Any IT Guys Here? Trying to Get Into the IT World - Advice / Suggestions / Stories?

[Koko4]

A little bit about me: 27 years old, with a (mostly) useless double-major in Creative Writing and Spanish. I've had a few interesting jobs out of college, but nothing "career-worthy". I've been thinking about an actual career path on-and-off since I got out of college, and really am starting to gain an interest in IT.

It's a good field - ALWAYS going to be in demand, pays well, and there's always a way to move UP .. always something new to learn. There are different caveats to it, so chances are I will be able to find my own niche that will interest me.

I've always been a computer user, and have usually been able to get a computer to do what I'd like it to do, but I was never an expert, so-to-speak. I am trying to get my foot in the door to an entry-level IT position (Help Desk, Support Desk, or something similar) and then move up from there.

Right now I am studying for the CompTIA A+ certification, which I've been told is good basic knowledge to have (although the actual significance in the real world is negligible, from what I hear). After this, I plan on starting my job search for one of the above-mentioned positions. I don't expect much in the way of salary..possibly $30k/yr if I'm lucky?

After A+, I will study for Network+ and Security+, and then I'd like to get a position as maybe a Jr. Level Network Admin or Jr. Systems Admin.

I'm just trying to bounce ideas off here to see if what I'm doing is a logical progression, and what I should expect. I know I will have to work my way up, since my prior experience is not in IT, and aside from being a casual user, I don't have much to put on my resume (Word / Powerpoint / good WPM rate / basic HTML / basic Wordpress) but that's about it. Sooooo...yeah. Thoughts? Advice? Horror stories?

 

[USKTog]

A little bit about me: 27 years old, with a (mostly) useless double-major in Creative Writing and Spanish. I've had a few interesting jobs out of college, but nothing "career-worthy". I've been thinking about an actual career path on-and-off since I got out of college, and really am starting to gain an interest in IT.

It's a good field - ALWAYS going to be in demand, pays well, and there's always a way to move UP .. always something new to learn. There are different caveats to it, so chances are I will be able to find my own niche that will interest me.

I've always been a computer user, and have usually been able to get a computer to do what I'd like it to do, but I was never an expert, so-to-speak. I am trying to get my foot in the door to an entry-level IT position (Help Desk, Support Desk, or something similar) and then move up from there.

Right now I am studying for the CompTIA A+ certification, which I've been told is good basic knowledge to have (although the actual significance in the real world is negligible, from what I hear). After this, I plan on starting my job search for one of the above-mentioned positions. I don't expect much in the way of salary..possibly $30k/yr if I'm lucky?

After A+, I will study for Network+ and Security+, and then I'd like to get a position as maybe a Jr. Level Network Admin or Jr. Systems Admin.

I'm just trying to bounce ideas off here to see if what I'm doing is a logical progression, and what I should expect. I know I will have to work my way up, since my prior experience is not in IT, and aside from being a casual user, I don't have much to put on my resume (Word / Powerpoint / good WPM rate / basic HTML / basic Wordpress) but that's about it. Sooooo...yeah. Thoughts? Advice? Horror stories?

Hi Koko,
From what you have written, it sounds like you have realistic expectations (good!) and a solid plan to build your foundation.

Take the knowledge you gain from all 3 of those certifications and build on things from there! I like the approach of all 3, as it gives you a chance to learn what segment of the Tech Sector appeals to you most.

The most important thing you can do is build, constantly, your core body of knowledge. Sometimes a shitty job will bring you down mentally and emotionally, but at the end of the day if you gain some valuable lessons and knowledge, it helps you build for the next opportunity!

You may have to start out at the "Help Desk," but that will give you knowledge from an and-user perspective. As you grow from there, you can begin to jump into the Sys Admin realm or Network Admin realm.

From my personal viewpoint, having done Tech stuff for 30+ years (before I started investing my time in landscape/nature photography), the foundation you build will give you knowledge for EVERYTHING you do in the future!

Along with A+, Network+ & Security+, I would suggest you look at doing as many of the MVA courses (under IT Pros section) since they are free. Microsoft Windows is the primary desktop OS around the globe, though Linux is slowly gaining a foothold. In the Server space, there is a hodgepodge of Windows, Unix, Linux out there, but much of Corporate America runs Windows.

That will give you the most bang for the buck, in terms of technology products that are in-use.

Once you have some of that under your belt, start digging into OS X, Unix and/or Linux.

 

[BrianSD_42]

I thought it was the same person from the other thread.

I work in the tech industry and I'd recommend it but you want to get on a good path.

It is changing fast, there is just so much happening right now.

Read: The Phoenix Project.

 

[Koko4]

Thanks so much for the suggestions - I had NO idea about Microsoft Virtual Academy! Seems like a very helpful resource. That's the thing about IT - there's literally a WEALTH of information at my fingertips, but it's up to me to categorize / learn it in such a manner that it does not become overwhelming (which is the hard part)!

Thanks for the read, Brian - I will have to look into the Phoenix Project. May I ask how both of you got your start / a bit about your progression into the title and responsibilities that you hold now?

 

[BrianSD_42]

Sure but I'm only tangentially in IT.

Life Path:

* High School | Graduated 2000
* US Navy | 6 Years, Joined 1 month after HS
* Community College | 2006 - 2008
* US Santa Cruz | BS Information Systems Management, 2010
* Implementation (Field) Engineer | IT Company, 2010 to 2012
* Associate Pre-Sales Consultant | 2012 - 2014
* Systems Engineer A-II / Consultant A-II | 2015 - Present

I have worked for a vendor since college. I have many customers but I have never worked at private shop.

My 2 cents would be that after getting your foot in the door in IT and some cash to pay the bills, go to night school and start working on your BS degree. Try learning to code and the math classes.

If you are going to be in traditional IT my advice to you would to be learn Database Administration instead of Network Admin. That is assuming it is a simple choice.
Also look at Web Design. I understand this a field that is actually going pretty strong and you can learn to be a better coder as you do it.


IT is changing and changing fast. At my company we are calling this the move into the 3rd platform.


1st platform: Mainframes

2nd platform: Personal & Business PCs running enterprise apps (Windows, Linux, with Java and Relational Databases)

3rd platform: Cloud based dev ops, non-relational databases, applications that don't run pure C/C++, Java but instead Ruby on Rails, Python, white box servers with open source Operating Systems, Dev/Test running in Amazon and Azure, think Facebook, Google, eBay, Yahoo etc none of which use traditional IT style deployments. Think Hadoop deployments instead of Oracle. Think Software Defined and not hardware. These major changes are happening and in the next decade there will be a huge amount of major consolidations and most of the smaller IT shops will see more workloads move into AWS / Azure and many of the admin jobs will evolve or disappear.

To give you an idea of how destructive the shift into the 3rd platform could be just look at the change from the 1st to the 2nd platform. What companies are left from the 1st platform? IBM and they are not doing to well. And that is out of thousands of companies that existed in the 80s during the era of the 1st platform.


Google: shift to the 3rd platform IT


'Third platform' shift triggers enterprise software evolution | ZDNet

As IDC Sees It, Tech's 'Third Platform' Disrupts Everyone | CIO

IDC - 3rd Platform

http://www.tcs.com/SiteCollectionDo...-Platform-Enabling-Digital-Transformation.pdf

2015 ? The 3rd Platform Gets Real For IT - Chuck's Blog

 

[USKTog]

>Navy - Sub Service (mainframes, then did PC support for Instructor network systems for last 2-1/2 yrs) (10 years)

>Small Business co-owner (with my Dad) building servers/PC's/networks for small & medium business' around metro Denver (4 yrs)

>Contracting/consulting work for 2 years (MCSE acquired prior; did a lot of NT4 builds/configs, beta tested Active Directory for MS)

>Hired on with Fortune 500 company as Help Desk / Server support person (1 yr)

>Hired on at another Fortune 500 company; Active Directory / Server Support / Web Development / Lotus Notes development (2-1/2 yrs); got laid off, moved back home to CO (completed B.S. during this time)

>Contractor for State of CO doing Active Directory work / Web Development (6 mos)

>Contractor/Hired on to current company for Active Directory/LDAP engineering & troubleshooting, then Information Security Engineering (completed Master's degree here, focus on Info Sec) (11 years)

 

[broncosi]

I am a network/system admin and an IT dev for my company that provides a cloud service to companies. We specialize in a niche and currently dominate it (not to say that couldn't change at any time).

That being said, I've learned to code in several languages but I would start with learning java if you're interested in learning to code. Some of the other major languages share very similar syntax. HTML5 and Ruby are good for website design since they render on mobile devices. At our company, we will start people in the support department so they get calls of people wanting this or that with our service, the tech then has to learn how that specific aspect actually works, and thus how to solve the problem giving them a better understanding of our company.

Edit: I also went to school for CS/MIS/CIT.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Are you still pursuing your BS?

What track did you choose? (CS, MIS, CIT)

 

[broncosi]

Are you still pursuing your BS?

What track did you choose? (CS, MIS, CIT)

Me? At UNCW we had BS option of MIS that eventually started mixing in CIT courses to sub for some MIS that wasn't offered anymore for whatever reasons. I'm not complaining, kind of got the best of both worlds. At first I took two years CS and switched and graduated with a BS in MIS/IT. Obviously I'm a non-traditional student and spent longer to get my BS but was definitely worth it. But the coding experience I got in those first two years proved invaluable. I coded non stop with every core class after I switched majors. Whether it was working with SQL or HTML5, they all have their uses/quirks/annoyances but starting with Java and really getting a handle on that with the CS program really got me ahead and prepared. Now I mostly code in Apex/Java in Sublime so it's similar to Java.

 

[Stellar]

I've also been considering a switch to the IT field. I'm currently in the aerospace industry with a major defense contractor but this stuff is so boring to me now. The worst part is the hours. I average 57 hours a week and I've had enough. The money is good but not good enough to overlook my lack of life outside of work. Thanks for all the helpful info guys.

 

[BrianSD_42]

There are plenty of people over worked in IT and tech in general.

I work in Sales so my hours are quite good. We work 150% when it counts (a deal is in play) and the rest of the time is a bit less stressful.

 

[broncosi]

There are plenty of people over worked in IT and tech in general.

I work in Sales so my hours are quite good. We work 150% when it counts (a deal is in play) and the rest of the time is a bit less stressful.

Definitely agree with this. Although I do not work with sales directly, there are absolutely weeks or even a month I'm working a ton depending on our project. Other times I'm in and out as long as my work is done. The thing about it that you want to look for if you're considering IT is, do you mind working more?

When I'm finishing a 60+ hour week, it doesn't bother me at all. I rarely leave work not feeling a gratification for what I've done.

 

[Stellar]

I don't mind working long hours, especially when it's crunch time and we are going full throttle every day. However, I currently only get 3-4 days off a month and that is the norm here. On top of that, I've literally been surfing the internet and babysitting a satellite for the last month.

Again, I don't mind the long hours in spurts if it's necessary to get the job done. But when things are slow I don't want to be sitting on my ass trying to keep myself entertained. All I can think about during days like this is how nice the weather is and how much I'd rather be outside doing something else.

 

[junaitari]

I've been a Network/Systems Admin for 15 years or so. Best advice I can give is find a place you can grow.

I've been with the same company for 10 years. I have a basic network, limited budget, no need for brand name equip (cisco, juniper, etc), and no special servers other than MSSQL & Windows server 2008 AD. It pretty much runs itself now.

Let's just say that I've stagnated and it makes finding a new job (where everyone seems to want specialization) difficult.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Learn to code if you can!

 

[wsmc831]

There are plenty of people over worked in IT and tech in general.

I work in Sales so my hours are quite good. We work 150% when it counts (a deal is in play) and the rest of the time is a bit less stressful.

I'll agree with that. OP seems to have the right attitude and path, start with the basics. I started there in 98, now manage servers/application for one of the largest banks in the country, so I still believe there are plenty of opportunities in the industry. The more critical the systems you support are, the more you'll find yourself with longer hours and overnight/weekend work. My personal record is an implementation/call that lasted 50 hours, so you've really got to like what you are doing...my opinion.

There are benefits as well in technology. For me it's working from home full time..again, downside being you are basically available 24/7.

 

[broncosi]

There are benefits as well in technology. For me it's working from home full time..again, downside being you are basically available 24/7.

This is the double edged sword that makes me cringe about my job. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job and I am incredibly fortunate to have it but I have to agree 110%. I can work anytime/anywhere. The flexibility is great but like you said, people can need something done ASAP at any moment (at least for my job). So, yes, I could get a call at 3 am from a CEO or the CIO (my boss) that something needs to be coded, have at least 90% test coverage, and deployed into production before we open that morning. The upside to this, my boss knows his stuff. He knows what he's asking of me. He's not an ass about it and will help however he can and definitely won't mind me not coming in until late the next day if at all (my choice).

That's just once incident/scenario though.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Been in IT for 17 years, my advice to someone who wants to get into IT

:roadkill:

 

[Koko4]

Been in IT for 17 years, my advice to someone who wants to get into IT

:roadkill:

Can you elaborate as to why? :fish:

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Can you elaborate as to why? :fish:

Mainly just being sarcastic. IT has definitely taken years off my life, I won't lie about that. Like others said, be prepared to sacrifice nights and weekends for the betterment of the company. Overall I do enjoy my career path, however, computers used to be my passion and hobby, and that has long since gone by the wayside. I have spent so many countless nights and weekends working on computers that I no longer enjoy it. I do like my career, and I have been extremely successful and make way more than any of my friends, however if I could find a job that paid as well or better and didn't involve IT, I would definitely think about jumping to it, it's a tough business.