Need Help Fast - Please Guide Me

Don't know where to start or begin with this. Everyone like's bullet points so I'll do that.

Finished 1st year of university while in 11th/12th grade of highschool
Received my A.S. in Digital Media in 2006
Received my B.S. in Digital Media in 2008
Worked from home since 2008 with internet marketing

That is the my top down summary. Now I'm stuck without an income (lost income due to Google) and don't know what to do. Although my degrees are in Digital Media, I only know the basics really when it comes to web design of CSS and HTML. I'm not a techy programmer, but I want to do something in the IT field.

I'm based in Niagara Falls, Canada. I'm stuck in a catch 22. All the jobs I look at include:

System Admin
Jr. System Admin
Network Admin
Help Desk
Software Programmer
Engineer
Network Tech
etc..

I qualify for none of these. Even the "entry level" jobs required 2-3 years of experience with a ton of info I have zero experience in. Out of the hundreds of jobs I have looked at over the past few weeks, only a couple were entry level I could maybe fit into - but the pay was so low ($10/hr) that I could not afford to live on that. You can't live on $10/hr.

I really don't know what to do and I am feeling the panic. I don't know what path to take or even try to take. I'd like to work in IT - preferably not a customer serving role - something in the "back room" looking at lights/switches/ working quietly would be more my ideal.

Does anyone know of a recruiter or someone to help me in this area or any advice at all?

I can post my resume for feedback.

Thank you,

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Comments

boredgamelad

Isn't $10/hr. better than $0/hr. (it might not be if you've got unemployment benefits I guess)? You might have to take a $10/hr. job working with customers if that's what it takes to get your foot in the door and put food on the table.

W Stewart

Realistically speaking, your going to have to take a low paying job to get some experience since experience is everything in IT. Your best bet for starting out at more than $10/hr is to get your CCNA and look for a NOC tech position but even then, someone still has to be willing to take a chance on you. Maybe try doing some field tech work. $10/hr is better than nothing and since you don't seem to have many options, you may want to consider cutting back on anything extra expenses you don't need and maybe getting a roommate.

Cisc0kidd

I am confused how Google put you out of business recently. I think it would be easier to fix your business than start from scratch in IT. That said you seem like a very smart person. If you want to advance in IT you are going to need to build up your experience, certs, and possibly education.

ineedhelp

What should my course of action be right away? Should I study for certs in this order A+, MCSE, Network+, CCENT ?

I wasn't implying that $10 is worthless. Of course everyone must start lower and that is fine. I was meaning it would be difficult to get by on that: $10x8hrsx5daysx4 weeks = $1,600 a month.

Car, car insurance, rent, food, utilities, etc... would easily surpass that. That is all I meant to say.

I am still not very familiar with each role if someone could help shed light on what path I should set my sights on please. I keep hearing that a network path is vastly different from a MCSE path etc... I need something to focus on and get to it. I cant afford courses so I will be studying on my own.

I was thinking of getting my A+ and Network+ then trying to apply for something help desk related. Is this possible within 2 months if I have most of the day to study learn? I have built my own computer and diagnosed issues on my own, granted they are basic compared to what is out there.

instant000

I believe that you are trying to say that you used to sell internet marketing, but were undersold by google? Or what?

I thought that SEO skills (good ones) were still a good skill to have.

Now my mind's racing ... what type of marketing were you doing that Google could somehow put you out of business? (were you using questionable SEO techniques?) I guess we kind of get curious about what your problem is.

However, I believe that marketing would be important to a business. Heck, I was reading something the other day that Gartner had posted, saying that Marketing departments are getting to the point that they do more IT spend than the IT department does. (Sometimes Gartner is right, and sometimes Gartner is wrong. Regardless of that, I have seen at least one big company that likes to do what Gartner tells them to do, believe it or not.) So, if you have a marketing background, it looks promising from this standpoint.

I guess internet marketing might be broad. Not too sure where your skills are right now, in order to give a suggestion, but would hope to somehow leverage what you've done in the past, versus just going from scratch.

ineedhelp

instant000 wrote: »

I believe that you are trying to say that you used to sell internet marketing, but were undersold by google? Or what?

I thought that SEO skills (good ones) were still a good skill to have.

Now my mind's racing ... what type of marketing were you doing that Google could somehow put you out of business? (were you using questionable SEO techniques?) I guess we kind of get curious about what your problem is.

However, I believe that marketing would be important to a business. Heck, I was reading something the other day that Gartner had posted, saying that Marketing departments are getting to the point that they do more IT spend than the IT department does. (Sometimes Gartner is right, and sometimes Gartner is wrong. Regardless of that, I have seen at least one big company that likes to do what Gartner tells them to do, believe it or not.) So, if you have a marketing background, it looks promising from this standpoint.

I guess internet marketing might be broad. Not too sure where your skills are right now, in order to give a suggestion, but would hope to somehow leverage what you've done in the past, versus just going from scratch.

Hello instant000,

You are correct, yes. My "niche" was in internet marketing and specifically ranking websites in Google. To keep things concise and without heading off in other directions too much:

I am 26 years old now and am still at home
I focused on marketing from the time I graduated, so I have no "real" corporate experience since I have always worked from home trying to build my business.
Google is a two-faced corporate monster - anyone who "does" against their view is wrong, unless of course they do it themselves (this could be a novel on its own)
The money was great when it worked, but stability is not there, therefore I can no longer rely on that for an income and to move out/family/etc..
My skills were in finding markets and making basic websites that appealed to users/solved a problem/provided quality and then earn a commission on said deal.

However I have always been "into" computers and such and I feel that a strong IT career is my best bet for family/stability. The rest I can come back to on the side. I just do not know how to proceed.

Everything I look at requires "2-3 years experience" and I'm becoming disheartened. I don't know what path to tackle. It seems everyone starts in a help desk role but all the jobs posted require experience. I'm really starting to panic.

I just took the A+ practice exam on this site without ever reading material on the topic and I got a 30%. I feel like a flop now because I read everyone says it is the easiest of tests.

I can post my resume if that helps. Maybe if someone could give the certs/paths listed in relation to job type, such as:

System Admin: (stuff needed)
Database Admin: (stuff needed)
Network WAN Admin: (etc..)

I'm more of a quiet focused person when it comes to work versus being the sales/office presentation guy if that helps. I would also like to work towards a career end goal of something in the 70K+ range. I'm not materialistic but I would like something reasonable to provide for a family.

There is also nothing close to my area so finding something that I could safely live off of on my own is also a concern. Ideally I would like to have the proper training and work my way up the ladder from a starting entry position. The difficulty is finding the path that appeals to me because I not quite familiar with every term I come across. Also to have the said position requires moving away and thus enough to sustain myself. I suppose I could get by on $2,000 a month but it would be a close fit after all the expenses are weighed in.

I'm starting to become depressed because I am really at a loss. Congrats to you on your certs - I see you have a nice list behind your sig.

zrockstar

There are still SEO jobs out there my friend, look for them. Look into social media too. I have seen some listings for social media reps and know a person who works in social media for a very large corp and loves it.