career changer-which course of study?HELP!!!

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19/1/2006

Hi 1 & all, - advice please.....

I'm a 35 yo career changer witha BA Hons Economics ('93).LONDON based.

I think the Certifications that interest me most are MCSA or Oracle Associate. (I think possibly Oracle but i'm not 2 confident about mastering SQL). Anyway my head is swimming with questions. Excuse my naivety!! But I don't know anyone in IT!

Ok so -
1.Has anybody had a positive experience with IT training companies? ie passed the course & been placed in a reasonable first job?? Is it that simple??

2. Due 2 financial constraints - I'm thinking of doing Homestudy, is there any disadvantage to this when it comes to the jobmarket and getting yr first job??? (assuming I pass!)

3.What MCSA homestudy materials does anyone reccomend?
The Syngress books I looked at seem pretty well structured & thorough.

4.Like everyone else I dread obtaining a certificaton & then finding that I can't get a job!! Should I be more flexible & do an in demand Cert?? or are MCSA/oracle gd bets for long term employment & career development??

5. What is a reasonable salary to expect in my first MCSA post if I'm London based??

If anyone cd get back to me on these specific points I'd be very very grateful. Also If u think there's anything I should know & havent asked being a NEWBIE, please do tell.

Nick.

 

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Hi welcome to CF!

1. Yes im sure they will be here soon just mention the company name.

2.No- i think its more of an advantage because you will have more chance to get hands on.

3.MS Press books,Sybex and VMWare (for hands-on!)

4.Err any cert you get that you dont have experience or hands on wont get you far....

5. Again since you new to the market cant say...

PS you might want to look at simons thread on career in IT

 

Hi mate.

I've used a training provider in the past and had no problems. As for job 'placement', well, no quite frankly. They didn't offer it and I wasn't looking for it. A bit of advice and help, yes. Job on a plate, no.

I'm currently a big fan of MS press books, I think they've improved a lot. I used Preplogic books a lot too. They are very practical, unfortunately tend to be riddled with errors.

If you want to know what the demand is like for a cert, look in your jobs paper or search some online recruitment sites and see what they are looking for. It will ususally state 'ideally MCSA certified' or whatever in the ad.

People looking to get 'into' IT often make two mistakes:

1) They craft their development around what they think will earn them the most money, rather than what interests them or they are actually good at.

2) They go for an 'easy' solution, a company that promises them a few weeks work, guaranteed exam passes and a job at the end of it. They feel like they can pay their money, sit back and relax. As I say, there is nothing wrong with using a training provider, but don't expect them to do your hard work for you!

Good luck.

 

thx 4 the reply mate. solid advice. Which job sites would u recommend. Is it possible to do home study & subsequently gain employment?

 

cheers 4 the advice mate. Am still doing research. When u say "hands on u mean" - actual work enviroment experience? If so it's the old catch 22? Experience needed to get a job. but need a job 2 gain experience.Hmmmm!

Nick.

 

It is a bit of a catch 22, you're right.

Getting started isn't too bad, for MCDST you need a couple of PCs, one with a good enough spec to run Windows Server on, and a crossover cable. You can get plenty of hands on experience just playing around with permissions and shares etc.

It becomes more difficult as you get stuck into more advanced stuff. An average PC will start to stumble is you try and make it a DNS server and Domain controller...

But your home network will grow with you, and it's a really good way to get a bit of practice.