Advise Starting in the IT world

Hello guys I want have been looking to get into this field I want to know what should be a decent career path to get started.Iam 21 & I didn't go to college after HS because I was making a ton of money working for a relatives auto shop I made just under 43k in 2010...BUT that went down the drain & I got a job in retail in 2011 where Iam at now but want to move & get a mid level job in this area. Iam a smart person I struggled in HS due to social phobia but Iam over that & I made a complete 180 & Iam in a better state there's a local community college like a block away from my house, in the short term what certs would it be benifitcal to start with that could land be a entry level job I live in Denver I know IT/networking jobs are booming (DTC) so any advise would be great i work 40 hours a week as well.

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Comments

Iristheangel

Since you're new to IT in general, I would say to start picking up some classes at your local community college. You should be able to learn the fundamentals there and decide if you like it or not. How proficient would you rate yourself when it comes to computers? If you're not very proficient, I would recommend reading through an A+ and Network+ book. I wouldn't necessarily recommend taking the test because it's about $200-250 x 2 tests and you mentioned you were tight on money. Once you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals, you can decide which route to go. Some people like networking while others like systems administration. Once you have a plan for what part of IT you want to get into, you can start studying and taking the vendor-specific exams (Microsoft, Cisco, etc) which usually are $100-150 a pop.

Devilry

You should look into getting some education and get an entry level IT position. Look at your local community college or WGU. Good thing about WGU, is that they include the certs in tuition; no money out of your pocket.

Look at temp agencies to try and get entry level IT positions, you could get by with demonstrating some general knowledge. With the right attitude, someone will give you a shot.

FloOz

yah wgu seems like it would be a a great staring point for you. its relatively low tution and you also get a bunch of certs along the way

gadav478

Make sure you get into a field that interests you. Learn as much as you can. Most people think they have to read to certify. That's not the case. You can read books (Comptia A+ and Comptia N+ as Iris stated would be a great starting point) and learn enough to see where you want to go. Then when you get the money, certify.

antielvis

My first thought when I read your post was how atrocious your spelling and grammar are. I don't want to sound nasty man, but it presented me with a very unflattering idea of who you are. Soft skills are JUST as important as technical skills (sometimes more so).

maddem

You did sound like a nasty man...

antielvis

maddem wrote: »

You did sound like a nasty man...

I realize that Maddem, but do you think HR or an IT manager would react any differently? Assume this person is going to start working in help desk. Is their manager going to want someone who is a poor communicator? The answer is no they are not. Soft skills (like communication) are AS important in junior positions as technical skills.

sratakhin

Who wants to work as a help desk anyway?

aqua_waters

Aside from whether or not a person appears to be a nasty man...

I have similar questions to the OP. I'm considering changing fields and have been able to narrow down IT has a potential field. I am interested in certain areas of IT, such as security and administration. What I need to find out is how to focus on what I'd like to do, and what kind of experience do I need to get before graduating from a community college with an A.A.S. degree. I know in this day and age, proficiency and marketability are going to be strong points but it's a matter of getting there.

I read the article about the current state of the IT field. One of the concerns listed was whether or not IT jobs are outsourced much, and from what I've heard and read, outsourcing is a huge concern. Then again, there isn't true "job security," and lately I read many companies are using a ranking system similar to tenure, except it's based on a ranking of performance. Then everyone is ranked according to percentile, and obviously the lower percentile-workers would most likely get let go.

I'm truly interested in the IT field, but I need to know how to get to where I want, and whether or not it's going to be worth it. I don't want to potentially invest thousands of dollars into something where in 5 years, I'll be jobless. I also hear lots of contradictory information about how IT is going, and it would be nice to get some definitive facts before starting.

Sorry to hijack the OP's thread; this was already open so it didn't make sense to start a new one.

Krones

aqua_waters wrote: »

What I need to find out is how to focus on what I'd like to do, and what kind of experience do I need to get before graduating from a community college with an A.A.S. degree.

I think your concerns about the stability of IT jobs is normal but all jobs pose a similar fate or outside controls that will impact a profession in a negative light. I would try to find a job at your community college as a computer lab aide. They will definitely have an IT department that focuses on system administration, images, maintenance, scripting. etc. It would give you an inside look on whether or not you want to pursue that route or something a little more specialized in security or a different path like programming, databases, or networks. While you work on your A.A.S you could focus on the A+ and Security +.