IT Mentorship
sliptmickey
Member Posts: 32 ■■□□□□□□□□
I'm a fairly new member here at TechExams, but not so new to the world of IT. Over the last week I've come across a post or two from folks who are trying to break into the world of IT and would like some guidance and/or some advice on landing that first IT job or what cert they should get first. Being ex-Active Duty and a current Reservist I still feel that I owe it to those who are starting out in this little world we like to call IT by giving the same advice and/or push in the right direction I got when I started out. I'd like those of you reading to share just a brief bit about how you started out, and maybe summarize what a fledgling keyboard jockey can do to help them land that first job and get that experience that's so critical to moving up to bigger and better. Cheers.
I started out 8 years ago as a young kid with only the knowledge that a mouse was used to point and click and the best way to fix a computer was to restart it or call the tech support folks. I went through the Navy's intial IT training program (learned how to load NT 4 over a period of 6 weeks before moving on the telecommunications) and soon after departed to my first duty station over in Japan. How fortunate was I?
The first thing I learned was that nothing beats hands on training and experience. Start out small (I started with printers but each person is different) and work your way up. Trying to jump right into the deep end will only result in frustration (from you, your shop and boss, and most importantly, the people we're here to support, the customer). Ask questions, read the books, and if you can swing it, build yourself a little Dev network to play around with at home. If not, maybe your shop has a spare rig and some parts that you can use to piece together a training rig for yourself if you have downtime in the office. This gives you the chance to learn the hardware side, break stuff, and learn how to fix it all without taking down a production machine.
As for certs....I don't have much room to talk as I've only just gotten my first ever cert this past week. While the Navy encouraged certs, it wasn't something one needed to do the job or get promoted. I would have to say though start with A+ and maybe move on to MCP test for the OS you currently are supporting. A+ is that first, good building block you can use to demonstrate that you have the academic knowledge even if you don't have the practical knowledge. And don't be afraid of the call center/help desk job. It's a great way to get that first, critical experience in IT.
I started out 8 years ago as a young kid with only the knowledge that a mouse was used to point and click and the best way to fix a computer was to restart it or call the tech support folks. I went through the Navy's intial IT training program (learned how to load NT 4 over a period of 6 weeks before moving on the telecommunications) and soon after departed to my first duty station over in Japan. How fortunate was I?
The first thing I learned was that nothing beats hands on training and experience. Start out small (I started with printers but each person is different) and work your way up. Trying to jump right into the deep end will only result in frustration (from you, your shop and boss, and most importantly, the people we're here to support, the customer). Ask questions, read the books, and if you can swing it, build yourself a little Dev network to play around with at home. If not, maybe your shop has a spare rig and some parts that you can use to piece together a training rig for yourself if you have downtime in the office. This gives you the chance to learn the hardware side, break stuff, and learn how to fix it all without taking down a production machine.
As for certs....I don't have much room to talk as I've only just gotten my first ever cert this past week. While the Navy encouraged certs, it wasn't something one needed to do the job or get promoted. I would have to say though start with A+ and maybe move on to MCP test for the OS you currently are supporting. A+ is that first, good building block you can use to demonstrate that you have the academic knowledge even if you don't have the practical knowledge. And don't be afraid of the call center/help desk job. It's a great way to get that first, critical experience in IT.
Comments
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cacharo
Member Posts: 361
Thanks for sharing!Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being.