Career Advice PLease!

[RoadrunnerNBiggs]

Hey All,

I am kind of new to the IT world. I've always liked computers since I was a kid (playing PC games). Didn't think I can actually turn it into a career until after I graduated college with a useless degree.

I am 25 years old now, and was wondering if you fellas have any career advice for me? I was thinking of going to a community college that offers certificate programs in CISCO, Cybersecurity, or Web Design. I've already taken hardware and networking classes through this school, and believe it's a pretty good school. Currently, I am studying for my A+ certification and it's going smoothly--I plan to take the exam next week. But will this certificate really help me get my foot in the door in IT? I see a lot of job postings for helpdesk jobs that want at least 1-3 years of related work experience, and I don't know how to get that experience. Please help!

 

[TylerB1]

I'm actually current enrolled at a community college for IT. It's a good place to get you're foot in the door with any classes you take. You'll get certified in what you go for, then you can always go take tests on your own time to get certified in other things. They also help set you up with job opportunities after you graduate.

 

[RoadrunnerNBiggs]

Thanks for the response! Sweet that they help you find a job. Not sure if my college does that, but I'll have to check with their career services. Do you think the certifications matter more (A+, Net+, Sec+) or on the job experience?

I was actually thinking of changing my job in the Army to 25B (IT Specialist). I'm a reservist. Does anybody know if that'll open doors for me in the civvy world?

 

[Lexluethar]

Getting your A+ will help for sure. It's tough to land that first job because most entry level IT jobs require some type of experience, yet you can't get experience unless you get hired somewhere.

This is where certifications come into play and can help you get your foot in the door. It will also give you a leg-up on the competition.

As for the community college it's all about how you learn and what you want to do. If you learn in a school room setting then yes, going to a local college and going through some classes will help. Alternatively you can just study on your own and take the exam.

What do you enjoy doing? Programming? Hardware? Software? Networking? Security?

Some of the big certifications are CCNA, CCNP, MCSA, MCSE, VCP and VCAP. There are probably hundreds of others but it depends on what you want to do.

I've always told people to cast a wide net, get your hands dirty in a few things to find out what you like. Once you start finding the think that you really like start focusing more on it. Realize your focus will probably change over the years and over time as technologies change. I started out on a help desk and got my A+ and Net+. I then worked on some Microsoft certifications now i'm getting more into vmware.

Do what you enjoy and you can't go wrong.

 

[RoadrunnerNBiggs]

Thanks for the response. Sorry for replying back so late.

So you think once I pass my A+ and Net+ certifications, I should be good to go in at least finding an entry level job, probably at most a helpdesk role even though I don't have any experience in the tech sector? That is what I am aiming for for now. And I will go from there. Some of my friends have told me to work at least in retail in the electronics section (BestBuy, Target Electronics, Walmart), just so I can have customer service and some type of tech experience even though its so nominal. Would this be a good idea or can I do without?


I can honestly say that I like hardware and networking a lot. I think I will go the networking route and try to obtain my CCNA after I get the basic CompTia certifications.

 

[Lexluethar]

Yes, with an A+ and Net+ you should be able to land something entry level (it may take a bit of digging and interviews). Once you land that first job start digging in on your CCNA then CCNP.

I don't think there is anything wrong with retail, just try to focus on the technical side.