Career Change to I.T- need advice

PhilDawn

Hi,

I'm at a crossroads in my life like many but I am struggling to find decent advice in changing careers.

I've worked in many different sectors and have ran my own chauffeur car business.

I'm 27 years old with a young family so doing a full time degree is not an option. Ideally I would like to get an entry level job in network administration or server administration.

Between now and May next year I will have completed a Springboard course in Networking and Cloud Technologies which upon successful I will receive an NFQ 6 and Microsoft Technical Associate. I've also enrolled on a few online courses so I will also complete the ECDL,Comptia A+ and Network+.


From my research every job posting I've looked at requires a degree ,plus 3-5 years experience and this really really worries me.

If anyone could offer any advice id be very greatful.

Thanks

moc moc a moc

Is IT definitely something you're interested in, and can do for the long haul?

It's unlikely that you'll find anyone willing to trust their business network to someone with so little experience, so you'll have to find some way to rack up some time in the industry doing very basic work first. The usual way to get your foot on the ladder is to start off in support, then work your way to X number of years and move laterally to a more specialised field (e.g. networking, sysadmin, whatever). Basic support is bad enough when you're a young lad eager to get into the workforce - it could be absolutely draining for someone who has already made their way in the world somewhat and has a family to worry about.

Having said that, your maturity could be an asset, so I wouldn't give up hope entirely. Try to get your certifications sorted as soon as possible (and aim higher - you'll want at least a CCNA if you're interested in networking, at least an MCSA if you're looking at Windows administration, etc). You may be able to get something with an educational or medical institution where they can't afford to pay the salary of someone with more experience and would value someone with a sensible head on their shoulders (but, of course, you'll need to be willing to weigh low pay against getting a bit of hands-on experience to put on the CV).

I don't have a degree either, and originally started off working in internet cafés and worked my way into network engineering from there, to give you one story of moderate success.

PhilDawn

moc moc a moc wrote: »

Is IT definitely something you're interested in, and can do for the long haul?

It's unlikely that you'll find anyone willing to trust their business network to someone with so little experience, so you'll have to find some way to rack up some time in the industry doing very basic work first. The usual way to get your foot on the ladder is to start off in support, then work your way to X number of years and move laterally to a more specialised field (e.g. networking, sysadmin, whatever). Basic support is bad enough when you're a young lad eager to get into the workforce - it could be absolutely draining for someone who has already made their way in the world somewhat and has a family to worry about.

Having said that, your maturity could be an asset, so I wouldn't give up hope entirely. Try to get your certifications sorted as soon as possible (and aim higher - you'll want at least a CCNA if you're interested in networking, at least an MCSA if you're looking at Windows administration, etc). You may be able to get something with an educational or medical institution where they can't afford to pay the salary of someone with more experience and would value someone with a sensible head on their shoulders (but, of course, you'll need to be willing to weigh low pay against getting a bit of hands-on experience to put on the CV).

I don't have a degree either, and originally started off working in internet cafés and worked my way into network engineering from there, to give you one story of moderate success.

Thanks for your in depth reply. I am genuinely interested in building a career as long as there is hope of eventually receiving decent pay after 4-5 years experience and up skilling.

I went for an aptitude test last week for a Java Programming Course through FAS. I passed the test but I really believe I'd struggle with programming as I wouldn't be naturally gifted with maths and problem solving skills.

If I'm being totally honest my motivation would be driven by the fact there are jobs in IT and with more and more training/experience one could do well.

Both my uncles got Cisco certified and did well even though they had no prior IT experience and both came from working in bars. But this was 10 years ago and they didnt have to deal with the recession nor the massive influx of graduates.

If I'm being totally honest I really don't know for sure what field in I.T I want to get into and I'm sure that will change once I broaden my knowledge. A friend of mine who completed a 48 week IT Support Specialist Traineeship told me to start with the Comptia A+ as this will probably give me a better idea of which area I would like i.e hardware/software.

I'm open to suggestions though and don't have my heart set on networking. If you think there are easier routes for someone in my position then I'd definately look into it.

Thanks

Devi

I’m in a similar situation as yourself, 31, two kids and out of work in the field I originally trained in but I have decided to go down the software route as I believe it holds better prospects and I would recommend you have another look at the hardware route.

The reality is, when you work in the hardware end of things you are always going to be secondary in the business, always a cost to the business. Wages are way lower than the software end, until you get to sysadmin level (which you may never do) .

I’m not gifted at maths, but the thing is you don’t have to be to learn programming, just practice practice practice and after a few weeks concepts that seemed so abstract suddenly become pretty obvious.

The thing about comptia is fas are handing them out like smarties and telling everybody to do the course so every **** and his uncle has one now and they have become meaningless. I have a three year plan, do my part-time springboard course while concurrently get technical certs and some experience through jobsbridge so at the end il have my diploma, certs and work experience to offer an employer. Now I don’t know if that’s going to be enough but I hope it is because at this stage of my life I don’t have the time to do a full time course, then start my career.

It’s a tough one op, its really the only industry that has any jobs but at the same time I don’t think it has the jobs that is made out in the press and competition is fierce.

moc moc a moc

PhilDawn wrote: »

I went for an aptitude test last week for a Java Programming Course through FAS. I passed the test but I really believe I'd struggle with programming as I wouldn't be naturally gifted with maths and problem solving skills.

There seem to be more development jobs out there than anything else, but programming is something you really have to be interested in to do well in, so I'd agree that this is not a serious option if you're not keen on it to begin with. Something to bear in mind, though, is the fact that the majority of IT work is 'problem solving' in one form or another.

PhilDawn wrote: »

If I'm being totally honest my motivation would be driven by the fact there are jobs in IT and with more and more training/experience one could do well.

Nobody would blame you for considering all your options in this economic climate, but believe me, the gravy train of IT has left the station. You'll be competing with people who are genuinely passionate about technology, younger and more energetic, and probably with more natural aptitude for the industry (having basically grown up in the internet generation). It's not impossible for you to get a decent career, but it won't be easy.

PhilDawn wrote: »

A friend of mine who completed a 48 week IT Support Specialist Traineeship told me to start with the Comptia A+ as this will probably give me a better idea of which area I would like i.e hardware/software.

Not a bad idea, as this (along with the N+ and the Java course) would give you a taster of different areas of IT, plus will help flesh out the CV a bit. I'd recommend looking at Microsoft training too if you can, as this might be the most gentle introduction to an IT career (in comparison with networking and programming).

Jobbridge sounds like it would be worth looking into, as long as you make sure you don't just end up exploited for cheap labour. The one thing in the IT industry that is more important on a CV than any degrees or certs is hands-on experience, and it's worth taking a pay hit at the beginning for that.

PhilDawn

Devi wrote: »

I’m in a similar situation as yourself, 31, two kids and out of work in the field I originally trained in but I have decided to go down the software route as I believe it holds better prospects and I would recommend you have another look at the hardware route.

The reality is, when you work in the hardware end of things you are always going to be secondary in the business, always a cost to the business. Wages are way lower than the software end, until you get to sysadmin level (which you may never do) .

I’m not gifted at maths, but the thing is you don’t have to be to learn programming, just practice practice practice and after a few weeks concepts that seemed so abstract suddenly become pretty obvious.

The thing about comptia is fas are handing them out like smarties and telling everybody to do the course so every **** and his uncle has one now and they have become meaningless. I have a three year plan, do my part-time springboard course while concurrently get technical certs and some experience through jobsbridge so at the end il have my diploma, certs and work experience to offer an employer. Now I don’t know if that’s going to be enough but I hope it is because at this stage of my life I don’t have the time to do a full time course, then start my career.

It’s a tough one op, its really the only industry that has any jobs but at the same time I don’t think it has the jobs that is made out in the press and competition is fierce.

Thanks for your input.

What course are you doing and which certs are you planning to obtain? I can still get onto the java course starting in September if the networking side is so bleak and pay is so bad.

Krusader

Jobbridge is your best bet to get some experience in a Production environment. Im in a similar situation as yourself and did this. The 6/9 months will fly in and you'll be better for it. Id also look to do the 70-680 Windows 7 exam as it is a good primer for the MCSA: Server exams or get a CCNA if you want to do networking

Max_ Power

I started an internship in Jan 2013 and now I have been told I will be kept on full time. I also done a networking and cloud fundamentals course. I think the best thing for you to do is to try get an internship get the experience and you will get kick start to where you need to go.