Difficulty with first job

mark131

I have been reading this forum for a few months. I am planning on getting a second bachelor's in IT, which will take about 2 years part time. But I am getting somewhat discouraged by reading some of the threads with people having difficulty finding an entry level job. No offence to those people but taking 2 years to find a job is something I really don't want to do. Is there something they are doing wrong? I want to get a entry level job while finishing the degree. What can I do to make sure I can get a job within a reasonable time frame? Is it maybe common for people within this industry to take 2 years to get a entry level job?

I have already volunteered within an accounting office as an "IT technician" for 6 months. Will this make it easier to land a help desk position?

DZA_

Hi OP,

You can land your first job in a couple of ways: 1)Networking or 2)Demonstrate responsibility and experience. I was fortunate landing my first IT Help Desk position through a colleague who I met in college that got me straight in landing an IT position right out of school. Throughout your studies, definitely attend IT events in your local area or conferences if possible to network with different individuals; this is not necessarily will get you into the door but increase the opportunity of succeeding in landing your first job. Bottom line here, constantly network!


The 2nd way of finding a job is get as much experience as you can. By you volunteering at the accounting office as a IT tech, it's a good step in the right direction. Gaining experience can happen in class and as well outside the classroom. Be prepared to spend time on creating your own labs, creating different scenarios e.g. building a window server 2016 for example or start creating your own network with Cisco gear. Employers want to see a self driven individual go above and beyond or have solid experience. In either scenario, you as the job seeker will need to be persistent and highly adaptable to the job postings. Others may not have this characters and tend to land a job later rather than sooner. Good luck!

EANx

Since you already have a degree, why are you spending two years going after another? Get an entry-level cert or two (A+, Network+, MCSA, etc.) and get working.

mark131

EANx wrote: »

Since you already have a degree, why are you spending two years going after another? Get an entry-level cert or two (A+, Network+, MCSA, etc.) and get working.

Honestly haven't really though about it, I just see it posted in job postings, so I thought it was necessary or something, is this not the case?

N7Valiant

mark131 wrote: »

Honestly haven't really though about it, I just see it posted in job postings, so I thought it was necessary or something, is this not the case?

Depends on which Bachelor's you have already and what you're going for.

If you already have one Bachelor's in the IT field then I'm a bit confused about what the 2nd one is for. Infosec? Some other specialization?

Have you applied for jobs yet? I would think that if you have a Bachelor's and 6 months of exp under your belt, you would be a pretty good proposition for Help Desk already.

I mean, I had a few interviews, turned down a few others, and landed my first job within 5 weeks of looking over the holidays(Christmas and New Years) when hiring was slow. My background at the time was a 2-year AS in IT, 3 basic CompTIA certs(which are still the only ones I have now), and 2 months exp interning at my college's IT desk. Maybe it's not your background that's the problem here?

Polish that resume and include a good cover letter. Help Desk emphasizes troubleshooting and problem solving. Think of any particularly clever ways you demonstrated those skills while you were working as an IT Technician and sell it hard.

mark131

I have an unrelated stem degree, nothing related to tech. Not sure if it will hold me back

mark131

I have an unrelated stem degree, nothing relevant to IT

boxerboy1168

when I acquired my first Cisco cert I began getting way more attention. I think you really need to focus in on a cloud, networking or server cert to really get your foot in the door

something skill based

EANx

mark131 wrote: »

I have an unrelated stem degree, nothing relevant to IT

As a rough estimate, I'd say 80% of job postings I've seen over the years that referenced a Bachelor's Degree, didn't specify a major. You should take a look at the job postings in the area you want to work. If most say a required major that's one thing but be sure that is the case as opposed to any-old Bachelor's. In the latter case, you'd be wasting time and money.

mikey88

For the love of God don't get a second bachelors degree. Like mentioned before, get a couple certs and get to work. In today's economy, you can walk 5 feet and stumble upon a helpdek/desktop role. If that's not the case for you, then move to the nearest IT hub in your area.

backtracker

EANx wrote: »

Since you already have a degree, why are you spending two years going after another? Get an entry-level cert or two (A+, Network+, MCSA, etc.) and get working.

^^This.

To make the biggest impact the quickest and with the most ROI I'm going to agree.

willieb

EANx wrote: »

Since you already have a degree, why are you spending two years going after another? Get an entry-level cert or two (A+, Network+, MCSA, etc.) and get working.

Completely agree ^^

You definitely do not need a BS in anything to land a help desk job. All you need is one or two certs, as simple as Net+ and/or CCENT will get you in the door. I used to own a small Internet help desk so I've hired and fired a good many.

Comparing the 2, certs and experience are much more valuable than college degrees. Not that college degrees don't help, but the most bang for the buck with the least amount of time are certs hands-down. Experience will come in time.

Yes the volunteering experience will help for sure. It shows you have motivation. When you fill out a resume, be sure to include what you learned as an IT tech listed as experience.

Since you already have a BS, I would be hard pressed to ever get another one in IT. It may be something to think about later, but don't worry about it anytime soon.

NetworkingStudent

mark131 wrote: »

I have been reading this forum for a few months. I am planning on getting a second bachelor's in IT, which will take about 2 years part time. But I am getting somewhat discouraged by reading some of the threads with people having difficulty finding an entry level job. No offence to those people but taking 2 years to find a job is something I really don't want to do. Is there something they are doing wrong? I want to get a entry level job while finishing the degree. What can I do to make sure I can get a job within a reasonable time frame? Is it maybe common for people within this industry to take 2 years to get a entry level job?

I have already volunteered within an accounting office as an "IT technician" for 6 months. Will this make it easier to land a help desk position?

mark131 wrote: »

What can I do to make sure I can get a job within a reasonable time frame?

1) Define reasonable amount of time. Is a reasonable amount of time 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, or 1 year?
2) Network with people in your school, previous jobs, meetups ect.
3) Work with staffing agencies and reciters.
4) Determine your non negotiables are
-What is your minimum..
Pay
Travel
Company size..... ect that you will accept

5) Have someone review your resume. I would try to put your IT volunteer experience at the top of you resume, and then when recruiters/hiring managers read your resume this they will see this as experience.


Do you already have a Bachelors degree?
I have met people in IT with NO college degree!!

Also, I have met people in IT with college degrees.

Only a handful of companies will require a degree. Most of the time the filed the degree is in will not matter, just the fact that you actually have one.

The fastest way to get an IT help desk job would be to work with a temp agency

These roles tend to fill pretty fast.

thedudeabides

STEM degree is fine. Even if you had got a BA in Lawn Art with a minor in Plastic Flamingo Decoration, I wouldn't recommend going back for a 2nd bachelors. Get your CCENT -> CCNA and go from there.

jwdk19

My degree is BS in Liberal Arts lol (recently obtained). However I did 13+ years in IT. My current company wanted me to get a degree. They really didnt care what the major was.