Need Help With Getting My Foot in the Door

I passed the N+ about 2 weeks ago, going for my Sec+ in 2-3 weeks and then hoping to get my A+ before 2013 hits.

I have absolutely no professional experience in the field of IT. I have a few retail jobs, a call-center job at my University when I solicited donations, promotion job, and currently work at CVS as a "Front Store Associate." (aka Cashier).

I'm trying to get a tech job now - pretty much anything. I just want to start building professional experience. What are some resources I could use to find me a tech job? What are some keywords I should be putting into job search sites such as dice/monster/indeed?

I applied for Best Buy Geek Squad but haven't gotten any response. It kind of seems like they don't hire anyone w/o an A+, and I won't have that completed another 7 weeks or so. Is there anywhere else I can look in the meanwhile?

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bgaudy

depending on what the market looks like in your area, the A+ might help you get your foot in the door better than the Sec+...

there are generally more technical support/helpdesk jobs that will hire with no experience. these jobs typically require basic computer troubleshooting skills and A+.

these jobs might be weary of hiring someone with 3 entry level certs, since there is a risk that you may move on in just a few months after being hired...

just my 2c, i'm sure someone else will weigh in who has more experience.. but i am in similar situation as you, and I just applied for as many entry level jobs as possible.. There are tons of job boards, and usually you can find a local job board that will have more for you as well.

bgaudy

sorry for the double post but i just reread your post and figured i'd give some more advice when it comes to keywords..

for entry level jobs, try keywords such as :

"technician"
"support"
"help desk"
"technical support"
"junior technician"

etc etc.

DoubleNNs

You really think having all 3 entry level certs as opposed to just an A+ would be detrimental to me getting a job? I didn't think of t that way..

I have applied to a few jobs already, but no responses as of yet. As I already explained, my work experience pretty much has nothing to do with any of the tech jobs I'm applying to. Are there any other small notes/tips/advice on how I should approach getting this 1st job?

Krones

You can try working with a recruiting agency such as TekSystems or Robert Half Technology. Another option, if you are a college student is to try and apply for the student helpdesk or computer lab aide type of position. I recently emailed a web company with my resume/cover letter even though they did not have any advertised entry level positions and I have an interview with said company later this week. Keep searching on indeed, craigslist, and monster. Patience and keep studying/working on certs. The A+ will help you out more than the Security+ in the near future. You may want to look into volunteering as well and try local computer repair shops as well.

DoubleNNs

I was considering volunteering actually. But I'm not too sure how to go about doing it.

Do you think I'd be able to walk into a local computer repair shop and ask for an unpaid position?

I know about job board sites, but I know nothing about where to look for volunteer work or internships. I'm currently taking the year off of school too, so unfortunately until I go back or graduate and can prove I'm an alum, the career services there won't help me much.

nosoup4u

Krones wrote: »

You can try working with a recruiting agency such as TekSystems or Robert Half Technology. Another option, if you are a college student is to try and apply for the student helpdesk or computer lab aide type of position. I recently emailed a web company with my resume/cover letter even though they did not have any advertised entry level positions and I have an interview with said company later this week. Keep searching on indeed, craigslist, and monster. Patience and keep studying/working on certs. The A+ will help you out more than the Security+ in the near future. You may want to look into volunteering as well and try local computer repair shops as well.

Deferentially good advice, it's by no means glamorous but I landed some pretty nice contracts with IT recruitment firms back in the day with no certifications and very little experience starting off.

lsud00d

You should look for larger industries in your area because they often times need help desk technicians, like healthcare, ISP, etc.

Also I'm not sure why you saved the A+ for last, typically you get that first and then follow up with N+ and Sec+. With those certs you will effectively be overqualified for a tier-1 tech position but your experience brings you back down to ground level.

Good luck and I hope things work out!

DoubleNNs

I think I'll check out both Teksystems and Robert Half Tech this week. I'm sure there are other temp agencies in my area I could try as well.

If I fear being overqualified for a help desk position by the time I finish w/ my compTIA trio, i could simply leave out my N+/Sec+ right? If they don't explicitly ask me if that's the only cert I have, it's not lying. But would having LESS certs really help me at that point?

nosoup4u

It's simply tailoring your resume to fit the job and that includes editing the certifications but these days it seems everyone wants more for less, so leaving them on isn't a detriment imo

someasiandude

are u into networking? you should just move on to CCENT then CCNA .. those will definitely get you an entry level job --- i see alot of NOC tech hiring in my area with the only requirement is just CCNA no exp

DoubleNNs

I'm under the impression that studying for the CCNA take a while - going through the materials and performing labs.

Whereas I feel fairly confident that i'd be able to get a CCENT fairly quickly, given the fact that I already have a Net+, I'm afraid that I won't be able to get a CCNA for sometime. I want to start building IT experience, regardless of what, in the meantime.

A year of CVS experience doesn't seem to add anything to a resume for an IT position.