Getting a IT job with no experience and a finance degree?

hamlin69

Hello I am having a little issue finding a job in the IT field. I currently have my A+ and have decided to go more into the "network admin" area so I started studying for my NET+ and then I will get my CCNA. The issue I am having is how will I get a job(or even an interview) with no IT experience? I have a degree in finance, so that is useless to me in the field I want to pursue. How would I make a resume with no related work experience? I know enough about computers to probably get by doing the job but company's want professional experience. Most entry level jobs ask 1-3 years exp with configuring WAN, LAN switches routers etc but I don't have any experience so how can I get some if I can't get hired by anyone?

I did get a job as a computer tech guy for 16$ an hour but I turned it down because A) its not something I want to do and From my calculation of my expenses, I need to make 19$ an hour just to get by. I cannot afford to live on $16

Akaricloud

I think you need to lower your expectations. A computer tech job for $16/hr is pretty good as far as an entry level job goes. I doubt any company is going to hire you to do higher-level work on a production network when you have absolutely no experience.

Take any IT job to get some experience, keep working on your NET+ and CCNA, and in no time you'll be able to move into a better position. Don't expect to get places without putting in the work!

hamlin69

Akaricloud wrote: »

I think you need to lower your expectations. A computer tech job for $16/hr is pretty good as far as an entry level job goes. I doubt any company is going to hire you to do higher-level work on a production network when you have absolutely no experience.

I do understand where you are coming from but as a pc technician it would have nothing to do with what I want to get in to. I would be working on the "bench" install pc components. It would have nothing to do with networking.

To follow up on your edited post:

I obviously don't expect to make a lot of money in an entry level job. If I were a boss I wouldn't hire me either if I had no experience. The only issue about the 16$ an hour was I have a mortgage, car loan, family and bills. I make close to 25$ an hour as an accountant. I can't afford a 9$ pay cut. For my bills and loans I need to make a minimum 19$ to hour...just to survive.

Tackle

Here in the states, any job that would start you out at $16 with no experience is a great opportunity. Looks like sacrifices will have to be made. Something along the lines of a second part time IT job to get at least some experience or cut some expenses. Who knows, you may get lucky and find someone willing to pay you what you’re hoping for.

Danielh22185

If you are really wanting to get into IT you may have to end up making some sacrifices. IT is a very skill based industry and if you can't display the skills of a high skill job you are going to have to start at the bottom. Bargaining as much as $19-20/hr you may find extremely difficult for an entry level job. I understand life has you in a spot where you cannot take less money but nobody can start at a high skill position without the prior experience to prove that skill.

If I were you and I was trying to get my start into IT and couldn't take the pay hit, maybe see if there is something you can start helping out with now with your company's IT department. See if they will allow you to put in some overtime with your company's IT department, or even come up on off hours and work for free, just to build your skill sets. Or, take a part time entry level position somewhere to improve your skills. Talk with your manager about where you are wanting to go, you never know what they might be able to pull off for you.

Worst case scenario, take a lower paying IT job you can't afford and start delivering pizzas at nights.

Akaricloud

Unfortunately you can't really expect to transfer from a skilled job to an entry level job without taking a large pay cut.

You can try to stack up on certifications, maybe do some part time or volunteer IT work for experience then try to find an employer willing to give you a chance but it's not going to be easy.

Have you considered downsizing? -You can always move to somewhere cheaper to reduce your bills, sell your car and find something you can buy outright, ect.

hamlin69

I have thought of the Part-Time work thing but I work 8-4 Mon-Fri. The job would have to be on the weekends or after 4pm, also I talked to my wife and she is not happy at all with the salary cut but I explained to her that in time it would go back up. I do not regret not taking the job because if I did I wouldn't be able to pay my bills. The Part-Time job idea is actually really good...except...there are no PT jobs in IT in my city.

Hopefully by me getting more certs I will be able to get more interviews and potentially a job in which I can afford my bills.

YuckTheFankees

I came from the finance field (4 years) and started my 1st I.T. job last October. The job was paying $13/hr and it was located 60 miles away from my house..so I had to take a pay cut and also add an extra hour to my drive everyday. It sucked but I was happy to be given the chance to break into the I.T. field. I really think the hardest part is breaking into the field..from there, you will have so many chances to succeed.

I would search simplyhired, indeed, dice, and your local craiglist (I actually found my 1st job with a startup company on craigslist). Search the terms "NOC", "help desk", " tech support", "desktop support", "junior network engineer".

I would definitely pass those certifications. While at my 1st I.T. job, I passed the Network+ and only the 1st part of the CCNA...I received a job offer in April for double the money (plus it was more than I made in the finance field).

ChooseLife

hamlin69 wrote: »

I know enough about computers to probably get by doing the job but company's want professional experience.

So... you have no experience, you probably can get by doing the job and for your very first job you want almost twice the average salary of those who actually can?

How do I put this politely...... Expectations require some readjustment....
Even with certs under the belt, I think it will be extremely difficult to enter IT field and start making $19/hr right off the bat on the first entry-level job.

Practically, some options for fixing this catch22 are:
- get supplemental income yourself - do part-time IT and part-time financial or other work
- get someone in the family to generate supplemental income while you settling in IT
- reevaluate spendings and budget
- continue working full-time in your current position and volunteer in the evenings to get necessary expeirence

Iristheangel

+1 to ChooseLife. Completely agree. Your first 1-2 years in IT aren't going to get you paid great money. It's time to re-evaluate and adjust those expectations. Working part time or contract work will get you some professional experience as well as supplementing your income but you may still not make the money you want right away after that. It all depends on your personality, opportunities, skills, and a little bit of luck

matt333

Take whatever you can get especially if you have limited experience, like everything you have to start at the bottom. if you cant survive of $16 then take some part-time work or contact jobs to get experience while working at another job. Good luck

w00t

I started off making 8$ an hour as an intern and I was so broke, they gave me a four dollar raise within 90 days, and was still broke. 10 months later I am starting a new job making 16 an hour, so I would have been happy to start off at 16$ an hour. It took me a year to find someone to actually hire me because I had no experience. At the same time, I don't have kids, I own my own car and I rent out an affordable apartment and plus I'm only 25. Starting off at helpdesk seems to be a good start and depending on the company you will do more then tier 1 work and can gain a lot of experience and knowledge with the engineers.

Brain_Power

Turning down that job was a mistake. The experience gained from that job will pay dividends for years to come in career progression.

Chrono

YuckTheFankees wrote: »

I came from the finance field (4 years) and started my 1st I.T. job last October. The job was paying $13/hr and it was located 60 miles away from my house..so I had to take a pay cut and also add an extra hour to my drive everyday. It sucked but I was happy to be given the chance to break into the I.T. field. I really think the hardest part is breaking into the field..from there, you will have so many chances to succeed.

I would search simplyhired, indeed, dice, and your local craiglist (I actually found my 1st job with a startup company on craigslist). Search the terms "NOC", "help desk", " tech support", "desktop support", "junior network engineer".

I would definitely pass those certifications. While at my 1st I.T. job, I passed the Network+ and only the 1st part of the CCNA...I received a job offer in April for double the money (plus it was more than I made in the finance field).

I was planning on studying for the net+ to know the material but taking CCENT as that carries more weight by employers I hear. What do you guys think of this plan?

CodeBlox

That's exactly what I did.

hamlin69

Brain_Power wrote: »

Turning down that job was a mistake. The experience gained from that job will pay dividends for years to come in career progression.

If I didn't have a family, mortgage, car loan, other bills and if I lived at my parents house...then yea I would of taken it. I really wish I could have taken it but I couldn't afford to. The only thing I can hope is to get as many certs as possible and hope that someone will take a chance on me for at least 19$ an hour. It is possible. It happened to me in my current position.

tprice5

My first job was a junior developer position for $21/hr. I was hired based on my computer science degree and developmnet experience wih .Net.
My second and current job is a hybrid IT/Development position for around $30/hr. I was given the job with security+ being my only cert. I was able to do this thanks to contacts I made during an unpaid internship I did for them whilst in college.

Everyone has all ready said it, but your expectations do not allign with reality. If money is the number one factor, stay in finance. If you truly want to pursue a career in IT maybe try going back to school for a CS degree. Depending on how long ago you received your finance degree, your core credits should still be valid allowing you to complete the degree in 2 years or less.

Hope you are able to figure something out!

ChickenNuggetz

I understand your predicament, especially when you have a family; these are tough calls to make. Here's what I would suggest:

1. Keep you current job you have now. Save as much money as you can. Seriously, save all of it.
2. You need experience. Any experience. Try and get a part-time gig. Volunteer work. An internship. Yes, it's going to suck to work your full-time job AND do something like volunteer work or unpaid internship, but its real experience that can make the jump 10x easier.
3. If you can, continue to get your certifications, you cant rely on just certifications, experience takes precedence.
4. After 6-months to 12 months of volunteer/internships, start applying for IT positions. Even if they offer you garbage pay, take it! That's right take it! This is where your savings comes into play. You can supplement the difference between the new job and how much you need to make with your savings. After 6 months of doing this, ask for a raise or find a better paying job and keep moving up the ladder.

jamesp1983

I started as a Field Tech for a large bank at $14/hour with no experience, an A+ and an AAS degree at 21. The employer gave me a dollar raise after 1 year. I would have loved to start for $16/hr, but I understand where you're coming from as far as having bills. You might have to pick up a side job to make ends meet for awhile until you get some experience under your belt.

hamlin69

I have read all of your suggestions and I think the only way to do this and afford to live would be to pick up a part time job and make it work around my current job and maybe find a weekend job. I appreciate all the help guys/girls.

mguy

I have economics degree, but lucked out graduating during the great "R"-session.

Bro, try the banking/finance sector -- there is always IT work in the financial services. This way you can leverage your finance degree.

Pay cut? You should be able to make a rudimentary cost/benefit situation with your finance background. I'm currently studying for CCNA and was suprised by how easy the math is! Serious, if you are able to model network {n, domain = 0>inf} then most concepts will make sense like "spanning tree" or "OSPF's algo". Keep in mind, technology is serious on memorization, prepare to whore your mind. lol.

dave330i

VoIP is probably your best bet for getting a decent paying IT job w/out experience in networking.