Need advice on education, certification, and experience aspects of IT.

Hello Everyone,

Before bashing me, please let me tell you my situation. I have been on many IT forums who have not given any advice on the paths I should take in order to be able to get an Entry Level Help Desk or Entry Level PC Technician job. I hope this forum is a lot nicer to me, and will here me out.

First of all, I have been going to school to get my AA in Technical Support for the past 3 years and graduate with it in december. I currently hold my A+ certification, and am going to start preparing for the N+ certification. I have been applying to Entry Level jobs madly here for the past 6-7 months and have only gotten one interview, but did not aquire the job.

I am very passionate about IT and really want to get a job in IT and get out of the retail environment I am in. I am 21, and I am a hard worker, but my main problem is having direction. Once I get direction, I am really focused on completing the class, certification, or whatever it may be.

My question is, to get out of retail and onto an entry level help desk or PC Tech Job, what do you think I will need beyond my AA, and A+? Also, I know experience is important even with my 6 months of volunteering at the schools tech lab supporting computers, I still don't get call for an Interview.

I will begin studying for my N+ very soon. I truly believe this is the career path for me, and I hate that I have been bashed by other forums like dice and tech support forum saying that I should get out of IT. I know I have to start out at the bottom like everyone else. Will someone here please give me friendly advice and tell me what certifications are entry level and what is recognized highly in the IT field as far as Entry Level Certs?

Would it benefit me to get a Bachelors in Technology? My school offers a program that I can stay at the same campus and get my bachelors their. Please help me

Thanks! I look forward to spending my time on this forum!

Glad I found it

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Comments

erpadmin

Since you're in retail, I'm shocked that you haven't been able to land a GeekSquad, Staples Tech job...since you're well aware of crawling before walking, those would be a good place to start. It is extremely difficult to find a junior level administrator job ANYWHERE, not just where you live...which is why many folks recommend going the help desk route. It sucks, but it is what it is in this economic environment.

Also, we're all prone to typos, and based on your first post, you might want to have your resume reviewed. That bit of minutiae actually counts.

Having said all of that, you might get lucky to find a place that's willing to train you...but you're gonna have to demonstrate a high aptitude of tech skills. That usually requires eating, breathing and sleeping all things tech. For someone like you, techrepublic.com might be a good resource for you (just stay away from the salary charts...trust me it's all bulls--t...)

Just remember to keep trying...if you are passionate about it, it will show to an employer...if it's just a "job" to you, then your resume will get the treatment (trash bin.)

Best of luck in your endeavors...just "keepin' it real...."

sheckler

I'd stay away from the dice forums. I understand them being bitter and depressed because they can't find work, but it's a little much. It's also full of racism. THOSE BROWN PEOPLE TOOK MY JOBS

Post your resume, there's a lot of experienced people here who will help critique it.

If you want an online bachelors in IT, check out WGU. Lots of people here are enrolled there, and you complete a bunch of certifications during the program.

mikej412

Armymanis wrote: »

the paths I should take in order to be able to get an Entry Level Help Desk or Entry Level PC Technician job.

The minimum you need for a low level entry level position is some people skills (and be presentable). That's it. It's easy to teach someone (who already can read) to read from a database -- and click a mouse to search for answers. But it's hard to teach people skills to a self-proclaimed super-geek.

But the more knowledge and skills you have, the more likely you are to get an IT job that could have some room for growth -- or pay enough to fund continued studies to boost your knowledge & skill for your next job.

Armymanis wrote: »

I have been applying to Entry Level jobs madly here for the past 6-7 months and have only gotten one interview

How madly? How many resumes have you averaged getting out there per day during those 6-7 months?

Does your school have a student services office -- or some place to help you work on your resume? If you're not getting calls you may either be in an area with no jobs, your resume sucks, or there are a lot of unemployed more qualified people applying for those same jobs. Since you can fix a bad resume, hopefully that's the issue.

Armymanis wrote: »

get out of the retail environment I am in.

Do you have people skills because of your retail experience? If you don't have any IT experience, your people skills and work ethic from your non-IT jobs is one of the things you need to sell on your resume.

If you're currently in school, then use a student resume format and try to work some of your class work and projects into your resume to hit some of the IT buzz words that your retail experience won't provide.

Does your school have a placement office? Keep checking there for IT related jobs.

Armymanis wrote: »

my main problem is having direction. Once I get direction, I am really focused on completing the class, certification, or whatever it may be.

Look where you're at. Look where you want to be in one or two years. That's the direction you want to head -- now try to pick things that will help you get there that are along that path.

Sometimes you may have to take a step backwards so that you'll be able to take two step forward -- but it's a lot easier (and shows better planning skills) if you can just keep moving forward.

Armymanis wrote: »

even with my 6 months of volunteering at the schools tech lab supporting computers, I still don't get call for an Interview.

How do you have it listed on your resume and how are you selling that experience? How were you supporting computers? Hardware troubleshooting? Upgrades? Cleaning monitors and dusting? Software maintenance and/or upgrades? End user support?

You can always post a sanitized/privatized version of your resume (no personal information) to get some feedback.

Are you in a Community College or are you attending one of those private trade schools that cost a bunch of money?

Armymanis

Currently I am attending a community college, and I will post my resume in the resume section for you guy's to check out.

I only find 2-5 jobs that I can apply to per week, so I do apply. I also have people skills because I have been in retail so long, but whenever I get in an interview, I freeze up and say something wrong or stupid.

Also, What is the WGU program? Is it from a reputable college? I was thinking about going to do a Bachelors of Applied Technology program at my local community college because they have recently partnered up with a university and are making it easy for students to get that Universities bachelors degree.

As far as Geek Squad goes, I have applied their 4 times and I am still not getting any interviews for the Tech Support Position I apply for. The requirements are very basic, and you think I would be a perfect candidate. I have also applied to staples once, and did not get a call back.

Besides the N+ what do you guy's recommend me getting?

I will post my resume on the resume section of the forum so you guy's can critique it.

nimrod.sixty9

I think these guys missed just one: LUCK. When I was in college, I was looking everywhere just to get my foot in the door. I was even going to computer repair shops and asked if I could work for FREE! Still no go. Gave up looking, gave up college. Came to a job fair a little over two years ago to apply for a maintenance position, been working helpdesk ever since. No degree, no certs (at the time).

In my opinion, if you can make it through a 2 year IT degree, then you are more than qualified for an entry level position. But more education never hurt. And you will see, that once your in, education never stops.

mikej412

Armymanis wrote: »

I only find 2-5 jobs that I can apply to per week, so I do apply.

Where are you looking for those jobs -- couch surfing the job boards? So's everyone else....

I need help. I really have absolutely no "job getting" skills at all. - TechExams.net IT Certification Forums

In a good economy, a passive job search may work. In a down economy, you need to job hunt -- get out there and find the job(s) before someone else does.

Armymanis wrote: »

I also have people skills because I have been in retail so long, but whenever I get in an interview, I freeze up and say something wrong or stupid.

Then you need to work on your interviewing skills. If your school doesn't have an interviewing (and resume writing) workshop, see if your local government has a local job center that might. Otherwise you're going to have to do some research on your own about interview preparation and practice and draft friends, family, or classmates to help you (and maybe them).

If you get an interview, but not the job -- the real interview is still good practice. Learn from it -- and since you don't stop looking for a job until you have an offer letter in hand -- continue on with your job search.

astrogeek

Armymanis wrote: »

I was thinking about going to do a Bachelors of Applied Technology program at my local community college because they have recently partnered up with a university and are making it easy for students to get that Universities bachelors degree.

I'd stay at the school you are at, but first I think you need to sit down and think about what you really want to do. In many ways I'm just as scatterbrained as you are when it comes to finding a direction, but really the only person that can figure that out is you. Do more research into specific IT jobs to see what people do and try to find something that interests you. You want to start crafting long term goals before making any short term moves because you need to make sure it fits the path you want to take.

Any school you go to, be it at the school you are at or an online school needs to fit into whatever plan you have for yourself. Don't expect a school to create a plan for you because they won't. There are plenty of shady schools out there willing to paint a pretty picture if you just sign up for their ridiculously overpriced and non-accredited degree so be wise when choosing a school, be it online or traditional. They don't just need to be regionally accredited but they need to offer classes you will be comfortable with and of course it all has to fit in with your long term goals.

As for getting a job right away, that's always the most difficult part when you don't have experience. The school your at or others nearby may offer internships that always help, (so long as you are able to work for free for a short period of time. This could either be simply a way of getting experience or they may even hire you on after the internship is over, either way its a great way to gain experience.

As for whether or not you should get a Bachelors, I say absolutely. The question really should be why would you not go for it? A Bachelors degree not only can open doors but it also helps you command a higher rate of pay and helps with job security. If you've got the time don't squander it away!

Armymanis

astrogeek wrote: »

I'd stay at the school you are at, but first I think you need to sit down and think about what you really want to do. In many ways I'm just as scatterbrained as you are when it comes to finding a direction, but really the only person that can figure that out is you. Do more research into specific IT jobs to see what people do and try to find something that interests you. You want to start crafting long term goals before making any short term moves because you need to make sure it fits the path you want to take.

Any school you go to, be it at the school you are at or an online school needs to fit into whatever plan you have for yourself. Don't expect a school to create a plan for you because they won't. There are plenty of shady schools out there willing to paint a pretty picture if you just sign up for their ridiculously overpriced and non-accredited degree so be wise when choosing a school, be it online or traditional. They don't just need to be regionally accredited but they need to offer classes you will be comfortable with and of course it all has to fit in with your long term goals.

As for getting a job right away, that's always the most difficult part when you don't have experience. The school your at or others nearby may offer internships that always help, (so long as you are able to work for free for a short period of time. This could either be simply a way of getting experience or they may even hire you on after the internship is over, either way its a great way to gain experience.

As for whether or not you should get a Bachelors, I say absolutely. The question really should be why would you not go for it? A Bachelors degree not only can open doors but it also helps you command a higher rate of pay and helps with job security. If you've got the time don't squander it away!

Thanks dude. I really want to be a Systems Administrator or an IT manager. I know Systems administrators do lots of networking stuff, and dealing with operating Systems. Should I just go for every cert there is while I am in school? It took me 4 months to get my A+. So that means in order to get the N+ it should take me 5-6 months because of it being a little bit harder.

Turgon

Armymanis wrote: »

Thanks dude. I really want to be a Systems Administrator or an IT manager. I know Systems administrators do lots of networking stuff, and dealing with operating Systems. Should I just go for every cert there is while I am in school? It took me 4 months to get my A+. So that means in order to get the N+ it should take me 5-6 months because of it being a little bit harder.

I think you might be trying to qualify yourself into a job here. Continue with some certifications by all means but I think you need to work much harder on other aspects. As Mike has said the economy is really tough for new and inexperienced people but companies do need people and fresh blood. There are not the openings for lots of self starters like there used to be when this industry was young and the investment to grow businesses poured in. I see unemployment figures from one in ten and even worse banded around concerning the US economy. Most of the advertised IT jobs going are in the middle tiers and you are not qualified for those.

I would say brush up your resume and build a list of 500 companies in your catchment area. A day with the yellow pages will help you there and the local papers. Then make some calls to HR or ask to speak to the IT Manager. Offer them your CV and ask for an opportunity to meet face to face with no obligation. If they bite, drive over smartly dressed and have a chat. Leave your resume and ask if you can call back on a monthly basis. Some of the meetings will be flat, either you or the company will suck balls on the day, but even some of those may come in for you with some kind of work in the future. Other meetings will go well and amount to nothing. So dont get hung up on the outcomes, just do it. A resume with a weblink to a decent personal website offering your services would be a good idea, alternatively put it on a calling card and hand that over when you meet people. Mention your website.

This could lead to a good role with a company, one you can grow into as opposed to the veil of tears that helpdesk and junior tech support jobs have become these days for many well meaning and capable people. If you do go the helpdesk route stay in it only as long as you need to get on and get out.

I would also advise you start building all manner of things at home in a lab. You can't beat hands on experience and the insights that spending hundreds of hours at home configuring things gives you. It makes you useful and employable.

Armymanis

Turgon wrote: »

I think you might be trying to qualify yourself into a job here. Continue with some certifications by all means but I think you need to work much harder on other aspects. As Mike has said the economy is really tough for new and inexperienced people but companies do need people and fresh blood. There are not the openings for lots of self starters like there used to be when this industry was young and the investment to grow businesses poured in. I see unemployment figures from one in ten and even worse banded around concerning the US economy. Most of the advertised IT jobs going are in the middle tiers and you are not qualified for those.

I would say brush up your resume and build a list of 500 companies in your catchment area. A day with the yellow pages will help you there and the local papers. Then make some calls to HR or ask to speak to the IT Manager. Offer them your CV and ask for an opportunity to meet face to face with no obligation. If they bite, drive over smartly dressed and have a chat. Leave your resume and ask if you can call back on a monthly basis. Some of the meetings will be flat, either you or the company will suck balls on the day, but even some of those may come in for you with some kind of work in the future. Other meetings will go well and amount to nothing. So dont get hung up on the outcomes, just do it. A resume with a weblink to a decent personal website offering your services would be a good idea, alternatively put it on a calling card and hand that over when you meet people. Mention your website.

This could lead to a good role with a company, one you can grow into as opposed to the veil of tears that helpdesk and junior tech support jobs have become these days for many well meaning and capable people. If you do go the helpdesk route stay in it only as long as you need to get on and get out.

I would also advise you start building all manner of things at home in a lab. You can't beat hands on experience and the insights that spending hundreds of hours at home configuring things gives you. It makes you useful and employable.

I would love to build a lab, but I have no idea what equipment I would need. I already have a desktop computer and a laptop computer. Would buying equipment and using it benefit me in the long run? I want to get into switches and routers too, but I do not want to mess up my home network that I myself set up. My whole family uses my home network, so it would be kind of a bummer to try to tinker with it.

I know this is a stupid question, but what does CV mean?

The certifications that I am thinking about getting that I can pass off with no real world experience was the N+, Server +, Linux +, and maybe one Microsoft certification like the MCTS: Windows 7 Configuring. I think anything beyond that employers would look at me as if I am nuts and would not hire me because I have no real world experience only volunteer experience. Are those certs right for beginners? Should I skip Linux + and go for something more useful? Since I have never been in a corporate environment, I do not know how many companies actually use Linux. I know best buy requires you to have the Linux+, so you can run their backup server.

Turgon

Armymanis wrote: »

I would love to build a lab, but I have no idea what equipment I would need. I already have a desktop computer and a laptop computer. Would buying equipment and using it benefit me in the long run? I want to get into switches and routers too, but I do not want to mess up my home network that I myself set up. My whole family uses my home network, so it would be kind of a bummer to try to tinker with it.

I know this is a stupid question, but what does CV mean?

The certifications that I am thinking about getting that I can pass off with no real world experience was the N+, Server +, Linux +, and maybe one Microsoft certification like the MCTS: Windows 7 Configuring. I think anything beyond that employers would look at me as if I am nuts and would not hire me because I have no real world experience only volunteer experience. Are those certs right for beginners? Should I skip Linux + and go for something more useful? Since I have never been in a corporate environment, I do not know how many companies actually use Linux. I know best buy requires you to have the Linux+, so you can run their backup server.

CV is curriculum vitae. You call it a resume in the States.

I don't mean to be patronizing but you have a long way to go in this industry. I was the same when I started out.

Your whole family uses your home network and it would be a bummer to tinker with it? Well just imagine when someone says 'you will take care of that for us' and you have to tinker with a production network that thousands of endusers depend upon.

You should build out the environment you need at home to practice on. With some planning you need not tinker with your home network at all. Simply build a greenfield environment. There is lots of advice on this forum on building a home lab. For starters I recommend a couple of switches and routers. These are going cheap on ebay. You could pick up a couple of 2500's for the price of a happy meal. On top of that look at one decent PC to run VMWare on for your Microsoft domain practice and invest in an old Sun box like a Netra so you get some UNIX hands on in there.

Once you get confident you could contact your local broadband provider and request a small IP space allocation for home use. You can then look at building a simple DMZ at home hosting your own DNS, mailserver and webserver. A firewall would be useful there but you can do NAT on your broadband router or your own routers and use the firewall features in the Windows operating system.

Armymanis

Turgon wrote: »

CV is curriculum vitae. You call it a resume in the States.

I don't mean to be patronizing but you have a long way to go in this industry. I was the same when I started out.

Your whole family uses your home network and it would be a bummer to tinker with it? Well just imagine when someone says 'you will take care of that for us' and you have to tinker with a production network that thousands of endusers depend upon.

You should build out the environment you need at home to practice on. With some planning you need not tinker with your home network at all. Simply build a greenfield environment. There is lots of advice on this forum on building a home lab. For starters I recommend a couple of switches and routers. These are going cheap on ebay. You could pick up a couple of 2500's for the price of a happy meal. On top of that look at one decent PC to run VMWare on for your Microsoft domain practice and invest in an old Sun box like a Netra so you get some UNIX hands on in there.

Once you get confident you could contact your local broadband provider and request a small IP space allocation for home use. You can then look at building a simple DMZ at home hosting your own DNS, mailserver and webserver. A firewall would be useful there but you can do NAT on your broadband router or your own routers and use the firewall features in the Windows operating system.

That's for all the tips! What does Linux+ test on specifically? Does it test on Unix, or Ubuntu? I have only used Ubuntu once for like 10 minutes. It was pretty cool. Also, do you think it is wise for me to buy a server with linux on it? That way I can practice. Need opinions. Going to be saving money. I saw some servers on ebay last night with a Linux and Windows Server 2003 going on ebay for around $200 each. Does that seem right? Is there another place I can buy this stuff?

Yes I am new to this exciting career, and I am really excited I picked such an awesome one

I'm not going to listen to anymore negative comments from people at dice.

instant000

Armymanis wrote: »

That's for all the tips! What does Linux+ test on specifically? Does it test on Unix, or Ubuntu? I have only used Ubuntu once for like 10 minutes. It was pretty cool. Also, do you think it is wise for me to buy a server with linux on it? That way I can practice. Need opinions. Going to be saving money. I saw some servers on ebay last night with a Linux and Windows Server 2003 going on ebay for around $200 each. Does that seem right? Is there another place I can buy this stuff?

Yes I am new to this exciting career, and I am really excited I picked such an awesome one I'm not going to listen to anymore negative comments from people at dice.

Armymanis:

You have a lot of enthusiasm. Do not lose that about yourself.

However, you appear all over the place.

Linux+ is a generic cert for Linux. I'd advise your checking it out for yourself, but I will tell you this much: Ubuntu is a brand of Linux, and Unix is another operating system.

I would not advise buying a server. As Linux is open source, it would do you good to do some research, and do a freeware version of it, for example.

You might want to do a little bit of research into virtualization, and how you can virtualize these OS's, and play around with them within another host system. It won't hurt you to work on this a little.

As far as getting out of IT, I tried to look at how long it would take me to build back up to the same level of respect that I have reached in IT (and would actually enjoy it) ... and honestly, the only other field I can think of is medicine (involves helping people), and I would not want to go to school all those years just to get a reasonable level of expertise again, when I could be working at becoming even more of an expert in what I do currently, or honing in on something that really strikes my fancy.

Armymanis

instant000 wrote: »

Armymanis:

You have a lot of enthusiasm. Do not lose that about yourself.

However, you appear all over the place.

Linux+ is a generic cert for Linux. I'd advise your checking it out for yourself, but I will tell you this much: Ubuntu is a brand of Linux, and Unix is another operating system.

I would not advise buying a server. As Linux is open source, it would do you good to do some research, and do a freeware version of it, for example.

You might want to do a little bit of research into virtualization, and how you can virtualize these OS's, and play around with them within another host system. It won't hurt you to work on this a little.

As far as getting out of IT, I tried to look at how long it would take me to build back up to the same level of respect that I have reached in IT (and would actually enjoy it) ... and honestly, the only other field I can think of is medicine (involves helping people), and I would not want to go to school all those years just to get a reasonable level of expertise again, when I could be working at becoming even more of an expert in what I do currently, or honing in on something that really strikes my fancy.

Thanks dude, yes I am all over the place currently. But my main two missions are I either want to be a systems administrator or an IT manager, just kind of all over the place at the moment. I am not going to get out of IT because I have already spent the last 3 years going to school and learning what I love. A job will come eventually I just have to keep at it.

What about buying a Windows 2003 Server for home use? Would it be worth it?

instant000

Microsoft lets you load an evaluation of the OS. You can do more than enough studying with that before it expires in a few months.

You seem to lack a bit of knowledge about servers in general. It might not hurt for you to get Server+ after you get the Network+. I do not usually recommend that anyone get Server+, but it might actually help you, as you lack experience.

kiki162

Army...you have 3 options. I wouldn't go for Windows Server 2003, as 2008 has been out for a few years.

I would do some research on google on the different certs and the operating systems that are out there first. You said you have A+...working towards N+, look on the CompTIA website for more info on Linux+.

1. You can download trial versions of most Microsoft products, however it only lasts for so long. Lookup Windows Server 2008 Trial on google for starters.

2. If you have a school (college) e-mail account, you can go to this website. http://www.dreamspark.com You can get a copy of W2K8 for nothing.

3. You can purchase a TechNet Subscription Standard for $199, and get most MS products. Buy, Renew or Upgrade Your TechNet Subscription

If I were you, I'd get a machine that has at least 4GB of RAM to test with and install VMWare Server or Virtual Box so you can get into virtualized environments. Get familiar with .ISO files and .VHD Files as you will need to know about them if you want to be a Sys Admin. You can also install Linux operating systems like Ubuntu or Fedora on VMWare as well. So it's something to think about, but it's a good starting point.

wood299

You need experience not certifications although they do help alot. Also work on your soft skills. Being able to get along with co-workers, supervisors, and customers is something potential employers pick up on. And also, do not be picky in your job hunt. If you can find an internship or even, and I gasp to say, a call center that offers technical support for end users, that experience is worth its weight in certs.. Good Luck!

NetworkingStudent

Armymanis wrote: »

Hello Everyone,

Before bashing me, please let me tell you my situation. I have been on many IT forums who have not given any advice on the paths I should take in order to be able to get an Entry Level Help Desk or Entry Level PC Technician job. I hope this forum is a lot nicer to me, and will here me out.

First of all, I have been going to school to get my AA in Technical Support for the past 3 years and graduate with it in december. I currently hold my A+ certification, and am going to start preparing for the N+ certification. I have been applying to Entry Level jobs madly here for the past 6-7 months and have only gotten one interview, but did not aquire the job.

I am very passionate about IT and really want to get a job in IT and get out of the retail environment I am in. I am 21, and I am a hard worker, but my main problem is having direction. Once I get direction, I am really focused on completing the class, certification, or whatever it may be.

My question is, to get out of retail and onto an entry level help desk or PC Tech Job, what do you think I will need beyond my AA, and A+? Also, I know experience is important even with my 6 months of volunteering at the schools tech lab supporting computers, I still don't get call for an Interview.

I will begin studying for my N+ very soon. I truly believe this is the career path for me, and I hate that I have been bashed by other forums like dice and tech support forum saying that I should get out of IT. I know I have to start out at the bottom like everyone else. Will someone here please give me friendly advice and tell me what certifications are entry level and what is recognized highly in the IT field as far as Entry Level Certs?

Would it benefit me to get a Bachelors in Technology? My school offers a program that I can stay at the same campus and get my bachelors their. Please help me Thanks! I look forward to spending my time on this forum! Glad I found it

I agree, It’s tougher than ever to start in IT. I just graduated in December 2010 and I find it tough to land a job. I have gotten several interviews, but no job yet. Here’s my advice/tips:

Is your resume 100% error free? If not, check with your school to get help correcting errors.

Is your cover letter 100% error free? Are you sending a cover letter?

Do you have your resume on posted on Monster, Dice, and career builder?

Are you applying for jobs on Craigs list?

Have you looked for internships?

Have you tried directly calling IT staffing firms such as: Robert half, Tek systems, Global insights, Compucom, Comsystems …ect…..ect.

Are you listing your GPA? if it’s 3.0 and above then you should list it on your resume.

Do you use Jobs indeed with search words help desk and/or Computer support?

Do you belong to any organizations ISSA, ACM, HDI …ect ect a lot of these organizations offer steep discounts to students.

Do you have a linked in account? You should build relationships with a few teachers and classmates.

**Also, apply for jobs that say 0-2 years experience. More often than not your degree can count as the experience.

The best advice I can give you is to stay busy. A lot of employers will ask what did you do while you were unemployed and it helps to have examples for that question.

Good Luck

Everyone

If you really want to get some experience to reach your goals, I'd suggest enlisting in the Military.

I don't know what the job codes are for other branches, but for the Air Force, 3D0X1 is where you want to be, that's the Systems Administrator career field now. You'll get both IT experience and management experience. Plus you'll get a security clearance (if you qualify of course). All of that will open all kinds of doors for you.

You won't make a lot of money while you're in, but if you're good you should easily be able to at last double your salary when you get out. Plus if you're going to work on furthering your education, it will all be paid for.

MickQ

Woah woah woah. Slow down dude.
Ok, you want to go into sys admin, or IT management.
First off, you don't seem to have a decent idea of what's involved in it. No offence to you, but when you didn't know that Ubuntu (a distribution of Linux) is different to UNIX, that sets off alarm bells.

What you need to do is get a better idea of what's what in the wonderful world(s) of IT.
Look into what networking is. Cisco, Network+, Juniper.
Look into Operating Systems (OSs). MS windows, Linux.
Look into what sys admin and servers are. MS 2008, LAMP,
Look into databases. DB admin, SQL, oracle, MS access.

The key to knowing what you want to do, is to have some idea of what will lead to what job, and if you will enjoy it. You seem to have the enthusiasm, so read up a few guides on where technology has come from. Mainframes and terminals, to home computing, to mobile computing to cloud computing (effectively mainframe and terminal).

As Everyone said (good name pun), you might have a good start in the military where they'll bring you up through it. There are some people on TE who have done that.

Armymanis

MickQ wrote: »

Woah woah woah. Slow down dude.
Ok, you want to go into sys admin, or IT management.
First off, you don't seem to have a decent idea of what's involved in it. No offence to you, but when you didn't know that Ubuntu (a distribution of Linux) is different to UNIX, that sets off alarm bells.

What you need to do is get a better idea of what's what in the wonderful world(s) of IT.
Look into what networking is. Cisco, Network+, Juniper.
Look into Operating Systems (OSs). MS windows, Linux.
Look into what sys admin and servers are. MS 2008, LAMP,
Look into databases. DB admin, SQL, oracle, MS access.

The key to knowing what you want to do, is to have some idea of what will lead to what job, and if you will enjoy it. You seem to have the enthusiasm, so read up a few guides on where technology has come from. Mainframes and terminals, to home computing, to mobile computing to cloud computing (effectively mainframe and terminal).

As Everyone said (good name pun), you might have a good start in the military where they'll bring you up through it. There are some people on TE who have done that.

Can't do military because A: Of my Heart condition, and B: because I do not want to.

I am going into the corporate environment. I already have a contract job for a month and a half in IT and hoping to get another one after that so I can move up in IT.

MickQ

Ok. Look up info on how things tie together. Components of PCs, their peripherals, how they communicate (successfully). Next, have a look at some software. Maybe an easy start into programming and learning about int, char, float, strings, arrays. Then move on to things like networks: IP addresses, subnets, gateways.
Only an overview to start with. You have your A+ so that should give you the main background on PCs and hardware. Dabble a little with "hello world" for basic, then C and java.
The trick is that if you know what's going on at the lower levels, you'll be able to understand why you're getting that error message, and more importantly, how to make it go away.

nimrod.sixty9

I would really like to know what you do on that contract... You have a LONG way to go before becoming an MIS or Sys Admin. You obviously have long term goals, now you need to set some short term goals. It almost seems like your trying to skip everything in between. Get on a short term on everything MickQ mentioned. Also since this is your first contract, you need to really shine. Bust your ass and put in extra effort into everything. In this way youll have every chance to impress your current employer/recruiter, and possibly open new doors in the future.

Get a Lab going
Fix your resume
Never stop educating yourself
Do everything you can and more

Armymanis

nimrod.sixty9 wrote: »

I would really like to know what you do on that contract... You have a LONG way to go before becoming an MIS or Sys Admin. You obviously have long term goals, now you need to set some short term goals. It almost seems like your trying to skip everything in between. Get on a short term on everything MickQ mentioned. Also since this is your first contract, you need to really shine. Bust your ass and put in extra effort into everything. In this way youll have every chance to impress your current employer/recruiter, and possibly open new doors in the future.

Get a Lab going
Fix your resume
Never stop educating yourself
Do everything you can and more

My short term goal right now is to make it to help desk technician tier 2 in 3-6 years. I am hoping I can do it. In the contract job, what I will be doing is installing computers for another company. That is mostly hardware based I assume, but its a step in the right direction. It gives me 1 and a half months of real world experience. So total right now I have 6 months volunteer experience and then after june I will have 1 and a half months real world experience. Climbing up there.

Really enthused about getting out of retail. I quit my job this week to focus more on my contract job + school. The company I am with now is a recruiting company for people who like me do contract jobs. They said there are always more opportunities to get more jobs after I finish this one. I am really excited! Plus we get a years free pass to CBT nuggets to watch certification videos and try and earn our certifications

If any of you are concerned about my living situation: I am currently 21 and live with my mom so no worries there

Turgon

Armymanis wrote: »

Can't do military because A: Of my Heart condition, and B: because I do not want to.

I am going into the corporate environment. I already have a contract job for a month and a half in IT and hoping to get another one after that so I can move up in IT.

If you want to go into corporate then that's what you do anyway as opposed to going military. Aim directly at what you want to do. Have you hit the yellow pages yet as I advised? Build your database of possible leads and start making some calls.