Fresh Graduate

kharken

Hi!

I just finished my electronics degree outside the US (and now living in the US) but considering on shifting my career into IT. The reason is, we studied cisco 1-4 in our curriculum and I was then interested to networking. Also, I think that IT industry has more job opportunities than the electronics industry. So now since I just graduated, I plan on taking certification exams like comptia a+, net+, then ccna and so on. My question is since I have no work experience, what possible first jobs can I land? I'm really new to the heirarchy of IT job progression.

Bundiman

Lets start by saying it depends. Your location will play the biggest factor. Being in California or New York you will find more entry level positions then say Arkansas. You should bang out some basic certs just to help your resume get past the HR check points. Already having a degree will help you out as well. They other thing you can do is take some local college classes and try to find a internship to help gain that initial experience.

kharken

I do live in California. Bakersfield to be exact. I find it hard to find a job since most jobs offered are offered in the San Diego area. Relocating may be my last option 'cause we just migrated to the US so it's best for me stick around with my family just for a little while. By the way, what job titles would I be seeking for my first job? Let's say I have already passed comptia certifications (a+ and net+) and with little to no work experience.

NetworkVeteran

The first factor will be what your "Electronics degree" covers. If it's a four-year BS degree in EE, you can expect a decent salary and to be in-demand. If it's a two-year technical/vocation program, you may get little or no credit for it.

If you go A+ (and optionally Network+), you'll be looking at PC repair, helpdesk, or level 1 support. If you aim higher instead--Cisco or Microsoft--you may be able to land something a bit more interesting. Check monster.com for your area. See how many and what types of jobs in your area are demanding an A+ or whatever other certifications you're considering.

NetworkVeteran

Bakersfield? Only a few IT jobs popped up. The first required an MCSE w/ a CS degree and CCNA preferred, the second required a CS degree, and the third had no particular requirements (helpdesk). So if you have that 4-year EE degree, you already (more or less) qualify for the second job! If not, with an A+ plus Network+, you'd probably qualify for that third one.

Commuting is worth considering. You're less than 90 minutes from Los Angeles.

kharken

the problem is I got my BS Electronics engineering degree outside the US and unfortunately, looking it up at the recognized institutions of US college education (ABET), my university is not included. So my chances of getting hired with my BS electronics degree seems a bit low. Unless I get some electronics certifications my chances of finding an electronics job would increase by just a small percentage.

So I've considered shifting my career into IT since we all know it's in demand right now and will continue to do so for a couple of years. The reason I'm planning on getting the comptia a+ (even network+) and cisco certifications 'cause my electronics degree and IT meet at networking. My degree covered not only electronics but also communications (like wireless, telephone systems, etc) I guess that's my best option. What do you think?