First formal IT Job

nuglobe

I have recently got my CCNA, and am now working on my MCSE. My job experience is based around me doing freelance web design. However, I have done a contract job with MIT's Icampus where we developed and implemented a campus wide network of large LCD screens (with minipcs) that allowed clubs to visit a web site and use credits for ad space. I also do volunteering for NYCares where I teach people how to use computers, and use basic office software.

My question is: Should I keep applying for intro network jobs, or should I focus on desk support and pc techs?

Most of the jobs I see require experince in the field, so it is hard to actually get the 2-5 years of network experience. Would having formal work experience with desk support help me get a job in networking?

jpeezy55

I am working towards MCSE and being a Network Admin one day (when I grow up :P ).

Anyway, if you want/need experience, then the Help Desk is the way to start, unless you find something that lets you expand a little more into Network tasks. If you feel that you are able to handle the day-to-day operations of a network, then by all means, shoot for the top! Just make sure you know what you are doing, nothing is worse than bringing down a network that you are supposed to run because of not knowing the right way to do something. That's why I sit here and change Ink cartridges and help people turn the volume up on their speakers and fix paper-jams...someday I'll move up, but for now I am starting out near the bottom and moving up...very slowly...very very slowly.

Good Luck!

Danman32

jpeezy55 wrote:

Just make sure you know what you are doing, nothing is worse than bringing down a network that you are supposed to run because of not knowing the right way to do something.

That reminds me of when I visited one of the guys I used to work with in my last job. He was telling me they rehired one of the techs to work as a network admin. He comes out of the server room asking my friend:

"one of the main servers just crashed, what should I do?"
My friend answered "how about turning it back on?"
Actually the rehired guy may have said he accidentally turned off the server.

Gee, and they were hesitent in promoting me to that position. Sheesh.
It was a blessing anyway. I learned a great deal working here.
But things have changed and its time to move on....

binarysoul

Get a helpdesk, tech support job, that's how you can move up to get a networking job. If you waste your time looking for networking jobs without experience, you won't get the job and you won't be working at helpdesk/tech support unless you're super-lucky or superman

nuglobe

binarysoul wrote:

Get a helpdesk, tech support job, that's how you can move up to get a networking job. If you waste your time looking for networking jobs without experience, you won't get the job and you won't be working at helpdesk/tech support unless you're super-lucky or superman

Are you saying that I dont really have a chance of getting a helpdesk job, or that if I look for a network job I wont have the desktop job because I was using my time on an admin job?