new career doubts!? HELP

Hey everyone just wanted to say how i love this site btw.:) just wanted to put a question out to the professionals of the IT world cause i now am a a crossroads and i feel im confused. Im 29 and have been in working in IT for almost 10 years. That being said i have been blessed to be natrually good at IT, and picked it up very quickly and fairly self taught. I have always been in customer service and excelled at Sales so communication skills is my real strength which is why i assume i was just able to fall into IT with just what i had and winging it. I started my official career in IT working at Level 1 support for Toshiba for almost 2 years. I learned alot of new things and also cemented what i already have learned before because now i was able to practice it and do it over and overl. But i new then that i was just faking it till i made it, but i new i had the skill and desire and natural ability to learn so i kept going. After that I got a job for IBM where i was supporting employees from big oil company . Their i learned AD work, like creating users , shares, permisions which was a bit of server stuff, along with usual Level 1 support stuff, ticketing. etc. By then i was already really really fluent in win xp in and out, and win 7 alot. Now after i took a job in a 60+ emplyee company working sales which was what i was really good at and really did awsome here. Here they had 1 server 2003 and 60+ client pcs xp and only 1 person to administer. So the administrator at that time took me under his wing and taught me everything he new whlike i just kept helping him with all issues until he moved on and i took over as sole admin. I have had 2 huge crashes on the server where i had to start from scratch and now i have 2008 r2 running smooth, with AD configured DNS and DHCP, and im experimented with virtual server creation also used group policy management to really learn to push software anyways i can do what i want and had the opportunity to learn it all so i did end up getting my a+ recently and now what i uysed to learn about server 2008r2 was using the cbnuggets and trainsignal 70640 stuff and the others also...So basically i am so busy that i used those training videos to more so teach me what to do and learn but i never did mcitp exam or anything. I have openeded a business where i have few contracts to maintain there small business server and pcs, and i advertise and offer myservices to end users at home and alot more. Bottom line i have all this knowledge and do all this stuff, and only have a A+ to show for it on paper. So now i feel its time for a change, and will still continue this small contract and keep growing my name. But my resume is sales and what i do here plus my small business and another social media business i have with a partner as well but no certifications to show for it. So im second guessing my own skills because im trying to write this resume that will look good but want to know how does someone with 10 years experience transfer this to a business or what should i do going forward. HELP i have siked myself out in my head!

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Cisc0kidd

Any chance you can divide that up into paragraphs and sentences for us?!

paul78

Hello and welcome to TE.

You're actually not the first to try a career change to IT and many have done so successfully. It sounds like you were able to make the first step already which is to break in with a job on a help-desk. And you have gain some experience with basic systems administration.

What are your actual concerns? Are you trying to change job but have struggles with positioning your previous career in sales on your resume?

Perhaps one role that you may want to consider is sales engineering. It could leverage your sales background but still allow you some aspect of IT. It's not hands-on but may be an option.

But if it's truly a hands-on IT role that you want to immerse yourself, what type of IT role do you believe that you will enjoy?

If you are second-guessing your skills, that's ok. No one knows everything. Especially with something as fluid and broad as IT. I have been in IT for over 23 years and I still take the opportunity to learn new technologies every day.

lee_robinson_26

Well, you've gone as far as to obtain your A+ (2 exams for 1 cert). You might as well stay the course.

MickQ

You seem to be good at sales, which is good - you'll need that if you have your own business.

Next up: learn punctuation, and apply properly. It's dressing up your invoices and communications in a suit.
The trick to getting paid better is not necessarily providing a better service, but giving the impression that you are. A lack of grammatical errors (e.g. their/there) and good layout will help back up the image you give in person when dealing with your customers.

Now that you talk the talk, and look like you can walk the walk, you can afford to worry about backing up your skills with certs. See which ones are needed the soonest, and how much effort will be required. Find the balance that's best for your situation.
I was lucky enough to get away without a cert (other than my degree) for over ten years.

If you want to change direction, sit down and write down what you're good at, what your skills are, what you want in life. Be honest with yourself.
When you've taken an hour (yes, an hour) to look it over, then you should have a good idea of what you need to do.

earweed

Hi and welcome to TE.
Since you have a sales background and you're already good at making/ keeping connections it would be a good idea to look into providing your services to small businesses as a contractor. I did that for a little while and set up a few peoples networks but my work was mostly installing (cabling and procuring equipment) and the actual IT stuff was easy as I used Windows Small Business Server and a few small business class switches and routers. Windows SBS is manu driven and even though it is based off of Server 2008 (R2) and even contains exchange a non-IT pro with a good head on there shoulders could configure it. The main advantage in using SBS is that it is way cheaper than paying for Server 2008 AND Exchange.

Akaricloud

With your experience and knowledge it sounds like you're on a very good path. You might want to look into getting that MCITP to better sell yourself on your resume.

In all honesty though you need to start acting more professional. Attempt to use proper grammar, punctuation, capitalization and sentences, even when just writing on an IT forum. Without proving your ability to at least formulate a decently paragraph or two you will have trouble getting finding a better position. If one of my employees wrote an email that was of your post's quality they would be out the door almost immediately.

techdudehere

If I understand your situation, you have a small business you've started but you're asking about a resume? Do you want to make the business successful or search for a position within an established business? Having even a few clients is such a huge boost to your business taking off, especially if they will provide testimonials for you, that you may want to continue down that path. That will probably increase your credibility more than anything else, but a certification could show that you have both education and experience in relevant products. Honestly, I think your time is better spent growing your business than getting certifications. Study what you need to know but for the small business market you don't need that much skill, it's more a matter of if they trust you or not. Make sure the backups work (test restore files at least, send notifications on failure), make sure the servers have maintenance plans, and don't let anyone store data locally (consider redirection). The only concerns I would have about this market is that with applications and services going to the cloud, this market will be the most likely to try to cut costs of support that way. You may want to partner with a cloud provider.

hugopalacio

Responding paul78

Im trying to change jobs because my current job (sales) takes away 10 hours a day 6 days a week, and i want to get into the field that I really enjoy and am good at which is IT. I like every aspect of IT but the smart thing to do is get into a job that i know plays to my strengths which is the systems administrator role. This way i can get into a IT position which will permit me the time to develop my skills and keep learning and also to even get my own business a boost. Im just worried about how to sell myself on my resume with what i currently have which is a ton of skills and experience and next to no certs.

Roguetadhg

Give me a couple moments to fully process the wall of text before me

Okay. I've read it:

Go Microsoft. Wear the Microsoft Hat. You may also look into *nix (Red Hat comes to mind) also as an alternative administrative role.

hugopalacio

Response to MickQ

yes that is true I need to sit down honestly and list every skill I'm good at and go from their but just feel like this job is taking every ounce of energy and time I have.

hugopalacio

Thank you for your honest Akaricloud and you are correct. The reason why it looks sloppy is because I allowed my own worries and the need to just get some help over power the importance of professionalism so now I am going to apply that first piece of advice and ensure grammar and punctuation are on par with the rest of my skills. Also yes I do think MCITP is the route I should take as I am already basically ready to take my AD 70-640 exam, my only struggle is I feel that I need to get out of this job as soon as possible and not simply wait until I have achieved the MCITP which is definalty something I need to do. So again my struggle is how do I market what I do have to get into something so that I can then go all out with the process of learning and certifying myself.

hugopalacio

replying to Akaricloud

Thank you for your honest Akaricloud and you are correct. The reason why it looks sloppy is because I allowed my own worries and the need to just get some help over power the importance of professionalism so now I am going to apply that first piece of advice and ensure grammar and punctuation are on par with the rest of my skills. Also yes I do think MCITP is the route I should take as I am already basically ready to take my AD 70-640 exam, my only struggle is I feel that I need to get out of this job as soon as possible and not simply wait until I have achieved the MCITP which is definalty something I need to do. So again my struggle is how do I market what I do have to get into something so that I can then go all out with the process of learning and certifying myself.

Roguetadhg

Look for an entry-position. It'll be harder without getting a MS certificate. Anyone can claim they can do something, but having something to prove it helps a lot. Having your A+ will still open entry-level doors.

Some people put their time in with a job they don't like so that they can get something else. I don't like my job, but it's a paycheck, and i can study for exams and supplement the knowledge work doesn't give me

hugopalacio

What i want to do is look for a position in an established business and later on focus on my small business. Once I find a position I can take that time to focus on getting my certifications from the skills I already have. What I would like to do and think is important is post my resume here and see what you professionals have to say about it. I have read many resume help posts and you all are a brilliant source of advice and what is good or what should be changed. I believe that once I get some feedback (good or bad) i will feel better about how to approach applying for the next job!

hugopalacio

LOVE YOUR POST HAHA it was AWSOME

hugopalacio

Hey guys here is my resume i would love some feedback on what i should keep , what i should take out, or what I should add and how to list things if different from what i have.

thanks in advance everyone.

here i posted the link to get my resume
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MickQ

Have a decent paying job, and study in your free time. That's how the rest of us have done/do it.
Of course, there are those of us who work any jobs we can get just to scrape enough money together to go for the certs.

hugopalacio

hey MickQ any chance of checking out my resume and tell me what you think ?

hugopalacio

Hugo Palacio

2190 Weston Road Unit 604, Toronto ON
Mobile (647) 979-4846
Hugo@vinade.com

Overview
•Extensive background in customer-oriented service operations and business. development, including Sales, Marketing for 10 years and Technical Support and related IT for 6 years.
•Excellent communication skills; establish and maintain positive relations with customers in high-demand, diverse customer base.
•Valued contributor who performs confidently and effectively under pressure, and thrives on challenge.
•Highly motivated, dependable troubleshooter and problem-solve.
•Proficient with most systems within Windows/Mac OS

Areas of Expertise
• Supervision, Computer Consultant (Provides Services)
• Training and development
• Successful contributor to the organization (700+ members)
• Customer Service and Social Media
• Windows Server 2003, 2008 R2 – Windows 7Pro, Windows XP, Vista. DNS DHCP.
• File Server, Printer Servers. Powershell. AD DNS. Software Procurement, and
Group Policy
• Media Marketing Consultant (SEM) in Networking

Professional Experience
, Markham
2007 Present
MARKETING ASSOCIATE/PHONE ROOM ASST. MANAGER
• Generate leads for through first contact calls, booking
appointments to have qualified leads, inviting them to Open Houses and have Face to Face Closing.
• Training and Development for the Marketing Team (Productivity and Operations).
• Customer Service & Office Managing.
• Develop applications to facilitate call center operations
(Time Management, Attendance Apps).
• Payroll for Hourly Staff in marketing room.
• Manage the team/closed when owners are away.

IT MANAGER/NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR
• Owner’s Personal Advisor for all technology related matters within his location (Computer Procurements, Layout needs, Internet, Marketing/Website ideas).
• Responsible for 50+ users on network and integration with the systems of our head office.
• Responsible for the implementation and daily administration for Windows network, email administration, FTP server, firewall, our AD DNS and DHCP servers.
• Monitored our File Server, making sure backups were regularly running.
• Authorized to manage the Events and Audit logs.
• Implemented group policies.

IBM – Canada Corporate Office, Markham
ID ADMINISTRATION
• Supported British Petroleum’s South American employees.
• Created users ID’s and provided access rights, permissions, home drive, and access to all new and current employees.
• Answered escalated Spanish support calls when Level 1 representative was not able to handle the client.
• Created tickets for processes that were out of my scope.
• Ensured to help the client on the 1st call resolution.

Accomplishments Hugo’s IT Tech, North York
OWNER/OPERATOR
• Support small businesses as well as clients with any kind of IT related fix or service
• Establish possible ways to improve on what clients currently have and also maintain their current systems.
2008 Present
Vinade Solutions, Scarborough
MEDIA MARKETING CONSULTANT
• Partnership, focused on website design, Manage Keyword Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and Search Engine Optimization
• Manage and responsible for setting up clients to thr 2010 Present

Education & Qualifications

Centennial College – Registered Practical Nurse
2008-2011

CompTIA+, MCITP: AD 70-640 in progress

m3zilla

Was the 10 years of IT experienced from the IT MANAGER/NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR job? Your other jobs doesn't seem IT related at all. Also, you're Accomplishments aren't much of an accomplishments. It seems like it belongs under your experience section

hugopalacio

ok cool so the IBM job was technical i guess relating to citrix, AD, permissions.. user creations....etc and regular level 1 support to end users help desk stuff...i should specify that a bit more then?
Ok, and my business that I started should not be listed under accomplishments?

hugopalacio

guys ?? anymore feedback on my resume?

MickQ

TL, DR.

That and we have CVs over here, not resumes.
That and I have my own work to do right now. Patience, and a review will follow.

Akaricloud

Honestly I would say it needs a lot of work.

Many, many grammar and punctuation errors, poor formatting that crams everything in the middle while leaving a ton of white space and is very inconsistent across the document.

Section titles don't seem to fit the content very well, education section offers nothing that seemingly adds value; I'm not sure what a CompTIA+ is, 70-640 isn't a MCITP and you don't even have it yet.

I would strongly suggest starting over rather than trying to band-aid this into something readable.

MickQ

Drop the stuff you don't have a full cert in. You might put in that you're heading down that track, but probably should not.
"• Successful contributor to the organization (700+ members)" under area of expertise? Sorry, not interested in the other business. What have you got to offer me? Think about the target audience and what they want to see. Don't bullshlt, be honest. Don't lie.
Think about what you have to offer. Sell your strong points.
You need to trim it down a bit, too.
Check out this resume and adapt yours to a similar style. Also check out the pointers everyone has given to others' resumes.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return to my beer, whiskey, coffee, chemical brothers and pendulum. Yeah, I'm in the middle of designing and programming

hugopalacio

i WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS , AND I APOLOGIZE IF NEAR THE END I WAS A BIT DEMANDING OF HELP. LATELY I HAVE FELT LIKE A BIT OF A LOST SOUL AND FEELING LIKE IF I DO NOT AT LEAST HAVE A GAME PLAN WILL DROWN. SO I APOLOGIZE ABOUT APPEARING A BIT DEMANDING OF ATTENTION. THANK YOU AKARICLOUD AND YOU TO MICKQ FOR YOUR RESUME I WILL NOW TAKE ALL THE POSTS AND HELP AND BUILD MY CV AS BEST I CAN. CHEERS.

Roguetadhg

I can't give any advise on resume's. That's a ballpark filled with unicorns and badgers that are blue. (come to think of it, I had a Sonic the Hedgehog dream last night...)