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IT certifications
Casually Hardcore
Once an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered User regular
Once an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered User regular
Hey all,
Well now that the oil boom has busted, I'm thinking about ending up in a new career because.....well.....why not? Chemical Engineering isn't my thing anymore. Even if oil booms again, I don't want to work 90 some hours every week again.
So I'm looking at getting IT certs because there's a huge demand in IT related fields in the areas I want to live at (another thing that I hated about working in Oil and Gas). My question is, what's the most cost effective way to get a good job?
My current goal is to get A+ and Network + certified as quickly as possible. Hopefully, with those two, I can get an entry level IT help desk/IT Tech position and start getting experience.
But from there? Where do I go? Microsoft? Cisco? Is it possible to self study every certification exam or should I hit up the local community college to supplement my learning?
Well now that the oil boom has busted, I'm thinking about ending up in a new career because.....well.....why not? Chemical Engineering isn't my thing anymore. Even if oil booms again, I don't want to work 90 some hours every week again.
So I'm looking at getting IT certs because there's a huge demand in IT related fields in the areas I want to live at (another thing that I hated about working in Oil and Gas). My question is, what's the most cost effective way to get a good job?
My current goal is to get A+ and Network + certified as quickly as possible. Hopefully, with those two, I can get an entry level IT help desk/IT Tech position and start getting experience.
But from there? Where do I go? Microsoft? Cisco? Is it possible to self study every certification exam or should I hit up the local community college to supplement my learning?
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Maybe not 90 hours a week but you will work extra with little to no comp for it. its the buisness.
Real talk- You are of the right mindset. You will start in a puppymill/helpdesk spot. Turnover will be high but if you shine you will move up. Dont fret over coming from another walk of life- entry level of IT has a metric ton of that. The best advice - Be good with people. If you are good with people the other junk will fall into place. One of the best IT skills you will ever develop is the ability to take IT talk, and make a normal person understand and be comfortable with what is going on.
To be totally blunt your job at that level is to communicate- You are general break/fix, You make users comfortable and happy, and You are relaying real issues technically to the admins that need to know exact and detailed info. Thats the whole job at that level really. If you walk into an entry level job not solid with the skills but excellent at people? That job is yours. The skills can come on the job in time. I say this as person who helped make those hires.
Where do you go after A+/network+(Solid entry level stuff)? That's up to you.
MS certs are extremely broad and help in most any job.
Cisco certs are very very narrow in scope as its A) 1 vendor and
There is certs for almost anything.
Self paced- is fine but make sure you know the content and don't study just to pass a test. Lots of excellent bootcamps/classrooms out there for $$$. I have enjoyed doing certs either way...
Certs dont make the man at some point.. you will need real world exp and have to learn a ton on the fly. as we all do.....
Dont overlook small outsourcing firms for jobs. You will work crazy hours, but your base may grow extremely fast as you deal with a large skillset across multiple tasks.
Welcome to the fold! feel free to PM me if you want to dive deep.
To be honest, most things are moving into virtual or cloud environments, so the hardware needs are shrinking compared to even 5 years ago.
Yeah, if you become a master of server and data virtualization, you'll probably make double fuck you money and get to play with a bunch of cool stuff.
IT is one of those crap shoot sort of fields too, to make the big money (which compared to other fields isn't big money) you have to super specialize and that can take years because even if you have the paper you will have no experience. Hopefully the field you pick stays desireable, I have seen a few guys who's once hot tech turned to shit.
If you have the time and money for and access to program like this, I highly recommend it. Very hands-on. Broad in a lot of ways, but at least with my program you ostensibly end up with all the learning required to go for your CCNA at the end. Plus, the majority of the class was all older people (in the sense that there was maybe 1 dude straight out of high school and the rest were 25+)
Also, have you thought about security? Because fucking everyone needs security. That's what I went back to school for, and job prospects are looking pretty good.
Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
Forget it...
You're in a prime place then, as Denver has a decent start-up scene from what I remember. You may just try applying to some of those and just say "yo, I'm smart and ready to learn, let's roll".
http://mylearn.vmware.com/portals/certification/
VMWare is one of the largest virtualized platforms available. After you pass your A+, and maybe your N+, it couldn't hurt to look at the entry level certifications you can get here.
Also, ITIL v.3 foundations is a solid cert - you'll learn a bunch of definitions, but you'll have a good understanding of the IT process involved in deploying, managing, and creating IT services in a large enterprise. It's somewhat banal, so sorry in advance, but you'll learn a lot.
'Cloud' generally refers to a large provider, like Amazon. Honestly, it's a business/marketing term that doesn't carry that much weight, so don't focus on it too hard. Just know it's a thing, but there are a few certs based on them: http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/cloud-it-certifications,2-537.html
As someone who's taken and passed his MCSE, the Microsoft certs were very helpful in my career, and would highly recommend them.
It'll also speak mountains if you send a resume without certifications, then send another one a month later, with certifications. Make that pop on your resume, and people will see that you're serious about breaking into the industry.
Personally speaking, when I hire people, I don't give any shits about their certs or degrees. I want to know how they think, how they reach conclusions, how they troubleshoot. I want to know how quickly they learn and what their intuition tells them. Those degrees and certifications certainly help, and at some companies can help with advancement. But if you show people how quickly you're learning things, and ask for them to throw you some bigger bones, that's the way to move up. Unless they won't throw you the bones. Then you should move on.
Skybeam is in Loveland. I'd see if they have any openings. Working help desk for a WISP can be grueling (I've done it), but can also give you a metric ton of experience with residential and business networking, and make you feel 10x smarter than the IT head of X business you're on the phone with. You essentially learn something new every day, by being exposed to so many different environments. If they can throw you bones, you can learn about their MPLS or OSPF infrastructure, learn about RF (which has some value, depending on where you go with it).
I know they use Ubiquiti equipment, too, which is just fun as hell to work with.
A+ is a fast, easy foot in the door for IT stuff. N+ is probably more generally useful (it came out after I left IT, but networking knowledge is awesome in most computer related jobs).
People will tell you to specialize. This is good long term advice and terrible short term. Try to do a little of everything early to get a feel for what comes natural to you and what you enjoy. Once you know that, you can specialize.
Help desk is a terrible, thankless job. People are proud and embarrassed of their ignorance at the same time, and will take it out on you. Get out as fast as you can. IT consultants do the same thing, but cost 10x as much, so people value them more. You don't get paid 10x as much, but at least you get respect and networking opportunities.
A CS degree will teach you virtually nothing about any job that requires it, but it will open a ton of doors. And wallets.
It sounds like you have a good start in mind with the certs. Do that, get some job where you touch a computer, and do community college, and you'll be able to take that in any direction you choose.
I'm comfortable with the content, but I don't have every little detail memorize. How far should I go in the memorization? Should I know every port and their function, for example?
Overstudy. On this kind of test, a few pointers: 1) There is a huge pool of questions and so you need to know every last bit of the material, and 2) They are more English tests than technical tests. Reading comprehension can make or break your final score.
Some examples:
A question "pick the correct answers", followed by a question "pick the wrong answers"
"All of the above" as a answer on a "pick any 3" question (which is automatically wrong because there are 5 possible answers).
"Pick the BEST answer", not the correct answer. This is a frequent code phrase meaning "answer the way the company prefers, not the technically best answer".
I've found that I couldn't skip over the details of what was being asked for, there are a ton of little gotchas in the way the questions were worded.
I've been told for ages to get an IT certificate or two under my belt. The people who suggest this to me tend to justify it as "hey, you like computers and videogames, that's basically IT!". I've also been told that I could theoretically combine an IT cert with my Criminal Justice degree, as IT Security is something that is always in demand.
But "IT" is such a broad field that I wouldn't know what to specifically major in. I don't want to go down the college path again to spend the time and money only to end up with something that doesn't increase my odds of getting hired once I'm done. If I could find out which certs or degrees are in high demand I could probably come to a decision, but every time I try to Google it I end up with college ads claiming how their school is the best and their degrees are the top choices.
Hopefully if I stick to this thread I can get some ideas which path to take.
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certifications will not get you into this career field. the ones that do get an entry level job with certs are lucky. and few and far between.
most entry level IT jobs require a BS degree. Do not get a degree in information technology. you have better odd's in the computer industry with a computer science degree. there is a difference between the two.
Computer science degree's are what you want. and they will allow you to have jobs in database administration. software development, network administrator and so on.
More than anything I just want to start working and making a decent wage. If I can at least jump that hurdle, the rest can naturally happen later. I just want to get my foot in the door of something.
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You see it a lot. "I like computers, so I should do IT". Well what kind of IT?
It's like saying I like cars, I should do that. Well how? Work at a Car Wash? Work as a mechanic? Work as a taxi/limo driver? Work on a factory line? Work as custom fabricator? Work as a designer for Ford of the new 2016/2017/2018 models? Every one has a completly different skill set and completly different levels of schooling.
Same thing in IT. Do you want to work help desk? Do you want to be a general analyst? Do you want to supervise IT people? Do you want to develop software? Do you want to work in networking? Do you want to be the next Steve Jobs?
For a "quick" job. Helpdesk is always good for employment but there is a catch. Fast paced, smaller chances for raises / promotion. So you usually have to go somewhere for better.
Unfortunately, that has been my number one unanswered life question. I don't know what I want to do. I have yet to find that one thing that makes me say "Ooh, that sounds neat, I want to do that!", barring the "dream jobs" like being a writer or filmmaker. As far as realsitic goals go, I haven't found the answer to that.
I would be over the moon if there was a site or two that had descriptions for said positions, which I could then hopefully research and reach an answer.
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Take a look at other job posting sites (indeed, dice, monster still relevent?) or if there are more local posting locations and see what is offered in your area.
I don't find this to be true at all. Neither my current company nor any of the recent companies I've worked for have required a BS, let alone a BS in a computer-related field, for a Level 1 position.
I will echo what other people have said that certs by themselves don't get you jobs. Most companies will want to see a demonstration of your skills: either experience or a portfolio. Experience doesn't have to be paid experience. When I look for entry-level tech support, for instance, I'm looking for somebody who set up their home network, configured their home wifi router, built their own computer, gives informal tech help to friends and family, that sort of thing.
Certs don't hurt, though. If you can find a certification class that also gives you some hands-on experience in a lab or doing a sample project, that is the best of both worlds.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I second this. Web design/development - Although I am a bit biased. :P It might vary by area, but entry-level web development jobs tend to not care about you having a degree. What they want to see is that you know whatever skills they're asking for (HTML & CSS, JavaScript, PHP, responsive design skills, etc.) They might ask for an example of some code you've written. And for the web design jobs, they'll want to see a mini-portfolio. So I'd suggest taking some classes or getting a certificate, then doing some personal projects where you can show off what you've learned. And once you're good enough, you could always try the freelance route.
I'm afraid i'm going to very strongly disagree with this. From 2007-2013, of the 18 people in my IT shop, less than half had degrees. For entry level positions, 2 out of 5 had degrees. All had CompTiA certs of some kind (Uncle Sam makes you have those for that gig).
What we did have was a dearth of talent and smart people who found a way to make it. Some started off at Best Buy geek squad, some at Sears tech support hotline contracts, and I know one that just got lucky and was hired right after getting a AA. It really did vary. Of those who did have degrees in my shop, only a small minority had a IT degree. My boss had a nursing degree, and his boss had a degree in Biology, with a M.B.A./IT concentration.
Now, your experiences, and mine, are anecdotal. They're based on our interactions with the industry, and it sounds like you've had a rougher go of it, and that sucks. Truly. But to insist everyone must have a bachelors or abandon all hope is ludicrous.
@Casually Hardcore What they (entry level certs) can get you, is contract experience doing some fairly mundane things. A 3/6/9 month gig doing PC swaps or tech refreshes or roll-outs is a great way to cut your teeth. A temp fill in for someone out sick or on maternity on a help desk counts too. That's the nature of entry level stuff. More importantly, no matter how banal or small time, it's IT experience you can document on your C.V. I can't stress that enough. Certs get you past HR, job experience gets you past the technical interview. If you've got a year or so to show on your C.V., plus some certs in your pocket, your ahead of the competition. The work will land more steadily, and if you're lucky, you'll land in a temp to perm situation, or maybe a career gig.
The point about communication is also a good one. Short of working in a startup or small business environment where you are literally the only IT guy, you will have to at the very least communicate with other people. It's a very strong requirement of the job. Either you are communicating with customers (in internal work, the customer is your fellow employee) or you are communicating with other IT folks. Either way, showing that you can get along with other people is a strong plus, as culture fit is incredibly important in well-run teams. Along those lines, also important is the ability to adapt your work to whatever requirements are necessary. Nobody likes to work with that guy who does things in his own special way and makes his stuff incomprehensible to everyone else. This translates across both software and hardware (imagine the network douche who just plugs shit in willy-nilly and never cleans up cords). It doesn't matter if your way is better or faster or the best way ever. What matters is that other people can make sense of it. Having those ideas is great, but hopefully there is a time and place for those suggestions to be made and implemented, and it's not in your day-to-day product.
I host a podcast about movies.
With that background, you might look into computer forensics.
hey, that goes good with my threadjack. Can you recommend a starting point?
I host a podcast about movies.
Sorry, all i really know about it is that a member of my team at work is currently getting a degree in computer forensics (paid for by our company), and his current job is in networking. I googled a bit about it and it looked like a pretty interesting line of work. Looking at an associates degree plan from my local community college, CCNA would be one of the certifications involved (I'm actually going to school for Cisco certs right now).
People are always saying that, but then when I search jobs for Cobol or machine language, they seem to have requirements like "must have 10 years job experience on Cobol" or something like that. I'm sure there's infinite job security once you get in, but where are the entry level jobs for that sort of thing?
Either hook up with a staffing firm or interview for it anyhow. I guarantee you there's not a massive reserve of COBOL developers out there. Most are either nearing retirement or offshore people retained through large contracting firms. Homegrown talent growth is almost nil, as all the CS students are looking at cool web technologies, where there is real competition.
Requirements are a lie.
I see requirements in technologies that aren't even that old.
I saw one the other day for "10 years of experience with Swift."
HR make up ridiculous things because they want someone "experienced" and don't know the first thing about the topics they're discussing.
This sounds true, but then how do you get past the first step in the interview process? Blatantly lie?
(I should note that Cobol is not something I've learned yet, just something I think it would be neat to learn and get a job doing, the job searches I've done are only cursory ones to see "could I really make a living out of this")
No, just apply. Trust me, there aren't COBOL programmers out the wazoo. If you apply for something you don't have all the "requirements" for, you're not lying, you're just reaching.