Certification, Training and Do's and Don'ts for people wanting to start in IT

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I would be looking for roles where you get IT exposure and your accountancy background is seen as an asset.

You could look at SAP functional consultant, Project Manager, Business Analyst etc.

Many of these roles will generally also pay more than equivalent IT infrastructure roles.

 

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Very informative post . keep it up. thanxs

 

excellent post Simon, I'm sure I recognise your name from when I was a poster years ago

I've only very recently (first day as of today, yesterday as it's past midnight) started an IT Service Desk Position with about 2,500 computers on the network
Having been watching someone do the job I will be doing I'm most definitely put at ease that issues raised to the service desk wont be beyond my techincal knowledge
The issues raised that I would deal with are going to be very basic, things like resetting passwords, pushing out software updates for any specific user etc
This is my first job in IT, I've got no previous qualifications, certifications or work experience following on from leaving secondary school 8 years ago

3 years experience in Techincal Support for Mobile phone products, so I'd consider myself very IT literate, especially as I previously revised intensively for the Comptia A+ 600 series back in 2010-2011 but the training provider had gone bust but I won't go into that because that's a long story

My question is for someone in my situation should I be looking to do nothing more than the Comptia A+ certifcation until I've got a good couple of months work experience? and of course like you mentioned, to more importantly decide for myself if I'm cut out for IT and if I'm continuiously motivated to educate myself further

Thanks!

Edit: just finished reading your other thread on what one should consider to be "entry" level certifcations

After 2-5 months on the job and enjoying it then surely that's all the reason for me to move onto Comptia Network+?
Would subjects covered in the Comptia Network+ exams be way beyond anything I'm likely to do in the near future
Just want to be sure I'm not getting ahead of myself with getting certifcations with no IT Work experience

Thanks in advance

 

I currently want to switch careers. I have a BS degree in Business Administration. I want to attend an online school named WGU in the future. Most of my credits will transfer. I may have to go to school for two years tops. I do not have much experience in computer networking, therefore they are requiring me to get A+ certified before I start school. I recently started studying for A+ certification. After studying, some study materials are saying that I should have at least 12 months of hands on experience before I take the test. How should I go about getting this experience? Should I try to build my own lab and practice, pursue an entry level job? I would just like to get some more insight on how I should approach this.

Roderick

 

Building a lab and playing is definitely the way to further enhance your skill set so go for it.

 

Hi Simon

Great Stuff for first timers here ..... like me

One simple question to ask you

How does someone know that he/she has got in them to take an IT career

Is there something you have to do/not do naturally or is it something which can be gained via certifications/trainings or self
motivation

A bit philosophical eh!

But would appreciate your thoughts on this.

 

To take on any career, not just IT you have to have a passion and interest in it, after all this is what is supposed to be getting you out of bed every day and driving you to get to work, any one can do a job that they don't like but let's be honest most people would prefer to do a job that they love doing.

Whether it's IT or driving a bus if you don't get a buzz out of it then you're not going to enjoy doing it, remember this isn't about the money (gone are the days where working in IT was the big money earner it once was) and as such why would you suffer doing something you disliked?

I spent 10 years in the Army, I loved my time there but I knew when I got out it was the right time, I also knew that rather than being a long distance lorry driver (I have my LGV, Coach, Car, Bike and JCB licenses) or a Policeman (I spent time as a military copper) I wanted to get in to IT, this wasn't something new to me, it was something I was already doing during my Army career as a hobby and thought to myself why not go that one step further and get paid for doing my hobby.

Step forward 16 years and I am still working in IT and still loving it, the time I give up IT is the time I don't get a buzz from it, sure there are times it can get bloody boring but let's be fair even plastic surgeons get bored somedays.

What I am trying to say is that there isn't a course on career motivation, no magic blue or red pill that says yes IT is for me.

 

Nice article thanks for sharing........

 

Nice post gave me abit to think about. I am interested in IT, but cant say I am passionate about it.. it's the area of work that I am most interested in when compared to other sectors. I would rather work in IT than any other sector.