I'm not sure what to do/where to go as far as a career in IT?

[bsote92]

I have a few questions.

I want to be an IT guy.
But when I search for IT jobs, a million things come up.
IT project manager, IT manager, IT technician, IT support specialist, senior IT systems administrator, IT support specialist, IT operations technician, etc.

Which field do I actually want?
I just want to be the guy who fixes and builds systems. On my campus for example, there's a team of like 6 guys who just walk around the school answering ticket requests, fixing the teachers' computer problems, they set up the windows server that all the students connect to, they manage the students and teachers accounts, they set up a student network with limited access and a teacher network that has a bit more freedom, like being able to go on youtube for example, they set up and manage all the printers and printer networks, and they upgrade all the software/hardware.
This is what I want to do. Basically build and manage the system that a campus/office would be using.
What would the official job title of that be? Is that even all blended into one job? And would I be doing any of these things at an entry level position?


Another question is whatever the job I described is, what would be the best route to get that job?

I plan on getting a bachelors in computer science.
What should my minor be for that field? I was thinking mathematics since computers and math are basically tied together.

I also would hope to get an internship while I'm going through school.
What would be a good place to intern at?

And lastly, certifications are important.
What certs would I need to do what I want to do?
A+, some kind of windows certification, what else?

 

[iFargle]

What you're talking about is IT helpdesk.
best route would be certs (A+, N+, etc)

Computer science isn't a great track for someone who wants to work in IT. You want something like Information Systems or business information technology

I'm no guru on the certs but A+ and the Microsoft certs would be a great place to start IMO.

 

[Chasee]

Hey, that's really cool man. Sounds like we have really similar interests.

I'm still in school, but I'll share some of the information I've picked up along the way from hours of research, and networking with successful individuals in the field, as my step dad is a sysadmin of an energy company in Houston.

It's cool that you plan on going to college, it really is! But don't waste your time or money on a big, fancy degree. College is preferred (of course, why wouldn't it be), but usually not required. Most of the time, experience is favored over college time. Why? Because in college, for IT at least, you're not getting the hands-on experience that you would learn in a big, fast paced, corporate environment like you would be in the real world.

So, with that being said. It sounds like you have some more researching to do! You most likely won't find EXACTLY what you want to do, until you get hands-on experience in all of those fields. How can you do that, you ask? Simple. Do like I'm doing. Start out with desktop support/helpdesk specialist, and figure out what it is that you have the most fun doing! For example, I think it would be really cool to come up with new methods of blocking hackers and attackers on a network for a large company. That's awesome! However, I don't really have much experience in any of the fields, so I can't say for certain that's what I'll be doing. Do more research on what each field does. Keep in mind that your tasks will vary depending on what company you work for, etc.

A great place to start would be like the individual said above me, start with your A+ & Net+ certs, and that's a way to start narrowing down your options/desires.

I don't know much, but I hope that I helped!

 

[carnageX]

I plan on getting a bachelors in computer science.
What should my minor be for that field? I was thinking mathematics since computers and math are basically tied together.

Like iFargle said, CS isn't really geared toward that - CS is a programming/software developer area of study. I graduated with my BS in CS in December, and work for my state's gov. as a software dev. However, I have enough experience in IT from working in different IT jobs since high school, that if I wanted to switch over I could. My CS degree would only help me from there.

 

[Lexluethar]

As others have said - the job you've detailed is a desktop support tech. If that is what you want to do the jobs you want to search for are desktop technician, desktop support, some help desk jobs will have a desktop role included as well.

I always suggest people start at the bottom and work up - this will ensure that you succeed in any IT field you choose and it will ensure that you choose a field you like.

Start by taking the CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Net+. Once you have those certifications (about $300 each) you can get an entry level job doing what you've outlined. There are TONS of free quality resources online, i suggest professormesser.com or purchasing a MIke Meyers book and reading it.

Once you are settled in IT and have a few years you'll get a feeling of what you like and enjoy. Desktop Support is a start - as you develop if you still like doing 'everything' a System Administrator / System Engineer are titles that encompass a ton of stuff. I'm a System Administrator at my job and it encompasses lots of things, everything from racking servers in a datacenter, planning system builds, creating servers in vmware, backs, troubleshooting - just about everything under the sun.

 

[Remeran12]

Sounds exactly like what I do. I'm an IT Technician for a non profit that does social work. I do everything from setting new employee's computers up to troubleshooting server issues. Just so you know entry level techs don't get paid much. I started where i am in Jan getting 28k a year. Luckily I came in the middle of a huge project and did well so they upped me to 38k. I would say 38k is on the high end for a general tech.

Also keep in mind that being a general tech can launch into a million different things. Right now I'm studying nights to finish my Bachelors degree in IT with a security emphasis. I'd say get your A+ and/or Net+ get an entry level job, figure out what you want to specialize in and go from there. (you can specialize in being a general tech, which can lead to being something like a system Admin)