Studying for A+ but need to eat

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Hey all,

I have recently decided that its time to change career and get into IT, where I wanted to be all along (10 years in marketing, is dull if you don't want to be there!).

Thanks to the great advice on this forum, I am currently studying for my a+ then will do network+.

The trouble is, like most people I need to eat, so was wandering if anyone has any advice for how to get an entry level job and what those entry level jobs are called, so I can work and study at the same time. I don't really care about the wage, as this just needs to be enough to eat (OK a little dramatic, but you get the picture), I am committed to giving up everything to get this career on the go!

So what jobs would be good for me to apply to and any hints on how to get a foot in the door while studying?

Rob

p.s. I realise I am probably amongst thousands in a similar position, so realise there may not be much that can be done, but figured it didn't hurt to ask the question.

 

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It doesn't hurt to ask and it certainly doesn't hurt to get your CV out there and start apllying for things.

With zero experience (professional anyway) in IT and no certs it is going to be challenging but it can be done, the roles your looking for are 1st Line/helpdesk. Exact job title/duties will vary from company to company.

 

Keep your job searches wide (just IT in your area for instance). Then read each of the job descriptions. If you think you can do/have 90-95% of the essential experiences in the list, then its worth punting your cv in. The worst that will happen is that it will end up in the bin - so you dont really have much to lose.

If you dont understand a lot of the terminology used - google it. If you still dont understand, or have any clue what it covers, its a good chance you arent ready for that position.

Generally entry level jobs will be things like servicedesk analyst, service support analyst, 1st line, etc. But there are other jobs that are not necessarily considered entry level, but allow an initial entry into the system (with training from the employer). The key is to ensure that you arent too narrow focused in your searches - you might miss a golden opportunity.

 

Hey Josiahb & Fergal1982 thanks for your swift and informative responses. Good to know a bit of the job title lingo, as like you say, different companies use different descriptions. I'll start pumping the CV out to opportunities that look like they hold some promise. Can't hope for too much at this stage (and given the current country economic position) but fingers crossed something comes up in the future months.

Thanks,

Rob

 

Good advice above.

Put yourself onto a jobsearch site so employers and recuitment agencies can view your cv and contact you if they want.

All though it seems to be an elusive keyword to use when looking for jobs on sites you can use the word trainee before a job title such as trainee IT technician.

My current job title is trainee hardware and network technician and guy who does all the overtime.

IT is very competative regardless of which area you want to go into so getting yourself out there and noticed is very important.