#ITCertifications #JobSearch #CareerAdvice
Hey there! 👋 So you’re 18 and eager to kickstart your career in IT, that’s awesome! It’s great that you’re thinking ahead and looking to gain some certifications before college starts. Here are a few recommendations that might help you land a job or internship in the IT field:
– CompTIA A+: A great starting point for beginners, covering essential IT skills like hardware, software, networking, and security.
– Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): Focuses on networking fundamentals, a valuable certification for anyone looking to pursue a career in networking.
– Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA): Entry-level certification that covers a wide range of IT concepts and skills.
– AWS Certified Solutions Architect: With the increasing popularity of cloud computing, this certification can give you an edge in the job market.
Now, as to whether it’s realistic to try to get an IT job at such a young age – absolutely! Many companies value young talent with a passion for technology and a willingness to learn. 🚀
As for the importance of certifications, they can definitely give you a substantial edge in the job market. Certifications demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and commitment to the field, which can make you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.
So go ahead and start studying for those certifications, and don’t be afraid to apply for IT jobs or internships. With the right certifications and a passion for technology, you’ll be well on your way to a successful career in IT. Good luck! 🌟
Do you want to program or work in IT? Most of my comp sci classes had very little to do with IT.
Get in line mate. Hundreds of us are trying to get into the field right now. I wish you luck though. Hope things work out better for you than they are for me.
So, if you’re ever curious what certifications you should go for or what skills you need, others have recommended to me to look up the type of job you want and read through the qualifications. Go on Indeed, Glassdoor, or LinkedIn and look up some IT jobs.
To get you started though, the main three CompTIAs are typically a good bet. Comptia A+ (1101 & 1102), Comptia Network+, and Comptia Sec+. That should be okay for right now. Hopefully by then you have a job and maybe they can pay for you to get more certs.
What do you want to do in IT?
It’s realistic at a young age (got my first IT job at 17), but it may depend on your location. Entry level is extremely saturated right now.
Certifications are worth it but won’t give you a significant edge over someone with experience/certs/education competing for the same position.
My advice: Network. Reach out to people locally in your community and on professional sites like LinkedIn. A good network will benefit you in the long run.
I would suggest going to college if possible. Develop your ability to research, communicate, and present. Learn some IT and network along the way. The college may even be able to assist with job placement and/or host job fairs.
I’m not anti-certs, but an 18 year old with any cert just tells me that they’re a good test taker. A 21-22 year old with a degree shows me that you’re dedicated to the topic and can be trained. You’ll have more experience learning IT history, theory, and breaking/fixing things in a lab than you will with an entry level cert.
Some schools even have cert training as part of the program. My undergrad included 4 CCNA modules (cough) about 20 years ago, for example.
Try ITSWITCH program, it’s put you through the certs and guarantees you a job
Certifications are really valuable in Infrastructure and cybersecurity roles. Other roles like development can help, but not a big deal
Probably either the CCNA or one of the cloud provider certs (Azure, AWS, GCP) at the “developer” / “architect” / “administrator” level.
Here’s the certs pathway for [AWS](https://d1.awsstatic.com/training-and-certification/docs/AWS_certification_paths.pdf) and [Azure](https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE4J5ea)
But man, they really need to start making some of these certs more hands-on / lab-like instead of sticking to the multiple choice format.
There’s a few good hands-on certs like the RHCSA / RHCE (for Linux), CKA (For Kubernetes), the OSCP (for offensive cyber / ethical hacking) and probably a few others, but they’re not as recognized as Cisco and the cloud certs.