Just graduated, now what? Need some help

amigo23

Hey guys, first post here.

I graduated with a BS in Information Systems, do you think it is worth it for me to study for the A+ and get certified?. I don't have any work experience in the IT field job yet.

My guess is to get an entry level job such as IT support or Help Desk to start my career. I don't know if the Comptia certifications will help on my resume, since I need to start with something to get into the industry. Any tips? Thank you.

Ps: Also, I can speak Spanish fluenty, do you think it can help on my resume, especialy in the IT field? If so, any tips how to list it. Thank you in advance.

dpsmooth15

I am not going to give you advice per say, but I will say a lot of college graduates and non college graduates are having difficulties finding a job with A+. You can search the forums and find quite a bit. I have said this once before, I will promise to never say it again, the A+ is two exams. About 188.00 X 2 =$376.00..and that is IF you pass the first exam.If you fail one $188 X 3=$564.00 I believe the investment could be made towards another cert.
P.S I have seen postings for "Preferred" Bilingual .. Yes it could possibly help, I think so. But also take into consideration the area city/state and this is 2014. If you say you are in Arizona or Texas and you speak spanish the chances of you being the only one that fits the criteria are slim, they might have 900 applications if you are in W. Virginia the chances might be a little higher they might have 9 applications (just playing) 90…. Just being honest, the only way!

amigo23

Thank you for your answer dpsmooth15,

I know I can pass the A+ if I review it. I like the way people here are very enthusiastic for the A+. I just need to know if it is a good foundation.

I've heard of people getting hired with only 'some college' and no certs, and no work experience in help desk postions.

My immediate goals are: First to get any position in IT support, then study for the MCSA Win7/8 and Server 2012 with a focus on Infosec; these 3 certs have a lot of future imo but as you may know they are expensive. I more than welcome any advice or tips.

yzT

I'm not from US, but in Spain CompTIA's certifications are worthless. Employers don't even know what is CompTIA. Most of them only know about Cisco and Microsoft. What do I want to say with this? Cisco and Microsoft are more marketable, so getting their certifications is better to increase the chances of getting a job without experience.

Bokeh

Not sure where you are located, but I have seen several positions listed for support/help desk where bilingual is a real plus. Start getting the word out about yourself. Check CraigsList, Dice, Monster, Indeed, etc. Don't forget to network with others who might be having an opening or know of an unpublished opening as well. Even doing volunteer work can help you get experience while looking for the right job.

N2IT

Just graduated go right for the analyst, tech positions. Build up your experience and review down the road. I would look at building a nice base of knowledge and work for 2 years. It will look great on your resume and start to build you real world knowledge up. You may get promoted at that position eventually. I honestly wouldn't worry about certifications until you landed your first job. Your degree should be enough to land a entry level job.

Bryan0530

I wouldnt do the A+... I would build your resume and start applying. I would also recommend an internship or a volunteer job if you dont find anything, thats how I got my first gig. I was applying and I wouldnt get interviews or jod offers (obviously). Once I did a non paid job for three months I got in. Thats the way it works experience is key . Good luck

amigo23

Thanks for the answers guys.

Can you please tell me if is good to upload my resume on these sites: Indeed, Monster, and Dice? Or just apply to the job links? I'm not sure, because I've heard that there is a lot of spamming.

Also, when you say "volunteer work", do you mean community service, or like an unpaid IT internship? thank you.

JaneDoe

I think getting your A+ can be helpful when you're starting out with no experience. You can gain experience by fixing computers for friends and friends of friends when they break, and you can get paid a few bucks to do that, then put it on your resume. I think people are implying more "unpaid IT internship" more than community service, but it can be the same thing. Just fix broken things around an office somewhere , many small business can use a hand with their computers, but can't afford someone to do it, defiantly not full time. You can get a great reference from them.

I once fixed an a wireless router in a cafe that had been broken for months, because I wanted to use it. By the end of the day another customer asked me to remove a virus from their PC and I made $50. If I hadn't been on vacation I could have stated a business there.

Phileeeeeeep651

I'm not sure where you're located at but along with dpsmooth15 and Bokeh I too have seen quite a few help desk positions in my area that say Bilingual preferred.

From my experience posting your resume on Dice will get you calls from IT recruiters, Monster will get you emails from people wanting you to sell insurance and I haven't gotten anything off Indeed.

stryder144

Here is my advice, coming from someone who works for a large global telecom and struggled for 6 months to find a job. Obviously, it is only advice and may not fit your situation.

1. It will cost less to simply get Win 7/8 certs (70-680/685 cost $150 each or $300 for both) than to sit for both A+ tests.

2. Some people will put their language skills in the footer section of a Word doc. Some put them in the skills section. Either way, put it in.

3. A lot of people put great value on the CompTIA trifecta...A+/Sec+/Net+. Not strictly necessary but definitely info that is good to know. They are "foot in the door" certs. Your college degree should also serve as a "foot in the door". It will just depend on the area you live in and the specific employer.

4. Placing your resume on large employment sites is helpful but should not be the only thing you do. It is a passive strategy. Make sure you are actively applying.

5. Create and maintain a Linkedin account. It will increase your exposure to a larger pool of prospective employers and can be used to highlight skills/education/experience that would bloat a resume too much. If you join Linkedin groups that are in the area/industry you are trying to get into, it will increase your exposure even more.

6. While you are looking for a job, go volunteer your IT skills to a worthy charity. This will give you experience and potentially give you contacts that will be more than willing to reach out to employers and provide recommendations.

7. Lastly, as you study for certs, blog about it. Make sure your blog is professional and grammatically correct. Then, with each posting you make, cross-post it to your Linkedin account. Now, not only can people you are connected to see what you are learning, but prospective employers doing candidate searches will be able to see the value that you could add to their organization. You'd be amazed at how positive this can be for a job search.

Keep your head up, be positive, and you'll soon get a job. Good luck!

Cheers

Bokeh

What I read a few months back, is most recruiters/HR only look at maybe the top 5-10% of resumes posted online. So, what was recommended was to keep posting your resume weekly, so it keeps cycling up to the top of the searches they perform. Don't know if it truly works though.

Phileeeeeeep651

Bokeh, very true. If I update my Dice profile on a sunday night I will get calls monday morning like clockwork.

ande0255

I think a degree should get your foot in the door for a crap paying helpdesk job to start oit, and as said Cisco or Microsoft depending on what you'd like to do.

Couldn't help but notice the two posters above me are also from the Twin Cities, small world

amigo23

I'm from Dallas, Texas, there is high latino/asian population and business ownership here that are bilingual.

I submited my resume to the recruiters' websites; like "taleo" on indeed, some of those links look really fishy imo.

By the way I know a good tip from a friend; he told me to ONLY use the city, state and zip code, (no street address), phone and an outlook or gmail email account that looks professional on the resume; that's more than enough for the recruiters to contact you. (Just in case it goes into the hands of spammers on CB and Craiglist.)

I don't like Linkedin, it has major privacy issues. Thank you guys.

yzT

I don't use full address either. It's quite pointless nowadays.