How did you end up in IT? I came in from ...(aka my journey)

jibbajabba

.... far far away

I just thought I pop that thread in here as a lot of non-IT people ask how to get there. So here my journey.

I am coming from a complete different background myself. I wasn't able to go into IT due to my education (long story) but I did get a degree in Electronic-Engineering. Then I ended up in driving lorry and coach / bus - so clearly nothing IT related again.

THen I left Germany and moved to Ireland. In Ireland you can find most big IT companies because that is where they have their call centres (bear that in mind if you are in a similar situation).

I started to work in Xerox as tech support agent - they hired anything and everything which spoke a different language. They offered non-officiel MCP / MCSE courses so I blasted through them during lunch and spare time.

From that point on I did similar jobs in different companies and with every move I increased not just my level of exposure to more IT related tasks but also knowledge ... Again in spare time I worked towards MCSEs .. (NT4 and 2000)...

I then found a job in a large online casino in Gibraltar .. I am sure the big names on my CV / Resume helped a lot (worked there for Xerox, HP, Symantec, IBM and Intel) but nontheless, I managed to get a 1st line job where I was working part time as 2nd line / infrastructure engineer.

Needless to say, a lot is based on the CV / Resume as well and how you can sell yourself. If I worked with a new technology, I made sure I know more than just the basics so I can put it in confidence on my CV / Resume.

Then I made yet another jump and moved to England and had the chance to work again first as 1st line monkey, then infrastrucuture where I then hit the exams hard. In 5 years I got 3 MCITPs, 3 VCPs (and some I forgot) and more importantly, a lot of additional skills I don't have a cert for (Linux / Cisco to name a few).

Since I moved to England (2007) I doubled my salary and worked in a few of the largest finance companies out there, increasing my technical skill set even more (I do slow down on certs though).

I also worked as technical architect, designing complicated infrastructures, been responsible for datacenter consolidation and moves and the list goes on.

Whats the time frame ? I left German and worked for Xerox in 2001 so it took me all in all 10 odd years until I started to get "proper" jobs

And you know what the first piece of kit was I touched which made me realise that I REALLY want to go into IT ? A small Parallel Port Print Server from Xerox ... At that time I was even wondering why someone would need two PCs and what the hell is a network (Remember Token Ring lol).

So there you go .. It wasn't easy, but certainly worth it

GoodBishop

I always wanted to be in IT ever since I was programming in QBasic as a kid. Made a "nibbler" game and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Qord

Neat topic! I did 8 years in the Navy (97-05) as a boat driver and equipment operator, 5 active (boats) and 3 (trucks, cranes) in the reserves. None of my job was IT in nature with the exception of a small rewire job at the Reserve Center. After leaving active duty, I started getting into computers as a hobby, building, fixing, repairing, and eventually branched into setting up home networks for people and small businesses. My first non-military real job was a farming/plant-nursery gig in Northwestern Florida where I drove delivery trucks and farmed and stayed there for about 5 years. After that, I moved back home to NY and got a scaffolding gig out of Brooklyn, N.Y. doing things people shouldn’t be doing, climbing up the sides of buildings and whatnot. Did that for a year or so until layoffs came, then worked in a coffee shop for about a year when I decided I needed to grow up and change my ways a little. I moved to Vermont and went back to school getting 2 Associates degrees, in Business and Network Administration, and worked a bunch of odd jobs ranging from gardening and landscaping to night shift warehouse work. I decided it was time to try and turn my hobby into a paying thing, so I started actively looking for entry-level IT position. The college I attended had an opening for a help desk person so I applied. I wasn’t their first choice of candidate, but I was Plan B. Their top pick turned down the position because of the low salary, so they offered me the position. After many resume rewrites, flawed interviews, and let-downs I had finally gotten my foot in the door!! Flash forward almost three years, and here I am writing about it. I’ve slowed down substantially now that I have a stable job that I enjoy, but for a while there I really was working hard to make it into the field. I should have my BA in a couple years (slowed my pace to one class a semester) after which I’ll decide what to do next.

N2IT

Started off in HR with DoD out of college. Eventually was promoted to a GS 7 (pay scale). Our IT guy left and they thought since I knew how to "calendar" and "meeting invite" I should be the IT guy. I ended up providing support for AS400's and other midrange and mainframe systems. It was first level and I did it for about 1 year. I then took a crack and something else for about 3 years and then jumped on a help desk and worked my way up.

wes allen

I was teaching Martial Arts, and the guy that owned the school left Agfa to start his own pre-press service company. Since I was teaching mostly at night, I started riding around with him during the day, mostly just doing the assistant / apprentice type thing. After a few months, he started sending me out on my own on easy calls that eventually turned more difficult. This was right at the start of the desktop publishing boom, so pretty soon I was doing Apple and PC networks as well. One of our PC venders needed a network guy, so went to work for them, got my CNE and started doing bigger netware installs, mostly for schools. After a year or so, decided to leave, and let one of my customers know, since they were getting ready to start a big project. The CIO offered me a part time gig while I built my biz up, and pretty much did my own thing since, with a couple of stops as a FTE here and there along the way, and probably back to FTE for the next few years as my wife finishes school, and I learn more infosec stuff. Oh, I tried to do the whole college thing a few times in there, but it just never really clicked for me.

f0rgiv3n

My story starts when I was very young. Like a lot of people I started my interest via computer games (Starcraft FTW). I remember my first PC, a Packard Bell with 95 on it. I would spend HOURS just going through and clicking random things (I was probably around 10 at this time). My first troubleshooting experience was figuring out why I couldn't dial-up with my Juno account.

I realized that I wanted to get into PCs and got into a technical charter high school. I had the option to choose between 3 paths: graphic design, electrical engineering, networking. I chose networking because I just thought it was "cool". As a requirement of my HS I had to do 250 hours of an Internship. I got an unpaid internship at a local PC shop and that ended up turning into a job. While in HS I got my A+ and continued on to college for my Bachelor's in networking. While at the computer shop I focused on Microsoft certs, eventually obtaining my MCSA.

One of my classes I took at college was the CCNA Network Academy. I was one of two people who pushed hardcore and got my CCNA after the class (failed the first time with a score of 713 where I needed a 715 to pass). I was able to get a helpdesk/network technician job at a local hospital after I got my CCNA and while still in college. I stayed at that job for 4 years, pushing my way up to eventually full-on network engineer title(vmware, backups, servers, jack-of-all-traits job). While there I renewed my CCNA by obtaining CCNA-Security.

I graduated from college after 5.5 years (yeah yeah... it took me awhile while working full time). After that I decided that I had out-grown the local hospital and needed to improve my knowledge/experience. Got a job as a network engineer at a managed service provider. Worked my ass off, burnt out, the company burned me and so I moved on. Along the past few years, JNCIA, JNCIS, CCNP and am where I am now being age 26.

Now deciding to make a lateral move into security instead of continuing down the network path to the CCIE. CISSP scheduled for next Friday.

My current and last job have influenced me such that I am on a slow-down in my passion for my job. I hope to find that passion again in the future. The passion that I once had while working at the local hospital.

FREEEEDOOOOM!!!!

(sorry, i just felt like I had to say that based on how the end of that post was)

paul78

Great topic and interesting to read. I guess I never really thought about how people get into this profession.

My own story isn't really that interesting. I've only ever worked in IT. I developed a passion for it when I was young and there was never really a question about what I would do for a career. My first computer was an Apple II+ and I always had a knack for computer technology.

Master Of Puppets

Very interesting thread. The jobs I had before were cleaning parking lots, carrying heavy things and being a security guard at restaurants, bars, clubs(although I'm not that big I was into martial arts ever since I was little). This was at a young age because I have always lived alone with my mother and we never had enough money so I had to help with the bills. Although I didn't have a computer because they were expensive up until a few years ago, I always hung around a computer club where they played games. I have always had an interest in computers so after I got one I begun learning about networks in my spare time.

My first real job is in IT, my current one. Currently 20 years old and in my first year of a four year degree in Networking. I work in network security like I have always wanted. Since the company is smaller I get to do everything network-related including administration which is exactly what I want. The moment I am done with the security stuff, I go help the others with routing and switching. I bet everyone is thinking - you don't get into security from the start. Yes, I agree. It was a tremendous challenge but I had made up my mind that I won't settle for anything less since I had the skills. I didn't want to do something else for two years and get into security after that. I would like to place an emphasis on the fact that I may not have had real working experience but I am by no means new to IT and security. I have developed my skills for years because I knew what I wanted. It was very hard getting hired but in the end I found the right people. Everyone was telling me "you don't have actual experience, we can't let you do security". Well, if I don't have real world experience, how come I can hack your networks in at least 5 different ways? I still have a lot to learn but I am very happy I got where I am. Hardcore learning of new things coming next

DevilWAH

As a kid played with pcs a lot, you know basic programming, games. Commodore 64 / Atari ST era. Had a IBM 286 monochrome PC with 2X10mb hard disks and second CGA monitor as first "real" PC.

then when it came to uni I had two choices, science or computing. Thought any one can play with a PC at home but you don't get to use electron microscopes. And other cool toys every day. So I did zoology, after that worked for a year in maintaince and helping to commission and open a night club before I went to work in a research lab carrying out high volume testing of blood samples. Claim to fame here was I was involved in the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak in the UK. Was getting bore in science around 2004, and a job came up on site in IT, I was already known as the IT guy inside he labs and was writing program's for the lab robots. Got the job and with in a month was asked to look afte the network. 2 X 4500 cisco as the core and about 180 access switches spread over 35 buildings with 17 regional sites around the country on top. No network experince and no other network engineer on site. So even though I was working help desk for part of the time I had a lot of hands on within network kit and had to learn as I went. Bèfore I left 5 years later I was pretty comfterbable with networks and getting a lot of good feed back from experienced network consultants.

Hen went to a service managements company, where for 18 months I lead the change management team for networking for a number of global clients. (Some of the biggest in the world in the oil and banking areas).

but didn't like the commercial side of things, to much fighting contracts nd trying to make money than pushing the envelope of technology.

so moved bàck to academic circles and now look after a network for a a instituate that look in to animal dieases, mostly virus work, going through a several 100 million pound redevelopment plàn and I get to upgrade and designed there network for them.

In all my career so far I have yet to work with or under another network engineer, and I think thiś is he reason I very much do things my own way, and happy to revise a solution rather than just accept the way other people do things.

I think my next role after this one will be in to management of a network team or it department. Was surprised I enjoyed management in my last role, was not actually employed to lead the team but prompted 5 weeks afteri started. If you have a good team leading is good, but it would have to be à development team and not ops. I get bored to quickly in ops, like to be learning new things and improving systems.

YFZblu

I was on the business side of my org in a pure sales position. I wasn't doing well, and I could see I was on thin ice with management. A buddy of mine was transferring to the helpdesk, so I tagged along. No certs, no experience, I was mostly hired because I had tribal knowledge with the company and showed I was willing/capable of learning a new role.

jibbajabba

Some great stories so far

Thanks for sharing ....

bhankins000

I wanted to get into IT but never though I had the credentials or knowledge. So I applied for a Help Desk position (tier 1) with a local company who provided support for other major corporations. I learned a ton about Remote Assistance tools, VPN, Ticketing/Documenting, Active Directory, etc. 6 months later I heard of contracting positions open on the nearby Army installation so I applied and was hired onto their Help Desk as tier 1 support. During that time I did some higher level help desk (tier 2 stuff) and email exchange migrations with Blackberry devices. After a year of that I sort of got burned out and enlisted into the military where I was a 25B (Info. Tech.) and worked in Information Assurance (aka now: Cyber Security) & System Administrator / Receive & Route Tickets (aka: I didnt do a damn thing because civilians do all the real work). But I did get a lot of exposure to the government systems as a whole. It was a great experience and I dont regret it regardless of what my "title" says I was. After I got out (recently) I had a lot of interviews and offers but accepted a job working through a temp. agency with after 90 days become a hired onto the company. It's a Network/Systems Admin SMB (Small-Medium Business) and pays decent. I walked into a disaster (and it still is) as the last IT guy was fired days before. Nobody else in the company knows anything about IT. The vice-president handed me a master password list and said good luck! 4 weeks later they hired my boss (yeah, still bent out of shape about that since I was the one who had to endure the pain of learning everything on my own and now I know the entire infrastructure in a very, very short amount of time.). It's a great experience because you realize that you dont know anything about IT when you get thrown into that situation! I was looked at as an IT-Guru in the military because I had IT experience before I went in so coming from the "know it all" to this was a humble experience. So, I was promised a few things that I havent got yet here so even after a month I'm moving on here soon. (Also its one of those places you wonder walking into work every morning if you still have a job or not). I'm getting even better pay and working for HP doing System Security / Administration work. My plans are to attend WGU in the near future and complete a life-long goal of getting my Bachelors in IT and hopefully move on from there.

That's my story.

dave330i

Copy & paste from another thread:

I got my degree in mechanical engineering. Spent 14 years as an engineer specializing in system integration. Basically means I got 10lbs worth of stuff to fit inside 8lbs container and play nice with each other. Container varied from military tank, 42U cabinet, boat etc.

After getting laid off, I switched career to IT. Every company need some sort of IT support, while most companies don’t need a mechanical engineer. More potential employer = more job opportunity.

Took me ~2 months to pass ICND1 & ICND2. I used Lammle, CBT Nugget & simulator. Originally started off with real hardware, but wasn't getting the repetition needed to pass the exams. Took another month to pass Sec+. It was mid-July when I completed all 3 certs.

After getting the 3 certs, I split my time between studying for CCNP/MCSE 2003, sending out resumes & attending career fairs. Spent 3 long months getting lots of rejections and few false hopes before landing a job at a small start up as the IT guy.

The start up needed a cheap IT guy willing to learn and grow with the company. My boss was too busy to micromanage, so he wanted someone who can work independently. I fit the bill since I was an IT newb, but not business newb. At the start up, I configured/built firewalls, switches, printers, windows AD, SharePoint, SQL server & VMware.

Start up had big plans so they got me a TS, but they ran into financial problem after 9 months (due Congressional budget impasse), so they laid off every non-billable person which included me. I knew how valuable VCP cert was in DC area (job search for VCP in DC results in 1k+ high paying jobs), so I paid for VMware training out of pocket.

After getting my VCP, I hit the career fair again. I had plenty of interests, but no takers considering I only had 9 months experience. I was willing to work cheap (for a VCP), but most of the jobs were for large environments. Then a mid-tier professional service provider (my current company) needed a VCP to manage a small environment at a gov't agency.

After working there for 8-9 months, I realized I had outgrown that place (studying for VCAP will do that), so I started passively looking for a job at a data center. I bombed my first data center interview, but crushed the 2nd one and got a 6 figure offer. I was about to jump ship when VP of my division made a compelling counter offer, so I stayed.

The VP kept his word and got me interviews at few choice positions. So now I work at a big budget gov't agency working with VMware folks as a VMware SME building virtual infrastructures.

October will be 3 years. Hopefully I'll have my VCDX by then.

MrAgent

I initally got interested in computing when I was in 7th grade.... around 1990... 486dx2 anyone? I remember the school I was going to had a computer program to loan computers to students to take home and learn. It came with a few floppy disks, the computer, monitor, and a modem. It had DOS on it as well. That was my first intro.

Fast forward to 1995, I joined the Navy. Became a Radioman, and eventually was converted into an IT Technician. I spent 5 years total in the Navy. Learned a lot of Windows NT, Exchange 5.5, and Unix skills. I got a clearance as well.

I got out of the Navy in 2000 and took a job with Intel... making processors. I lasted 6 months (didnt like being in New Mexico, and I didnt like being on my feet for 12-14 hours a day). So I started looking at jobs back here in the Northern VA area. Found a security analyst position working for a computer security company called Counterpane. I was laid off 2 months later. The day I got laid off, I was picked up by EDS to work on a Navy contract. I spent 2 years traveling the country basically finding servers to be migrated into a new system called NMCI. I was eventually promoted back into a security role on a NYSE contract they had. 1 year later, I found out my job was being outsourced... so before I was laid off one my friends who I worked with in the past got me a job with the Dept of State. I spent 5 years travelling all over the world, doing migrations from Windows NT and Exchange 5.5 to Windows and Exchange 2000. I learned a ton at that job.

Here it is 13 years after having left the Navy and I am in a sr engineer role, hopefully about to change focus back into security, and I have the Navy to thank for it. The clearance along with the Radio/IT skills I picked up are what gave me my foundation and put me where I am now.

Ronikaw0826

I ended up Switching majors while in college after one course. I was so into IT after my computer science class I ran to the Dean!

mjoy

Got into the world of IT because it was one of the most in demand courses when I was still in school. I didn't regret choosing IT though, it's actually satisfying for me. In my opinion, the current trends are actually influential when it comes to choosing one's own career.
Last time I checked, IT and outsourcing are still part of the trending jobs until the next years ahead. You might want to read this interesting trend as well.

Cpl.Klinger

I started out in Retail Management out of college, and IT was a hobby/side thing. I went for my MBA (now a waste, as everyone and their brother has one). Still no real advancement, still tons of stress. Fast forward to this past spring. My wife just graduated from getting her RN, got a job making more by herself than we were together, and I had some certs under my belt. So I applied on a whim to a work from home gig with a huge company, got the job. Loving it so far, and I hope to move up with it. Still planning on getting more certs and experience, and the Linux+ tests are next.

earweed

I seem to be one of the oldest people to pop in here. I started while in college studying electrical engineering. I built a few devices for controlling motors and heaters using these little things known as 8086 and having to put in chips for other stuff such as memory and I/O. I also did a little programming in BASIC, FORTRAN, and a couple different assembly languages (I also played around with some UNIX but not a lot). This was in the ancient days. I ran out of money and energy to work while going to school so I left and joined the Navy. You know how the military works, they made me a nuclear Machinist Mate on a nuclear submarine and I got almost no electronic or computer experience while enlisted. After the navy I got interested in computers again and bought the latest thing out (486) but worked in factories doing stuff like driving forklift and working on machinery. Knees went out so I qualified for a program through the VA since I was already service connected disabled due to something I can't talk about so I decided to carry my interests in computers a step further.

pitviper

I went to college originally for Architecture/Structural Engineering. I spent so much time fixing the college CAD labs that this IT thing ended up growing on me LOL

epcg

I got lucky. I owned a computer and was trying to learn how to work on it and what the parts where called and a friend had started a small computer shop. Since I worked nights he asked if I could work there in the days. So got to learn the best way one can in life. After it went belly up I did work on my own and a few years later I went to school to get a degree cause really wanted to get a full time job in IT. Thats how I got this job. Started school a year later they are hiring and well get it.

gorebrush

I owe my whole career and interest in IT to my father. He was an IT Repair Manager after he left the Merchant Navy in the 80's, think he became a Manager in around 1997.

Though, my history revolves around a BBC Microcomputer he bought back in about 1987. That was my first exposure to computers and I was only 4 years old. I loved it. I had to know about this new fangled device, and the obsession with computers and technology started there. I'll try and keep this brief, but in about 1991 we got our first PC, so I started on DOS 3.3/Windows 3.1 then (IIRC). Basically have advanced through pretty much all of the Windows OS's in that time.

Graduated University in 2004 with a BSc (Hons) Business Information Technology. Scored first MCP 2004, MCSE 2006, CCNA 2008, CCNP 2010, CCIE Written soon - hopefully.

Work wise I left university and ended up working for local government as an Intranet Co-ordinator. It was a fun enough job, looking after internet filtering for around 50K users. In 2006, decided that this wasn't going to lead to a long term career so I left there and became a Systems Administrator for a bridge building firm. Moved to a Medical device firm in 2008, then joined my current company in 2010. Initially working in Automation, I decided to join the Telecoms team in October of last year, so far my favourite job.

Love Telecoms, but I don't think I'll give up on my 6 year Windows Server background just yet. I think I might get the MCSA/MCSE 2012 in the future if I still need to keep a hand in it.