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Getting into the IT field?

A

arock

Well-Known Member
So I am currently going to school for network systems and would like to try to find some sort of entry level IT position to gain experience. I am looking for advice on how to "get my foot in the door", so to speak. I should have my compTIA A+ certification by the end of feb and was wondering if there was anything else that I should be looking into. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
How old are you? Do you have bills to pay?

You could start at a local IT shop, like Geek Squad, Staples EasyTech, or a mom/pop shop.

Even better, once you have your A+, submit an application with the local school district.

I worked for both Geek Squad and a school district. I enjoyed it to the fullest. Geek Squad also reimburses u for your A+
 
When I was working on my associates degree, part of the final semester was getting an internship in the field. The school helped me get a job at a local PC repair center. I worked there for about a year fixing spyware, hardware, software issues. Then I got a full time job with a local school district as a computer tech...which turned out to be a systems administrator job. So I was administering about 30 - 40 servers, over 3000 users and 600 PCs. I just left that job back in June and I'm now working at Saint Louis University as a systems administrator...all with my associates degree. I'm about 3/4 done with my bachelors degree.

Moral of the story, start small...like a local repair shop and work your way up. Experience counts for A LOT in the IT field.
 
Thanks for the info. I am 28yrs old. Yes I do have bills I have to pay, otherwise it make taking an internship much easier. I will have my assoc degree in nov. I have been trying to get into geek squad for a little while now, but the best buys near me seem to always be on hiring freezes (i know a couple of supervisors and managers at a couple of bb's). I havent tried staples yet, and will have to look into what opportunities they currently have available. Again, thank you for the feedback.
 
I am trying to get into the IT field. I am 16 and have been working for my school for about 6 months. I love technology... Unless its apple.
 
Go for your CCNA and get some MCP's as well at least one server and one client mcp cert. I am big on self study and don't do well in a classroom. CBT Nuggets is a great resource for videos to understand and get your certs. The ccna and mcp's will give you a taste of what you really want to do. . .
 
When you do hunt for that job. Check craigslist.. their are a lot of screwdriver shops that hire and pay decent from the start... plus you wont have to drive around in a vw bug
 
I'm about to graduate with my Associates in Computer Networking, Security, and Information Systems. I was able to get a position at my local school district with no prior experience or certificates. The catch is that I only work 20-29 hours a week and make $7.50 an hour for working on as Help Desk/Field Technician.

Good luck with your A+ cert. I took the test last summer, passed the first test, and missed the second test by 1 point because I was rushing it because I was having a bad stomach day which really sucks!!

I agree with doing some simple PC repair on the side. I post on Craigslist and the city's local classified and some times I'm dead and other times I'm doing pretty decent. Anything you work on is experience, regardless if you fix it or not.
 
I have had my associates in networking, pc support/helpdesk, and information assurance for almost a year now and haven't had any luck finding work in the field myself. I interned for the city which got me some cool experience but everything has a hiring freeze around here. Not to mention, I've yet to pick up any certs mainly due to being nervous about it. I've never been a good test taker and tend to lock up come crunch time.
 
Ya the test are pretty hard. I took my A+ cert during the summer, went into the first test pretty confident and then found out that nothing I was studying was on the test. Second test I had to rush through the test because I was having a bad stomach day. Missed it by 1 question!!! argh!
 
Started at a hospital in the IT field while getting my associates degree. I'm now with a small company working as their only IT guy and have no certs. The money is really good and I get to do what I please. You will talk with many people, it's not what you know, it's who's butt are you gonna kiss to get a better raise.
 
Started in IT 6th March 1973.. Now retired...

If I was starting out now think I'd find some other technology/Industry that was nearer the start of the curve... that IT..

Cheers!

Lodger
 
I want to get into the IT field but all these courses and classes are pretty expensive and I just don't have the money to spend more than $1500 where I live to study this =/ Sucks
 
momoceio said:
Try the CCNP courses/certs :)
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CCNP? I think he should go for the CCNA. The CCNP cert exam is no fun at all.

Get some MS certs, CCNA, and A+. Internships are the best way into the field. If I were you, I would ask some of my teachers (many of them have contacts in the IT field).
 
Try getting on as a support technician at a local company that has a call center. I work for a local bank as a server administrator, and we have 8 support technicians that answer phones and help users with their issues. I've seen several people promoted out of that group to bigger and better jobs in the 2 years I've been here.
 
OK, I'm almost done with my college education in Network Engineering, and really, beyond a degree, any certification in the world, or the ability to make a dead router levitate over your head and magically work again, employers will be looking for experience.

Get a Hell Desk (read: Help Desk) Job. Can't Find one? 1. Bullshit. HellDesk sucks, and the turnover rate is ******edly high, even in this crap economy. 2. Really? Ok, Go volunteer. There are 2,686 YMCAs in the United States alone, and the experience I got at my local one has made potential employers much more interested in me over other people near my knowledge level. Especially because its non profit and you learn REAL FAST how to work within very limited budget when working at a Non profit. In addition, I was able to move up from my volunteering position to part time which helps pay for things while I finish my college degree out.

In 2004 Cisco moved a shitload of content from the CCNP to the CCNA. The CCNP now serves its purpose. Proving you're better than the CCNA guys and can do more things, instead of proving that you can do your job. The CCNA proves you can do your job now. Get a CCNA, you'll be fine for most things, just don't expect to be a communications supervisor at <major telecom here> with a CCNA.

If you can, learn how to be a Wirehead (jargon, node: wirehead (2) Ignore the part about a Ethernet terminator. You are too young to know and you will never have to know) because the need for wireheads is ongoing and its a great skill to have. Remember that the ability to color code the back of a jack and use a punchdown tool does not make you a wirehead, you have to be able to run the cable, know what kind of cable belongs in walls and what doesn't, how to run cable to not violate fire safety codes, stuff like that. Its skill that doesn't go away either. You run Cat6e in pretty much the same way lodger probably used to run Cat3 and thinnet "back in the day" (I spent about a week last year pulling all the thinnet out of the ceilings at my job, simply to clean things up) and with the exception of fiber optics (which you have to be careful with) you'll probably be able to tear Cat7 right through walls at 40m/s like most wiring assholes (everyone in the industry, myself included) do.
 
Very good information @ diekatze88. I was about to say that you can enter the IT field in different ways. Like being a programmer, network engineer, systems engineer, operator, technician etc. And depending on what career you want you will need different certifications/degree for each one. :)
 
Ok so how is this for experience? :)

I am 16, and have worked at my school for about a year now. Me and my friend (he also works with me) are thinking about starting a local repair shop with all the stuff we have learned at our school job. We wont quit the school job, but just imply the skills. Good/bad idea? We have both repaired computer software issues, replaced hardware, fixed cpu LCD monitors, etc.

Also, We are going to start our first big computer project- buy about 6 Dell Optiplex gx280s, and make a Linux Cluster! :) Has anyone made one of these?

Advice would be great!
 
If you want a government IT job, CompTIA Security+ cert is really good to have. Currently i am in Afghanistan as a Computer Administrator Contractor working for General Dynamics. If your looking for really good money and dont mind spending a year or so over seas hit up GDIT.com, we need more people over here. With the uplift for being in a war zone you start at 100k+ a year, as an entry level person.
 
ttaylor0024 said:
Ok so how is this for experience? :)

I am 16, and have worked at my school for about a year now. Me and my friend (he also works with me) are thinking about starting a local repair shop with all the stuff we have learned at our school job. We wont quit the school job, but just imply the skills. Good/bad idea? We have both repaired computer software issues, replaced hardware, fixed cpu LCD monitors, etc.

Also, We are going to start our first big computer project- buy about 6 Dell Optiplex gx280s, and make a Linux Cluster! :) Has anyone made one of these?

Advice would be great!
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Its less than you think it is. Schools run on their own special rules, and often their situations don't apply outside the schools in question. As I stated before, some of the best experience you can get early on is Hell Desk.

Made a linux cluster once, couldn't think of anything to do with it, dismantled it.
 
I went down a route of a modern apprenticeship, I had no experience and started in the NHS (UK) stayed there for 4 years and now work for an insurance company providing IT support. I have no qualifications which hasn't proved me any issues, I guess you have to be at the right place at the right time but experience seems to be more wanted than qualifications. This may change as I move up the ladder which is understandable but at the moment I get great benefits and salary and its a great place to work at. I cover around 8 differents sites throughout the UK supporting various different applications and also support around 50 home users.
 
scottyinco said:
Try getting on as a support technician at a local company that has a call center. I work for a local bank as a server administrator, and we have 8 support technicians that answer phones and help users with their issues. I've seen several people promoted out of that group to bigger and better jobs in the 2 years I've been here.
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I agree, a local ISP help desk might be a good place to start as well. They usually make good start points for Network Analyst/Engineer positions in a year or two.
In college I worked for a friend doing PC/Server/Network support, after graduation I started at an ISP DSL TAC, been moving up from there, working on Static IP/Data Circuits now. CCNA cert is a good move too.
 
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