The state of the IT field

jedgein

Just a short note,

I just joined this form and it is great I really enjoyed reading your piece on the state of IT.

I agree it is very hard to get into the field even with certs and ed.

I have a question though how can I make the jump from where I am now with 4.5 yrs level 2 tech support to a none call center job - I have 3 certs and am working on my A+ now I also have a AA in CNS ( computer networking systems)

it seems like they all want exp. in this and that but how do I get exp. with out being given a change?

any suggestions or ideas would be great!! thanks

drainey

What kind of non call center job are you seeking. I assume you're more interested in Networking than perhaps development or DBA work.?? What kind of experience are getting as a level 2 tech where you are currently working? Any hands on at all or is it all phone work?

If it's all phone work then you need to do whatever you can to get hands on experience. To quote many here -- Volunteer at a church or other local orginization that might need tech work but can't afford to pay for it. Get your hands on some "cheap" pc's and setup your own home lab. Help your family, friends, etc. Make sure you keep some kind of running log of all this and then you can add it to your resume.

If your getting hands on experience at work, then maybe your resume needs help?? (no offense meant by that it's just a thought) Try posting a link to it or cut/paste it and people here will critique it for you. You'll get lots of good insight as to both the good points as well as what needs fixing.

More info on what you do and what you want to do will help in giving you better advice.

Schluep

Jedgein, you had me confused for a bit since I thought you were bcairns since you have the same icon. I remembered seeing a few posts by him recently about other certs and then was confused thinking you were the same person and they vanished! Not that it has anything to do with the thread, but I figured it was worth mentioning since you have identical avatars.

The IT field encompasses many different areas. What specific area do you want to be involved in?

If you are having trouble getting your foot in the door I would be so bold as to say some studying some books on communication skills could help as much or more than the certifications. If you owned your own business, worked in management, or worked in sales you would likely be reading them to improve the amount of money you make since it is more often directly tied to your performance and your ability to sell your idea, product, or service. In an interview you need to be able to convince the company (while being honest and genuine) that you could perform the tasks of the position required with a high degree of accuracy. If you can't perform the tasks after quickly learning their procedures through some basic training then you probably need to study up more or get some more real world experience with the equiptment in question.

One of the best ways to get real world experience is if you aren't able to find a position is through either volunteer work or establishing your own contractual work. I performed tasks for various local business (mainly paid but some volunteer) and my Church (volunteer). Again though, if you are at home with your family or on a computer every day after work you likely aren't meeting local business owners or developing your communication skills. I got my first database position with no experience by working with or running a number of different websites in my free time. I sent resumes out to 50+ companies in my area and recieved several calls back. I took the best offer and that got me started in database. Now that I am looking to transition out of database work I own two small (but successful) businesses and am transitioning to Information Security. I have everything lined up for my transition so I don't need to worry about not being able to get InfoSec experience. Through the work I have performed for other local businesses and my involvement in my Church/community my name was already out with several different people. It definitely is making for an easy transition. I am doing some side projects for a Consulting Firm right now to get some practice and experience while learning what I need to make the transition, and also have the opportunity to watch them in action for example. Had it not been for ths social side I would be stuck with just database still (got boring to me after a while).

After reading the thread on "The State of the IT Field" you need to realize that unless you do something different than the masses by jumping around to the latest high paying trend you will end up in the same place. If you can communicate better and are more knowledgable than the other candidates because you really dedicate yourself to how you want to spend the rest of your life then you will find a way to get your foot in the door somewhere. Once you do your work ethic, integrity, communication skills, and level of competance in your field will determine whether you excel or stay where you are. I am not sure where you live, but the tax laws in the United States are designed to benefit business owners, not employees. If you really want to have a positive impact in your community/Country and provide for your family well that should be the ultimate goal as I believe. It doesn't matter how many people are employed in the IT field if you can outcompete the companies that hire those people. You likely won't be able to get any large contracts without substantial experience to show however.

Committ yourself to the task at hand and really apply yourselves not only on the technical side but also the business side and you will do well. If you are having trouble learning, remember, or working in your specific area of IT then maybe you are in the wrong area.

A lot of people here will likely suggest getting the experience even if it means without pay while continuing to work on your certifications to help get your foot in the door. While these are definitely good suggestions, just don't forget the social aspect.

jedgein

drainey wrote:

What kind of non call center job are you seeking. I assume you're more interested in Networking than perhaps development or DBA work.?? What kind of experience are getting as a level 2 tech where you are currently working? Any hands on at all or is it all phone work?

If it's all phone work then you need to do whatever you can to get hands on experience. To quote many here -- Volunteer at a church or other local orginization that might need tech work but can't afford to pay for it. Get your hands on some "cheap" pc's and setup your own home lab. Help your family, friends, etc. Make sure you keep some kind of running log of all this and then you can add it to your resume.

If your getting hands on experience at work, then maybe your resume needs help?? (no offense meant by that it's just a thought) Try posting a link to it or cut/paste it and people here will critique it for you. You'll get lots of good insight as to both the good points as well as what needs fixing.

More info on what you do and what you want to do will help in giving you better advice.

I am all phone here no hands on. I want to go the way of networking. Question would you in my shoes work on getting my Network+ for my CCNA ?? I am about to take my A+ in the next couple of weeks. FYI I have been doing help desk for about 4 yrs now at two companies. Also thank you for your advice I really appreciate it.