Hi Everyone

Discussion in 'New Members Introduction' started by Standish, Jan 13, 2009.

  1. Standish

    Standish New Member

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    Hello All,

    I moved to the UK (from the US) a couple months ago, and was fairly confident that with my background I'd at least be able to score some sort of entry level tech or support job, but it seems I was woefully wrong~! I think a part of the problem is that I've never gotten any sort of certifications - in part because the hospitals I worked for were too cheap to educate their employees. It was a lot less expensive to call me a "data processing clerk" and then exploit my skills: I got the privilege of supporting and troubleshooting all manner of hardware, Microsoft operating systems, and networking, and in exchange they paid me as little as they could get away with. This was very nearly "back in the day" (one place I worked for was still running a Digital MicroVAX), and in one instance, the entire IT "department" consisted of just me and one other person.

    More recently, I provided pager support services (this time at a much bigger hospital), and provided some 1st level support for the bespoke applications we used in the department (the hospital's call centre - due to some bizarre administrative structuring!). But anyway - history aside - I'm so frustrated, because my work experience doesn't seem to really be enough to attract a recruiter - even for the most low-level positions. :(

    So, at the moment, I'm working on getting my A+ - something I should have done long, long ago - and hopefully that will be of some help. Should you have any suggestions, feel free to sock 'em to me!
     
    WIP: A+, Network+
  2. dmarsh
    Honorary Member 500 Likes Award

    dmarsh Petabyte Poster

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    Welcome Standish ! So what brought you to these shores ? :D
     
  3. Notes_Bloke

    Notes_Bloke Terabyte Poster

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    Hi and welcome to CF:D

    Good luck with the A+

    NB
     
    Certifications: 70-210, 70-215, A+,N+, Security+
    WIP: MCSA
  4. Obinna Osobalu

    Obinna Osobalu Banned

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    Hello and welcome to CF... best wishes:p
     
    Certifications: MCITP:SA,MCTS(x5),MCSE2K3;MCSA2K3:M;MCP
    WIP: EDA7,70-652,Project+,MSP(70-632)
  5. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I would think that, with the IT experience you have, you wouldn't necessarily have to settle for an entry-level job... in truth, you'd be much more attractive than someone with no real-world IT experience at all! Certainly certifications can help you look even more attractive... but still, experience is more valuable than certifications. Maybe you're setting your sights too low?
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  6. Standish

    Standish New Member

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    Thanks! :) There were several factors, but the main one was the discovery that I was a British citizen. You'd think I would have already known something like that, but in my situation it was a bit confusing - it took a few email messages to the Home Office to sort it out, but in the end, I found myself the proud owner of a shiny new British passport. And having always wanted to live here, since I was a small child, I thought that there was no better time than the present! I'm really enjoying it over here, although some of the "adventure" of living in a new and *very* different place is tempered a bit by the "being out of work" part of it!
     
    WIP: A+, Network+
  7. Standish

    Standish New Member

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    Thanks for the reply - you raise a very good point - which gives me this feeling down in my gut that I am not "selling myself" properly with my CV. I did have a friend who works in IT look at it recently, and he pointed out that I'd put far too much focus on the "hospital" part of things (stressing my experience working in a healthcare environment) rather than the "IT" aspect. I've rewritten in part, but I don't feel at all confident in my CV-writing skills.

    I think the other obstacle for me is knowing where I fit into the "big picture" of IT - I have all this work experience, ranging from stuff like doing OS installs and supporting end users to doing adds, moves & changes on an Avaya Definity G3, but I'm not sure what those things make me. Does that make any sense?
     
    WIP: A+, Network+
  8. hbroomhall

    hbroomhall Petabyte Poster Gold Member

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    Hi and welcome to CF!

    If you have experience of the Definity then that needs to go high up your CV. This is valuable, not many can claim that!

    Harry.
     
    Certifications: ECDL A+ Network+ i-Net+
    WIP: Server+
  9. Standish

    Standish New Member

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    Wow, thanks - I will keep that in mind as I work on my CV! I had no idea this was a very marketable skill. The only jobs I ever see that mention Definity seem to be very high-level, i.e. someplace looking for a very senior telecom analyst (i.e. not me!). My experiences working with a Definity switch were the most rewarding of any job I've ever held - I was getting paid terrible money (think of something not much more than minimum wage), but I loved my job and I loved working with that switch. It was a fun challenge to keep things buzzing along day to day, and to work with the programming to meet the needs of the different departments and offices. About a year or so ago, I think I may have reached some sort of geek milestone - I put together a Definity G3 switch at home just to play around with. :twisted: Needless to say, my friends all thought me a bit daft!
     
    WIP: A+, Network+
  10. Kitkatninja
    Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    Since you've had experience working in hospitals, have you thought about going directly to the NHS jobsite?

    BTW, Hi & welcome to CF :)

    -Ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
    WIP: MSc Cyber Security
  11. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Those things make you "someone with IT experience". :thumbleft Focus less on the title and more on "what you did". ;)
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  12. Standish

    Standish New Member

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    Thanks, Ken - I actually have been there quite a bit, and a while back, I applied for a couple different IT support jobs that I was well-qualified for - but heard not a peep from anyone. Lately though, I haven't seen anything in my area that is within the scope of my knowledge...but I will keep trying!
     
    WIP: A+, Network+
  13. Standish

    Standish New Member

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    I think you are exactly right - I have been far too focused on all the wrong sorts of things - like my job title - which I now realise is not really all that important, at least not given my particular circumstances. I have also been sorely misguided in my previous attempts at CV writing; I formatted my CV using this standard called "Europass", which while a good idea and very nice looking, seems not to be what recruiters and prospective employers are looking for here.

    Is it worth using a service to write up a CV? I've never done anything like that before, but I fear that all my efforts have been so far off the mark that I'm actually considering it.

    On a more positive note, I've taken several practice A+ exams and passed them all with no problem (my trouble seems to all be in the dull details, like remembering exactly what S1, S2, S3, and S4 each mean). Was A+ originally just a single exam? Several people I've spoken with seem surprised that it's now divided into two separate tests.
     
    WIP: A+, Network+
  14. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    What DO they mean?? :blink

    It's been two exams for as long as I can remember, and I go back 11 years. It was split into a Hardware exam and an OS exam (both mandatory, no electives) before the 2006 update.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  15. Standish

    Standish New Member

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    Ha, I couldn't even find this again in my A+ study guide, it wasn't listed anywhere in the index! S1-S4 are System Sleeping States. Interesting, but not especially useful...


    I should rephrase - were the older incarnations of the A+ exams something you paid for separately and could schedule separately, like the current one?
     
    WIP: A+, Network+
  16. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Thanks for that - didn't know you needed to know that for the A+ exam these days...

    Yep, s'been that way for as long as I can remember. In the olden days, you used to have to pass them within 90 days of one another. Other than that, and the fact that you now can choose which exam you take for your 2nd exam, everything else is the same as it ever was.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!

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