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+--- Thread: Tips for getting your IT/Networking career started (/thread-2394.html)
Tips for getting your IT/Networking career started - Neogreenyew - 02-11-2014
If you are starting to get into the IT or Networking field, there are a few things that are extremely important to know when you start out.
1) Getting certifications is the most important thing when it comes to getting a job in this field.
The more certs you have, the better; but before you go out and read a Cisco CCNA, you need to start off with something a bit easier.
The first certification that is required for any IT or Networking job is the CompTIA A+ certification. This cert covers the basics for troubleshooting and managing computers. Even people that have higher certifications but lack their A+ have been told by their company that they need to get this degree or they won't be coming in to work after a set deadline. Don't waste time, just get this certification out of the way.
If you get this while you're still in high school, it will look extremely good on a resume and should land you a job or internship soon after your gradutation. Spend 35$ getting this book (link below) and take maybe 2 or 3 hours a day reading and you will be ready for your certification in no time.
I'm finding this book extremely easy to read, even after 5 years of not reading anything. This book also comes with a CD that has practice exams that are certified by CompTIA. This will be the best 35$ you've ever spent.
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Exam/dp/0789749718/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392140773&sr=1-2&keywords=a%2B+certification
If you're going into a Network Engineering or Information Systems career, then the next certification you should get is your Network+, and after that you should go for your Security+ exam. These two certifications along with your A+ cert are the most important certs to have as a beginner in this field. From here, you can branch out and go for Microsoft, Novell, or Cisco certs-- these are the main 3 groups of certifications, but there are obviously a lot more that you can go towards. The Microsoft series of certifications is probably the better route to take since it will give you a lot more job opportunities, but the Cisco certifications will lead to a higher paying job. Having both of these certs would be ideal.
The price for taking the certification tests usually scale by the level of the test. the A+ costs $376.00 to take (2 tests $188.00 each), so higher level tests will start to cost quite a bit of money. Some tests also require on-site training which is kind of like taking a course at a college and usually costs a lot of money, so make sure you pay attention and do your best to learn the material or else all of that money is wasted.
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2) Work on your social networking-- the more connections you have with people, the better your chances of getting a job.
Now days, it's extremely hard to find a job. Most companies will only look at applications from people that actually have experience in the field; this can be a problem for people that are new to this type of work and have never had a job in the field before. This is why you need to get your name out there and do basic work for people that you know and hopefully get them to spread word about your work. I'll use a friend's experience as an example.
My friend worked with code; he would run minecraft servers and code plugins for the server and make some cool apps for android while he was at it. Here's his website: http://www.pigeoncraft.com/
Eventually, he started getting people coming to him to code plugins or make apps. None of this was through any company, all of it was social networking that got his name out there. After coding for all these people and making a semi-popular game for the android store, he had some good info for his resume. This eventually landed him a good programming job.
You can do this same thing with IT or Networking. You can just as easily start repairing computers or setting up home networks for friends/family. If you do a good enough job, then they will more than likely spread word of your freelance work. My only suggestion is that you get and A+ certification before messing around with hardware. All of this experience is exactly what businesses are looking for on resumes; it's what makes your resume stand out from the crowd of people with absolutely no experience. Doing this freelance work for people shows that you have hands-on experience and initiative to do this kind of work.
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3) Make sure you have good social skills.
I'll use the ORE school server as an example for this. If you aren't able to become a teacher simply because you aren't good at conveying the information to someone, then you need to work on your social skills. In the IT field, you aren't just working alone and putting stuff together, you're going to have to talk to people to figure out what is wrong with a machine, or what they want you to do for their company. If you can't easily talk to them and explain things so that they can understand you, then you probably won't get a job in this field too easily.
Obviously, being able to easily talk to people comes with experience. However, one thing that makes explaining a subject much easier is having confidence in your own knowledge. If you know that you're the best at what you do, it makes explaining it extremely easy. So make sure you know what you're talking about before you try to explain it to someone.
Those are the best three tips I can think of when it comes to preparing for your career. If you want a high paying job, you'll have to make sacrifices. That means you'll probably have to limit your video gaming or time watching TV to about an hour or two a day. In my opinion, it's completely worth it.
Also don't get too comfortable in a single field of computing; you will more than likely change fields multiple times until you find the one that you're most comfortable in. Try your best to try new things to help find out which one is best for you.
Thank you for your time. Happy job hunting. :3
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TIPS FOR THE YOUNGER OR LESS EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, PLEASE COMMENT WITH THOSE TIPS.
RE: Tips for getting your IT/Networking career started - Jmking80 - 02-11-2014
Thank you for taking the time to write this.
RE: Tips for getting your IT/Networking career started - WrytXander - 02-12-2014
Great read! Thanks!