A career in IT

jag con

Hi folks so i'm 37 and with my current company a event communications company] for nearly 20 years worked there since i was 18 in our events dept and now in a sales role for 10 years,studied business and marketing at nightime etc etc it's a family business so progression is not on the cards. So I've decided to go back and do some study in the IT area, I've signed up for 2 courses to dip the toe in IT. The first is a introduction in computer programming this is completely new to be but it's just a taster course to see if i like it. https://www.ibat.ie/it-computer-science-ict-courses/java-programming-diploma.html. The second course is the COMPTIA A+http://www.clanesm.com/courses/night-courses/information-technology/108-comptia-a.html. Hopefully when i complete these i will go on to complete the CCNA and then look at a degree course. So my question is what type of IT role am i likely to achieve after these courses.

Thanks in advance

JC

L1011

Programming and A+ are rather different. You'd need further qualifications to go down a programming path.

You could get an entry level technician or support role with the A+ alone in the current environment if you're in the right part of the country, but the money would be quite poor. The CCNA really needs some experience but it and further qualifications with experience are how you get better / higher paying roles

jag con

Thanks yeah i understand what your saying re the programming and the A+ are 2 different diciplines. I'm near Dublin. Yep from research the entry level role comes with a low salary from what i've seen anywhere from 20-30K but im hoping that with a CCNA,MCSA A+ and a little programming it might give me a foot in the door i'd be prepared to take a salary cut (to a point) if a role with a good degree of career advancement was possible.

In the current IT sector is it achievable with the above skills or would a degree be far better?

JC

BumbleB

jag con wrote: »

So I've decided to go back and do some study in the IT area, I've signed up for 2 courses to dip the toe in IT. The first is a introduction in computer programming this is completely new to be but it's just a taster course to see if i like it. https://www.ibat.ie/it-computer-science-ict-courses/java-programming-diploma.html. The second course is the COMPTIA A+http://www.clanesm.com/courses/night-courses/information-technology/108-comptia-a.html. Hopefully when i complete these i will go on to complete the CCNA and then look at a degree course. So my question is what type of IT role am i likely to achieve after these courses.

Thanks in advance

JC

I would sooner do an online course in java because that syllabus is covering nothing you couldn't learn online ,its pretty basic java programming unless it goes toward getting into a uni course. I would consider it money wasted.



If you want to get started buy this book http://www.amazon.com/Head-First-Java-2nd-Edition/dp/0596009208



Its the holy grail in getting started in programming even universities recommend it. Its written almost like a cartoon but very clear. The head first series are brilliant I'd buy every book on every subject if I could.


Theres tonnes of videos out there showing you how to set up a java virtual machine.



Theres no such thing as dipping your toe into programming, to get good you have do a LOT of programming that includes entering competiitons open source contributions etc.

The path you are taking makes no sense. The computer world is full of many different roles and to get a good paying role means you have to specialise which means you have a path and you follow it.

jag con

Thanks yes i understand what you mean by choosing a particular dicipline. I'm just doing the Java course as a taster to see if it's a parh i enjoy.

I'm just trying a few different areas of IT and then focus on a area i enjoy if that makes sense.

JC

L1011

jag con wrote: »

Thanks yeah i understand what your saying re the programming and the A+ are 2 different diciplines. I'm near Dublin. Yep from research the entry level role comes with a low salary from what i've seen anywhere from 20-30K but im hoping that with a CCNA,MCSA A+ and a little programming it might give me a foot in the door i'd be prepared to take a salary cut (to a point) if a role with a good degree of career advancement was possible.

In the current IT sector is it achievable with the above skills or would a degree be far better?

JC

The programming is all but irrelevant to a technician style role; Java especially so. Scripting languages (python, Powershell if you go Windows specialised) are far more useful.

Entry level roles are 18-23k, however the 18k jobs are to be avoided at all costs not just due to the 18k bit. Someone competent and interview capable with an A+ alone could probably a role over 20k. You can pretty much start looking for another job within a few months, 6 months experience at the coalface works wonders.

iarann

IMHO, in just about any role in computing an understanding of a level of programming will assist in your knowledge and general understanding of how and why things work. But given the breath of the computing field you really will need to find a direction to focus on and at the very start it can be difficult to get to understand which area is best for you.

To become a specialist in any area takes a lot of time, reading, reading, practice, reading and experience and constant skills refreshing but most people find their area quickly.

If you have COMPTIA and/or CCNA under your belt then you should be able to get a job without a degree. The sooner you can get real hands on experience the better.

Likewise a qualification in programming is recommended if that is your direction.

Remember that there is a huge world in IT and many IT people don't do either of the above. If you have experience in Marketing & Business then consider Web/SEO, accounting/business systems, systems design, graphics, localisation, electronic engineering, training, app development, sales etc etc etc.

Best of luck with it.

PS, Maths are important in this field. 18Yr + 20Yr +10Yr != 37

L1011

iarann wrote: »

PS, Maths are important in this field. 18Yr + 20Yr +10Yr != 37

The 20 is the time in one employer, 10 in one role in that employer. Still an off-by-one error but it shows the requirement to execute all steps :P

jag con

L1011 wrote: »

The 20 is the time in one employer, 10 in one role in that employer. Still an off-by-one error but it shows the requirement to execute all steps :P

Ha ha very good :-)

jag con

BumbleB wrote: »

I would sooner do an online course in java because that syllabus is covering nothing you couldn't learn online ,its pretty basic java programming unless it goes toward getting into a uni course. I would consider it money wasted.



If you want to get started buy this book http://www.amazon.com/Head-First-Java-2nd-Edition/dp/0596009208



Its the holy grail in getting started in programming even universities recommend it. Its written almost like a cartoon but very clear. The head first series are brilliant I'd buy every book on every subject if I could.


Theres tonnes of videos out there showing you how to set up a java virtual machine.



Theres no such thing as dipping your toe into programming, to get good you have do a LOT of programming that includes entering competiitons open source contributions etc.

The path you are taking makes no sense. The computer world is full of many different roles and to get a good paying role means you have to specialise which means you have a path and you follow it.

Hi thanks for the advice, I know what you mean to get good at programming you need alot of time programming etc etc i'm merely doing this for myself as a taster to see if it's a path i would like to take down the road.

JC

BumbleB

jag con wrote: »

Hi thanks for the advice, I know what you mean to get good at programming you need alot of time programming etc etc i'm merely doing this for myself as a taster to see if it's a path i would like to take down the road.

JC

I was actually thinking of doing the same as yourself. I have grounding in coding and I was thinking of doing the cisco stuff but its a contradiction in terms and I knew that.


Programming isn't about writing code, anyone can do that ,its about changing your whole way of thinking to be able to solve problems.

It's also not half as exciting as you think it is and very frustrating as well. Also very rewarding. It's frustrating to know thta even in 1000 lifetimes that you would not even know the half of what is out there in the computer world.

I personally was working on a system that helped blind people to navigate but I had to abandon it because I discovered that google were working on a superior system with nth times more backing.