IT Careers advice please

[Spiderman]

Oh Mighty Org, so full of techie types, lend me your wisdom.

As some of you may know i'm curretly between jobs and now i'm thinking of re-training and getting out of the retail/sales world all together.

So if i wanted to do an IT course that would get me a shout at a decent IT job what would you guys reccomend?

I have no formal IT qualifications but the last 3 places i have worked i have been the most IT literate person there (which surprised me) and i found that doing the IT stuff was actually really up my street. Some of the IT guys we've had come in to do simple stuff like setting up a network of 6 comps and 1 server semed to know less than i did too.

So, i'm keen to learn and pick things up very quickly. What would you advise me to do from here?

If I were you I would look for a job as first line support tech. From here you can build up your skills and experiences.

I hate working in IT (only been doing it 2years!). Already have my change planned - just need to fill in application form etc etc.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Spiderman

Oh Mighty Org, so full of techie types, lend me your wisdom.

As some of you may know i'm curretly between jobs and now i'm thinking of re-training and getting out of the retail/sales world all together.

So if i wanted to do an IT course that would get me a shout at a decent IT job what would you guys reccomend?

I have no formal IT qualifications but the last 3 places i have worked i have been the most IT literate person there (which surprised me) and i found that doing the IT stuff was actually really up my street. Some of the IT guys we've had come in to do simple stuff like setting up a network of 6 comps and 1 server semed to know less than i did too.

So, i'm keen to learn and pick things up very quickly. What would you advise me to do from here?

Get a Helldesk support role and go from there.

None of the courses you can do that are worthwhile will get you a job without experience.

There was a time when people WERE employed based on qualifications, but with the number of certificate-mill courses/qualifications out there, they are getting wise to it - I DONT have any qualifications and thats not a problem for me, I have 10 years+ experience and a load of projects that I have worked on that I can discuss.

Answering issues like Mr Prestons "no volume" issue is unfortunatly where I think you are going to have to start.

How about bike-sales?

But be prepared to take **** all day from miserable mofos who's IT kit don't work and want to take it out on someone. I.E You.....

IT qualifications are loosing coolness, its things like ITIL and such, methods of working that seem to do you well. I guess any MS courses will help, but it really depends in which area of IT that you want to go into.

IT sucks ass, its a wage payer, its not very interesting, and on support desk you get so much **** thrown at you. Hopefully your assertivness and anger management skills are good

[fizzwheel]

I agree with Soulkiss - Get a helpdesk job and then take it from there. You'll get alot of sh*te, but you'll also if you take the right attitude learn a hell of alot.

Pay will be cack to start with, but once you your foot in the door you'll be away, and IMHO theres no substitute for experience over meaningless paper qualifications.

I've got no degree or formal qualifications apart from the BTEC in Computer Studies I did at college. Spidey drop me a PM if you want to have a natter about it some more...

I seem to be in the minority as I really do like my job, its interesting, I never ever get bored and I never face the same set of problems twice. I get the opportunity to make big decisions about the I.T. infrastructure where I work.

[timwilky]

No formal IT qualification, but been doing it for 28 years. I started off writing control systems and data acquisition for test rigs, and used the experience to get a proper IT job writing control and comms systems for real time cash counting systems, and from there writing project management and control for power station build projects.

From there I have been promoted, demoted, moved sideways etc. but spent 25 years with the same employer different names having been a programmer, system manager, IT Manager, project manager

Guess what, my latest job is writing a control system for a test rig. The sort of work I did 30 years ago. different language, different hardware. But still the same job.

Hell It has sent me all over the world, paid for my house, kids education, I hate it. But at times when the job has screwed everyone over, there is nothing nicer than digging everyone out the poo. and you boss getting the credit of course.

would I recommend others doing it. It depends what you want to do. Support is crap, end off. We have ours done out of Kuala Lumpur as the numpties we get for the money we are prepared to pay in this country, they are a dangerous liability.

If you have any niche skills exploit them in IT, there is always a market for decent engineers, Electrical, mechanical, chemical, nuclear who can apply their specialist skills to IT. I have had friends make a fortune out of building a cable routing and management solution. but you need to understand cable routing on large plant, shipbuilding etc. before you can start writing the software.

Money and conditions can be good. I do despair at some of the adds I see and thing they want that for that. THat is the problem with today, everyone thinks they know a bit about IT just because they can use a windoze computer to drive word/excel

[Spiderman]

thanks guys

Many years a go i remember a few friends were doing the MCSE course, stying from home mainly. Only one of them got a job in IT and thats because he decided to set up on his own at a young age and lving at home and having vitrually no outgoig meant he could undercut most of the competiton, lol. So he got work. I dont think he ever got rich from it but it was his own thing an he was happy.

I dont mind a job that pays a wage, as some of you see it but prefer Fizz'z attitude of seeing at as always challenging and always new. Like i said above the few small IT things i've done for work have always seemed interesting and i get a kck out of making he damn thing work, lol. After about 1000 goes at it sometimes.

Helpdesks tho, really? Do i have to? Some of the muppets i have spoken to when i've been forced to call helpdesks have known less than i know (and i dont know much as i say) have been less than helpfull. Do i really have to be amongst those brainless zombies to get a foot in the door?
I'm a smart, articulate guy you know.

I also see IT as having more options than the sales ive always done. As the old saing goes "You're only as good as your last sale" and i'm getting very sick of the constant effort it takes to maintain that.

Fizz i may well drop you a PM later dude, meanwhile if anyone has any other advice please pop it in here...or if you're a nice person who can offer me a helpdesk job with nice-ish people then thats even better

[Spiderman]

Is learning to write progammes a difficult or lenghty thing Tim? You posted while i was typing the above reply you see.

[Luckypants]

Spidey - have you thought of IT sales? If you wanted a more technical job you could move into pre-sales technical support from sales. Pre-Sales support is specialised both technically and on the inter-personal skills front, since you are still trying to sell the product while the customer is evaluating it. It may still be sales initially, but may provide a route to IT technical role if that is what you want.

[timwilky]

Coding is easy, you need a methodical approach to problem analysis and logical thought processes.

I did look some years ago at high paying london jobs. but failed at the first hurdle as I did not understand how finance, trading etc worked. Back to what I was saying earlier, It is the ability to deploy skill or knowledge to an IT application that makes/sells a person.

I would suggest if you are keen that you see what your local college can offer on a part time night or weekend course. Doesn't cost a lot and will give you enough to get a junior programming role. Far more interesting than the hell desk, and enable you to develop analysis and design skills