Career in IT needed!!

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Hi all,

I came across your forum today while finding reviews for Joskos training. So glad i found you before i seriously considered contacting them!

I'm Pete, i'm 26 and i'm from Sleaford in Lincolnshire. I've been working as a CAD engineer for a small/medium local company for the last 5 years. During that time things haven't progressed a great deal and i'm looking to get qualified to move on to something new.

I've been into computers since the age of 6 when my Dad got given a PC for home use by his company and never used it. I had an older friend that new a bit about PC's back then and remember playing around with DOS and Windows 3.1.

I've read the post by Zimbo about gaining the A+ and N+ certificates by self study which i'm keen to do but from then on where do i go? I like the sound of Web Design but is that something completly different to what this is working towards?

Any help would be much appreciated and apologies for asking questions you've no doubt answered hundreds of times to newbies like myself. I've only started looking into this kind of thing this week so i'm not up to scratch on what's what yet.

Thanks
Pete

 

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I would have thought you be earning very good money as an CAD engineer currently doing now, you sure want to get into IT because it not easy to a job into and you have start a salary probably a lot lower you earning now?

Have you thought of looking for job what you doing now elsewhere a new company where there are promtional prospect?

 

I'm currently on around the 23k mark so money is good for where i live etc but just not happy anymore. It was a job i was fortunate to get when i was 18 having worked at McDonalds from 16. All my learning was from their then CAD engineer so i only know one way to do things. I attended an entry CAD course this year just to get some qualifications and even the stuff that was covered there was stuff i'd never even come across. Now when i ask to do higher courses i basically get told to just get on with it or to f*ck off to another company. Nice. I'm quite good friends with the directors there and they slag each other off to me and they are both currently doing up their houses and are more interested in that than progressing anything within the company. I can't see the company being there for many more years so would like to train up on something while still working there. I've read that you can get an IT job without any qualifications and work up but what sort of thing would that be?

 

What CAD software do you used and what field please?

Surely there must many cad jobs in your field whre you can progress with another company who treat you with respect.

As I said it difficult getting into IT when yoo competin gmany candidates with no experience. I not saying you got no chance just want alarm you what you are getting into as my advised with 5 years cad experience I sure companies will be queueing up to offer you employment with better prospect.

 

I'm currently using AutoCAD LT 2009 and it's for a Mechanical Services company so basically drawing up heating, ventilation systems etc. I quite enjoy the CAD side of things but it's the understanding of what's actually being installed that i get stuck on. I also use Hevacomp for sizing up systems but again it's more that i know how to use the program and inputting the figures more than understanding whats being done/calculated. No one else in the company uses CAD or Hevacomp so it's all left to me to figure out. Gets quite frustrating at times. I will have a look for CAD jobs and see what employers are looking for.

 

One of our network managers for a site used to be a CAD technician, using AutoCAD/Bentley - he's now it systems manager for a site with around 200 users.

Start off looking at the CompTIA A+ and N+ - if you've been dabbling with computers on and off for a while you'll probably take to the A+ fairly easily. With a good study routine and practice i recon that's do-able in 3 months, completely depends on the individual of course, but i've seen it done in that, and quicker before now.

Get onto the N+ after passing the A+ - but start searching for jobs now, tell them you're going to be starting on the A+ and get looking as soon as possible, experience in IT counts for massive amounts, and the more you can get early on, the better.

Good luck

 

Hi Pete,

Welcome to Certforums.

If you're sure you want to start the role as an IT techie, then you're in the right place. Start with your A+ and follow up with your N as these will teach you the foundations of Hardware/Software/Networking.

From there you will need to decide your future, if you decide you want to stay on the client and/or server aspect, go for a Microsoft course. If you decide you want to develop the networking side, go for a cisco course.

You should start looking for 1st-line support roles now, remember to include you're self-studying for your A+ to show any employer that you're a motivater individual.

In regards to resources:
Most people recommend Mike Myers All-In-One for the A+, he has the full version or passport version depending on your current experience.
CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702) - Certification Books
Mike Meyers' CompTIA A+ Certification Passport, Fourth Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702) - Certification Books

For the N+, Mike Myers again:
CompTIA Network+ All-in-One Exam Guide, Fourth Edition - Certification Books

Online videos to go along with your studies (as a second source)
Professor Messer, CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft Certification Training

Hope it helps

 

Thanks Apexes and Boffy. Exactly what i was looking for.

I've ordered the All-in-One Exam Guide from your link above so i'll have a look at that to see what it involves before trying to apply for jobs i think.

Many Thanks
Pete