GetStartedInIT.com has posted a new article: Computer Careers Without Experience: Is it Possible?
GetStartedInIT.com has posted a new article called Computer Careers Without Experience: Is it Possible?
Computer Careers Without Experience: Is it Possible?
Computer Careers Without Experience – Is it Possible?
Starting an IT Career with no experience is a daunting, and difficult prospect, but landing computer careers without experience, is not impossible. Far from it.
Let’s get the first thing straight: Experience is undeniably more important than having IT Qualifications.
A lot of IT newbies eagerly hunting computer careers will think that by sitting on a course, and passing an exam, they will land an IT job. You can’t buy your way into an IT career.
Why are computer careers hard to come by without experience?
As IT companies and departments have access to confidential company data, they are reluctant to open up ‘apprentice’ roles. By working in IT, you will need to be trustworthy. If an IT department needs an ‘intern’ or apprentice, the job will entail nothing more than shredding old IT records, or creating computer accounts. But having said that, computer careers have to start somewhere.
Computer Careers: Breaking the no experience > no job cycle
OK, lets start at the very beginning:
Make sure you are at least able to build and fix a PC. Offer to help others fix theirs. Eventually you might be able to offer your services in the local area as a part time job which will build confidence with computers. By doing this you will open yourself up to being able to apply for junior hardware technician jobs. Usually this means scurrying around installing and fixing PCs, printers and network cabling. This is how a huge percentage of IT workers start their computer careers.
If you are a student, keep an eye out for helping out the IT department at your college or university. These often appear in the holidays as they don’t have the number of staff they need to undertake large projects during the quieter times. This is how I started in IT. I lifted and shifted boxes for the IT department in my college (which was about all I was qualified to do…). Eventually I started picking up some of the ‘lingo’, and did research on it in my own time. I was soon able to nudge my way into conversations, and got noticed by the IT manager. I was very lucky to start my computer career this way.
Set up a lab with VMware/Hyper-v. Practice makes perfect. Details on setting up a lab coming soon, with some top tips on building a lab ‘server’ cheaply, and a brief overview on the type of things you will need to learn when you look for computer careers (Having a lab is great but without knowing what to do with it is pointless!)
Recruitment companies in your local area often have contracts with big banks. Big banks need lower skilled contractors (often for reasonable pay) to work on jobs from 2 weeks, to 3 months or longer. Bear in mind that you might need security clearance, although this is becoming less common for the private sector, but people often start as a contractor and extend their computer careers at the same bank after being taken on full time.
If you know anyone in the IT field, talk to them about what they do, during a typical day (most people working in IT do not have a typical day!)
IMPORTANT: if/when you get a short-term contract, don’t feel disheartened by the work you are doing, its not long term, and not reflective of ‘normal’ computer careers.
The key thing is to soak in all of the information, vocabulary, different ways to talk to customers/users and do research on words you pick up during the day. You immediately have experience on your CV. Not much, but enough to start you on a ladder full of different computer careers.
Keep checking out GetStartedInIT.com for more and more info. I will be calling in favours from a few of my friends in the field to chat about their experiences too, as well as elaborating on the basic things you should have experience of when working towards a career in computers, and hopefully some interview examples and tips!
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