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I've been working for 15 years since graduating college (have a business degree) in sales, customer service and account management positions. I want a change. I enjoy tinkering and troubleshooting computers and fixing electronic devices. I was thinking about getting an A+ certification so I can get a helpdesk or technical support job and begin a career in IT.
Can I get a helpdesk or technical support job with just an A+ certification?
Do I have to have actual experience before I can get a job?
What else do I need to do to get in?
What would the pay be like for someone like me?
What should I focus on in my resume? If I previously completed SAP training (even though that was @ 5 years ago and I don't use it today - do I include it on my resume?)
I don't mind going through a recruiter, working as a contractor or taking on 6months - 1 year assignments to get in the door and gain actual experience.
I have worked for telecommunication clients (Nortel Networks, AT&T, Sprint) in the past managing accounts and order entry (not now presently) but I really want to make this change.
Any suggestions, tips to help me make this transition would be welcomed.
I've been working for 15 years since graduating college (have a business degree) in sales, customer service and account management positions. I want a change. I enjoy tinkering and troubleshooting computers and fixing electronic devices. I was thinking about getting an A+ certification so I can get a helpdesk or technical support job and begin a career in IT.
Can I get a helpdesk or technical support job with just an A+ certification?
Do I have to have actual experience before I can get a job?
What else do I need to do to get in?
What would the pay be like for someone like me?
What should I focus on in my resume? If I previously completed SAP training (even though that was @ 5 years ago and I don't use it today - do I include it on my resume?)
I don't mind going through a recruiter, working as a contractor or taking on 6months - 1 year assignments to get in the door and gain actual experience.
I have worked for telecommunication clients (Nortel Networks, AT&T, Sprint) in the past managing accounts and order entry (not now presently) but I really want to make this change.
Any suggestions, tips to help me make this transition would be welcomed.
You could try with just A+ but that's pretty barebones. If you can get MCP status with Microsoft that would be more ideal for helpdesk. Maybe you could use your past exp and be a business analyst or something.
Not a good plan. Assume you finished college at 21 or so that makes you 36 or so and even if you have the most "baby face" it is gonna be obvious that you could be the PARENT of some the GED holders that typically have a fresh A+ cert... No good employer is gonna do anything other than put that kind of person in a minimum wage call center or maybe ferrying out parts to "white glove service" extended warranties.
There are billboards up along expressways for folks with skills building out data centers with machines hosting Linux. It is not hard to pass the Red Hat certifications. While you are doing that get some old used enterprise grade Dell, HP, or IBM x86 servers and study the manufactures documentation. For a real plus get some hands-on practice putting them in data center style rail kits, swapping out RAID configuration batteries, cabling up the on-board remote management / IP consoles and other routine stuff. You ought to be able to land a job paying about $20/hr if you score well on the automated tests they give and can work long hours. If you want to do this sort of hands on stuff in noisy, oddly ventilated data centers with no external signage you won't see your earnings grow unless you can also take on task like understanding large scale storage systems and highly virtualized systems management.
I think there is still big demand for folks doing security stuff. From the hands-on setup and configuration of network devices / firewalls to the more cloak and danger anti-hacking efforts to stuff like Edward Snowden this stuff all pays way better than merely setting up even the most industrial grade server -- security stuff is by is nature segregated from other IT functions and tends to be highly dependent on skills and things like age / background is a whole lot wider than other more mainstream efforts in IT.
Try taking some community college courses in IT and get a couple of certifications like A+ and N+. Contact your local recruitment agency and see if they have any available opportunities. There seems to be a lot of contract roles so be prepared that you may have to jump from contract to contract. There is some agism as far as in the entry-level helpdesk role. I've encountered some myself at 28 in IT. It's never too late to chase your dreams.
I think there is still big demand for folks doing security stuff. From the hands-on setup and configuration of network devices / firewalls to the more cloak and danger anti-hacking efforts to stuff like Edward Snowden this stuff all pays way better than merely setting up even the most industrial grade server -- security stuff is by is nature segregated from other IT functions and tends to be highly dependent on skills and things like age / background is a whole lot wider than other more mainstream efforts in IT.
Yes but to be fair, a full 99.999999% of Americans are wholly unequiped to perform Snowden's work. On top of everything he needed to know technically, he also needed a clearance and an advanced security certification (-IAM Level II 8570.01 M Certification (i.e. CAP, GSLC, CISM or CISSP)).
CISSP requires 5 year of experience + the $560 exam
CISM requires 5 Years experience plus the test
GSLC is what, $1000 if you don't take the exam
Perform job searches for some of the positions you'd be interested in and companies you'd like to work for. Look at the minimum requirements and the recommended skill sets. Plan out a strategy from the information you gather.
In terms of pay, consult sites like payscale and glassdoor for those companies/positions. You'll get a rough idea.
I had a CompTIA A+, it helped get a job that payed $8/hr doing internet tech support. If I had to do it all over again, I would skip it. It wasn't worth the time or effort.
It was easier to move towards a superuser role that works close to IT. Years later, I became a shipping clerk for $11-12/hr at an office. I learned how to use Excel and create queries in Access. 4 years later, I moved worked as a liaison between IT and business, while also doing Access queries for $50k/yr. Now, I make over $80k/yr creating SQL queries. If I want to go further, I can go into BI development.
In the end, it was cheaper and easier to grow my skills as the office guy with basic database reporting skills than a Comptia A+ cert guy.
I've been in IT forever. It pays well, and that's where it ends. The hours are long, and the stress is slowly eating my soul. I'm still plotting my escape, but it's not easy. I'm afraid that I'm going to drop dead in IT, but I try to keep it real. There are people who would trade places with me in a second, because they're not working at all. Why don't I just quit? My landlord never asks me about what I think about my profession.
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