How do you find 'Entry-Level' positions?

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Am currently studying for A+ & N+ certs and I have no real work-experience in IT. Am currently trying to find a basic low-level position to gain some experience but most jobs I've seen require some experience or higher certs. How do you get experience without experience??

BTW i've been looking at these sites:
jobcentreplus.gov.uk
cwjobs.co.uk
jobsite.co.uk

jada

 

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Hi jada, this is a question that has been asked numerous times, and is one that is the major stumbling block to many trying to get into IT.

To get a job you need experience, to get experience you need a job.

The simplest way that many people find to get experience on their CV's is by voulnteering their services to organisations. Alternatively, do you build and fix PC's for your friends and family? then you have experience as a 'freelance PC Tech'. Good wording can open up doors.

Have a search through this forum and I'm sure you'll find some great information.

 

Go to your local jobcentre and ask for any work experience/job placements.

 

Jada,

As already said, this is the million dollar question sadly.
I got cheesed off sometimes but i kept going. Keep looking, apply for everything you see and gain experience by repairing friends and families machines- they pay in beer tokens too!
Remember, once you have the foot on the ladder it is onwards and upwards

 

Those are some good sites, you should also have a look at these:

www.totaljobs.com
www.gisajob.com
www.monster.co.uk

totaljobs is superb. Gisajob isn't so well known so that can be an advantage for you.

Get into the habit of applying for a certain number of jobs per day/week etc.

Unfortunatley job hunting can be a full time job in itself!

Good luck!

 

No matter how bad you want to get into IT, I can offer this bit of advise:

Stay away from call centers.

It has been my experience (currently working for a large communications company in a call center) that call center management only cares about stats, and not actually resolving the customers issues; how fast you answer your phone, how long you stay on the phone, how many calls you answer in a day, etc.

I was told last week after getting off the phone with an elderly lady who was having email problems that I had stayed on the phone too long with her, and that makes our call stats look bad. To which I answered that I don't give a rip about our stats, and that when my phone rings with a customer that has a problem that I will answer that phone, and I will stay on the line with them no matter how long it takes in order to resolve their issue. Sadly, most if not all of the call centers today only care about stats.

I'm currently looking for something with a smaller company.

 

http://www.computingcareers.co.uk


This is another good site for IT related jobs.

 

www.reed.co.uk is a good site

 

Oh boy, it really looks like I'm going to be up against it as I'm partially disabled as well. But if you're prepared to do some voluntary work for experience there are charities out there that need IT support.

I plan to get involved as soon as I've passed my OS Technologies exam.

 

Celia,

Don't let the job hunting get you down. Keep trying, best of luck

 

I won't. Actually I qualify for extra help in job hunting because of my medical condition. There's also a charity which will help with funding a placement to prove I can do the job and they can also help with any specialist equipment I might need. I'm going to contact them as well.

Unfortunately my medical condition makes it necessary for me to pace myself physically or I get totally exhausted, so doing voluntary work is probably the best way for me to begin getting fit enough to do a full time job anyway. The fact that I've found a couple of charities that actually need technicians is a bonus because it means I'll be getting experience in the right field. I just need to undergo police checks to make sure I'm not an axe murderer...

I also intend to start studying for the N+ once I have finished the A+. I need all the help I can get.

I was doing voluntary work with a local charity which provides one-to-one IT training for adults, before I became ill and they paid for me to take the first part of my PGCE for 16+ too... I'll get in any way I can. Computers are my life.

 

Thats the spirit! There are loads of good books for all certs (look for favourites here, then go to Amazon to buy them!), loads of info on the net and not forgetting the best forum, CF