confused

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by boborfred, Jan 10, 2006.

  1. boborfred

    boborfred New Member

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    Hi

    Im confused on how i should get in to the IT profesion.
    Im only 19 but im all ready in full time work and will have to stay that way i think.

    But i did go to collage for 1 year, did a PC SUPPORT ENGINEERING GNVQ level 2 course passed it with flying colours it was realy to easy.

    but now im stuck i cant go back to collage as i need the money and it will cost me.

    But i would pay to go back. but thats hard as i need to pay rent.

    i no that an IT career is the only thing that will make me happy.
    im depressed and stuck in dead end jobs, i need seggestions?

    im still young and willing to learn the only problem i have is my parants dont seem to back me unless some kind of money is coming in to the house.

    please help? and tell me what my best options are? :confused3
     
  2. tripwire45
    Honorary Member

    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    Greetings, boborfred and welcome to CertForums. What is it you want to do in IT? You mention having some education in the field. Do you have any work experience...even volunteer work? I don't know what a "PC SUPPORT ENGINEERING GNVQ level 2 course" is or if it qualifies you to look for a job based on that education.

    I suppose you could put together a CV and start looking for an entry level tech or helpdesk job on the various job sites and in your local paper.

    If you could go back to school, what courses would you take? What sort of immediate and extended goals do you have for an IT career? Is it possible to self-study for your most immediate goals?
     
    Certifications: A+ and Network+
  3. Boycie
    Honorary Member

    Boycie Senior Beer Tester

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    Hi and welcome aboard.

    Sounds like you know what you want, you just need the support to do so. Explain to your parents that there will be money coming in to your house. Whatever first IT job you get will be paid however low it is.
    From someone who had a great 10 years in another field take it from me the sooner you find what you want to do grab it with both horns and go for it. :thumbleft
    Let us know how you get on. Oh, by the way the A+ cert by Comptia is a great foundation cert for all people who wish to persue a career in IT.
     
    Certifications: MCSA 2003, MCDST, A+, N+, CTT+, MCT
  4. boborfred

    boborfred New Member

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    here is a little info about the course,
    PC Support Engineering is GNVQ based qualification
    And i did a GNVQ level to witch is an intermediate grade. comparable to GCSE C to A* grades .

    NOCN qualification

    My units for this course was

    PC Design and hardware Specification
    PC hardware - assembly and Configuration
    PC fault finding and rectifcation
    PC maintenance
    Understanding Applications Software
    Understanding Operating Systems
    Introduction to programing (Visual basic)
    Introduction to networking
    Process control with a pc
    understanding and installing the internet
    pc support engineering techniques
    Health and safety and data protection and security Issues
    Customer support

    little more background about me

    iv been playing with pc's for about 8 years now iv built many computer in that time and had many problems that iv solved my self.

    i have no work experience or even volunteer work in IT (wish)

    the one problem i have is no transport but that should change very soon week or two.

    and what type of job should i be going for to start off with IT area?

    dont care what area of IT i luv it all!
     
  5. boborfred

    boborfred New Member

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    O and cheers guys for replying so fast and cheers for ur help that ur giving me!
     
  6. Boycie
    Honorary Member

    Boycie Senior Beer Tester

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    No probs matey. Sounds like you are good A+ material. Even if you wanted to do database work or web design the A+ will give you a good understanding of the hardware/software of the computer.

    Good luck :thumbleft
     
    Certifications: MCSA 2003, MCDST, A+, N+, CTT+, MCT
  7. tripwire45
    Honorary Member

    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    Well...you've got to start somewhere. The first item I ever put on my IT CV was a classroom project. I took a two-year course at my local uni. Our instructor assigned the class the project of installing a router and switch for a classroom, cabling the room and installing and testing the PCs and the rest of the system.

    I put my CV online and got a call from a recruiter across the country asking if I was available to do a one-day hardware install at a local business. Unlike you, I had no experience with PCs besides what I got at school and no experience dealing with recruiters and contracts. Fortunately, there was another, more experienced freelancer there to give me a clue.

    After each job, I'd amend my CV to include my additional experience and of course, as I went through my classes, I added them as well and updated my online CVs.

    Slowly, the calls began to come in. Mind you, I worked my dead-end "day job" to pay the bills while I went to school and took the odd contract job or two that came my way. Long story short, I eventually got busy enough to quit my day job and move into IT as a freelance tech. It was rough at first because the income was unpredictable.

    I expanded my income base when I discovered a talent for writing and started doing freelance tech writing and editing as well. Eventually, that's what lead me to my current full-time job. I still do freelance writing on the side to augment my income.

    You can do it but it's not easy. In my case, I was changing careers in mid-life so I hope for a guy of 19, it'll be easier. I had to try and support a family doing all this.

    Your best bet for doing volunteer work is for charity agencies and schools. Everytime you do some work...even if its for a friend, find a way to document it on your CV. Don't exaggerate because eventually, you'll have to explain yourself in a job interview. Be truthful but keep in mind that whether you install a hard drive for your neighbor or for a business computer, it's still experience.
     
    Certifications: A+ and Network+
  8. boborfred

    boborfred New Member

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    U have given me alot to think about good things.

    i was just checking the net for local jobs found one Junior IT Support Technician but they are asking for an HND or equivalent in a computing discipline with a good understanding of computers/PC’s.

    Thats me

    i would go for it but there asking for transport and i dont have that at this time but ill keep looking for jobs like this.

    i will also try agencie work but i have no clue where to look for this online or off?

    O and wot can i do to get qulifications equivalent to an HND in this field of work, Support Technician?
     
  9. Boycie
    Honorary Member

    Boycie Senior Beer Tester

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    A+ and Network+ would be a good start.
     
    Certifications: MCSA 2003, MCDST, A+, N+, CTT+, MCT
  10. arisen

    arisen Byte Poster

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    Boborfred > Don't take this the wrong way, but also work on your written communication skills! Spelling mistakes don't go down well with recruiters; always use a spellchecker!
     
    Certifications: BEng, PRINCE2, ITIL, Net+
    WIP: MSc, Linux+ 2009, RHCE
  11. tripwire45
    Honorary Member

    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    I pinned a thread called "Writing the Killer CV" at the top of the Jobs forum here. It should help.

    http://www.certforums.co.uk/forums/thread6029.html

    In your quest for that magical first job, don't forget to take a look at the other pinned resources in that forum and read some of the threads. They might go a long way to answering your job hunting related questions.

    Also, I posted a story in the news forum called "Tips for Online Job Hunting. Seems relevent to what you are talking about:

    http://www.certforums.co.uk/forums/thread8586.html
     
    Certifications: A+ and Network+
  12. Bluerinse
    Honorary Member

    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    I totally agree with Arisen.

    The quoted text above contains many errors. Firstly *i* should be a capital, I is always a capital letter and any word that begins a sentence should have a capital letter. *no* should be know. Then *im* should start with a capital letter apostrophe m as in I'm. Also how can you be stuck in dead end jobs. Jobs is plural, meaning more than one? Then *i need seggestions* which lacks the capital I and suggestions is spelt wrong.

    If I were you boborfred, I would drop the MSN style chat speak and start focusing on my grammar and spelling.

    Good communication skills are as important as any other skill related to the IT industry. People judge others by the way they communicate, whether that be verbally or in writing.

    You should be trying to portray yourself as a professional and part of being professional is to communicate properly.

    Unfortunately popular chat software MSN etc has led to the emergence of lazy speak ur for your wot for what u for you etc. This kind of communication is fine for MSN, it came about because 8 year old kids couldn't type fast enough for the chat to flow and hence kids started abbreviating everything. IMHO it should be used sparingly by adults :biggrin

    I am definitely not trying to belittle you boborfred, on the contrary, I have your best interests at heart. I am just trying to give you positive feedback and advice, which you asked for, that I am certain will help you successfully attain your desired future goals.

    Good luck,

    Pete
     
    Certifications: C&G Electronics - MCSA (W2K) MCSE (W2K)
  13. Sparky
    Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    I would put together a C.V and try and land an entry level IT job, as you said there are jobs advertised on the net so there is nothing stopping you sending in your C.V.

    For your C.V highlight your college qualification and how your fix PCs for friends\family to gain some IT experience. Another addition could be to say that you are currently studying towards the A+ (lets assume you choose to pursue this cert!) which will be another plus point on your C.V.

    Lastly try and highlight any other skills from other jobs that may be of use. As Bluerinse said good grammar and punction is important as you may have to provide technical support via email. Also any customer facing job you may have had will be of use as many situations in IT require good people skills. Ever had a user on the phone screaming and shouting because they can’t get their email? It’s not a nice experience and you can’t tell them to f**k off, why? Probably because they are the MD of a company you provide the IT support for! :blink

    Best of luck with the job search :biggrin
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  14. _omni_

    _omni_ Megabyte Poster

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    "installing the internet", lol!

    and about the points on spelling/grammar, i myself always write in all lowercase on the internet (forums), but at the same time 'know' how to write properly. i've always taken great pride in my spelling. :p
     
    Certifications: MCSE 2003, MCSA:M
  15. Bluerinse
    Honorary Member

    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    Naughty :p

    Actually a lot of people write emails and posts in lower case these days because like Omni they are trendy and I don't think that is a major issue. It only looks bad if it is combined with poor spelling, lazy speak and bad grammar. :dry

    Personally I avoid doing it because I don't want to get into bad habits. :D
     
    Certifications: C&G Electronics - MCSA (W2K) MCSE (W2K)
  16. simongrahamuk
    Honorary Member

    simongrahamuk Hmmmmmmm?

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    I have nothing more to add, this thread is full of great info guy's.

    Welcome to CF! :biggrin
     
  17. Modey

    Modey Terabyte Poster

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    Well in this case they are asking for an HND or equivalent. That's a fairly high level academic qualification (1 year shorter than a degree) and I can't really think of many equivalents, maybe someone could suggest some.

    Don't be disheartened when a job lists things as requirements that you don't have though. It can still be worth applying as quite often they list the qualifications and experience the 'ideal' candidate should have. But hey, this is the real world and most people don't fit the ideal candidate mould, so they end up going with the person who's got the best combination of skills etc.. that's good enough for the position.

    Personality can count a great deal as well, so you may win them over at interview and get the job even though you may be up against someome with more experience or qualifications who happens to have a personality bypass ...

    Another good suggestion made by someone before is voluntary work. It looks good on your CV as it says something about your character that you are prepared to offer your spare time and skills to help others for no gain. But the experience you could gain by doing this (even for half a day each Saturday etc..) could prove invaluble. There may well be a local volunteer centre in your town centre etc... so it's worth going in anad having a chat if there is.

    As the others have also suggested, the way you communicate is very important. If you aren't confident in your written abilities and have created a CV, get someone who is to check it over for you and proof read it, eg your parents. The same goes for application forms or cover letters really.

    I think you would get a great deal of benefit from taking the A+ qualification. It's industry recognised and is one that is possible to self study reasonably easily and you already sound like you have a head start with your experience working inside PC's. Have a look in the A+ section of the forums and see what other people are up too, check out the books they're studying from. It would be quite possible for you to buy one book and with some part time studying pass the qualification in a few months time.

    Just have a good read round these forums and that will give you a good idea of peoples efforts to get certified, get jobs, what's involved etc.. and good luck!

    p.s. Here is a link provided by Arisen in another thread that may help you to find volunteer work.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCP, MCDST, MCSA 2K3, MCTS, MOS, MTA, MCT, MCITP:EDST7, MCSA W7, Citrix CCA, ITIL Foundation
    WIP: Nada
  18. simongrahamuk
    Honorary Member

    simongrahamuk Hmmmmmmm?

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    I never thought about this when I originally read this thread, but how about trying to gain employment through a Modern Apprenticeship?

    As you are only 19 you should easilly qualify, and you will get paid whilst studying.

    Your local job centre should be able to point you in the right lines of places that provide these.

    8)
     
  19. arisen

    arisen Byte Poster

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    Good call! Wish i was young enough to do one :rolleyes: :biggrin
     
    Certifications: BEng, PRINCE2, ITIL, Net+
    WIP: MSc, Linux+ 2009, RHCE
  20. boborfred

    boborfred New Member

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    Cheers guys for your comments.

    Most of my bad grammar and spelling is from being dyslexic :blink , But playing online games don't help.

    And that's some thing I can keep from employers because like u said spell check.

    Modern Apprenticeship's I just cant seem to find one, Hard to come across in my area.

    I will do the A+ soon first I must bye a car. :rolleyes:
     

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