Graduation approaching.. professional advice?

Tyson87

Hello all. im just about to graduate with a Bachelors degree in computing from a university in the UK and im going back home to nyc. I have been looking for jobs in the networking/Server area but unfortunately im lacking experience.. im not to sure what to do. should i keep doing cisco/microsoft certs? about a year and a half ago I completed the ccna academy as a pre requesit to a module i had to take and never bothered taking the actual exam..(which i regret dearly). unfortunately its seems the ccna program has changed to the exploration program which seems to be different to what i studied? should i resit these actual classes and go for the ccna or just study the new material myself from the book? anyways, just feeling slightly nervous about going back home and not getting a proper job and wondering if its wise to do more certifications without any job experience to complement them. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Cheers:D

veritas_libertas

WoW, that is really neat, are you originally from the States? That is the way I interpeted your opening post.

What is it you really want to do? Servers, or networking?

Tyson87

veritas_libertas wrote: »

WoW, that is really neat, are you originally from the States? That is the way I interpeted your opening post.

What is it you really want to do? Servers, or networking?

hey, yea originally from new york.. been living between ireland and nyc most of my life. moved to the uk to study. now its time to face reality and get a proper job. would like to do networking. done software development, networking, security, databases and pretty much covered alot in my degree.. like the netowrking the most.. done a couple of internships.. nothin special.. tech support and the likes. posted my cv's on monster and a couple of job sites.. no replys. Im in the middle of doing an applied cisco wireless and security class as part of my final degree year.. really do enjoy it. sooooo just using every option to try and get a realistic view of what i should do that would benefit me and strike an interest in a possible employer.. thanks again. ( im not ruling out a masters either.. but would prefer to do one after some industry experience)

MeanDrunkR2D2

You'd be extremely lucky to go and find a job doing exactly what you want with servers/networking being fresh out of college. As most places, jobs are scarce in the states and are just starting to rebound. I have over 4 years of experience and just am starting a new job next week as a junior pc technician. There just are not the jobs out there unless you have extensive experience. I also have a secret clearance and that's not even helping out much.

Not only that, but I've gotten to the point now that I am making far less now than I have even made since 1999. With the job market being what it is, you really don't have much luck. The best thing I can say is to find a entry level position in a company that you can grow with. You'd likely be doing Desktop or Help Desk support to start out and depending on the company you can move forward into the position you want.

Just saying, look around, but don't look for that perfect "dream" starting job. You'll likely end up doing something very entry level just to get your feet wet and have to work hard to get into the field you want to be in.

MeanDrunkR2D2

And I don't mean to burst your bubble. The market is really really bad right now. I've been fighting guys who have been making 60-80k a year plus for the 40k a year jobs that I'm qualified for now that would allow me to grow with the company. Those are also guys who have over 10-15 years of experience as well, which I just cannot match. When everything else is equal, their experience kills me.

And Use everything you can to network with others in the industry where you live. So join some groups in Linked in and contact many of the Technical recruiting agencies in the area. Develop a relationship with them so that they will remember you when positions come up. Directly contact companies that you know would offer the growth you want. Use Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice, indeed, etc to find job postings. Don't forget to write up cover letters and resumes that are specific for each company and position you are applying for. If it looks like you just emailed a generic email to every single company it can turn off some in HR.

I spent 7 months of 2009 unemployed before I found a entry level help desk position and just put my notice in today for that position for the pc tech position. I have the help desk experience, but the hardware experience should be a great one for me to break into the networking side of IT. I'm hoping that it will springboard me into something better down the road in the near future, but will keep looking for that "Dream" opportunity whenever it crosses my path. Or at least a better paying position that compliments my skills and offers even better growth.

MentholMoose

I don't think the CCNA has changed much in the last 1.5 years. The current exam (640-802) has been around for a couple years at least. Even if your class was focused on the previous exam, the content is similar. The main problem is that the content isn't fresh in your mind, so you will have to review. 1.5 years isn't too long though, so your review shouldn't be too arduous.

I think doing internships is great. The economy sucks right now so it is just plain difficult to get a job, so don't discount your experience just because it is from internships. Doing a masters degree now is a pretty good option since by the time you're done, the economy should be better.

ipconfig.all

try volunteering to get I.T industrial experience.

Neeko

I wouldn't bother paying for any more academy time, just self study from the books. I did a couple of academy classes and then self studied the whole thing over a year later, learnt much more doing it myself.