Really confused (Information Management and Systems graduate)

Hi guys,

I am currently doing a MSc in Information Management and Systems at Henley Business School (UK).
about me.. I am currently working as a 1st Line IT support engineer - this is my first job it is rather an internship. I learned a lot about the industry ect, but this role is not something which I want to be doing in the long-term

However, I am highly interested in IT consulting, my dream is to join one of the biggest consulting companies, such as PWC, Accenture, Deloitte, etc

I have a certificate in Business Analysis Practice awarded from the BCS (British Computer Society) - The chartered institute of IT
I got this certificate as I successfully completed one of my university modules (Business Domain and Requirements analysis), which led to this certification

I wonder what would you suggest is the best entry certification for roles such as business analysis, junior IT consultant, ect.

How about ITIL (Foundation) ? I see that many companies value it.

Thanks in advance.

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IaintPerfect

sup+++++

5ekurity

ITIL is a good path to go down; it's a focus on IT Service Management. A family member of mine works for Pink Elephant and does very well as an ITIL consultant. Unfortunately, most of the companies who fail to align with ITIL when they try to adopt it do so because of resistance to change. While it's exciting to be a change agent, going into something like this can be very frustrating (well, any consulting job can be very frustrating depending upon what you do).

That being said, the certification(s) you should be choosing should align with whatever you want to specialize in. For example, PwC / Deloitte do a lot with audit and Information Security, so those are two other paths you may want to pursue. What is your end goal?

IaintPerfect

5ekurity wrote: »

ITIL is a good path to go down; it's a focus on IT Service Management. A family member of mine works for Pink Elephant and does very well as an ITIL consultant. Unfortunately, most of the companies who fail to align with ITIL when they try to adopt it do so because of resistance to change. While it's exciting to be a change agent, going into something like this can be very frustrating (well, any consulting job can be very frustrating depending upon what you do).

That being said, the certification(s) you should be choosing should align with whatever you want to specialize in. For example, PwC / Deloitte do a lot with audit and Information Security, so those are two other paths you may want to pursue. What is your end goal?

Thanks for your response.

To be fare with you I am just starting off and it is difficult to tell exactly what my final goal is.
However, as I said I am more interested in the consulting part of IT.

I currently work on a help desk and I don't really enjoy the nature of the job, however I am interested in Networking, having said that, do you think it is a good idea to focus on Networking as a start and then move to Information Security for example, which will help me grow as a future IT consultant ?

darkerosxx

You need to identify what vertical market you want to consult in. After that, you can pick out your path. Your "want" right now is very vague, as a "IT consultant", because consultants can wear many hats. What you need right now, it sounds like, are the basics of everything IT, so I would study networking fundamentals, Windows fundamentals, Linux fundamentals, security fundamentals, database fundamentals, and Web language fundamentals. ITIL and project management would be excellent additions.

IaintPerfect

Excellent response.
So, my last question would be regarding CompTIA Network+. In fact, I have seen many people saying that this certification is fundamental, however I also realize that CompTIA A+ seems more of a place to start from.
So my question would be, is it okay to begin with CompTIA Network +, or I have to have CompTIA A+ in order to move to Netwrok +??

Thanks,

IaintPerfect

@darkersoxx

I have one more question..

Basically I am faced with a dilemma to chose between two different employers.

Option 1: The company is called SoftCat - a UK support company has been awarded as one of the best employers in the country.
The role I applied for is a Gradute role (Technical Track ) - which involves working with both support and sales teams ,
The good thing is that I will be trained for the first 6 months this will involve few certifications including a CISCO one, and that's all gonna be paid from the comapny.

Option 2: A company called Matrix Solutions which sells Business Intelligence software and databases to Financial companies. It is a subset of FactSet a multinational financial data and software company head-quartered in Norwalk, CT, United States.
The role I applied for is Graduate Client Services Executive, which will involve dealing with client enquiries , as well as working with the internal support and sales teams. Here the salary is much better. This company is also ranked as one of the best companies to work for.

I feel like Option 2 is much better as it is less technical and won't involve a lot of troubleshooting.

Opinions ?

darkerosxx

IaintPerfect wrote: »

Excellent response.
So, my last question would be regarding CompTIA Network+. In fact, I have seen many people saying that this certification is fundamental, however I also realize that CompTIA A+ seems more of a place to start from.
So my question would be, is it okay to begin with CompTIA Network +, or I have to have CompTIA A+ in order to move to Netwrok +??

Thanks,

I would suggest starting with A+ and moving on to Network+.

darkerosxx

IaintPerfect wrote: »

@darkersoxx

I have one more question..

Basically I am faced with a dilemma to chose between two different employers.

Option 1: The company is called SoftCat - a UK support company has been awarded as one of the best employers in the country.
The role I applied for is a Gradute role (Technical Track ) - which involves working with both support and sales teams ,
The good thing is that I will be trained for the first 6 months this will involve few certifications including a CISCO one, and that's all gonna be paid from the comapny.

Option 2: A company called Matrix Solutions which sells Business Intelligence software and databases to Financial companies. It is a subset of FactSet a multinational financial data and software company head-quartered in Norwalk, CT, United States.
The role I applied for is Graduate Client Services Executive, which will involve dealing with client enquiries , as well as working with the internal support and sales teams. Here the salary is much better. This company is also ranked as one of the best companies to work for.

I feel like Option 2 is much better as it is less technical and won't involve a lot of troubleshooting.

Opinions ?

What would you actually be doing in each role?

When you say working with support and sales teams, I'm not sure what that means, if you can clarify?

Also not sure what you mean when you say dealing with client enquiries? What type of inquiries and what would you be expected to respond by doing?