Looking for some honest advice

[CoffeeConnoisseur]

I'm under a year from getting my degree in IT from Capella University. Before you snicker I'm gonna say this. Lots of people end up dropping from my classes before they're over, I usually get an A in my classes, had a few B's. These classes are not easy at all. They don't hand over the A. Especially my security instructor, which was the hardest I've worked during my whole education. For me it's a good program, I'm no dummy and it challenges me. This is important to the question. Just looking for an honest answer.

My background, I've been into technology since I was a tween, I'm a woman. I served in the Army in signals intelligence that was very technical and I qualified on over 7 of those positions no sweat. I'm good at soaking in technical information. It's just what I have a knack for.

I've taken Java, network, and security classes and got through fine. My strong suit is networking. That's the thing I like the most and have the easiest time with. So I'm focusing on that.

I've been applying for help desk jobs and have been denied every time, a couple of places emailed back and said they COULDN'T hire me because I have no degree and they wish they could have.

I'm applying for help desk jobs because I have no job experience for anything else, my clearance is expired so I can't go back to SIGINT. No more golden ticket. SIGINT is not really like other IT jobs, it's a different monster, so they really don't care about my certifications on those systems.

Here's the question. What do I need to get hired? Is it really hard for women to get their foot in the door in IT?

Only reason I say this is because I've seen 3 of my male friends that aren't that knowledgeable land help desk jobs and I can't. I just don't get it. Men always question me when I say I'm into technology, they just make jokes or say “oh you think you know about computers?” Something like that. They always question me until they see it.

The other big question is, what are some experiences some of you may have with online degrees and getting hired? I feel like my program is good, but I may be wrong. It may be kinda late to turn back now though. I graduate in the fall.

Thanks if you can help out.

 

[Omoplata]

With your background I don't see why anyone with a level head would turn you away. If you know what you are talking about then really it shouldn't be an issue at all. The fact that you will have a degree is really all an employer cares about. Where it is from is less important. It can help make you stand out in a crowd of resumes or sometimes help in a "tiebreaker" situation, but in general your performance in the interview is what will make all the difference. I have hired people with less experience or education simply because they seem more coachable and likeable than other more seasoned people.

When you graduate the important thing is to start applying to places you want to work. Don't just peruse Career Builder or Monster either. Think of some companies in your area that you like doing business with or that have a good reputation and put your resume in with them. If you can, do it in person. Speak with their recruiter/hiring manager if possible. I know it seems pushy, but people notice assertiveness. Just don't look desperate.

Don't be too discouraged if you don't get something right away. You'll find something if you really go after it. Plus, going on interviews is good practice for upcoming interviews in your career.

Good luck!

 

[Lexluethar]

Finish off i think you are doing the right thing. Finish your degree and apply for jobs that you feel you are truly qualified for (IE helpdesk).

To increase your marketability i would suggest getting a few certifications while you are finishing your degree. CompTIA A+ and Net+ are generally starting points. With those two certifications and zero experience you can usually land a helpdesk position if you have good interviewing skills (it's an art honestly).

Also, tailor your resume to fit the position you are applying for. So if you are applying for a helpdesk position you should be tailoring your resume to fit that job. I'm not saying to lie, but you should emphasize your IT skills, things you've done, projects, classes, etc that emphasize your IT knowledge. MOST people have one resume, and they just throw it at any company they want to work for. You need to tailor your resume to the job. It's hare in IT because EVERY employer wants experienced people, yet how can you get experience without getting hired on at a helpdesk. It's a catch 22.

I worked as a project manager for 3 years before landing my first IT job at a helpdesk. What i did was tailor my resume to show that while my official title at my current company had nothing to do with IT, i did IT stuff at my work. I listed all of the things i've done up to that point that was IT related. Projects, ideas, fixing stuff - those are the things they want to see usually. Then in the interview I was candid as possible "hey, while my job title has nothing to do with IT I was the IT guy at my job. I'm not saying i know everything and i have a lot to learn." Be honest, most employers want honesty over an embellished resume.

 

[CoffeeConnoisseur]

Thanks you two for the advice, I'm definitely not giving up. I was told by someone in one of my classes that they are looking more for customer service skills in help desk. I have a lot of that. You're right, interviewing is an art. I actually had a help desk phone interview but for some reason I didn't get it. No IT questions were asked they were all about customer service.

I will keep trying.

Thanks again.

 

[Lexluethar]

Customer service skills are lacking in IT in general - so having those skills will do you well as you move along with your career. I would say your biggest shortcoming right now is your resume - if you only got one call back then people aren't even giving your resume a second look.

Forget about interviews, if you can't get your foot in the door then you need to work on your resume. Get the degree, get a few certifications and you won't have any problems landing that first IT job. Once you are there after a year or so of experience a lot of doors will open for you.

 

[CoffeeConnoisseur]

Well that's good news. LOL! Really great. As I said before the thing about my resume is it shows no real world knowledge besides my military career. Had a lot emails about those jobs, they offered me a deployment as a SIGINT manager in Afghan… I was a new mom, wasn't looking into doing that at the time. I'd probably do it now that my daughter is a little older.
My clearance is done with that side though so that does me no good now.

They email and ask if I have a clearance, when I say no, the emails stop. Worst mistake of my life letting that expire, I was under the impression it could be renewed at a later date. Nope. Anyone out there with a Top Secret clearance, it opens A LOT of doors, please oh please keep using your clearance.

I use a lot of those study guides in my classes. The last class I took I used a Network + study guide that I saw someone mention on this forum. It wasn't too hard besides the conversion of IP addresses to binary and converting IPv4 to IPv6 etc. I got it though.

I'm taking another network admin. Course coming in April, I think I'm gonna study for Network+ along with that and try at the exam right after the course when everything is fresh.
Part of the reason I didn't get that job was I told him I couldn't work nights, he actually told me there was an opening for a night shift job, but I'm a single mom and I can't do that. That's another issue; time.

I have NO time to really study besides for school. But I'm gonna have to do this some way. Sigh.

This will happen, have to work for it.

 

[DistraughtSysop]

Are you getting an AAS from Capella? If so, do you know if the credits are transferable?

If you've already gone through a Net+ study guide and you understand the material then you should be okay to take the Net+ exam. If you have elective courses that you can take, maybe you can take a hardware course and a Windows course. Studying for the classes would basically be studying for the certification exams. I understand if you want to play it safe, though - those exams aren't cheap.

 

[CoffeeConnoisseur]

I'm going for my BS, the credits are transferable but the only school I'd want to transfer to has a totally different approach, it's more so programming courses than networking, so I would spend another year or so in school on top of what I have left. I just wanna be done with it. The other colleges in my area are really expensive though besides Cleveland State. That's why I say it's kinda too late to transfer to a different school.

 

[DistraughtSysop]

Okay, you should be fine with a BS. When I was looking for work, just about everything I saw required a Bachelor's, even positions that didn't require any experience. The ones that didn't require a Bachelor's all required experience. I was just going to say that you'd want to make sure that the credits can be transferred if you're going for an AAS. I actually still need to get my BS and it would suck something fierce if I had to start from square one. You should be okay, though.

A couple of entry level certs and a BS should help a lot.