No experience, 2 certs

darthtatortot

So I have no experience working professionally in the IT field. I've fixed a few friends computers/issues but nothing else. I have an AA degree in general education. My question is if I get the A+ and Net+ is that enough to get a foot in the door and get a decent job entry level job in the IT field? I already have the A+ and I'm having some difficulty.

Thanks for the help everyone!

networker050184

If you're having difficulty I don't think the N+ is going to help you. First and foremost I'd make sure your resume is up to snuff. That's what is going to catch someone's eye. If you want to foray into networking I'd start looking at the CCNA.

TomkoTech

You should find some local IT networking events and go meet people. Zero experience and no formal education will limit your options. Entry level with your A+ around my area will likely yield $10-12 an hour helpdesk/customer service positions. You aren't going to get anything better than that with out experience via labing, intern, or volunteering work.

Goteki54

You should focus on getting your A+ first. Forget about the Network+ for awhile. Once you get your A+, do a few contract jobs to build up your resume and experience. Once you do that the go for your Net+. The experience will make your certifications more valuable in the market place then if you just had them and not have the experience. They both go hand and hand.

nikalis

apply, apply, apply and eventually you will get something.

The way I got in (without a degree or any certs) was to take a technician position at the local staples, part time maybe 15 hours a week while still working my other job. And continued applying, about 2 months later I had a job offer from ranstad staffing working in JP morgan chase doing rack and stack.

Make sure you have a good troubleshooting story to tell (mine was a USB 2.0 driver that prevented a windows 7 to 8 upgrade, that caused me to cry in the fetal position before finally going back to original windows driver and wahla upgrade went through) and always bring up a couple things you've been reading about in your cert studies

ITSpectre

Start off applying to local mom and pop stores.... to fix computers, tablets, phones, Iphones, Ipads etc... Apple.com is hiring right now for stay at home apple reps.... also check Amazon too. Another place to check is careerbuilder, dice.com, monster, craigslist... Schools just got out for the summer.... so NOW is a good time to get your foot in the door with their IT dept. Go to local churches, stores and office buildings and see if they need IT support. If you have A+ that is enough to get you in the door with a Help Desk or Field service tech job. Check craigslist, indeed, and ziprecruiter too.

The way I got in was through Govt Contracting. I got a Help Desk job with a contractor for the govt.... then I worked with them and they paid for my certs. You can also get in that way too.

Remedymp

darthtatortot wrote: »

So I have no experience working professionally in the IT field. I've fixed a few friends computers/issues but nothing else. I have an AA degree in general education. My question is if I get the A+ and Net+ is that enough to get a foot in the door and get a decent job entry level job in the IT field? I already have the A+ and I'm having some difficulty.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Make sure you get connected to Recruiters. Recruiting firms can be a gold mine for opportunities. 3-6 month contract to hire or simply a contract can open up many opportunities for you.

If you don't have a linkedin account, create one.

I was recently sent this opportunity to pass on:

Job Title: Service Desk Analyst
Duration: 6 Months Contract to Hire


Job Description:

• Service Desk Analysts perform higher-level diagnosis and troubleshooting support to end-users and customers.
• Service Desk analysts receive calls and inquiries, and work tickets in accordance with established processes and document incidents and remedies.
• Service Desk Analysts close a large percentage of their tickets without escalation, only sending complex incidents to second-level support personnel.
• 90% of job will in person, 10% over the phone
• Most work will be working with video conferencing, closing out tickets, deploying phones, dealing with employees who have locked themselves out of their account, their keyboards aren't working
• Technician will be required to obtain CompTIA A+ certification or HDI Desktop Support Technician certification within first year of employment.

Qualifications:

• Strong customer service
• Comfortable in a fast paced environment
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Service Now

Should give you an idea of what they're looking for. The position still hasn't been filled yet.

markulous

N+ definitely won't hurt. You should always be studying and moving forward in your career so no reason why you can't be studying for the N+ while still applying for jobs.

Also, what are you having difficulty on? Getting callbacks or passing an interview? How many jobs have you applied to?

darthtatortot

I didn't expect so many replies so fast! Ha thanks everyone. So basically I'll get my LinkedIn profile up to par, continue getting the Net+ and apply to as many jobs as I can. I passed the 802 this past weekend and have only applied to a handful of jobs so I'll keep trying.

TheFORCE

How old are you, where are you located? are you still in school or are you getting prepared for the work force? Are you currently working at another field? You have a lot of competition to deal with at the entry level thats the biggest reason you haven't heard much. You might consider doing a degree from WGU to get you more competitive for those entry levels. Without that, i think someone would need to take a chance on you and then it will take you too long to get enough experience to compete with someone that has some relevant degrees.The degree in this case will substitute for some years of experience. Keep going for the N+.