volunteering as experience?

Does volunteering work count as experience? I have about 2+ years of desktop support experience from volunteering back in high school, my high school major, and a small PC shop my high school major instructor recommended a while ago. Mind you, I'm 23 and this happened a while ago but I've still retained the majority of what i know from doing all that. I was just wondering if employers would still considered a candidate with no real world IT employment history but with a few years of volunteering experience which basically covers every aspect of the Comptia A+ curriculum (actually, my high school major curriculum was based on the A+ cert). I'm seriously desperate to get out this shitty retail job i have now.

I have a complete resume written (if you want to see it, i'll post it) listing the things i've had hands-on experience with, but if they won't count volunteering experience, I'll just have to wait until I get the A+ cert (I have no certs currently).

Any thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks

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Comments

Akaricloud

It's pretty close in my opinion as long as it was actually for a decent amount of time. Volunteering 2 hours a week vs. a full 40 hours is an incredibly different experience.

If you volunteered 20-40 hours a week then not only does it show you have real-world experience but it also shows you have motivation in IT other than getting paid and that you consider the long term in your decisions.

It sounds like you could likely pick up an A+ with just some brief studying which would help employers see you as knowledgable now. That big of a gap without accomplishing anything IT related is going to be what will make employers toss you aside.

DomoSnatcha

My volunteering was pretty consistent. I did a lot of support work during and after school back then for a two and a half years, and at this local shop (FreeGeek) for about 3-4 months on top of that altogether. Even went to different local high schools and setup small classroom domains. I guess getting my A+ would put me in a better position, so at least so i wouldn't look like i'm BSing them... meh. I doubt I'd have a problem explaining my experience to employers in a way they'd benefit from.

puertorico1985

Being able to talk about and leverage your past experiences (even volunteer work) is very beneficial when speaking to a potential employer. However, with that experience being from a few years ago, employers need a little more. That is where the A+ would come in. Not only can you show that you do have (volunteer) experience, but you have also pushed to better yourself by getting certified. An employer looking for an entry-level individual would not pass up on a motivated, and experienced* individual.

Master Of Puppets

DomoSnatcha wrote: »

My volunteering was pretty consistent. I did a lot of support work during and after school back then for a two and a half years, and at this local shop (FreeGeek) for about 3-4 months on top of that altogether. Even went to different local high schools and setup small classroom domains.

I think you can count that as experience, you shouldn't have any trouble.

NetworkVeteran

DomoSnatcha wrote: »

I guess getting my A+ would put me in a better position, so at least so i wouldn't look like i'm BSing them... meh. I doubt I'd have a problem explaining my experience to employers in a way they'd benefit from.

The first gate is going from "I submitted a resume" to "I got an interview". That's where actually earning the certification helps most. If you had a stack of even 50 resumes, you'd start with the people who are more likely to know their stuff well.

I agree that your experience will help set you apart. Kudos for putting in the effort!

jonny72

Volunteering work looks great on a CV, especially if you sell it, and can be just as good as work experience.

Not having done anything IT related for a while could be an issue though. If you're desperate to get in to IT finding some local good causes you could help out with their IT in your spare time would be a really good idea, I've got jobs directly as a result of it before.

DomoSnatcha

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess my best bet is just to get certified to solidify my knowledge. I'll be submitting my resume to some local shops/small businesses during the process just to try at least, then prove myself if I ever manage to my foot in the door.