IT Field

[Nano3]

Here is my life story...

I've been studying CompTIA A+ for about a month now and have decided to pursue getting certified. I'm pretty sure that i can pass the test on my own. To take certification classes in the school is costly and frankly... i don't have the money to pay for it... Besides, It's pretty easy IMO.

Back in High school i took 3 years of Cisco Networking class as my elective and i loved it. Right now i have been lucky and got a job as an "Intern" at a local computer repair shop formatting hard drives, Backing up documents, finding drivers and other miscellaneous rookie tech jobs. It's more for the IT experience and resume building...

I've been meaning to get back into school to get an actual degree in something but the problem is that i have no idea what i should get into, Or at that - Who to talk to. There are a lot of different jobs and positions in the IT field and i am having a really hard time figuring out just what i want to get into. I was hoping you guys would care to shine some light?

 

[Brian6121990]

For schools, they're great colleges such as ITT Tech, or UEI. Even the military teaches you that stuff (not recommended). I currently attending UEI and i am almost done and next month will be my last right before i hit my externship where they help me look for jobs, interviews and building resumes. Studying is the key to success to an IT field because you would need to know how to troubleshoot problems and also using your resources. My part in the IT field is just to focus on building, repairing, troubleshooting computers/laptops, etc. Not much of a networking person myself or much on linux. I just work with Windows XP, Vista, and 7. But there will be times that you will have to repair computers of other os like macs and linuxs.

As for jobs, have your resumes and your cover letters updated and finished for job interviews and job searching. Since you do networking, you can work for Cox Cable, Verizon (depending on location), and AT&T since they deal with networking and internet jobs or other router manufacturers like Linksys and Netgear.

[EDIT] Also, most schools offer a certain number of vouchers for taking the A+ Certification Testing (meaning you get a free limit of taking the test). Or just taking the test, they cost like around $100 bucks.

 

[whs]

I think Brian is right. With your (short) background, networking may be a good direction to persue. You could start with a CISCO certification.
But the real knowledge will only come from on the job experience. With things changing so fast, you have to have a plan to always stay on top of the most recent developments.

 

[Nano3]

What about an approach as a System Administrator? Networking is something that i have experiance but don't really have a passion for. What I'm trying to get from this post is any help into pointing which direction of schooling i should go for. I want to go back to school

 

[whs]

The schooling question will depend entirely on what's available in your area. I would start checking the community college.

 

[Brian6121990]

But if you wanna expand your experience, its great to go to college and go for a 2 year degree. After you graduate, you start off with a great salary.

 

[Little Darwin]

Read "The World is Flat" as you consider your long term plans.

The bottom line is to be flexible, especially in IT.

Think on your feet and try to find the right balance between specialization and generalization. If you block yourself into relying on certifications you will not be able to adjust quickly enough. Sure, do it for your first job, but don't concentrate all of your studies on one area after that. Learn other interesting areas that you think are on the horizon. You will guess wrong occasionally, but you will be ready to adjust if you keep looking in several areas.

There are certain jobs that will persist, but it is more a product of chance than exceptional training in one narrow field.

I have worked IT for 30 years, so I do have some background, and I see where things are changing.

I think the book is alarmist, but the general thoughts are good. IT other than a limited number of hardware installers and button pushers can work from anywhere in the country or world. For anything but these grunt jobs, you are competing globally. Position yourself accordingly.

 

[Kari]

As an employer, I just want to say this: our best geeks are self taught, or have a minor degree plus some internship background.

Please do not misunderstand me. I think, and believe, that education is important. But 'nerdism' is an art form, it's in you or it isn't. The lack of formal education can't hide it no more than an accidental masters degree can compensate it. You either have it or not.

From your post I read you have it. Seek a better internship, search for interesting educational possibilities, let the employers know you are not only a pro already, but that you are willing to learn more. A modern employer seeks not only the degrees, he / she seeks potential. Your main task should be to be always ready to show that potential.

Just my 2 cents.

Kari

 

[Nano3]

Thank you all for all the responses!

It's hard for me to fully concentrate on my studies. I took high school as a joke (Oh, if i could turn back the hands of time... if only) so i never fully got down any study habits. I'm easily distracted. I definitely have "Nerdism" I'm constantly always looking at new ways to troubleshoot pc problems. trying to keep up with technology is my thing. If i do decide on going back to school. what courses do you guys suggest i dip my feet in first? I enjoy building, repairing and troubleshooting computers/laptops.

 

[pparks1]

As an employer, I just want to say this: our best geeks are self taught, or have a minor degree plus some internship background.

I agree with that statement. I went to college between 1993 and 1997 and graduated with a 4 year business degree in 1997. As far as computers were concerned, you really only had options for computer science or management information systems. There really weren't tracks or programs for network admins or system admins then. Thus, I think the current market is full of those self taught computer nerd types...myself included....who got into IT after being unhappy in other fields.

I'm the main systems engineer where I work and i have a bachelor of science in business administration with a major in accounting information systems. Our network engineer (who is a CCNP), majored in Food Science. Our manager of global IT has a degree in architecture.

 

[whs]

As an employer, I just want to say this: our best geeks are self taught, or have a minor degree plus some internship background

Yeah, that may work if you seek employment in some rinky dink roller bearing company. But if you want to make a carreer with one of the Fortune 500 companies, it will not work. In those companies, the applications are sorted out by the personnel department and the department that is actually hiring the person will not even see an application that does not have the right credentials.

 

[pparks1]

As an employer, I just want to say this: our best geeks are self taught, or have a minor degree plus some internship background

Yeah, that may work if you seek employment in some rinky dink roller bearing company. But if you want to make a carreer with one of the Fortune 500 companies, it will not work.

Sure it will, my coworker with the food science degree and myself came from Thomson Reuters...they are a pretty large organization.

Now, after getting into IT, I've persued and obtained numerous certs and such to go along with my experience. But it's always been the certs and experience that have mattered most in job interviews...my actual college degree isn't even discussed.

As a person who used to do interviewing at Thomson Reuters...our requirements were always certs or certain # of years of on the job experience or equivalent.

 

[whs]

As an employer, I just want to say this: our best geeks are self taught, or have a minor degree plus some internship background

Yeah, that may work if you seek employment in some rinky dink roller bearing company. But if you want to make a carreer with one of the Fortune 500 companies, it will not work.

Sure it will, my coworker with the food science degree and myself came from Thomson Reuters...they are a pretty large organization.

Now, after getting into IT, I've persued and obtained numerous certs and such to go along with my experience. But it's always been the certs and experience that have mattered most in job interviews...my actual college degree isn't even discussed.

As a person who used to do interviewing at Thomson Reuters...our requirements were always certs or certain # of years of on the job experience or equivalent.

Hmm, maybe it works with a company like Thomson Reuters. But in my company (which was a lot bigger - 400.000 employees), it would not have worked. I hired a lot of people during my carreer, but when we advertised jobs for which we had e.g. 5 openings, we got 5000 applications. And we fully depended on the personnel department to do all the initial sorting. We actually only saw about 20 or 30 of the 5000 applications.

 

[pparks1]

Thomson Reuters screened people with a recruiting dept as well and we would have weeded out a ton of applicants as well....but for the IT jobs it wouldn't typically be due to a lack of an IT based college degree. We published either required certs or required years of experience. Those people who had the experience or the certs...or some other equivalent experience were the only resumes we would see. From that point, the IT guys would go over the resumes and further weed out which we wanted to see and which we didn't.

So, my point in all of this is that education is important, but doesn't necessarily have to be college based. There is a lot of self learning which can then be backed up with certs.

The hardest part is that you usually need experience to get certs and it's hard to sometimes get experience on the job without having the certs. Which is often why a ton of people have to start a bit lower than they hope and prove themselves. For example, quite a number of IT server engineers came up the ranks from help desk call center to get to where they are today. That's what I had to do.

 

[loaba]

I just started back to school, first time in about 15 years. I've knocked around IT in low-level positions on and off over the years.

When I talked with school advisors, it became clear to me that Cisco is the way to go from a monetary standpoint. Also, if you want to minimize customer contact focusing on hardware is a great way to do that.

System Administration is another option, but it doesn't pay as well. And of course, customer interaction is high. Todays IT department isn't like the bad old days anymore.

Company Man - uh, is this the IT department? Yeah, I need some help with my computer.
IT Guy - okay dude, sit tight for me. Someone will get right to you, just as soon we finish up this round of Doom. Thanks. ::click::
Company Man - ::talking to dead air:: uh, okay...

For my own plans, I'll take classes in both disciplines while I can, but I can't really afford 4 or 5 years of college. I will need to choose one of the two by next semester.

 

[CarlTR6]

To you guys mulling over your career, I sincerely wish you the best. As a former HR type, I can tell you that how your present yourself - resume, cover letter, etc - is critical. It doesn't matter what your education is, if you don't present yourself well in writing, you are not going get through the HR screening unless you have something really outstanding.

 

[Kari]

As an employer, I just want to say this: our best geeks are self taught, or have a minor degree plus some internship background

Yeah, that may work if you seek employment in some rinky dink roller bearing company. But if you want to make a carreer with one of the Fortune 500 companies, it will not work. In those companies, the applications are sorted out by the personnel department and the department that is actually hiring the person will not even see an application that does not have the right credentials.

I guess then we are a rinky dink roller bearing company.

My statement was not a recommendation, it describes our current situation. A small company of only 10+ employees and a yearly turnover less than one executive in these Fortune 500 companies makes.

We have time to interview each applicant, possibility to see and feel the person behind an application. I like it this way. I've been sometimes disappointed, sometimes positively surprised. Luckily more the latter.

I stand 100% behind what I said about education in my previous post:

I think, and believe, that education is important. But 'nerdism' is an art form, it's in you or it isn't. The lack of formal education can't hide it no more than an accidental masters degree can compensate it. You either have it or not.

Kari

 

[loaba]

I've worked for a big company and numerous mom-and-pop shops, can't say either one is better or worse. I guess it is a case of pick your poison...

Next job I have is with the state (if they're hiring).