Your Jobs?

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I'm sure this has been posted in the past if so could someone give me a link?

My dad has been getting worried about where my future career can go with certifications. he always uses the example of his companys IT group, and explains how they earn peanuts... lol. Granted the comapany he works for is in the construction sector and all the fellows in the IT department do is look after the servers running cisco. (theres always problems with the system too, so I'm guessing there not higly qualified.)

My question is, what are your jobs? who do you work for? what do you do? I know this may seem a little forward, but I just want to show my dad this thread so he can get a little more insight into what job/opportunity are available via certs, and maybe i'll learn something too.

And if you could explain what future employment can entale from certifications that'd be great! (I know thats a broad question)

Hal.

 

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I just wrote this blurb for the "About Me" page on my site:

I have to say that my experience got me this job rather than certs (I have an A+ and a Network+) however if I didn't have a technical background, I couldn't write documentation for a bunch of programmers.

Certifications are nice and all but they're really there to prove you know what you're doing in the first place...not to teach you stuff you don't know.

That said, my A+ probably got me most of my contract jobs and helped me build up my CV. The more experience you have, the more you're hired and the more you gain. Eventually, something "permanent" comes along. I put that in quotes because no job lasts forever. Your future in IT is always dependent on continual learning. Technologies become obsolete fast and keeping your skills current is always a challenge. Always try to learn something new and then demonstrate it to your boss or someone who will recognize your talents and promote your success.

By the way, servers don't run Cisco. Cisco is a company that produces a line of internetworking products such as routers and switches. The operating system running on Cisco products is generally called IOS. Just a "heads up".

 

Hey mate - welcome to CF.

This thread was up a while back, show that to your dad and tell him to stick that in his pipe and smoke it

As for certification and future employment prospects, I think this topic has been done to death here as well. The general consensus seems to be that certifications will probably not get you in the door on their own. in fact, there are many people (myself included) who would actively turn down someone with certs but no real experience to back it up. this is sad, but unfortunately, its a fact of life. No-one wants to take a risk on someone who apparently has an MCSE, yet can't tie his/her shoelaces or boil a kettle without being given a book that shows them how to do it first

What employers are looking for at the entry level is someone who knows enough to be able to do the mundane crap (resetting passwords, replacing hard drives, configuring basic networking on PCs, file shares etc etc), looks like they have the aptitude and willingness to learn, shows their seriousness by getting some basic certs (A+, network+, and MCP in Windows O/S/Server) and makes a reet good cup of tea. OK, that last one isn't necessarily true, but you need to show that you can get on with people - something that is severely lacking in a lot of tech people I've interviewed in the past that I was confident could do the technical parts of the job with their eyes shut, but I was equally confident would end up either in a fist fight within a week, or crying under a desk the first time they had a difficult Luser on the other end of the phone.

In short, in addition to the technical skills necessary to do the job, you will need a professional attitude and tehe requisite 'soft skills' that are needed for every job in the workplace. Admittedly, a lot of the responsibility for the way IT departments are looked down on comes from people who don't understand what it is we do. Working for a Police Force I'm confronted with this every day - the attitude seems to be 'well, I don't understand what it is you do, so it must just be 'playing with computers'. Can't we get a 15 year old kid in on a YTS to do it and pay them peanuts?'. A lot of this stems from fear - attitudes are slowly changing but people need to realise that the old argument about IT departments just being a massive spedning hole are utter, utter nonsense.

I once had a (ahem) 'discussion' with some arsehole who worked for a trading firm when i was consulting in the city - he said 'You ****s just earn loads of money for doing **** all - I could do your job better than you, all you do is cost us money, look at all the money I made for this firm last year - how did you earn us any money?'. My response? 'I provided you with the technology to be able to earn that money. No IT = no infrastructure, no trading platforms, no WAN and no access to the outside world - or sorry, did you make 'all that money' by just trading penny stocks in the office with your mates?'

Unfortunately, your dad seems to be of the belief that there is no money in IT because 'in the future it will all be done by computers' (oh the irony of it all...)



PS: I probably earn more than your dad.

 

Quoted for truth. You won't find a more accurate statement. Certifications are great... education is great... but nothing beats experience. That said, experience + certifications + education beats just having experience! And, in some jobs, the certification and education is a prerequisite just to get your CV noticed on a desk rather than filed to the waste bin.

I'm the senior network admin at a 400-employee healthcare company. I'm also creating my own company developing IT certification practice exam products, since I've got several years experience writing certification exam products.

Trip's right - get certified, get a job, get experience, get more certifications, get more responsiblity, get more experience, get more certifications... and keep going from there.

 

Thank you all for your replys so far, it's been very helpfull.

Theres certainly alot to worry about 'breaking through the door'. But like you you've all mentioned experiance is the best quality. My plan is to get A+ get a job, then go for Net+ and Server+ in my own time. Theres a career oportunity locally that obviously offers experiance and MCP which would be cool.

Sorry I havn't written as much as you fellows, I havn't got as much too say.

More insight into this career would be appreciated by all --- Thanks so much for your time. When I get a good resource together from this, i'll show my dad. Hopefully it'll broaden his horizens.

zebulebu, in the company my dad works for, there just the same, they really rip into the IT employees... But if no one was there he would not have a job, probally.

tripwire, sorry I mean't to say citrix, I'd been looking at cisco stuff all day the name was in my mind, hehe.

Hal.

 

Hal,

The only thing I would add is do you really want to do the job? I have had well paid jobs with company perks and a vehicle in the past - but didn't like it.

You have to *do* something because *you* want to.

As for you your Dad, tell him that Cert's, experience and his help will give you a career for life

Best of luck.

Si

 

I definatly want a career in IT, I love IT (although i've heard that passion can be flamed quite quickly ) It's pretty much all i've wanted to do, there was a time I wanted to be an engineer, but I was never any good at maths...

 

Hal,

Good. Now that you have decided *your* chosen career, work towards it and let the force of CF be with you.

Regards

Si

 

Hal,

The skills you will gain through certs and experience will equip you for any career track in the 'information age'.

Lets look at it from your dad's point of view for a sec:

He sees IT people as 'grunts' who get pushed around by the 'I want it now!' people.

That's how the companies of yesteryear operate. I'm working in one now and believe me if they don't listen to my recommendations in the next 6 months - I'm off to better places.

Today's business environment is all about technology, you'll be hard pushed to find a thriving business that wouldn't grind to a complete halt of their systems stopped functioning.

It doesn't matter what your long term career plans may be - one thing is for sure, being on the right side of technology is a sound investment in your future.

Lets pretend that in 20 years time you want to move into higher management - your skills and experience in systems will enable you to wear both hats.

If it's what you love then do it - IT is great, it's never boring, and it pretty much enables you to move into anything you want down the line if you know 'how stuff works'.

 

How true! Rep left.

Si

 

It seems that Pete and Boyce summed it up quite nicely.

 

Thanks again, youve all been helpfull. I can show my dad this and hopefully it will give him some more insight as to hower people working in the IT sector think. Thanks alot.

p.s -- I just found the rep button, there a few that deserve rep off me.

p.s.s -- Have a great new years everyone!

Hal.