Advice appreciated.

Like many on here , I am new to the IT field and looking for some advice from the IT Beast's that lurk this board. I just recently got my A+ and will have my N+ and S+ done before the end of the year, after the trinity I am leaning toward's
CCNA-->CCNA:SECURITY or Virtualization , both interest me so I am not completely sure yet.Either way I have no experience and realize it is very important, I could maybe get some type of Consumer Repair/PC Tech job atm but not sure if this is helping me very much in my goals....I see many members on here with an amazing list of certifications and would like to know what they would do if put in my shoes. Thank you for reading and any responses.

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Comments

emerald_octane

Volunteer. Knowing what you want to do (networking, virtualization), hands on desktop repair type work might be a waste of time. Not saying it isn't good to know, but I know hardcore CCNP who couldn't tell you a video card from a slice of cheese. If you go down that route you might get pigeonholed into the front line work. I had to volunteer three years part time when I had NO experience in IT but that plus my own study experience got me an internship which lead to bigger and better things.

Ivanjam

IT69 - if you are in the US and not yet in college, I would recommend that you enroll in WGU for the BS-IT after completing the Net+ and Sec+. These 3 certifications will net you the equivalent of 22 transfer credits towards the generic BS-IT.

W Stewart

I would take whatever job you can get in IT just to get experience. It may not be directly related to what you want to do but it may lead you to the job that leads you to a job related to what you want to do. I would try to get a job at an ISP if possible.

sieff

Try Craigslist. I noticed in the job forums that there's always some guys looking to under pay you ... may be a good way to gain some experience. Surely there's some disasters to run into. And I say that from experience, I was unemployed for a 6-9 month stint and found work on craigslist. I got exposure to some really crappy jobs, that gave me experience on hands-on stuff that I never would have encountered otherwise.

W Stewart

sieff wrote: »

Try Craigslist. I noticed in the job forums that there's always some guys looking to under pay you ... may be a good way to gain some experience. Surely there's some disasters to run into. And I say that from experience, I was unemployed for a 6-9 month stint and found work on craigslist. I got exposure to some really crappy jobs, that gave me experience on hands-on stuff that I never would have encountered otherwise.

I've actually gotten most of my opportunties from craigslist. Where would you suggest I look for more decent paying jobs?

sieff

When looking for work my method was to flood all job sites on positions I felt I'd be a match for. I paid special attention to track all the jobs I applied for and not to make more than one submission. Another thing that was helpful was being willing to relocate or travel if necessary.