Where to start?

Hello all, new to this forum.

Would just like to know where to start with all this. Am currently sitting at 21 years old with mostly manual labor job experience with some online marketing (web design) mixed in there as well. Recently I purchased the All-In-One CompTIA A+ Certification exam guide in order to pursue a good grounding and will continue with the compTIA trio as well. My question is one regarding the experience required (or in some cases not required) in finding a job. Seems that a degree was not necessary for some but what I cannot understand is how they got their start in the first place. I feel like even if I knew somebody high in the field I would look like a jackass trying to get into such a complex field with little to no prior experience.

For those without experience in the field who have gotten jobs and learned as they go, can you please share your experience on how you got there in the first place? Did you apply to jobs on Monster.com? Walk into geek squad? Staples? Please share!

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puertorico1985

I received some very sound advice early on in my career and will pass that on to you. I was in the same boat as you, trying to find an IT job, and had no experience or certs to my name, and was told to first get certifications. I would recommend the trio as you mentioned, starting with the A+, then Net+, then Sec+ (in that order). Having those certs will definitely get recruiters and decision makers looking at your resume. With some luck, you should be able to land a (decent) entry level position, such as Helpdesk, Tech Support, etc... Once you get your foot in the door, and are comfortable with your job duties and responsibilities (which hopefully will not be long) I would then recommend going after a formal degree while still maintaining your position. This will allow you to place a check in the degree field, once finished, and will add to your experience which will help you with the Catch 22 problem. Seems like a lot of work, but these are the exact same steps that I took, and (not to brag) it has worked out very well for me.

So basically: Entry-level Certs (A+,N+,S+) --> Entry-level position (or higher if you are lucky enough to bypass the Helpdesk/Tier 1 type roles) --> BS degree

Jon_Cisco

The most important thing to remember is that nobody is born with experience.
The second most important thing to remember is it only takes one opportunity to gain experience.

From that point on it is what you do with the opportunity that will matter the most. CompTIA is great for entry level. The certs teach you the basics and give you something to sell to a potential employer. Once you have gained a little experience they will lose some of that value because the experience trumps the entry level certs. Don't let that discourage you from doing whatever you need to do to get a job and excel at it.

Good Luck!

codywb

puertorico1985 wrote: »

I received some very sound advice early on in my career and will pass that on to you. I was in the same boat as you, trying to find an IT job, and had no experience or certs to my name, and was told to first get certifications. I would recommend the trio as you mentioned, starting with the A+, then Net+, then Sec+ (in that order). Having those certs will definitely get recruiters and decision makers looking at your resume. With some luck, you should be able to land a (decent) entry level position, such as Helpdesk, Tech Support, etc... Once you get your foot in the door, and are comfortable with your job duties and responsibilities (which hopefully will not be long) I would then recommend going after a formal degree while still maintaining your position. This will allow you to place a check in the degree field, once finished, and will add to your experience which will help you with the Catch 22 problem. Seems like a lot of work, but these are the exact same steps that I took, and (not to brag) it has worked out very well for me.

So basically: Entry-level Certs (A+,N+,S+) --> Entry-level position (or higher if you are lucky enough to bypass the Helpdesk/Tier 1 type roles) --> BS degree

Much appreciation and thanks for the detailed explanation and golden advice. Glad to hear that this has worked out for you and I hope to pursue a similar path as you. Thank you!

tkerber

I agree with puertorico,

Certifications are a good start and from there I would definitely pursue a degree. I also teach an A+ class on the side and I have to say that one thing I tell my students all the time is confidence!

You would not believe how easy it can be to get a Level 1 Help Desk position. Most of the companies just want someone with a good personality and the rest is just a bonus. They can teach you their way of support and their software/systems.

So my first step for you after A+ would be; beef up the resume and start applying for low level support positions. If you need resume help post it here and this forum board will definitely give you some help. Whatever you do, don't be afraid to just start looking because you need to get your hands dirty and it's the perfect time to start.

codywb

Jon_Cisco wrote: »

The most important thing to remember is that nobody is born with experience.
The second most important thing to remember is it only takes one opportunity to gain experience.

From that point on it is what you do with the opportunity that will matter the most. CompTIA is great for entry level. The certs teach you the basics and give you something to sell to a potential employer. Once you have gained a little experience they will lose some of that value because the experience trumps the entry level certs. Don't let that discourage you from doing whatever you need to do to get a job and excel at it.

Good Luck!

Glad that I asked about these questions before I put any more negative thought into acquiring a degree/certifications. I almost started to feel like I may as well get a degree in flipping burgers. Thank you for the advice!

codywb

tkerber wrote: »

I agree with puertorico,

Certifications are a good start and from there I would definitely pursue a degree. I also teach an A+ class on the side and I have to say that one thing I tell my students all the time is confidence!

You would not believe how easy it can be to get a Level 1 Help Desk position. Most of the companies just want someone with a good personality and the rest is just a bonus. They can teach you their way of support and their software/systems.

So my first step for you after A+ would be; beef up the resume and start applying for low level support positions. If you need resume help post it here and this forum board will definitely give you some help. Whatever you do, don't be afraid to just start looking because you need to get your hands dirty and it's the perfect time to start.

Thank you tkerber, feel like I have generated a great plan just within a few postings. As soon as I get the A+ I will start nailing those applications and emphasize the continuation of certifications and a degree.

markulous

Any interview you have, be aware they are going to realize that you have no experience. They are going to want you to demonstrate the ability to walk through issues (i.e. I'd identify the issue, find a solution, escalate it if its outside my scope, etc), rather that specific knowledge/troubleshooting. If it's a helpdesk, then want you to have a customer-first attitude and a good personality for that.

tkerber

markulous wrote: »

Any interview you have, be aware they are going to realize that you have no experience. They are going to want you to demonstrate the ability to walk through issues (i.e. I'd identify the issue, find a solution, escalate it if its outside my scope, etc), rather that specific knowledge/troubleshooting. If it's a helpdesk, then want you to have a customer-first attitude and a good personality for that.

I think this is a really good point. What I also may suggest is start trying to do some side work for family, friends, etc.. If you can do a little bit of your own personal consulting, you can add it to your resume and it would give you something to talk about. I wouldn't necessarily say it's professional experience, but experience nonetheless. I got my first Desktop Support Tech job with nothing more than an A+, retail experience, and some side work I was doing for people on the weekends.