Computer and IT Gurus, a little help please...

[Waterborne]

Ok the short version is, I would like to shift my career from the ambulance to the office. I have some experience in hardware and software installation and repair. Mostly drives, cards and the like although, I have built a few machines from the case up. I have alot of experience in loading OS and and other software from scratch on machines as well. I have a little experience setting up a network from scratch. So I guess my question is, where can I go with this? Is there anyplace that I can work, with a little on the job training, while going back for a degree? Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

 

[jonnythan]

SCORE ResQ once bubbled...
Ok the short version is, I would like to shift my career from the ambulance to the office. I have some experience in hardware and software installation and repair. Mostly drives, cards and the like although, I have built a few machines from the case up. I have alot of experience in loading OS and and other software from scratch on machines as well. I have a little experience setting up a network from scratch. So I guess my question is, where can I go with this? Is there anyplace that I can work, with a little on the job training, while going back for a degree? Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

Buy an A+ book and get your A+ cert immediately. It's easy. Next thing you should probably do is take an MCSE boot camp and get into ground level in an IT department somewhere. Get some experience and some more certs (hopefully at the company's expense).

Without this it will be hard to get anything, especially without a degree in a computer related field. The market is tight these days.

 

[Green Mountain]

jonnythan once bubbled...


The market is tight these days.

I was going to say. Going from ambulance to computer seems like swiming against the current.

There is another board that I read every day. It is for anyone who is in or wants to know about Heating or air conditioning industry. Fortunately, our industry is going gang busters right now. Not a day goes by when someone is not trying to get into the HVAC field from the computer field.

 

[hnladue]

A+ is good to have, but there are so many 'paper' MCSE's out there that no one cares if you have it or not!! Expierence is what they want. Anyone can take the tests but can they actually use the knowledge? I would start off at the help desk level if I were you. Learn that well and you can work you're way up. I've been in the PC field for 10 years now, and everyday I get to use my help desk skills! Users call me all the time for help. Lots of places are looking for help desk people on the night shift. That would leave days for education!

 

[Waterborne]

hnladue once bubbled...
A+ is good to have, but there are so many 'paper' MCSE's out there that no one cares if you have it or not!! Expierence is what they want. Anyone can take the tests but can they actually use the knowledge? I would start off at the help desk level if I were you. Learn that well and you can work you're way up. I've been in the PC field for 10 years now, and everyday I get to use my help desk skills! Users call me all the time for help. Lots of places are looking for help desk people on the night shift. That would leave days for education!

I was starting to think that maybe entry level help desk would be a way to start. Nights are cool by me as that's what I work right now. I thought the daytime was meant for sleeping anyway

 

[jonnythan]

hnladue once bubbled...
A+ is good to have, but there are so many 'paper' MCSE's out there that no one cares if you have it or not!! Expierence is what they want. Anyone can take the tests but can they actually use the knowledge? I would start off at the help desk level if I were you. Learn that well and you can work you're way up. I've been in the PC field for 10 years now, and everyday I get to use my help desk skills! Users call me all the time for help. Lots of places are looking for help desk people on the night shift. That would leave days for education!

A lot of places *require* certs just to be considered.. and these days since everyone *has* an MCSE it's easy to require it and not really exclude people. You'll learn a lot in a week long boot camp, and that will make it easier to get a decent starting position. Can't get experience without getting a job.. and those are hard to get with no certs *or* experience.

It's also hard to get a help desk job without knowing all that much, and no company is really going to consider paying to get help desk people get new training and certs.

 

[norcaldiver]

I agree, anyone that asks for A+ knows what it is and knows that they want an employee to have it. You can't go wrong getting A+. Anyone (HR people) that asks for MCSE doesn't know what it is - only that it's a cert for microsoft, but they have NO clue what you did to get it. Everyone (computer mgrs) I know would like you to go to MS training class(es), but could care less if you even take the tests or not.

 

[CuriousMe]

What do you want to do with computers? Do you want to work strictly with PC's, network systems such as databases and mail systems, networks themselves.....that's not even getting into development (programming and such).

The reason I ask is that if you're looking to get into programming....A+ is a waste of your time, and vice versa. Technology isn't one field....it would be like saying medicine was one field....it's just a huge umbrella that lots of jobs fall under.

Just my .02

Peace,
Cathie

 

[cobaltbabe]

Don't rule them out. You learn alot and most companies have inhouse training and certification in both A+ and more. The issue is that you many get the experience but the pay for the most part isn't in line with the rest of the market.

 

[jepuskar]

You need experience and you need it quickly. There is nothing wrong with getting your A+ or beyond, but your main concern should be getting experience.

If you think you can help out, donate your time to some small law offices, churches, other small businesses.. Obviously don't over do it as your donating your time, but look at it as a way of getting experience that is noteworthy.

I have a small list of certs, but it wasn't that, that got me the job....in fact, in the interview I downplayed them. Make sure you show confidence in your ability.

As a matter of fact, PM me.....I have something that might interest you...as it would be very beneficial to you and your career move.

Jason