What are my options?

killanena

Im 19, Always been a massive computer enthusiast and I really want to work in IT. I did well in school but I really can't afford to go to college and it is absolutely not an option so please don't mention it. Im currently doing a FÁS course in computer & network installation & maintenance which at the end I will have my Comptia A+, N+ and MTA.

What would be my options after? Should I bother looking for work / internship or should I go on to do a few exams my self? I was thinking of doing the Comptia S+ and CCNA exams? I really don't know what to do next.
I live in Clare if that matters.

Hijpo

When i was applying for jobs a hell of alot of companies wanted atleast 2 years of official experience by that i mean with another company not just fixing problems for mates and family etc or Microsoft/Cisco certs.

I know you said dont mention it but now im in college to get a degree as the way i saw it, i could have been forever doing certs and renewing qualifications but without the essential practical experience i thought it was just an endless money pit. Where as with a degree you have it and you have it forever.

It wasnt that long ago, but things might have changed.

Krusader

killanena wrote: »

Im 19, Always been a massive computer enthusiast and I really want to work in IT. I did well in school but I really can't afford to go to college and it is absolutely not an option so please don't mention it. Im currently doing a FÁS course in computer & network installation & maintenance which at the end I will have my Comptia A+, N+ and MTA.


What would be my options after? Should I bother looking for work / internship or should I go on to do a few exams my self? I was thinking of doing the Comptia S+ and CCNA exams? I really don't know what to do next.
I live in Clare if that matters.[/quote

Do what you are doing. Then go on jobbridge for experience.

Krusader

killanena wrote: »

Im 19, Always been a massive computer enthusiast and I really want to work in IT. I did well in school but I really can't afford to go to college and it is absolutely not an option so please don't mention it. Im currently doing a FÁS course in computer & network installation & maintenance which at the end I will have my Comptia A+, N+ and MTA.


What would be my options after? Should I bother looking for work / internship or should I go on to do a few exams my self? I was thinking of doing the Comptia S+ and CCNA exams? I really don't know what to do next.
I live in Clare if that matters.

Do what you are doing. Then go on jobbridge for experience.

Chairman Meow

killanena wrote: »

Im 19, Always been a massive computer enthusiast and I really want to work in IT. I did well in school but I really can't afford to go to college and it is absolutely not an option so please don't mention it. Im currently doing a FÁS course in computer & network installation & maintenance which at the end I will have my Comptia A+, N+ and MTA.

What would be my options after? Should I bother looking for work / internship or should I go on to do a few exams my self? I was thinking of doing the Comptia S+ and CCNA exams? I really don't know what to do next.
I live in Clare if that matters.

You may wind up doing tech support for a while. And to be honest, that isnt exclusive to people going to FAS. I got the N+ & A+ in fas and afterwards got a job doing eircom tech support, where almost everyone else i worked with had jsut spent several years getting a computer science degree. I was one of the few people there that wasnt a college graduate.

But after 2 years of slumming in Eircom/HP tech support i got a real sys admin job. I went from talking people through setting up dial up internet, to managing a VMware environment with 30 odd servers and administering the exchange server environment for over 2000 users....all thanks to the N+ & A+.

killanena

Thanks all for the advice and stories so far. I would really love to go to college but I can't afford it at all and have no one to help me and SUSI grands don't cover nearly everything. At least with FÁS Im getting 200 a week and a place to live for cheap but I don't know what to do after the course ends. I have a facebook page for pc / laptop repair, Might get 1 person every fortnight or so which is a little cash on the side.

I finished school in 2012, Spent a year looking for work and nothing, 20 + job interviews for simple jobs like in centra, dunnes, tesco, mc donalds and got nothing. This course is my first bit of good luck as there was only 20 spots and 280 applicants, 80 of which were called for a test-ability exam.

Has anyone worked or works in IT over in the UK? Are things much better there? And what would be my chances finding work there with A+, N+, S+, MTA and CCNA certs.

Hijpo

killanena wrote: »

Thanks all for the advice and stories so far. I would really love to go to college but I can't afford it at all and have no one to help me and SUSI grands don't cover nearly everything. At least with FÁS Im getting 200 a week and a place to live for cheap but I don't know what to do after the course ends. I have a facebook page for pc / laptop repair, Might get 1 person every fortnight or so which is a little cash on the side.

I finished school in 2012, Spent a year looking for work and nothing, 20 + job interviews for simple jobs like in centra, dunnes, tesco, mc donalds and got nothing. This course is my first bit of good luck as there was only 20 spots and 280 applicants, 80 of which were called for a test-ability exam.

Has anyone worked or works in IT over in the UK? Are things much better there? And what would be my chances finding work there with A+, N+, S+, MTA and CCNA certs.

If you could stretch it in the future you could do a part time IT course in college, atleast you wont get stung for student fees that way. have you tried signing up with monster.ie or any of the recruitment pages to get an idea of what they are looking for? Any of the ads i get emailed to me from them seem to look for people in dublin or cork. What about your local repair shops?

killanena

Hijpo wrote: »

If you could stretch it in the future you could do a part time IT course in college, atleast you wont get stung for student fees that way. have you tried signing up with monster.ie or any of the recruitment pages to get an idea of what they are looking for? Any of the ads i get emailed to me from them seem to look for people in dublin or cork. What about your local repair shops?

I was told not to bother with recruiting agencies as they filter all the CV's that have less then 2 years experience out of their systems. And I applied for an internship going in a local pc repair shop during the summer. I got a letter saying basically I wasn't qualified enough... Part timecourse in an IT is something I'll differently consider in the future but right now Im in FÁS full time and after my FÁS course ill be back on the dole with 100 a week. Closes IT is in limerick, weekly bus ticket to limerick is 60 euro. That most of my money gone xD I really have though long and hard and have been in an out of citizens information that they are sick of the sight of me at this stage

I might really have to consider going to the UK.. As much I don't want to, there really doesn't seem to be much here. I heard that you can apply for jobs there and have the interview through skype or over the phone?

Hijpo

Jaysus you really are in a bit of a situation lol
experience is the killer, if you could sort that bit out id say youd be laughin. Best of luck wherever you end up, if things keep going the way they are going i could be asking you to put a word in for me in the UK.

killanena

Yea things really **** for people around my age Hopefully this EU funding thing for creating jobs for young workers helps but I'm doubtful.

Kinet1c

Krusader wrote: »

Do what you are doing. Then go on jobbridge for experience.

This sounds like your best bet unless you get a really lucky break. Alternatively have you applied to any of the companies that allow you to do customer support from home like Apple or Amazon? While it's not pure technical support it will show that you're capable of doing support and dealing with customers.

druidhill

My understanding is that FAS course has a work experience element to it - is that not the case (you have made no mention of it)?

killanena

Yes the last month of the course will be full time work experience, I hope they will keep me.
I'm now officially A+ certified. Exams were really easy. Working on the N+ now and then the MTA, CCNA and S+.
Is there any other exams I could take that would benefit me?

ImDave

killanena wrote: »

Yes the last month of the course will be full time work experience, I hope they will keep me.
I'm now officially A+ certified. Exams were really easy. Working on the N+ now and then the MTA, CCNA and S+.
Is there any other exams I could take that would benefit me?

If I were you I would focus on a specific area or niche and get certified in that. It's good to have the CompTia and CCNA exams but I would look into VMWare, Hyper-V or something like that. Don't know how practical it would be to certify in them without having access to a virtual environment to practice in or get to grips with the theory, but it might be worth looking into.