breaking into IT from Customer Support

gcarroll357

Hello everyone,

I could definitely use some advice from you guys one how to break into a more hands on IT position. For the past 4 years I have been doing customer support role for software(3 years internship a big communication company and 1 year at a small LMS reseller). Yes its technical in nature were I have to learn the software inside and out but as far skills that I can transfer to other IT jobs its few and far between. Im really interested in more hardware and administrative support (working and repairing computers, assisting end users, etc). I currently have no certs but a BS in Management Info Systems. I have self taught myself enough where i have been upgrading and fixing computers for family, friends and students for past 5 or so years.

Though I am blessed to have my current job, my fear is to have years passed and not have any marketable IT skills for an IT job that I would like in the future. I am currently 30 so I know I have time but I want to start making moves now to prepare for my future. My soft skills and customer support skills are well noted by my employees but im lacking in my IT hard skills. Any advice that you guys can give I greatly appreciate.

Thanks

Repo Man

I think you'd have an easy transition into a help desk role. I'd suggest studying the 70-271/70-272 and 70-685 material as it's the best study guide for issues you deal with in the real world.

instant000

gcarroll357 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

I could definitely use some advice from you guys one how to break into a more hands on IT position. For the past 4 years I have been doing customer support role for software(3 years internship a big communication company and 1 year at a small LMS reseller). Yes its technical in nature were I have to learn the software inside and out but as far skills that I can transfer to other IT jobs its few and far between. Im really interested in more hardware and administrative support (working and repairing computers, assisting end users, etc). I currently have no certs but a BS in Management Info Systems. I have self taught myself enough where i have been upgrading and fixing computers for family, friends and students for past 5 or so years.

Though I am blessed to have my current job, my fear is to have years passed and not have any marketable IT skills for an IT job that I would like in the future. I am currently 30 so I know I have time but I want to start making moves now to prepare for my future. My soft skills and customer support skills are well noted by my employees but im lacking in my IT hard skills. Any advice that you guys can give I greatly appreciate.

Thanks

Simple, get the holy trinity of COMPTIA:

A+, Network+, and Security+

After those, you should qualify for something better, as well as get an inkling of what you'd like to learn more about.

astrogeek

If you want my advice study for CCNA. Cisco rewards employers that hire Cisco certified employees, this is how Cisco manages to make their certifications much more valuable than other certs, (not that you shouldn't also try to get others because those will help too).

I just have to speak from my own experience and you already have a lot more IT experience than I do. A few years ago I was driving big rigs thinking my IT career dream was long gone, then I get laid off, decided to take a Net+ and Networking academy class, also signed up for an internship and somewhere along the lines the stars aligned just right and here I am working for a major networking company with loads of future growth potential.

So my advice is to shoot straight for CCNA and be persistent. Don't even let yourself believe you don't have enough experience because you already have a lot more than I have, and even though my situation is most likely rare, it isn't impossible. I remember a little over a year ago I was in college class for Net+ and I was talking to a guy who acted like you must follow the generic order of going A+, Net+, then Cisco or MCSE or whatever. Well I still don't have A+ or Net+ and honestly I don't think I'll even bother with those certs, right now I'm focusing on all things Cisco!

Psoasman

I would work on the A+, Net+, and Security+. You could then work on the Windows 7 certs. I would avoid the 271/272 for the MCDST as that cert is set to expire -if it hasn't already. You could do the 270 exam, which would give you the MCP credential.
It sounds like you are motivated and along with your customer support experience, you should be fine.

Turgon

astrogeek wrote: »

If you want my advice study for CCNA. Cisco rewards employers that hire Cisco certified employees, this is how Cisco manages to make their certifications much more valuable than other certs, (not that you shouldn't also try to get others because those will help too).

I just have to speak from my own experience and you already have a lot more IT experience than I do. A few years ago I was driving big rigs thinking my IT career dream was long gone, then I get laid off, decided to take a Net+ and Networking academy class, also signed up for an internship and somewhere along the lines the stars aligned just right and here I am working for a major networking company with loads of future growth potential.

So my advice is to shoot straight for CCNA and be persistent. Don't even let yourself believe you don't have enough experience because you already have a lot more than I have, and even though my situation is most likely rare, it isn't impossible. I remember a little over a year ago I was in college class for Net+ and I was talking to a guy who acted like you must follow the generic order of going A+, Net+, then Cisco or MCSE or whatever. Well I still don't have A+ or Net+ and honestly I don't think I'll even bother with those certs, right now I'm focusing on all things Cisco!

There is a lot to be said for this. If you get your head down and tramp the well trodden path much time will elapse before you complete the tracks properly, and this is what everybody is doing anyway. The number of certified people is rising all the time. You should expend time and energy on certifications but not at the expense of the effort you should be putting in to work yourself into a suitable position in paid employment. This can happen before you attain your certification goals.

instant000

I thought the person didn't know what he wanted to do, so doing those three provide a stable base from which he can decide where he wants to go.

If he said for sure that he wanted to do networking, then I'd advise Network+, and then CCNA. (and don't sleep on Juniper).

RobertKaucher

Repo Man wrote: »

I think you'd have an easy transition into a help desk role. I'd suggest studying the 70-271/70-272 and 70-685 material as it's the best study guide for issues you deal with in the real world.

Keep in mind the MCDST is as close to being retired as it possibly could be. Studying the material might be good, but there is no way a newbie would be able to obtain the cert by the end of June. Not sure why you would want a cert 10 days before it retires, either...

Repo Man

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Studying the material might be good, but there is no way a newbie would be able to obtain the cert by the end of June. Not sure why you would want a cert 10 days before it retires, either...

Agreed. Only mentioned the XP study material as it's more relevant in the workplace right now IMO.

NetworkingStudent

Psoasman wrote: »

I would work on the A+, Net+, and Security+. You could then work on the Windows 7 certs. I would avoid the 271/272 for the MCDST as that cert is set to expire -if it hasn't already. You could do the 270 exam, which would give you the MCP credential.
It sounds like you are motivated and along with your customer support experience, you should be fine.

+1
I would just like to add..
I have my A+, Network+, and Security+ Comptia certifications, plus my A.A.S degree in IT and these qualifications help me get noticed. However, a lot of recruiters and companies are looking for that customer service/phone support experience on a resume when applying for a help desk job or higher. I would use your current job to your advantage and highlight your customer service experience. Also, I think a BS in information Management is way more than enough education for a help desk role.
My advice is apply for help desk jobs while studying for your certifications.
Also, I want to say go after your A+, Network+ , and Security+ these certifications gave me the basics for a foundation in IT.

That’s my 2 cents.

Good Luck

baseball1988

gcarroll357 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

I could definitely use some advice from you guys one how to break into a more hands on IT position. For the past 4 years I have been doing customer support role for software(3 years internship a big communication company and 1 year at a small LMS reseller). Yes its technical in nature were I have to learn the software inside and out but as far skills that I can transfer to other IT jobs its few and far between. Im really interested in more hardware and administrative support (working and repairing computers, assisting end users, etc). I currently have no certs but a BS in Management Info Systems. I have self taught myself enough where i have been upgrading and fixing computers for family, friends and students for past 5 or so years.

Though I am blessed to have my current job, my fear is to have years passed and not have any marketable IT skills for an IT job that I would like in the future. I am currently 30 so I know I have time but I want to start making moves now to prepare for my future. My soft skills and customer support skills are well noted by my employees but im lacking in my IT hard skills. Any advice that you guys can give I greatly appreciate.

Thanks

I can relate to your situation. I have the exact educational background as you and I also provide customer/technical support to clients. These types of jobs isn't the best and what you learn will stay with the company. The knowledge you gain cannot be transferred to other organizations. The most you will develop is the soft skills & troubleshooting skills. I face the same issue as you and realized this immediately after working at my job for a couple months. I'm already making plans to find something else in the next couple of months.

You can also apply for an internal position that will allow you to gain hands-on technical skills. If the company doesn't have the job you want then you should look for jobs elsewhere. You might need to get a few certifications such as CompTIA A+ and a few Microsoft certifications. It should qualify you to help desk jobs or technical specialist jobs.

I'm also stuck in the same situation as you. Our educational background is supposed to help us become a "system analyst" or a "business analyst". However, we will need to experience technical support, quality assurance analyst, then systems analyst. Find out how to achieve your goal.

gcarroll357

baseball1988 wrote: »

I can relate to your situation. I have the exact educational background as you and I also provide customer/technical support to clients. These types of jobs isn't the best and what you learn will stay with the company. The knowledge you gain cannot be transferred to other organizations. The most you will develop is the soft skills & troubleshooting skills. I face the same issue as you and realized this immediately after working at my job for a couple months. I'm already making plans to find something else in the next couple of months.

You can also apply for an internal position that will allow you to gain hands-on technical skills. If the company doesn't have the job you want then you should look for jobs elsewhere. You might need to get a few certifications such as CompTIA A+ and a few Microsoft certifications. It should qualify you to help desk jobs or technical specialist jobs.

I'm also stuck in the same situation as you. Our educational background is supposed to help us become a "system analyst" or a "business analyst". However, we will need to experience technical support, quality assurance analyst, then systems analyst. Find out how to achieve your goal.

Yes, thats exactly how I feel/look at it. Sounds funny, but it feels good to know that I am not alone with this thought.

Thank you everyone for your responses. Im going to look into start with probably my A+ / Net+ and decide if I want to go Systems or Networking. I really appreciate your help. Things like this is why i continue to visit this forum.

baseball1988

gcarroll357 wrote: »

Yes, thats exactly how I feel/look at it. Sounds funny, but it feels good to know that I am not alone with this thought.

Thank you everyone for your responses. Im going to look into start with probably my A+ / Net+ and decide if I want to go Systems or Networking. I really appreciate your help. Things like this is why i continue to visit this forum.

No problem. The good thing is that you have customer service and technical troubleshooting experience. This is what employers look for even if we want to pursue a career in Systems Admin or Networking. You can always test the water by sending out resumes to companies and see if you can hit the jackpot. Both of us work in these "application or software support". Knowledge can't be carried over unless you find a similar company within the industry.

I have a few coworkers who worked in software/application support. He learned and mastered the company's product inside out. It took him 2-3 years to know almost everything! He ended up finding another job but he has to start from scratch. Only 20% of the knowledge was carried over!

It's always good to go with careers like "database admin, network analyst, system analyst" but expect competition. Being a well-rounded person where you can use these skills at almost any company (IT in a hospital, IT in a chemical company, IT in the bank, etc).

I'll be looking for advice on this forum in the next couple of months. I'm planning to get out of application support but couldn't take courses because my work hours changes too frequently.

Good luck with your plan.

N2IT

gcarroll357 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

I could definitely use some advice from you guys one how to break into a more hands on IT position. For the past 4 years I have been doing customer support role for software(3 years internship a big communication company and 1 year at a small LMS reseller). Yes its technical in nature were I have to learn the software inside and out but as far skills that I can transfer to other IT jobs its few and far between. Im really interested in more hardware and administrative support (working and repairing computers, assisting end users, etc). I currently have no certs but a BS in Management Info Systems. I have self taught myself enough where i have been upgrading and fixing computers for family, friends and students for past 5 or so years.

Though I am blessed to have my current job, my fear is to have years passed and not have any marketable IT skills for an IT job that I would like in the future. I am currently 30 so I know I have time but I want to start making moves now to prepare for my future. My soft skills and customer support skills are well noted by my employees but im lacking in my IT hard skills. Any advice that you guys can give I greatly appreciate.

Thanks

Leverage your Bachelor of Science in IT and your 3 years of customer service / software experience into a more technicial role.

Honestly you don't need a certification to break into a technician helpdesk. Get your resume updated and practice the typical interview questions. Be prepared to answer scenario based questions. Any weaknesses in your resume will be exposed. Be sure to have you basis covered on those.

gcarroll357

baseball1988 wrote: »

You can always test the water by sending out resumes to companies and see if you can hit the jackpot. Both of us work in these "application or software support". Knowledge can't be carried over unless you find a similar company within the industry.

I have a few coworkers who worked in software/application support. He learned and mastered the company's product inside out. It took him 2-3 years to know almost everything! He ended up finding another job but he has to start from scratch. Only 20% of the knowledge was carried over!


Good luck with your plan.

Yea thats exactly what I am worried about. Unfortunately my job is paying more then most jobs I see are currently offering. So I will plan on getting my certs while working here.

N2IT wrote: »

Leverage your Bachelor of Science in IT and your 3 years of customer service / software experience into a more technicial role.

Honestly you don't need a certification to break into a technician helpdesk. Get your resume updated and practice the typical interview questions. Be prepared to answer scenario based questions. Any weaknesses in your resume will be exposed. Be sure to have you basis covered on those.

Thanks for the advice. I will continue to do so but I also tried it before landing this job and I felt I got positive feedback from my resume as I was brought in on several interviews (and a few followup interviews). In all of them they were impressed with my character, resume and references it was just that I didnt have the type of experience they were looking for (No AD experience, working with servers, etc). I plan on working on the certs and continue self teaching myself these skills to get more experience since my current job doesnt have any opportunities for this. Again thanks

Turgon

You will be fine. Keep at it on the workfront and take your certs to bone up on the areas where you dont get exposure at your shop.