Advice please... Thinking Of Becoming An IT Worker

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Hi Guys,


I would like some advice please. Was advised to come here by someone on CAG.


I would like to try and gain entry into the ICT Support technician or service desk job. I would like some advice on how best to go about getting my foot in the door and which courses I should start with?


I am 35 years and have been unemployed for 4 years now and am really in need of a job. I do have some experience of working with computers and working on websites. Any advice/ information would be greatly appreciated. I have a degree in Economics & Law a 2.2 from 2003.


Thanks for reading.

 

Agreed on the apprenticeship way, I've done it and worked for me. I would also recommend since you have some time on your hands self studying in the area you want to join, do a desktop support certification and computing principles such as:

Comptia A+
Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Support certification

It will make you much or appealing to potential employers should you have something official on your C.V.

Finally, network... Get yourself on LinkedIn, start adding recruiters from IT recruitment agencies, have a few phone calls and tell them what your about. Chances are they have jobs you are looking for, they don't always advertise as this is expensive and they have a database full of candidates back end.

Best of luck.

 

Thanks for the replies.

I live in East London. I would like to via the apprenticeship route.

I would like to know what kind of different areas there are? Which areas are growing and what the day to day taks is in these different areas?

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

At the moment there are many different area's covering support, networking, virtualisation, Mobile device management, the list is literally endless. At this point in time don't worry about a career track get your foot in the door in a help desk, support as a general 1st line bod, after a 2-3 years you will find a certain area peps your interest more than others. Follow what your interested in. Working in IT is like any other job if your hearts not in it then its not worth fluttering your life away on it.

Once you have found an aspect you enjoy then you can delve as deeply as you like into it and its that knowledge and passion that brings the benefits such as decent pay packets or whatever. A lot of people also enjoy being all rounders and thats just as valid as someone who knows the inside leg measurement of one type of technology only.

In brief. Don't worry whats down the line, get in and get experienced and follow your interests.

 

Hi Guys,



Just a quick update -



I have registered with to an apprenticeship website if I can get on to one.



I haver also decided to home study for the Comptia A+ as a first step.



My local college does this course that I am thinking for doing - IT BTEC Diploma Level 2



What do you guys think?



Thanks

 

Any views guys?

 

Course sounds ok, depends on the details of what they will teach you and what you need to learn. An IT qualification isn't mandatory but it all helps.

A+ is also definitely worth doing by self-study.

 

I was recommended to do an ITIL foundation course by someone. What do you guys think?

 

I've done my ITIL Foundation. However, it wasn't my first certification and I don't think it should be yours if you're looking to get into the IT industry. Go for the A+ or MTAs first before going to ITIL.

 

In my opinion, as someone who got into I.T with 0 Qualifications and 0 Job Experience. It's all about one thing.

How badly do you want it? If you want it bad enough, chances are, you will get there.

I know that sounds cheesy, but trust me, I did a kind of "apprenticeship" in a computer repair store for free to try and gain some experience, the owner basically told me I didnt have what it took.....I nearly gave up.

Instead of giving up I downloaded "CompTia A+ for beginners" online. Got some VMware software. Read the book and played about doing BASIC things in windows like installing the O.S, a little configuration, creating accounts in active directory.

Within 6 months, I got my first job in I.T for a very very well known fashion designer doing remote desktop support, was on peanuts, but got my foot through the door.

Went from that to working with developers on bug fixes, improving application performance and doing day to do support of an in house developed software application used by thousands of people.

So long story short, motivation is important. I know this is cert forums, but I can tell you now, employers are interested in people who have REAL WORLD COMMON SENSE/TROUBLESHOOTING skills and most importantly, a DESIRE to learn and improve themselves. A lot of the time they will take you on in an entry level role if you show those qualities.

Some of the best people I've ever seen in I.T had very few if any qualifications or degrees, they just enjoyed learning, had had real world common sense, one of the guys in my company is 20 or so years old, taught himself advanced SQL and VB.NET, now works as a junior developer on sprints building our software....20 years old mate and he did it all in 3 years, he just wanted it more, that's all, went home, grafted, developed script, read, learned, thats what it takes.

First step is to work out what in I.T do you want to do, think about that first, what would you enjoy, web design/development? etc, then work towards it.

 

How would you recommend finding a specific area in It to work in?
As background I was a self taught geek, repaired pcs, built them etc around 10 years ago. Of all things my career change took me into nursing, where I now seem to spend 80% of my time working on IT related stuff.
I sit and think how the system could be improved to make it easier to work with.

Got me thinking I should go back....having a hands on health background along with being interested in tech must surely be a selling point...

 

Ironically, Healthcare I.T is serious money at the moment. Trust me, I worked on a non technical service desk for one of the biggest healthcare I.T service providers in the UK and I saw people just walking into support on £300 a day contracts lol. I would HAPPILY trade the peanuts i work now to go and work as remote support for said healthcare I.T provider.

In my opinion, I.T is not so much about desktop support anymore, messing about with some users email or and excel and all that or creating user accounts, it's about supporting, maintaining, and sometimes even developing business critical information systems that add value to the business and make or save the business money...and do this, you often need people who have some experience of the sector these systems are designed for, or people who can grasp the sector very quickly.

I know several NHS employees who have moved on to work in support and in consultancy for said health care provider by the way, so you are deffo onto something.

What you now have to do is consider what skills you have and if there is a demand for those skills. You may also need to find a way to get even more hands on with the system at your work.

 

Whatwas the Healthcare company, the system work uses is Tpp Systmone. I was looking at doing a project management course...