40 and wanting to enter IT

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by Blitzy, Feb 17, 2012.

  1. Blitzy

    Blitzy New Member

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    First of all can i say hello (first time poster) and thank you for this forum as it has probably saved me thousands of pounds already , simply by reading and not signing up to a TP (or at least just yet anyways).

    Little background on me. My name is Neil and for the last 25 years i have been working as a TV / SAT engineer at a profesional level. Last 10 years i have been running a company working for a large local shop, and its been love and hate as with all jobs.

    Since the age of 15 ive been mad on computers. I even started a diploma course on pc programming back in the turbo pascal days etc. unfortunatly due to teenage stuborness and coursework at that time mingling with business orientated work i dropped out and entered the tv aerial field.

    Ive never had my hand 'out of pc's ' since then and build my own with ease. I also seem to be the 1 stop support guy for the family for fixing pc issues. Im the guy who has a pc problem handed to them and wont leave the keyboard untill ive fixed it (only a few mths ago my wife who works at the local hospital was told she couldnt access her email from home because we used windows 7(this was from the it guy at the hospital) took me 5 mins to source the info and make it happen..worrying i thought but i could be wrong)and now she has shown THEM how to do it.....)

    Now we recently found out that after a very difficult few months trading and with little hope on the horizon that the company i work for is to close and with the trade in decline atm , me and the wife have talked and she thinks its time to persue the dream of working with pc's (might not be much of a dream for some but if u have spent 25 years slogging away at a job thats become more of a thorn in your side than a profesion then believe me DREAM)

    So now to the bits i need help with if at all possible:

    I know im heading right into a much lower paid job to start and tbh im happy with that infact id be ecstatic and love the thought of working for a company ( no im not insane pls stick with this)

    I know i need to start getting the right certs etc into place but which ones would be best?

    Comptia A+ and N+ seem like a great start point and while studying id be looking for an entry level job trying to get that all important experiance.

    Ideally long term im thinking Networking and beyond.

    Im not unreallistic by any means and i am well aware that whatever i do is going to involve outlay, time and study. I just want to get on the right track and this forum seems to be the place to start.

    I would prefer a classroom based course but self study can be an option

    I live in Derbyshire , England. Is there any advice on who to use , where to train how to get this HUGE lifechanging experiance of the ground.

    I know this has been asked times many times before but i just want to ensure i have the most up to date feedback.

    Thanks in advance
     
  2. Notes_Bloke

    Notes_Bloke Terabyte Poster

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    Hi Neil,

    Welcome to CF - from a fellow Derbyshire lad:D

    The A+ and N+ certs are definitely the right place to start, and from the background info you have given, I'd say that you can definitely self study these.
    Start with the A+ by getting the Mike Meyers AIO book, and a pc for you to dismantle/build etc. Then when you are ready, book your exams at a prometric centre.

    Your knowledge of PC's is very similar to what mine was when I started down the IT route, and I self studied the A+ and passed.

    I can't really recommend any TP's near Derbyshire because I don't tend to use them, as I had a bad experience with one 12 years ago.

    Anyway, good luck with whatever route you decide to take, and if you get stuck, there are plenty of helpful folks on here to ask.

    HTH
    NB
     
    Certifications: 70-210, 70-215, A+,N+, Security+
    WIP: MCSA

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