or C# (C++ would work too) and also relational database concepts. Those are core competencies for data warehousing and should only take a year or two of serious study. Once that's out of the way, you can often find data warehouse/business intelligence courses in universities, community colleges or vocational IT schools.
Admittedly, this line of work typically requires a bachelor's degree and isn't easy to crack into like networking or systems administration (or even straight programming like Java) but once you're in, you're golden. I fell into this line of work by happy chance right out of school and started at $42k/yr...within three years my pay jumped to $82k, nearly double. After 5+ years experience it's not atypical to make $100k/yr which I'm nearly at now.
Anyone interested in this line of work can find more information on job responsibilities and skillsets on Monster.com or Dice.com. Just look for the keywords data warehouses, business intelligence, and/or etl.
Getting into the IT field?
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