What do you think?

Here's my sitch:

I have 2 main disabilities. I have a stutter, and I have a bad social anxiety disorder. Since taking Anti-depressants, both are getting better. But getting a (real) job has been one of my biggest fears since forever.

Over the past 7 years (I'm 24) living with my parents, i've had random computer work, but I'm extremely good at it.

I went to college for some time, but didn't graduate, I passed my tech courses knowing more then the teachers (in some cases much more). It's the damned algebra that killed me.

I have knowledge and experience with a wide vareity of systems, sometimes going around trash morning and getting systems off the side of the street being thrown away and rebuilding/salvaging them for fun.

It's hard to explain my experience, on one hand i've never worked in a real IT enviorment, and on the other hand, I'm more comfortable with the insides of any computer then well, people and have a high knowledge and memory of a wide variety of standards from AT to modern ATX 2.2 (especially when it comes to AMD based systems)

I don't have my A+, but have practiced with A+ 2006 test software and made ~80-90% on all exams.

What I want really, is a job that has very little speech requirement (phone/helpdesk), but pays better then something entry level. From what i've been told "Bench tech" is what I'm looking for, but have found very little actual "bench tech" positions around the area (Dallas/Ft. Worth). Maybe I'm not looking in the right place?

What do you think? despite my moderately sparse experience, I have high technical ability and knowledge.

I've been getting more local work lately, and I do like the variety of systems I deal with. I think working in an IT enviorment as support staff sounds boring, working with the same kinda systems over and over. I've been told I should work for a public school, as my mother is a teacher and i've dealt with that school technology enviorment alot, albeit mostly for fun and knowledge (usually I end up cleaning up the local IT staffs messes).

what do you think is the best I could do? I'm not sure I ever want to rise to like network admin or a tech managerial position even after a few years. I seem to rather have fun solving computer problems then telling people what to do

you guys have the actual experience in the industry, tell me what you think.

oh yeah I have a ton of web experience too, I'm a PHP Guru, with high knowledge of HTML, javascript, and CSS. But PHP isn't mainstream enough to really get any serious work.

I hate ASP

thx for any input

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Comments

networker050184

If you want to work with computer hardware then you should look for something at a computer repair shop or simillar to start. There aren't very many jobs were you don't have to deal with people, especially in IT. Its all about the users in the end and most of the time you end up explaining things to people who have no clue what your talking about. You should defintaley work on your people skills if you ever want a career in IT.

TheFORCE

I read your entire post and i dont want to offend you but you sound arrogant to me, the way you say things. You want to work in IT because as you say you have more experience and knowledge than some in the field. Yet, you dont have a degree or even A+. You say you were good at computer courses in college and knew more than some teachers, yet you didnt graduate. Your experience doesnt really count. No one will take your experience seriously if you tell them i picked up a pc from the street and fixed it. Everyone has to start somewhere, some are lucky than others and some work harder than others. Everyone wants the best possible thing for themselves but when you are in a situation like yours you cant be picky!

You are being very picky, maybe its because you are very self conscious and you dont want to embarrass yourself. Every job has obstacles and like the previous poster said, the IT field is one where communication with end users is a must. theres no way around it. Even if you dont communicate directly with your end users you will have to do with your manager, your co-workers and whoever you might have to troubleshoot. You dont have high self esteem, here in the forums you sound demanding but if you went to an actual interview you will be crushed by the questions and you will feel very uncomfortable. You think you have a disability and you allow that to control your life. Get over it, my closest friend is a stutter, he is a manager for an electrical company. he has about 5-6 employees that has to manage and tell them what to do. He does work in Manhattan and has to deal with clients everyday. The poor guy doesnt leave work until 7pm.

If i can suggest something to you, i would say focus on your scripiting experience, abilities and the software aspect. If you cant get over your inferiority complex stay in the software part, scripting, programming and the like. They require communication but they require more documentation, everything has to be written and well organized.

sir_creamy_

Uranium-235 wrote:

What I want really, is a job that has very little speech requirement (phone/helpdesk), but pays better then something entry level.

I'm perplexed. A help desk position entails talking to users all day. How is that what you want?

Tesl

Though I mostly agree with TheFORCE's post, it's difficult to gauge just how skilled you are. Based on what I read, I'm not sure your as good as you think you are (For example, the A+ isn't considered a particularly advanced certification, at any level).

Sounds like if your biggest fears involve working with people, then helpdesk/support based work won't suit you so well (since it's all about working with people) whereas something like software development might be more suitable. Theres probably more money in that area too, and if you know all these 'standards' and the hardware specifications as well as you say in your post that you do, then maybe it would be something you would take to really easily.

Good luck

Uranium-235

sir_creamy_ wrote:

Uranium-235 wrote:

What I want really, is a job that has very little speech requirement (phone/helpdesk), but pays better then something entry level.

I'm perplexed. A help desk position entails talking to users all day. How is that what you want?

I was specifying the kinda of job that requires lots of speech requirement, not saying it's what I want. I guess I said it in a confusing way

TheFORCE wrote:

I read your entire post and i dont want to offend you but you sound arrogant to me, the way you say things. You want to work in IT because as you say you have more experience and knowledge than some in the field. Yet, you dont have a degree or even A+. You say you were good at computer courses in college and knew more than some teachers, yet you didnt graduate. Your experience doesnt really count. No one will take your experience seriously if you tell them i picked up a pc from the street and fixed it. Everyone has to start somewhere, some are lucky than others and some work harder than others. Everyone wants the best possible thing for themselves but when you are in a situation like yours you cant be picky!

You are being very picky, maybe its because you are very self conscious and you dont want to embarrass yourself. Every job has obstacles and like the previous poster said, the IT field is one where communication with end users is a must. theres no way around it. Even if you dont communicate directly with your end users you will have to do with your manager, your co-workers and whoever you might have to troubleshoot. You dont have high self esteem, here in the forums you sound demanding but if you went to an actual interview you will be crushed by the questions and you will feel very uncomfortable. You think you have a disability and you allow that to control your life. Get over it, my closest friend is a stutter, he is a manager for an electrical company. he has about 5-6 employees that has to manage and tell them what to do. He does work in Manhattan and has to deal with clients everyday. The poor guy doesnt leave work until 7pm.

If i can suggest something to you, i would say focus on your scripiting experience, abilities and the software aspect. If you cant get over your inferiority complex stay in the software part, scripting, programming and the like. They require communication but they require more documentation, everything has to be written and well organized.

I didn't mean to sound arrogant. It's just hard to describe how my experience is. I know it's nothing like you guys, but I have seen idiots in higher paying IT fields before and wondered how they ever got that job.

Surprisingly enough the idea of an interview dosen't bother me in the least bit. I would not tell an employer that I pick them off the street and fix them. I try my best to document every computer I fix (Omniform Database sheet) to prove my expirence, and i don't document trash systems. For some reason, I think I would do very well in an interview. It's afterwards, that's the problem. I know I would have to deal and talk with employees, etc. I don't know, maybe after having a job my fears will go away, but I'll never know until I do.

I went to a community college, and went so far, but it's just the algebra and writing that killed me. I'm horrible at them (mostly the writing). Of course now I know my anxiety had alot to do with that problem, and I never started getting treatment till just this last year. But it's too late to go back unless I get a job and pay for it myself (the state paid for it initially after I graduated HS)

the problem with PHP is it's pretty much the only thing I'm good at when it comes to CGI languages, I tried ASP and really had problems with it. PHP isn't mainstream, cause it isn't endorsed by microsoft or many major companies. I still do freelance jobs when I can get them

I don't know, maybe I should go into Business for myself. Too bad that is a very difficult thing to do now a day.

Tesl, I know I'm good, but I know I'm not that good. I strive to take every little bit of information from every experience I run into, of course we all do that naturally. I don't know. I do know I search through wikipedia for as much tech info on new and old standards as I can and memorize anything that sounds useful.

bighornsheep

Have you considered trying a tech school that can provide internship placement? It seems to be really popular now adays since the companies can get cheap labour, and the students can have the experience.

As for your academics, since foundation college courses in non technical subjects isn't your strong area, you can try to find a tech school that will focus on getting you certified. So in the end, at least you have a certificate/diploma that says you went to some form of post-secondary schooling, you will be certified in several specializations (networking/OSs/tech support/programming/databases), and the internship will give you some experience.

Despite your emotional and psychological circumstances, you shouldn't worry about the possible outcomes of current situations too much, it sounds like you're trying to think way too hard about every possibility in your life.

The bottom line is, you will have to deal with people no matter where you are, just try and understand where they are coming from, and you should have a better time getting along with them.

The difference between the astronomer and the astronaut is that one thinks and one does. Now go and be the doer instead of the thinker.

bighusker

Uranium-235 wrote:

oh yeah I have a ton of web experience too, I'm a PHP Guru, with high knowledge of HTML, javascript, and CSS. But PHP isn't mainstream enough to really get any serious work.

First of all, PHP is most definitely a "mainstream" language, and if you're really an expert in it, it should not be all that hard to learn something else like ASP.Net or Coldfusion (which is what I develop in at my job). The problem is that most development jobs are only going to look at candidates who have a degree or who are at least pursuing one. What you really need to do is get back in school or at least get some certifications.

As for finding a good-paying and likable job where you don't have to deal with people...it probably ain't gonna happen. Even when I worked as a bench technician or a helpdesk person, I had to deal with people every day. At my last job, I pretty much knew everyone in a medium-sized company of 200 employees. I'm not the most outgoing person either, but I got over it pretty quickly.

Even if you can find some job where you can repair computers in a dark cubicle for $10/hour with no human contact, I guarantee that's not what you want to do for the rest of your life. Just relax and realize that most people in IT are friendly...it's usually an easy bunch to get along with.

Smallguy

your situation sounds similar to my cousins he is extremely intelligent but has a series of medical issues that have held him back a bit in life

I think that bighornsheep hit the nail on the head for you go t a technical school and get some paper behind your experience and try your hand in certs

I went to CDI after a few years in IT and not getting what I wanted there format is basically teaching yourself with an instructor their to answer questions (not for everyone as some prefer lectures but I don't)

we did alot of hands on lab work and the tests were all computer based and every course included a project that was generally worth around 70% if i reember correctly and was all hands on

for A+ you were given a PC and had to strip it down explain what parts were what and then re assemble it install an OS and make sure everything worked as required in the project

there may have been parts that were not working and you had to trouble shoot and replace as need in the project

IMO a school similar to this would be great fro you as you seem to be a hands on guy.

good luck and don't let any disabilities hold you back