Is it possible for my certifications/education to work against me?

Tony138 · November 2009

I’m currently trying to get into the IT business; I don’t have any professional experience, but I have a BS degree in CIS, A+ certification, Network+ certification, CCNA, MCDST, and MCSA.

Lately, I’ve been getting the feeling that companies that I interview for think that I’m just going to use them to gain experience and then move on to greener pastures. On the last interview that I went on, the hiring manager kept asking me multiple times about my future career plans, and when he asked me if I was satisfied with the salary that the position pays, and I said “yes” (I really was satisfied), it’s like he didn’t believe me and he then asked me, “are you satisfied with it just because you are unemployed right now?”

Could my certifications/education be working against me in obtaining an entry-level job, and if so, how do I convince potential employers that I’m not just going to leave after I get some experience?

UnixGuy · November 2009

You have a lot of good certifications, but not to the point of working against you, in my opinion.

You need to back them up with experience quickly...keep looking for jobs

dynamik · November 2009

It depends on your goals. Are you trying to become an exotic dancer? If so, you're doing it wrong...

I really don't think those certs put you out of the entry-level range. I could see people being wary about giving you a help desk-type job, but you'd be fine as a junior sys admin. You might want to look at larger companies where there will be room to grow and they won't have to worry about you leaving when you decide you want to take on more responsibilities.

apd123 · November 2009

Keep studying it is the market not your certs that are working against you. Also what type of positions are you applying for? I am not very familiar with the M$ certs but the networking certs you have listed combined with no experience seem entry level to me. Respect for passing the CCNA without experience the concepts are tough to wrap your mind around without hands on. Also where are you located?

Technito · November 2009

As some of the others said, it really depends on the job you're applying for. Some employers may look at you and see that you're far over-qualified for the specific position they have, and know they can't really pay you what you're worth. Not only that, if there's no room to grow within the company (IT growth) they'll assume you'll get bored quickly and move on. So those could be possible reasons they're not hiring you. As dynamik said, you'll probably do good as a Jr Systems Admin. Or even a Network Technician with the Cisco certs. With these certifications try to stay away from direct end-user support jobs, such as Help Desk, Desktop Support, or PC Tech jobs. Within the states, you generally will never make more than 35-40k per year in those positions. Even with a lot of experience. But for now unless you really just need a job, try to only apply for jobs on the network support side.

And just some advice, always try to aim kinda high when they ask your salary. It's been surveyed that more employers refused to hire someone because their asking salary was too low rather than too high. In a professional environment, especially IT, employers want to know what you truly think you're worth. And when they ask about your future, never say you want "their job" or want your own business some day, even if any of those are true goals. The best answer is say you hope to still be employed here (The company) and hopefully to have been a good benefit to the company and have advanced to a higher role. Hope that helps and good luck

Is it possible for my certifications/education to work against me?

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