must have entry level IT skills

What would you consider to be "must know" skills/areas of knowledge for an entry level IT individual?

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I think most entry level jobs like it when you have Comptia A+ certification. This is the first certification test I took. Network+ is also good to have one to have. If you learn all the objectives in these two exams you should have the skills to get a help desk job.

royal

I agree with dabve3. If you are trying to break into the IT field and don't have any experience or know anybody to get you in, to me, it is a must to get A+ and Network+ to get the fundamental knowledge on systems/networking.

sir_creamy_

Ability to walk and chew gum at the same time.

sprkymrk

MQuinn6 wrote:

What would you consider to be "must know" skills/areas of knowledge for an entry level IT individual?

Kind of depends, but here is what I would consider essential for entry level in a Windows environment supporting end users:

Basic hardware knowledge:
Ability to figure out what is bad.
Be familiar with routine procedures such as cleaning, reseating cables, cards, memory, etc.
Able to swap out anything internal to a desktop computer.

Basic software knowledge:
Able to install and configure Windows and Office.
Ability to provide instruction to end users on basic to intermediate tasks on same.
Trouble shoot common Windows and Office errors.

Basic networking skills:
Know what RJ45 and CAT5 are.
Know how to use basic TCP/IP utilities to trouble shoot network issues (ping, ipconfig, netstat, etc.)
Know how to assign static ip's.
Know what an amber/green/red light mean on various switches and nics.
Know how to install network printers on a workstation.
Know how to map network drives.

Other skills/knowledge:
Be able to explain why you should not use a priveledged level account for day-to-day tasks.
Possess good research skills (google, technet, vendor sites, etc.)
Ability to read and follow instructions and policies.
Know when to call for help.
Good communication and people skills.
Above average writing skills (emails and documentation, etc.)
Must be reliable, trustworthy, and responsible.

That's my list. As you can see I believe technical skills are important, but that alone won't cut it. If a person has high marks on all the skills in my last category I know I can teach him/her the skills in the other two areas.
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malcybood

I have to say at entry level, some technical knowledge is important but I'd say THE most important attribute that you must have and need to be able to demonstrate is to have a logical mind for problem solving/troubleshooting. Being pro-active and self motivated helps (by this I mean be interested in what the more senior guys are doing, or what the company do in an interview situation, who their clients are, ask how many users they support, what OS's)

Simple technical things such as:

know your way around MS Office to be able to answer "how do I?" type queries, OS wise Control Panel, device manager, add hardware/software, know about network connections in control panel, install local and IP port printers, testing connectivity to devices as someone said before, upgrading drivers/firmware etc, know how to install a couple of different OS's perhaps XP, Vista and Linux? Once you get into a new job you pick lots of things up at such a fast pace especially if it's your first job.

Good luck

Kaminsky

Sprkymrk has a great list but I would have put this section in capitals for entry level with Communcation/people skills being the absolute top priority.

sprkymrk wrote:

Other skills/knowledge:
Be able to explain why you should not use a priveledged level account for day-to-day tasks.
Possess good research skills (google, technet, vendor sites, etc.)
Ability to read and follow instructions and policies.
Know when to call for help.
Good communication and people skills.
Above average writing skills (emails and documentation, etc.)
Must be reliable, trustworthy, and responsible.

Also, I would have added the line

When you tell someone one you will get back to them or find something out, make sure you do and keep them informed of what is going on. Little things like that will be considered a huge plus at the other end of the phone. Remember the little things and big things will sort themselves out.

malcybood

sprkymrk wrote:

Know when to call for help.

Very good point sprkymrk, if you can do this it gives people a good opinion of you, not "he doesn't know what he's doing" as you may think it would. A user would rather hear "I'm sorry but I don't know how to fix this right now. I'll go and ask one of the other tech's/investigate it further and come back to you"..........

.......than feeding them a crock of sh*t. When I had my first job at the company I work at now the Financial Director of the company made a comment to my boss about "the new boy tried to fix a problem for me the other day but didn't dwell on it and wasn't scared to say he didn't know how to do it"......my boss said he had been hearing some positive things about me from someone "very high up the food chain".

The guy is 2nd in charge to the owner and it's a 1billion turnover company now and growing fast so a good guy to get on the right side of. When I think back now that it was a printer ip address problem or something along those lines, it brings a rye smile to my face

anyway I hope this contributes to answering your question