#ITCareer #JobSearch #Certifications #TechIndustry
Hey there, feeling frustrated about trying to break into the IT field? It’s totally understandable when faced with challenges like lack of certifications and feeling out of your depths in interviews. But don’t give up just yet! Here are some thoughts to consider:
– Your passion for computers and home networks is a great foundation. 🖥️
– Certifications like CompTIA A+ are valuable, but there are other ways to gain knowledge and skills.
– Look into online resources, free courses, and self-study materials to expand your understanding of IT concepts.
– Network with professionals in the field, attend tech meetups, and seek mentorship to enhance your learning.
– Consider building a portfolio of projects or contributing to open-source initiatives to showcase your abilities.
Remember, everyone faces setbacks and rejections in their career journey. It’s all about learning, adapting, and persevering. Keep pushing forward, continue learning, and seek support from the tech community. Your determination and effort will pay off in the long run! 💪🌟
What strategies have you found helpful in pursuing an IT career? Share your tips and experiences to inspire others! Let’s build a supportive community for aspiring IT professionals. 🚀 #ITCommunity #CareerAdvice
Platform Automation Eng here- Here’s some real-world advice.
One thing you need to focus on in this current economy is your SQL skills, everyone knows Python and OO languages but SQL, SQL server, and everything that has to do with it is still in high demand at many legacy companies. Focus your emphasis on C# and SQL if you want to get hired at a legacy company in their IT, because regular tech is hard right now and very few are hiring regardless of talent level or understanding. If applying to those, focus on OOLs. I hope my advice helps, I was jobless for a few months and focused on on SQL and ended up internally pivoting back into OOLs. I give this advice to everyone I can because I’m on the inside right now and this is what they look for, not MongoDB or even Python some legacy cases.
Also– I built a student builder platform called [buildbook](https://buildbook.us/registration) where you share your project ideas or existing projects to find other student builders to build with. It’s great for adding small software projects to your resume or even finding a co-founder. It’s free of charge for anyone with a .edu email!
I got into IT at age 39. I did 12 credit hours a semester towards a 2 year degree while working full time at a flooring warehouse. I already had like 37 credits prior to starting the program so I was able to finish in a year and a half. That degree and a Net+ got me in the door in 2016. I had a pretty similar background to you as far as IT is concerned, I was always the side computer guy at small businesses I worked for and built my own machines.
To make good money in this field you need to do LOTS of self learning. I started at 42k in 2016 and am at over 120k now as a DevOps engineer, but I got several certs on my own and spent a ton of time teaching myself scripting in powershell/python/etc.
You may want to look into student loans to go to Western Governors University. Its 100% online and competency based and comes with a shit ton of certs. I am a little perturbed that I have to get my A+, Net+, Sec+ as part of the degree as those things are behind me now, but I want to check the four year degree box as I think it will be important when I am going for Lead or Principal roles down the road. I did student loans for my AA and it paid of immensely. My first IT gig paid almost more in a year than I was making than the degree cost me.
One other thing I would note is how ripped off I feel from my Google IT Cert. Literally payed money and spent time training for NOTHING… it literally helped me do nothing…
That is one reason why I am soooo hesitant to try for comp TIA A+..
I mean common, 500 dollars for the cert, IF you can pass both 90 question tests.. if not, pay again and go again..I have grown up poor my whole life (sub 30k for over 40 years)…
To me, this feels like extortion, not a valid opportunity…
But what the hell do I know, google IT cert looked like a good idea to me and it was a complete waste of time and money.
I just feel like all my investment so far has not paid off.. not even an entry level IT job.. alot of that is due to my area though.
still frustrating..
Feels like the same kind of money based gatekeeping for a better life that happened with SAT’s in high school.
Like the world wants to rip me off just for wanting to get a better job and earn more money. it feels like that.
Not only do I have to put in the work, but I have to dodge all the snakes and scams and other bullshit.
Im venting again….. I digress… please continue the advice.
Welp I am going to say it.
You sound like a child.
You barely scratched the surface of what IT is and how it is of value to organizations.
Not knowing what AWS is really does speak volumes you are not ready for IT.
Building video game machines and setting up soho networks is childs play.
That is not to say you can’t grow.
You need to think about what sort of needs a business needs.
Its not custom built machines that run off a router you can buy at Best buy.
You can still learn the knowledge without taking the certs. You can also get discount codes, or if you go to college you can get them for 50% off.
The A+ are hardware fundamentals, and that’s it. It clearly says that in the cert description. Study the material for the A+, Net+, Cloud+ etc. You can get courses on Udemy for $10.
Just because you can’t afford the cert doesn’t mean you can’t still learn.
Being 40 you are going to have a harder time than someone in their 20s, you just need to put in the time and dedication.
I would recommend you to try out using chatgpt to help generate examples of responses to IT interview questions. Format it in dialogues if you want. You can even look for work based internships for IT positions. I also had zero IT background prior to my current job as Data Center Technician. My previous work experiences had all been retail and customer services right out of high school. After working at Amazon FC for a while I used the employee tuition for their career choice program. That process got me into data center tech training program. After completion of that program I got into internship with AWS. Then after that I got convert from intern to full time employee. Doing break-fix and network troubleshoot ticket works has been pretty enjoyable for me so far. Eventually I plan to get into Network engineering role later on internally as well.
Put up an “i will fix your computer for free” ad on your local FB neighboorhood group and go from there
A+ and a Google cert aren’t going to get you anywhere, especially in today’s market.
I thought the same thing about certs and degrees until I found out I qualified for FAFSA (Pell grant specifically) which allowed me to get an associates degree in applied science (IT focused) and even then it was still hard to find a job. I submitted literal thousands of applications and only got a handful of interviews, eventually got lucky.
My first IT job (barely even IT tbh) was a shitty remote help desk job for $14/hr – there were people on my team who had bachelor’s degrees in computer science stuck in that dogshit because no matter who you are or how smart you think you are, or how many pieces of paper you have, we all start at the bottom unless you have some seriously good connections.
My 2nd (and current) is like.. Heaven on earth for an aspiring System/Network admin. I’m on a team of 3 people, the other 2 of which have been doing this for about as long as I’ve been alive and I’ve learned more in 1 year working with these guys than I did in my entire life having a similar background to yours (gamer, PC fixer for the family, etc)
Point is, just keep trying. See if you qualify for financial aid for some schooling. Keep learning. If you’re gonna go for any certs, go for net+/security+ and/or CCNA. Get a degree if you qualify for financial aid that you don’t have to pay back. The market is absolute *balls* right now. Shit’s hard. I had to pursue my degree full time, while working full time, while taking care of a disabled family member and being a gigging musician part time, but I made it work (with a shitload of coffee) and at almost 28 years old I can say I’m finally on the right track. But like another user said, building gaming machines *does not mean* you are fit for working in this field. It’s a never ending learning process and there’s more involved than any one person could *ever* know.
Ima be honest if you don’t know what AWS or Azure is you are not ready for interviews.
You failed *one* interview, so the hell what?
Learn from the experience. Look up the things you don’t know. Try again. Be determined to be better next time, I’m sure you have the ability to do so.
As for the job hunt….
How many apps sent? How many sent average per week? Have you reached out to recruiters/recruitment agencies?
Have you exhausted all other avenues?
Have you got your resume revised? Have you tried volunteer work? Best Buy Geek Squad? Have you setup a little homelab? Do you go to tech events? Have you reached out in your network?
If you haven’t tried anything then you don’t want to actually get into IT and be successful. All it tells me is you want an easy, lazy job handed to you on a silver platter.
This is something I repeat often. Certs and degrees don’t mean anything. If a job requires a cert over experience they will be a shitty place to work for.
I have been a hiring manager in IT for over 15 years. I couldn’t care less about degrees or certifications. As a director level manager, I have no college and any certs I have are dated and irrelevant.
When I interview someone, they either know their shit or they don’t. It’s that simple. Make sure your resume has a skills section that showcases the things you know. One of my best IT hires had zero IT experience, but his resume was pretty solid.
A good friend of mine went from fire fighting into IT as an entry level tech. Fast forward 5 years, hes a SR’ network engineer.
What I find important for an entry level IT job are soft skills. Customer service, communication, etc. Tech skills can be learned. Soft skills are harder.
Keep trying. The market may seem saturated, but I think it’s filled with unqualified applicants.
Good luck and if you want to pick my brain or need any advice, please don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Yea probably a good idea to throw in the towel man.
I dont see the connection between you playing games and you getting “IT” job…
I’ll be honest with you man, even with a degree and certs this market is fucking brutal, I’ve probably applied for over 100 jobs since I graduated and I’ve had *three* of those places bother getting back to me, and only 2 of those were for an actual phone call and I got an in person interview for one but have not heard anything back yet.
Also tried just starting my own business, put up some ads on Facebook and Next-door for computer repair with my info and qualifications and a month later I’ve had 0 people call or email me about a repair.
But if you are interested both Microsoft and Amazon have free courses for learning their IT related stuff like Azure and AWS, just the actual certs cost money and I don’t they were too expensive from what I remember. Those are both things I will be working on once I have the time and I know a lot of places now look for that knowledge I’m just drained after finishing college lol