What entry-level IT jobs are still in-demand currently?

[1etherer]

For 1st line roles ignore the required months/ year exp (unless it states quite specific knowledge of systems that you know you cant do off the bat), when you apply just tell them you have xyz knowledge and experience in the area they require and show how enthusiastic you are that you can continue to gain more experience and learn (if they say they will teach you that's a plus).


With regards to the whole IT "years" experience thing..

Someone with 5 years' experience could know jack sh#t compared to someone with 1 year experience.

I work with contractors who have been in IT support for 25+ years and they are still on 2nd line support and don't know much more than that (some are completely useless and shouldnt be in IT), plus never kept up with technologies/systems (which means you will never progress).

I have only worked in IT for 2years, my private life IT experience spans 12ish years which involed helping others with basic issues, and fixing network issues for charties etc.

I decided to go into IT (technical support) 2 years ago as its always been my passion to provide help to others as I've always volunteer to support people and charities with IT related issues, so I finally looked at my career future and decided to make the jump – it's the best decision ever! It's like I don't have a job anymore because IT is just fun and I enjoy the challenges (it's the main point of working in IT).

I am looking at becoming an Infrastructure server engineer within 1year from now within the organisation I'm currently at (but a position may open within 4-5months, which I believe I could get).
So within 3 years of starting my career I will of got to the IT role that I aimed for, I did think it would take me 5 years!

I study constantly to learn what I need, e.g. exchange server 2010/13, 365, svr2008/12 and all the features / roles that come with it, networking side of things - switches (cisco, learning now), VLANs(im learning now), network protocols, citrix (which is our environment) etc..

I have taken and passed exams, Comptia A+, Windows 7, windows server 2012, and looking at doing my CCNA by early 2017.

Just set a realistic goal and be determined to reach it, and you'll be fine

 

[WhatShouldIDo]

It's definitely only a preference. Being retail like it is, it isn't easy to find certified folks. They will take what they get. Also, note that it says "or equivalent," which basically means as long as you know your stuff, you're good. I still work there part time two days a week as an ARA.

A colleague of mines that was also let go eventually had worked at a local Staples, and even he did not have any of those IT certification such as the typical CompTIA ones. I would believe all of what you said earlier about requirements for entry-level IT jobs in various Retailer to be true.

He told me however that retail won't pay nearly as much when compared to the phone and email support that we had did before and they paid like $15 an hour. Last I checked he did get a promotion to a low-level supervisor position at Staples and they were only paying him around $12 an hour and he started around $10 an hour.

But that is good to know and I know what my expectations should be.

However, I know I would not like those salary results for Long Term if I had pay around $400 or more in order to get the A+ and then only making far less than what I had been making before.

Where are you at again?

As in the specific location of where I am at?

I'm currently in the US, in Boston.

Now I do not know for certain if the current location I am at is good for or whether if it really is Not so good for entry-level IT jobs.

I do think locations play an important role, I'm certain that there are some places where the common IT job openings that are available are only or mostly high-level instead of entry-level. So for those locations then it would mean that somebody that could only qualify for entry-level IT work would have no choice but to either relocate or they would have to change their field or major or something to meet those job openings that are in-demand and have enough openings for entry-level positions for the location that they are currently residing at.

That depends on when you were hunting for jobs. IT isn't an easy field to get into, and when the economy was bad several years back it was even harder. I would encourage you to keep trying now that things have improved.

What field is really or actually even easy to get into nowadays? From your perception anyway I meant.

And if there IS a field that is really "easy" to get into, then would it generate a stable enough income level instead of working at minimum wage or near-minimum wages?

Because if that the case then I think those kind of fields that leads to those income-level jobs are not going to be suitable for long term solutions. Then someone would just be struggling to get by, by going from paycheck to paycheck.

It was the Summer of 2011 when I had been laid off from the IT job. Been looking for work since then throughout 2012, and then I start to feel despair and even felt as if I was in denial that nothing really bad had happened. Then I eventually got a completely different job in 2013, but that was more than likely because I made a friend that helped me.

Four years of support is good, but make sure you haven't forgotten everything. Brush up on all of your operating systems from Windows XP to Windows 10.

I had updated to Windows 10, and eventually got myself a smartphone to try and keep up with Android OS. Did use Mac OS X and gone through some of the interface screens of iOS for the iPhones and iPads.

I'm probably just gonna have to take a PC Hardware and Software course at the school I'm currently attending in order to catch up. I did take one class earlier but it was more so on Applications and Concepts which focused more on the basics of Windows 8, Web Browsers, and Microsoft Office.

My current job with a county government could probably be considered entry-level. There were no certifications required, no really previous experience except that I know my stuff on computers. During the interview, the guys had me perform a series of tasks on a laptop they had setup.

It's even better they test you that way instead of asking you so many questions, but usually the interview questions I had to deal with are all Behavioral type of Interview questions since they want to make sure I would fit in and can get along and able to follow directions, communicate well enough, having a consistent attendance and being punctual and completed projects and assignments on time meeting deadlines. I received mostly questions pertaining more to the soft-skills first and then I got the technical knowledge confirmation questions after.

So basically, know your stuff. Have your resume reflect your skills appropriately. Look in the places that folks may not think about. The county job I have? It wasn't on Monster or USA Jobs or Indeed or in the local paper. I had to go to the county web site and search. Turn the stones over and you'll be surprised what you might find. Good luck.

That's important to know, thanks. In your case it was more direct, you'd have to go to the government's career or employment page to look for any available openings and then apply.

A lot of times I figured that you would need the connections from people, friends, relatives, and other professionals working in the same field you are in to really help you along the way by giving you a recommendation and reference so that it would increase the odds of the employer responding back and contacting the applicant to set up an in-person interview.

Otherwise I think they just might overlook and don't think you'd stand out enough, or they are uncertain enough on whether to trust who you are and what you claim to be and be able to do and ignore you completely.

They sometimes have something called a hidden job market where only internal employees would know about, since companies out of common courtesy would post available openings for internal applicants first to see if anyone that qualifies is interested to apply, etc., and then if absolute nobody wanted it and they need to hire for those specific openings they will post them into the public.

But other times internal employees can let someone they know such as relatives, friends and acquaintances and let them become aware of the opening and then have them submit an application earlier prior to the position being listed publicly thus it helps increase the odds for someone like that to get and interview and get hired for that available job.