Getting into IT

[ponyfitness]

Wondering if any peeps here are either in this industry and can give a guy some advice on the best path. I'm looking to get into this as not only an interest I could get paid for but also to make myself far more marketable. Everything I'm reading says to start with A+ and work up from there to CCNA and MCSE.

I know some people who do the 1 year courses at colleges and then rack up a bunch of certs but then don't have any experience so still can't get hired. Then there are dabblers who have a couple of certs and great jobs. How did you get into it and what path would you take?

 

[jackangel]

I just got a job in IT again, after quitting my previous (non-IT) job, moving to California, and bumming around for a year. However, I have a CS degree, without which this job would have been practically impossible to get. Even those with degrees like mine are apparently having trouble getting jobs. With that kind of climate, any path you take still means that you're drowning in a sea of competition. Perhaps if you focus in areas where Obama's attention will go, like renewable energy, it might help you find an opportunity.

 

[Razorguns]

IT can be great.

And it can also be pure hell if you enter an IT dept full of deadlines, crappy technology, people not wanting to do work, fatsos that only care about the paycheck and not give a rats ass about computers, always scared of outsourcing, and the worst - people who always want the do the most complex lengthy solution possible cuz it means more job security for them, and keeps them busy with work. Oh and the work is boring as fuck unless you're a freak who enjoys sitting in a cube normalizing databases and creating business layer flowcharts. Oh and dealing with office drama will be your second job.

Be careful what you choose.

r

 

[Dial_tone]

It depends a lot on what, if anything, you want to specialize in - network support, security, programming/web development, etc. I would probably start with A+ if you don't know much about computers. If you do then it's info you might already know so I'd jump right to MCP/MCSE.

There's not much point in getting a CCNA unless you're going to be touching Cisco hardware. I got one but by the time I finished it I wasn't really dealing with Cisco so I never actually used it. An MCSE will get you farther since every computer will run Windows but only a handful of people in a company get to handle the firewall/routers.

 

[-SD-]

this would be great if it was 1997

 

[jackangel]

this would be great if it was 1997

Lol.

 

[SpyWizard]

with an mcse you can get hired period...

with a Computer Science degree you can get hired and they will train you in what is worth while for them..

that's the way to go..