Where to start - Appreciate some help

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Hi would appreciate some help, as im looking to get into IT but don't know anyone in the industry

A little about me im 34 and am married with 2 kids in the UK and I'm currently working as a civil servant (jobcentre), The reason i mention these things is I'm the sole bread winner in my household I currently earn 17.5k Approx and I want to get into IT, I've been looking at self study (my preference) but see that many people dont tend to look at getting qualifications untill they have some experience, I can see that most people get into IT via First line support roles, but i also see that these jobs aren't very well paid

basically what I'm saying is i feel a little stuck as i want desperately to get out of my current job and into something that pays better and I will enjoy more, but I cannot apply for a a job to get my foot on the ladder knowing that I'll be taking a pay cut which i basically cannot afford to do.

It seems pretty pointless for me to do some study for qualifications that will be disregarded by employers without real world experience which i can completely understand.

Is there any point studying for qualifications that could in theory lead to a better paid job when in reality no body is going to employ me untill I've got real wolrd experience?

appreciate any thoughts , comments or advice you may have, thanks

 

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Hi XL,
Firstly, welcome to CF

I got into IT 12 years ago, and at that time I had the CompTIA A+, N+ and a Microsoft MCP - but no real world experience. The only experience I had was fixing and building computers for family and friends. It's a bit of a 'catch 22 situation' really. Employers want people with experience, but you can't get that experience until you get your foot on the ladder.

I was fortunate to find an employer that was looking to take someone on who they could train up themselves. Unfortunately I had to take a pay cut as well, but it wasn't too long before I was getting bonuses and pay rises. I'm now on far more than i could have ever have earned in my previous job.

I suppose it will depend whereabouts you are in the country, as to what the starting wage could be for 1st line support.

The recommended route is the A+, followed by the N+. These are definately doable via self study, and the books won't cost a deal, so it's not like you will be shelling out a fortune for training.

As for getting experience; quite a few people on here have used volunteering as a way to gain IT experience, that they can then list on their CV.

Whatever you decide - good luck.

NB

 

yeah pretty much the same here, been building pcs for years and making a little money on the side helping friends and family with problems, Yep definitely a catch 22 situation, it would be a different story if i was single but with a family to support taking a wage cut would be hard for us.

everywhere i go i read about people being overqualified for 'starter' jobs, So where as i was initially looking at doing mcse's etc im thinking perhaps of something a little more basic, Would you then reccomend A+ to start out before starting to apply for 1st line support jobs.

good point re volunteering thanks ill have to look into that further, I've been in my current job for 10 years and really don't have much i can put down on a CV which is another head scratcher for me atm, though i do have a lot of experience helping people on the phone which i guess would be helpful in support

anyway im rambling, ty for the input