Best entry level IT path for a midlife transitioning from the design field to IT

Hi I'm a 45 year old designer who has been doing SEO and video editing for the last seven years. I would like a change to IT, but would need an immediate entry level job (financial reasons) to get in the door. What is the quickest certification path for this. Also do I have to take CompTIA essentials before taking the A+ Certification test.

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Comments

oxymoron5k

I know for me it was taking a entry level IT job at a Mom and Pop shop. It worked out well because they pretty much accepted any job that came their way which in turn gave me the opportunity to learn a little bit in all kinds of different areas in IT. This gave me the knowledge I needed to learn which area I really wanted to pursue. As for the CompTIA you do not need any requirements to take tests. I wouldnt even bother with the essentials personally.

NetworkNewb

vinzer3 wrote: »

Also do I have to take CompTIA essentials before taking the A+ Certification test.

The Comptia A+ requires you to take 2 exams to earn the certification. The "A+: Essentials" exam and the "A+: Practical Application" exam

There is no prereq to take those exams.

oxymoron5k

NetworkNewb wrote: »

The Comptia A+ requires you to take 2 exams to earn the certification. The "A+: Essentials" exam and the "A+: Practical Application" exam

There is no prereq to take those exams.

Woops my mistake I did not realize the first part WAS the essentials. Good call.

RoyalRaven

What direction do you want to go long-term in IT? You might be able to find roles that leverage your media skills that wouldn't be entry-level. I'd look for hybrid-type roles that can leverage your past skill set, but get you involved in some areas you'd like to use in the future. Even analyst-type roles may work...doesn't have to be all technical.

srabiee

RoyalRaven wrote: »

What direction do you want to go long-term in IT?

My thoughts exactly. If you can figure this out sooner than later, you can really save yourself some time and headache. Also, I wouldn't focus too much on CompTIA certs. It's best to knock out the A+ as quickly as possible and move on to vendor-specific certs such as Cisco, Microsoft, VMware, etc.

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And this advice is coming from someone with 6 CompTIA certs.

N2IT

srabiee wrote: »

My thoughts exactly. If you can figure this out sooner than later, you can really save yourself some time and headache. Also, I wouldn't focus too much on CompTIA certs. It's best to knock out the A+ as quickly as possible and move on to vendor-specific certs such as Cisco, Microsoft, VMware, etc.

<
And this advice is coming from someone with 6 CompTIA certs.

5 too many!

vinzer3

Thanks guys so much. I'll definitely aim for the CCNA after this.

philz1982

vinzer3 wrote: »

Hi I'm a 45 year old designer who has been doing SEO and video editing for the last seven years. I would like a change to IT, but would need an immediate entry level job (financial reasons) to get in the door. What is the quickest certification path for this. Also do I have to take CompTIA essentials before taking the A+ Certification test.

Vinzer3,

What do you want to do? There's a lot of network guys on here so you will get a lot of network oriented advice but what do you really want to do?

Jumping from SEO/Video Editing to a CCNA kinda seems like a step back unless you want to work the network side. IT is much more than networks.

Why not shift to the technical side of SEO and video editing, learn HTML5/CSS3 and JS and than expand your practice. From there learn backend technologies N+1 Tiers, Server side code C#/Java, learn virtualization, data storage, analytics. Why step down to a A+ or CCNA?

Sylice

Go straight for the CCNA

N2IT

UI/UX designer with an emphasis in business applications. This could lead to system support, SQL, maybe some Dev and other application support functions, by passing help desk, NOC or even field engineering.

Not sure about the certification piece though. I'm thinking a system or business system analyst with your previous experience. I would leverage that as much as possible.

philz1982

MCSD Web applications wouldn't be to much of a stretch it's a hard study but what isn't.

N2IT

If app dev is something you are interested in I agree with Phil 100%. If you want networking, then be prepared to hit entry level.

philz1982

Speaking of app dev, I've gotta stop procrastinating on my 70-480 studies cause I take it tomorrow and have only put a day into studying

stryder144

You might consider becoming a Salesforce Administrator. Since SF is web-based, you might find quite a bit of it to be easily grasped.

philz1982

stryder144 wrote: »

You might consider becoming a Salesforce Administrator. Since SF is web-based, you might find quite a bit of it to be easily grasped.

Salesforce pays crazy money once you get into the dev side of it

Simrid

Ask yourself what you'd like to do in IT. Security? Networking? Server administration? For networking, the Cisco certifications are the most popular and to some respects are the most valued within that field. For server administration, I would look at completing a MCSA or something similar.

If you hold little knowledge about IT first line and second line, perhaps look at A+ first and then decide to branch off.

Hope this helps!

philz1982

I don't know how to say this without coming across as an a$$ so I will just say it and accept my down reps

.

I simply cannot see any situation in which the A+ is valuable. Some will say, well you've got to start somewhere. Well why start with the A+? Start with an MCSA, CCNA, Java Associates Cert, ect.

Computers are commodities, they are throwaways, the profitable MSP's don't have techs out troubleshooting circuit cards, and if you need the A+ to figure our how a CPU or NIC works, I hate to say it but you might not be cut out for the hardware side. There is nothing, NOTHING, on the A+ that you can't learn in 5 minutes via Google.

I'm sorry but it is a complete waste of money and time. There's a lot of advice I don't agree with but I try to see it through the other person's perspective. I don't agree with going the Helpdesk to NOC to whatever route, I think there are better ways, but fundamentally those ways aren't wrong, they are simply different from my perspective.

When it comes to the A+ however, I simply cannot see any way in which there is a beneficial path by spending the opportunity cost on the exam. This is not an attack on any particular person this is just my take on an exam, that seems to have outlived it's usefulness in the day of throw away computing hardware and knowledge databases like Google and ServerFault.

-Phil

N2IT

Good post Phil. I agree A+ for a 45 year old designer hardly seems like a good path IMO.

If the OP wants networking then go for the CCNA, but restarting your career over (basically) make very little sense to me. Slide into an "IT" role using the skills you already possess.

You could move from designer to business / system analyst to system admin / engineer (or developer) position. This would keep you highly paid if not paid more.

SteveLord

It is beneficial when it is still an accepted industry standard being sought after by many employers with entry level positions. Some of which require it. If you're in the type of position financially where you can skip over jobs that do and there is a wealth of IT positions in your area, good for you. That is not the case for many, if not most.

Sure, it doesn't make sense for everyone. Probably not the OP. But it is worth exploring for some.

philz1982

SteveLord wrote: »

It is beneficial when it is still an accepted industry standard being sought after by many employers with entry level positions. Some of which require it. If you're in the type of position financially where you can skip over jobs that do and there is a wealth of IT positions in your area, good for you. That is not the case for many, if not most.

Sure, it doesn't make sense for everyone. Probably not the OP. But it is worth exploring for some.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

See that is the problem I have, it's that line of thought, that entry level has to be A+ kind of work. Why? Why does it have to be? Why can't you start doing coding on Elance? Heck you'll make similar per hour as you would at Best Buy Geek squad and have more to show for it. Why can't you start by going and doing freelance network work? Why can't you go and join a community group, make friends with IT managers and come in as a network, system, application, database intern ect?

I just don't see the usefulness, maybe I'm missing something, I have no problem being shown I am wrong.

Don't take this as an attack on you, just the thought process.

kurosaki00

I agree with Philz here.
I dont see any ROI for A+ unless you really want to start with support/geek squad kind of job.
A MS cert will work better if you want to do support and admin in the long ron.
Coding... entry level is better paid than IT entry level (in general).
Learn a few languages, front end, back end, etc.
CCENT or Linux+ will provide better entry level opportunities.
Thats why I always ask, do you have any computer knowledge? If yes, skip A+.

anoeljr

Isn't the A+ $388 USD for both exams? That's ridiculous. I'd rather take a microsoft exam which is less than half that. I only took the comptia exams because WGU required them and I didn't have to pay for them. If I were you OP, I'd try to figure out what area of IT I liked and then focus on updating skills that pertain to that area. Maybe try reading about different topics that may interest you. Don't worry about certifications.

philz1982

anoeljr wrote: »

Isn't the A+ $388 USD for both exams? That's ridiculous. I'd rather take a microsoft exam which is less than half that. I only took the comptia exams because WGU required them and I didn't have to pay for them. If I were you OP, I'd try to figure out what area of IT I liked and then focus on updating skills that pertain to that area. Maybe try reading about different topics that may interest you. Don't worry about certifications.

Or if your going to school like me, MS exams are $83 for students

anoeljr

philz1982 wrote: »

Or if your going to school like me, MS exams are $83 for students

Woah really, nice!

philz1982

Yep taking 70-480 today at 4pm CST.

anoeljr

philz1982 wrote: »

Yep taking 70-480 today at 4pm CST.

Good luck man.

N2IT

Good luck Philz!

doobu

Yeah. You should heed some of the advice about converting your current skillset into some other domain. A+ in my eyes means you can turn on a computer. It's good for people who maybe haven't been exposed to hardware, but it's really all it's for. I basically took A+ in high school ages ago.

Knowledge is never a bad thing, but I think you'd be discounting your worth a tremendous amount by going any CompTia route to EXAMINE a new career, as opposed to utilizing your skill set you've cultivated.