Advice needed

NeVeR

Hello,

My name is David i'm 23 from Dublin,

My current Job is Admin work, and looking after any small problems there is with computers in the company, I also look after the company website, But don’t get allot of time to update is as my office work is taking all my time. To be honest this work makes me bored, I need to me active in body as well as mind, Sitting at a desk doing the same thing (invoicing/filing/entering orders) just doesn’t do it for me....

I love computers and do website/graphics in my spare time as a hobby. I also love trouble shooting problems with PC and getting them back working, I love setting up networks and servers etc

I've worked in my current company for just over 3 years. We are not an IT company but a Distribution company so there’s no real IT to be done.

I want to change jobs and become more involved in IT/Wed development etc can anyone offer advice on what i should do and where i should be looking.

I'm getting paid 27K for my current Job only cos i forced them to pay me that lol.

Where should a person like me with allot in interest in computers be looking?
I don’t have any certs/degree's in computers. Only my ECDL and a cert in HTML nothing

I'm real egar to learn as most people are,

any advice would be great,

thanks.

NeVeR

just to add, i want to try get a degree in the evenings.

i've found a few places but if anyone has a college they would recommend that would be great,

Thanks.

Tom Dunne

You'd want to get your act together fairly quickly - most part-time courses are starting next week. You would usually be allowed to start a week or two later, though.

Anyway, I did my masters in Griffith College, after a recommendation from someone who did their degree there. Couldn't fault the college, highly recommended.

Having said that, any of the universities/colleges do part-time degrees. It's probably better if you narrow it down to a few and post them up here for comments.

Darragh29

Am in the exact same situation as your self David, only I very recently left my job because I coudln't stick it another day, my boss was the most unprofessional, underhand, manipulating cu*t I have ever met in my life and it was either leave or drag the c*nt over his desk and smash him up. Anyway, I'm good at web design and graphics and general IT work although have no formal qualification in this field but have a degree in another non-related area.

What is looking increasingly attractive to me is starting up my own IT business in web design. There are several industries that have yet to really pick up the internet as a tool to selling products & services, the motor industry is one in particular that springs to mind. The benefits of starting up in business in this area far outweigh the risks I think, you have very low overheads which is a huge benefit (no need for fancy offices or equipment at start-up), so if it doesn't work out, you don't have a huge financial burden on your shoulders. This is the road that I'm almost fully decided to go down, also, you are your own boss, no wanker looking over your shoulder making your life hell and in terms of income, the only limit is the time & effort you are willing to put into it...

Also, I wouldn't get too caught up on the "formal qualification" issue. If you can produce good quality work and can sell what you can design, these are your best qualifications. You can teach yourself XML or other extensionable languages if you need to, get a few good reference books and learn from trial and error. If you are into web design, this is something you probably enjoy anyway.

NeVeR

I've thought of starting my own business many times. I'm in the middle of redoing my own website here is a preview www.davidstokes.com/_dev/2 also i'm getting business cards made up. I feel my current site looks a little unprofessional.

But from doing design part time for a few years i find it hard to keep the work steady, and if you hit a dry patch the bills will pile up.

I've sent you a PM,

Cheers

wiggzie

Just out of curiosity did you write the Statement text on your site yourself?