Old(ish) head looking for new career

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Hi all
My name is Mark, I'm 45yrs old and have spent the last 20yrs working in the automotive industry predominently on the production side.I'm now looking for a complete change of career and would like to try and get a start in the IT industry.My experience is no more than using a computer at home and generating reports/presentations etc at work using MS Office.I've been told that the Cisco qualifications would be my best route into the industry rather than the MS Certifications (I'm interested in networking).What I'm looking for from this forum is advice on the following:i) am I too old to be looking at starting IT (sad eh!)
ii) are the Cisco certifications the right way - or where to start
I'm not looking to fast track my way to a certification but I am really unsure on where to start
Thanks

 

Hi and welcome.

When you say Cisco route i asume you mean the CCNA. The CCNA is a good Cert to have but is designed for people with experience. If you gained this cert without the relevant experience you would find it tough to get a job. You would be better off getting the A+ and Network+ and at the same time looking for your first IT job then when you have gained a bit of networking experience then do the CCNA.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the advice - I now have a starting point

 

You're not too old, and the others are right about the Cisco certifications - even the CCENT is designed for people with a little bit of Cisco experience. You'd be well served to get the A+, Network+, and MCDST - and no farther until you get some IT experience under your belt.

That said, don't wait until you're certified - start looking for IT jobs NOW. Certifications don't automagically qualify you to do an IT job... no more so than a certification would automagically qualify you to work on automobiles, would it? They simply make you look more attractive to employers. So... start studying and looking, and when you get a certification, add it to your CV and keep looking.

Welcome to the forums!