By employed I mean get a job in the industry either offline or online. Ideally something that would highly likely remain in-demand in the near future.
By employed I mean get a job in the industry either offline or online. Ideally something that would highly likely remain in-demand in the near future.
Self study here, but I’ve been in IT for almost 30 years now.
For someone that is determined most of the certifications out there can be attained through self study. That’s how I got my MCSE, CCNA, Red Hat Linux, and CLP (Certified Lotus Professional, yeah I know, no one has ever heard of it). I studied while working a helpdesk job and was hired by the sysadmin department of the same company. I attained the CLP, because at the time 2002 or so, there were not many Lotus/ Domino admins and there were a lot of companies, particularly insurance companies and Coca Cola, used it extensively. Being a Lotus/Domino admin got me a lot of attention at the time, but today it is worthless.
Knocking door to door with a cert and no actual experience will be a much tougher route to take, but it is definitely possible.
If it is what you want to do, there is no reason for you to crack a book today and start learning.
Thanks a lot for putting in the effort to answer thoughtfully!
So since right now I’m not in the field at all (I’m just an English teacher in Asia), what would you do if you were in my shoes? I’ve got some understanding of how computers and networks work but it’s all pretty basic with no programming knowledge. Would you still get a cert or would you first try to get a help desk job online? Or something else? Feeling really stuck here…
If you feel proficient it the usual windows environment, I’d re ommend to start at a helpdesk job like at an MSP.
Smaller MSPs also make it possible to aquire more knowledge in other fields if you are advancing and showing proactive interest.
That’s how I started my job career.
Though this heavily depends on the work place and culture at the company.
At a minimum it helps to show interest. :)
I just saw my last sentence and cringed. I meant to say there’s no reason for you to NOT crack a book and start learning. Sorry about that.
Programming, or Software Development is not Sysadmin work. While becoming a Software Developer will give you some Sys Admin skills, that’s the long way to go about it, if your primary goal isn’t to be a Developer.
Experience sells in Information Technology. Next in line are Certifications. Getting a helpdesk job would be your first step. While working on the helpdesk, start studying for certifications. It is said that Microsoft Engineers drive their Chevy’s, Network Engineers drive BMW’s, and Linux engineers fly their private jet to work.
If you have no experience, then start looking for low end help desk jobs and start studying ASAP. There are many online study guides and courses.