Corporate vs Local

some guy

I have A+ and Network+ certs, and hoping to have acquired Security+ before the end of the year. I know I gotta begin somewhere though. So, from people who have experienced or are employed currently in IT, would it generally be better to start off at at a place like Best Buy/Geek Squad, Staples EasyTech, etc OR a local repair shop? as far as pay and how management/coworkers are

What kinds of tasks and technical situations does a PC repair person encounter?--what kinds of technical problems are they expected to be able to resolve? I have looked at job descriptions, while browsing around for it, but I'd feel more comfortable from direct replies of those experienced in IT.

Edit: Also, what exactly is a "Help Desk" job, from those who have worked in that or similar position.

mikej412

Small and Medium sized businesses (<500 employees) create more new jobs than the mega corps (and bloated government).

You target the large corporate places because they may have more jobs located in one place to try for -- and they may have greater turnover (hopefully as the employees gain experience and move on to greener job pastures and not because the jobs suck).

While there are more new jobs overall in the small & medium businesses, you usually have to spend more time hunting down each and every job opening individually. A lot of those positions may never be posted anywhere -- so you either have to "know someone" or pound the pavement dropping off your resume at likely small businesses and hope you run into a job opening that isn't a good fit for the receptionist's cousin Zeke.

some guy

I understand what you're saying about the new jobs created, and how getting a local job may be more difficult. I'm just asking if it would generally be better to start work at a local shop or at a franchise type place(GS, EasyTech, etc), concerning pay, management, etc. And I'm asking that based on what I have--A+, Net+, maybe Sec+ soon, but no job experience.

networker050184

some guy wrote: »

I understand what you're saying about the new jobs created, and how getting a local job may be more difficult. I'm just asking if it would generally be better to start work at a local shop or at a franchise type place(GS, EasyTech, etc), concerning pay, management, etc. And I'm asking that based on what I have--A+, Net+, maybe Sec+ soon, but no job experience.

No offense, but with those qualifications I'd take what ever I could get. As far as whats better, that really depends on what you are looking for out of the job. Larger companies usually have more room for advancement but are more compartmentalized so you might not get a wide exposure to different technologies. Either way a "real" IT job is going to look a lot better on your resume than geek squad etc.

some guy

networker050184 wrote: »

No offense, but with those qualifications I'd take what ever I could get. As far as whats better, that really depends on what you are looking for out of the job. Larger companies usually have more room for advancement but are more compartmentalized so you might not get a wide exposure to different technologies. Either way a "real" IT job is going to look a lot better on your resume than geek squad etc.

I acknowledged that I have to start somewhere in my first post. I know employers really like to see experience these days and that certs wouldn't guarantee a job by any means, but they are better than having just your word or nothing. Anyway, you're saying I should try to get a job at a local place, if I can, rather than somewhere like GS?

networker050184

It doesn't have to be a local place. Working for an actual small business or enterprise is going to look better to future employers than geek squad or any crap like that. I'd only get something like that as a last resort.

Deesiel

I'd aim for a local managed IT services firm if I were you (ones that support small/medium businesses). In my area, it seems like these places are more likely to hire newbies with certs than the corporate places worth working at.

zerglings

Take whatever you can get. My first "IT" job was being a Geek Squad. After several months, I was able to land a job as a Field Support guy for a Fortune 500 company (within the top 40). Still with the same company trying to move up the ladder.

Zartanasaurus

Deesiel wrote: »

I'd aim for a local managed IT services firm if I were you (ones that support small/medium businesses). In my area, it seems like these places are more likely to hire newbies with certs than the corporate places worth working at.

This would be my advice as well. Instead of working at a job and being outsourced, go work at the firm where businesses are outsourcing the jobs to.

As a general rule, try to work at a place where you won't be super specialized. If you go work for Megacorp, you'll do your job and that's it. If you go work for a smaller place, you'll likely have to wear more hats and work on different technologies at once. You'll probably have more places to advance to at Megacorp, but getting to work with the technologies might be harder. Going to work for an IT contractor and they will try to get you doing as much as possible b/c they make more money the higher the rate they can bill out your work. Those places generally seem to be better at paying to get you certs as well. Plus when Megacorp is looking to take on a big IT conversion project, they go to the contractors to get it done. Instead of being the guy at Megacorp wishing you were working on the conversion from 2k3 to 2k8, you'll be one of the guys actually doing it.

The above, of course, is a generalization and not meant to be 100% rock solid.