How many late starters do we have on here?

I'm a late starter (35 yrs old) in IT due to some bad personal decision in my 20's. I am currently attending school at University of DC for my computer science with a specialization in network security. I'm hoping to find a entry level job maybe in a NOC or even better a SOC. I figured most of you guys are young but I was just curious to see if anybody else had their start in IT late.

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Zorodzai

I'm 36. I started out in IT but really had no direction - dabbled in networking (failed CCNA twice and gave up), coding (I was a very bad VB coder), training (wasn't too bad but got a bit repetitive), hardware support ..........I basically didn't know what IT related discipline to follow. I only really got my act together at ~32 and am slowly trying to finish off the basic stuff (degree, updated certs) I should have done in my 20s.

gorebrush

Good to see that people can make the transition. I'm not a late starter myself, but I love reading stories like this.

tprice5

I am 24; on the younger end of the spectrum. I went straight into my BS after high school. Unfortunately the computer science program I was in was heavily programming based. After getting let go from a software development position I know that is not what I want to do but at least I can write one hell of a T-SQL query! Been working IT for a little over 2 years now. I've only really began picking up steam in the past 6 months since I started my new gig where I actually get to touch stuff. Finally bought myself a lab a few months back and it was the best investment I've ever made. Working on the VCP now, Microsoft training in a week and a half, NetApp/EMC in May. Exciting stuff. Just proud of what I am doing and where I am going. I truly live for this right now. I work 12 hours shifts where I am making configuration changes every day (No change management for the most part. Not advocating for it but it is helpful from a learning prospective). I go home and work on my laptop until it is time for bed and then I do it all again the next day. Day in, day out. I get family time on the weekends. That and I remote into my lab from my laptop in the living room so I'm around my family any time I am not at work. I am ranting at this point but I have 2 1/2 years experience and I am making $120k . Just a testament to how quickly you can advance when you work hard (and get a little lucky).

Ukimokia

I started out in IT way too early sometimes I believe. I started when I was 18 just 3 months after I graduated High School I got my first IT job as help desk govt contractor. I'm currently 19 and about 5 months into this job.

Still not sure where I wanna go, but I have some opportunities in Security, but I love hardware and would rather go in the wiring/hardware route.

wallpaper_01

I'm 28, while I have been in an IT role (web design) for 3 years, I'm looking to get my first entry networking job this year. This forum has been amazing in getting motivated.

JustFred

I've had odd computer jobs since 20 on and off, life and other personal stuff got in the way too. I don't see it as a delay, more like events that would lead me to where i am now. At 28 i got my first serious job in IT, Support engineer, at 31 i started Uni for a computer science degree (part time) while having a full time job. At 32 i switched jobs to be a network engineer, that didn't work out so much at the former company but i learned a lot and moved on to another company where I'm outsourced to companies for a few months with network engineer duties. 35 now and about to graduate, a baby on the way and I'm thinking about a masters degree in System and network engineering. In between all these activities, I'm also studying for certs. It's never too late. You fall and you get up again, that's life. There's so much i need to learn and everyday i encounter something new that makes me go Ahaaaa.

Gorby

I like reading some of your stories, it's encouraging to see how others are able to make the transition to a career they enjoy in IT regardless of age. I wish I had everything together right after high school, but it's better to start sometime then to not start at all.

New2ITinCali

I'm a late starter at 32. I held a career as an Accountant working for the government for 7 years. I earned my AA in Business when I was 26, decided to give accounting a try. I went back for my Bachelors at 29. I was initially an accounting major because I needeed the degree to promote. Half-way through my degree program,I changed my major to IT. After taking an introduction to computers course, and realizing I didn't want to crunch numbers the rest of my life I changed my major to Information Technology. Although I'm having difficulty landing a job, I don't regret it at all. I thoroughly enjoy learning and working on computers.

neo9006

41 here and finally got my Bachelors, trying to get my foot in the door, as I said to a lot of young people, hard work will pay off somewhere for you. I still believe that today. I am like so many just give me a chance in the door and I can do the rest. Keep working at it. It is never too late to learn.

CoolAsAFan

This is something that I have wondered for awhile, very cool thread. I am 29 right now, but started my IT education at 27. I have an AS degree and am working towards a BS at WGU, currently on 2nd of 3 terms. I agree with the person who said he was glad he started later because he might not have made the best decisions as a younger man, which definitely applies to me lol.

nestech

New2ITinCali wrote: »

I'm a late starter at 32. I held a career as an Accountant working for the government for 7 years. I earned my AA in Business when I was 26, decided to give accounting a try. I went back for my Bachelors at 29. I was initially an accounting major because I needeed the degree to promote. Half-way through my degree program,I changed my major to IT. After taking an introduction to computers course, and realizing I didn't want to crunch numbers the rest of my life I changed my major to Information Technology. Although I'm having difficulty landing a job, I don't regret it at all. I thoroughly enjoy learning and working on computers.

Get some certs to go with your degree... Look at entry level IT Audit position with your accountant background you never know...

Anonymouse

I started at 23 as a computer repair tech. Slowly moved my way up to a sysadmin when I was 29. I felt kinda discouraged when I was a desktop support guy at like 24 while a lot of people I knew with the same amount of education were highly paid sysadmins. Even my manager (we are the same age) became manager at my current job at like 25 and he was doing my current job when he was like 24. But whatever everyone moves at their own pace.

--chris--

I started working over to IT when I was 27. About 9 months later I am in a good spot at a large hospital with lots of room for growth. I'm feeling a lot better about starting over again at 27 (now 28 after seeing the other successful people in this thread

IT being what it is (potential + passion = success) did make the decision to jump over easier.

New2ITinCali

nestech wrote: »

Get some certs to go with your degree... Look at entry level IT Audit position with your accountant background you never know...

Yes, that is my plan. I want to start off entry-level as I have no job in I.T. yet, so I plan on studying for my A+ certification. What book is best to study for that particular cert.?

Roja

New2ITinCali wrote: »

Yes, that is my plan. I want to start off entry-level as I have no job in I.T. yet, so I plan on studying for my A+ certification. What book is best to study for that particular cert.?

Maybe you don't need a book, professor Messer his youtube vids and especially his monthly study groups might be sufficient. If you take notes that is

The_Expert

I'm almost 40. Have 8 years telecom experience and 8 years IT experience... Only have non-IT degrees (Bachelors, Masters) and just recently started getting certifications. I also decided I want to pursue an IT degree on the side.

I left my previous career due to burn-out, but decided I want to make a come back - big time! I'm currently teaching until I get my act together.

maharaliel

Started at 25, (31) now with two degree in IT field and five certifications.

New2ITinCali

Roja wrote: »

Maybe you don't need a book, professor Messer his youtube vids and especially his monthly study groups might be sufficient. If you take notes that is

Thanks I checked out his site and subscribed. Very informative, I'm sure I'll learn a lot!

Essendon

Started in at 25, now 31. Wish I had started earlier, but late than never I guess. Before, I used to a drive a courier van (after I finished off my Master's).

alan2308

I worked in electronics for a number of years after being trained in the field in the Marine Corps. But unfortunately for me, the cost of everything became low enough that its cheaper to throw everything away and buy new ones than keep someone on staff to repair them. I was laid off of my last job in the field, the last bench technician to go. I took a position with a water company titled "industrial electronic technician" that amounted to not much more than field service for water coolers and filtration systems. And after a few years of that and unable to find anything closer to what I wanted to be doing, I decided to go back to school while I had a few years of GI Bill eligibility left. Not counting short part time gigs and internships, I started my first real IT job at 35.

N2IT

3 career changes here since 2000. First I was in the USDA and DoD for the first 5 years of my career. After feeling unfulfilled I went into real estate bombed there but was exceptional in leasing commercial and residential properties. I was later vaulted into property management, that's when the dreaded HR meeting came to fruition. I was canned and without work for 2 months. I cashed in my 401k and some other investments and finally got deseperate and took a A+ class at the local community college along with a VB class and SQL course. I threw my resume up on monster and landed a help desk position. Now years later I am business analyst and make a decent living.

Rìpshot

I had always enjoyed computers and electronics growing up. I made some bad decisions as a teenager, and wound up in the military but doing IT work. Ten yrs later, now at 31 Im a contractor at a military base as Tier I tech. I would love to move back into networking but those are GS only positions. I should probably start working on my federal resume....

bermovick

How in the world are people still in their 20's considering themselves as "late starters"? It boggles the mind!

I got my CCNA at 38 and my first IT job at 40.

markulous

It feels like I'm a late starter when I started at 30. I went to college immediately after high school for this but didn't like the particular schools I attended and found a decent career in land surveying. But I wasn't passionate about it, nor as good at it as I am in this career.

Asif Dasl

bermovick wrote: »

How in the world are people still in their 20's considering themselves as "late starters"? It boggles the mind!

I agree, I'm almost 33 and have about 35 years until retirement - a very long time to go - maybe less if I'm lucky. I can't see myself in IT all of that time - by that definition of a "late starter" whatever my other career is going to be in the future - I'm going to be classed a late starter there as well!

I hear that people usually have 6 completely different careers in their lifetime. That's not true of a lot of people I know however. But just because you had other jobs in your 20's is no bad thing. I started in IT when I was 18 or 19 but never really did anything with certifications until I was 26. I suppose I'm late on where I'd like to be, but that may be true of most of us!

tpatt100

I consider myself a late starter since I was just turning 30 and working in a home improvement store at the time. I really had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up and sort of just drifted from year to year.

I remember a coworker at my first IT job joking with me when she said "I am glad I got a job right out of college because I didn't want to end up like you starting so late". Last I heard I advanced several levels past her in a few years time.

The age you are when you start something doesn't always make a difference where you end up. People should let go of this idea that if you start at 22 you will naturally mature into something awesome, or your idea of awesome. Each year of experience means nothing if you didn't learn anything during each year.

ande0255

I'm 28 and I feel like a late starter just based on the time in my late teens and early twenties I spent doing absolutely nothing, and working random jobs like cooking / serving / hotel front desk just to pay rent, when I knew that whole time I should have been pursuing something.

Think that's what fuels my study frenzy now adays, as I almost get anxious if I spend too much time away from studying, it honestly takes restraint to go Saturday and Sunday's away from studying. I am addicted

BPutty

I am now 28 and getting my second bachelors degree from WGU (NA). I am currently an Operations Project Manager for a very larger insurance company, but it is not what I want to do and I really dislike my job. I have always been very interested in computers and networking. I just recently accepted a mid-level IT position with a local county which will teach me everything I ever wanted to know! Although I will be taking a pay cut, it will be so well worth it!

devils_haircut

bermovick wrote: »

How in the world are people still in their 20's considering themselves as "late starters"?

All of my peers and friends graduated college at 22 and have been working in those careers ever since. They have homes, families, and some have kids. Meanwhile I'm still living in an apartment, single, no kids, and working on finishing a degree at 29. I still judge myself by the people I graduated high school with, and I'm sure a lot of people my age do the same.

tpatt100

devils_haircut wrote: »

All of my peers and friends graduated college at 22 and have been working in those careers ever since. They have homes, families, and some have kids. Meanwhile I'm still living in an apartment, single, no kids, and working on finishing a degree at 29. I still judge myself by the people I graduated high school with, and I'm sure a lot of people my age do the same.

I did also but everybody I knew who got married in their early twenties are all divorced now. People I run into just assume I am on my second marriage which I am not lol.