What next? Im lost...

GoodKidMAADCity

Hi everyone, I recently discovered this forum and figured I could get some good advice here. I am currently attending a 4 year university and majoring in Business Admin with a concentration in ITM. I will be graduating in December 2013. I have recently been applying for internships but I am feeling rather intimidated. I have pretty much completed my entire ITM curriculum besides one course and I have really have not received the hands on experience I would like. This is really making me doubt my major choice. It seems that all the internships I see want some kind of computer science background also. I am debating prolonging my education and picking up a minor in computer science. Would this be a good idea? Or should I go the route of certifications instead? If so what certifications should i be looking to get for attaining a job such as a system analyst, network analyst, or database specialist? Also i forgot to mention I have years of experience building and fixing computers and have worked as a Computer Sales Specialist at a Sony which basically turned into me doing the technicians job since we became short staffed with our technicians.

techster79

Your best bet is to determine what in IT you want to do, especially before pursuing certifications. There is network/database administration, programming(too big to list all the possibilities here), system engineering, IT management, architecture and design. A degree and a low level cert or two may get your foot in the door but don't expect to go far with no work experience. The best thing starting out would be networking, and I don't mean switches and routers. Check with your friends, family, co-workers, teachers, etc and the people they know for any openings. I was hired into IT by being at the right place at the right time and chatting up a co-worker(who was working part time with me and full time in IT) about a PC I built from scratch back in 1997. Most entry level jobs are helpdesk related where you are taking phone calls all day every day. If you don't have the ability to network, pull up the chamber of commerce site in your area. It will list all the businesses in various categories in IT(17 under computers-software/hardware/consulting in my area). Type up a resume with a cover letter to introduce yourself and your desire to build some work experience. I did this once when I was out of work, got nothing back from 70+ companies but 3 called me. Good luck!

GoodKidMAADCity

Thanks Techster! I am leaning towards network/database administration seeing as to how this what the majority of my curriculum has covered. Any certifications you could recommend to help me get started with this? Also i forgot to mention I live in Silicon Valley, so there are plenty of opportunities around here, I have just yet to find one. I have been trying to network with people I know but so far have come up short handed.

lordy

Welcome to the forum!

If you are interested in network administration CCNA is the way to go. There is also CompTIA's Network+ but with your background that shouldn't be a challenge. The CCNA is regarded as a valuable certification and may just put you on top of the pile. If you invest some time and about $300 you should be good to go. The material I can recommend is Todd Lammle's CCNA Book and the videos from CBTnuggest or Bryant Advantage.

If you prefer databases on the other hand Oracle might be the way to go. As far as I remember those require taking a class before being admitted to the exam but that might have changed. Maybe look for OCA/OCP certification on the Oracle website.

Best of luck to you!