Electrician changing over to IT

unit 1

Hi folks hope someone on this forum might have some advice/insight,

Basically I am an electrician, early 50s but fairly tech savvy (local authority, doing everything, pumps, controls, housing, general gunthering) and am fearfull of the future ahead with IW an unknown quantity as of yet.

I have decided to broaden my horizons and am thinking about doing a plc course (if I can swing it with my masters) namely a 1yr level 6 course on computer systems and networking (might be able to squeeze into their IT dept).

I am wondering if there is anyone out there with any experience of this kind of a shift that they would like to share.
For years I have seen these guys from the outside and dont think it would intimidate me to work in the environment but any "hands on been there done that" advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

ZENER

I took voluntary redundancy from a semi-state very well paid job in 2012. The world was coming to an end as we all know and it was sink or swim. I've always had a lean towards electronics and computers but at the time I began my apprenticeship money was tight so college was out and opportunities thin on the ground.

I was very lucky in that as an apprentice my interest in electronics was noticed an encouraged - computers were still 8-bit though and although people had dreamt about Megabytes and Megabits we were content to live with Kilobytes and 300 Bauds and washing machine sized "Micro" computers.

Come the 90's this leapt forward and I was in my element ! Did 4 years in Kevin Street DIT and got my C&G Diploma in Electronics. Again I was very lucky in that my job let me pursue my interests and I joined the Comms section.

Roll on to 2012 and I took the money and ran straight to FAS. Did all the courses they offered to do with computing and IT and now work as a FSE and love it. Money is less than I had but that's ok, I'm happier and doing what I've wanted to do from the age of 15.

I'm in your age group, don't let your age be a hurdle. I'd suggest more relevant courses like A+ and Network + or go the VMWare or MS route and get certs that have a real value in the industry. I did a BSc back in the early 2Ks but as one of the lecturers said - this course will help you GET a job but will be F**K ALL use to you actually doing it. Once you get a start then you can get your employers to pay for your advanced training - CCNA - ITIL - Prince - MCSA - MCSE.

The industry is picking up, there are plenty of practical roles out there if that's what you're after. I'm not really interested sitting at a desk all day or dealing with the same people day in day out. I could probably earn more doing that type of job but money isn't everything in life - it's even less when you get to our age

I wish you the very best of luck in your new chapter.


So go for IT (sorry) is my advice !!

Ken

unit 1

Thanks for your input "DIODE" you seem to have put a lot of effort (if thats the right term for something you like) into your career path.

Now I'm not lazy but I suppose I should flesh out my goals a bit better.

My hope of a role in IT would be the run of the mill day to day stuff, the basic nut and bolts of installing office pcs, removing and repairing hardware, decomissioning old hardware and installing maintaining the network cabling, somewhat mundane tasks maybe but nonetheless the kind of thing that I already enjoy as an electrician, just with different stuff if you know what I mean.
What I have trouble with is figuring out the right sort of course for this rather than the more exotic stuff such as maintaining servers and dealing with storage and maintaining shared networks.

I guess I will just have to bite the bullet and befriend an IT acquaintance and plague him/her and maybe go for it. Again thanks for your advice.

DublinDilbert

What about working in a Data center? You could up-skill in your IT area's, but still leverage your previous electrical experience too.

ZENER

Yes - ZENER - a nickname given to me in my first year as an apprentice sparks when I used one to fix a colleagues CB radio which has stuck to me ever since. Some shortened it to Zen . . . I could never understand why . . . or perhaps they didn't understand why ?

From your post I would say the A+ and Network+ are where you should start. Affirm your current abilities with these to get a start then advance to the MCTS and MCSA Microsoft exams. It sounds like you have a grounding in the basics but without a recognised cert no one will believe you. CompTia is the industry basic standard and a great way to fill in the gaps for you.

Ken

ZENER

I visit a lot of DCs and I hear the same thing from all the NOC lads - - what's it like outside in the sunshine ?!

Ken

ArnieSilvia

How about automation course? You seem to have your bases covered already? From what I see in the office It's mostly paperwork though, writing documentation etc and you need to know the bioprocessing inside out.

You might go the equipment commissioning route (pharma sites etc) where you might have to make some adjustments here or there but mostly paperwork. Very unstable job though - you go where the job is, not great

Maybe, for a hands-on person a factory maintenance route might suit better? Biopharmaceutical plants use water systems, automation, might be the best fit, good money and relatively safe too.

In terms of IT, what you described is the bottom of the barrel and no money in it whatsoever. To explain it brutally, my 15yo son put a computer together last month on his own and chose components for it perfectly. In few years kids like him will be working and just assume that they're meant to do this kind of stuff themselves.

unit 1

Sorry folks I did'nt make myself clearer, I actually work for a county council already so the IT environment would obviously be mostly office based, with some remote locations as well, libraries, local area offices and the likes.
I'm thinking from an entry level IT standpoint this would be an undemanding environment and hope a fetac level 6 or 7 plc course might get me in the door.

Thanks zener for the suggestion A+ as that looks interesting, and to be frank the width and breadth of the whole IT world can seem a bit daunting looking in from the outside. Even the humble trade as an electrician is getting a bit like that as certain aspects of it become more specialised.
Thanks to everone for their sugesstions.

TallGlass

I'm looking to go the opposite way! IT work is a bit mental to be honest with you.

I will say one thing, entry level IT is very very busy and sitting in an office all day can drive you a bit mental. Office politics will drive you up the wall for the first few months too, some people can be fairly hostile to entry level support staff, cause your basically the person dishing out the work/asking for help. (Depends on the person, not all people are like this!). You might enjoy, fixing stuff like networks etc.. But it's a different ball game, if your in a room full of directors and the laptops just ain't connecting!

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the A+ just go straight into the CCNA, from there get something with MS along with Citrix, VMware and SQL if you can.

Degree wise, most companies don't really care once it's BSc in something.

I think as an electrician you'll do well in IT, just be prepared it's not anyway easy!

dingding

I would be a similar age as the OP, coming up to the mid 50s. I would have trained out of school as an electrician with the ESB. Was let go and done an AnCO course in industrial electronics (Instrumentation mainly and PLC programming) Mid 90s I would have moved into Electronics and completed a degree in IT.

I found with the electrical theory I never had a problem studying the IT. Went on to get the Cisco qualifications CCNA and CCNP and I moved into lecturing.

I found the electronics easy, I would have studied Valves, Transistors and Microprocessors at 3 different phases.

I would have worked for about 10 years as a service engineer, fixing networks and IT equipment. I found it very good but the mileage 50K miles per year got to me in the end.

unit 1

Sorry for the tardiness in looking back in and thanks everyone for their replies.

I too am of esb vintage and well remember doing extra c@g courses during block release (803 part 3) with the help of our tutors, who got us over the line with a lot of extra help and effort on their part.

I think my mind is made up, but now to figure should I try for level 6 instead of 5. 6 months into level 5 I don't want to regret not going for level 6
Thanks everyone.
BTW I'm looking at plc fetac level 5 or 6 computer systems and networking.

dingding

Likewise I got a range of City and Guilds with the help of the RTC lecturers in Dundalk.

If you were looking at the FETAC course, look at linkages to degree courses in case you want to get on. But as others have said the industry qualifications Cisco CCNA, CCNP Microsoft Server and indeed some of the qualifications in virtualization.

I am not up to date with the current ones as it is over 10 years since I was in that area.

From an employability point of view look at the skill set required where you want to go and work back.