[RESOLVED] Tech Career advice

[nextstep]

I'm just finishing up some school training for A+ Cert. and want to find a different job. Does anyone have any advice? such as what field to jump into, where to post resumes, what to stay away from.

[Jvaguy]

id check monster.com and flipdog.com and id get into MCSD soooo many people are going into MCSE .. so be different and make the money! Im going that way .. and one day hope to be something rather then just a pc tech

[DaOnly123Kid]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Jvaguy:
.. and one day hope to be something rather then just a pc tech</font>

there is nothing else techs are computer gods, so why would you want to be anything else....(except hugh heffner)

[Danrak]

I think it depends on what you want to do.

If you like networking go get your MSCE, CNE or whatever NOS you wish you study.

If you like programing go for your programing degree or MSCD.

They are many things to choose from, so choose which you feel comfortable, or like/want to do.

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.·°Danrak°·.
Never let the facts get in the way of a carefully thought-out bad decision.

[gbbone]

May I suggest looking into not just networking but wireless networking. Wireless is going to become more important as the hardware continues to improve. I've been involved in wireless for several years. Qualified technicians with both networking knowledge and knowledge of radio wave propagation are hard to find.

Whatever you decide make sure it's something you like. Don't choose your career based soley on speculation of your future worth. Remember, if you truly like your job then you will never "work" a day in your life.

Damn, I must be getting old. I'm talking like my Dad...

[thirdfey]

Look at CCNA and MCSE2K. Cisco wants MCSE2k'ers to be using there new voice over IP technologies. Not just a regular MCSE, must be certified 2000

[iateyourcat]

get a job as a bench tech to support you while you learn whatever it is you want to do. you learn your way around machines and the OS while your a bench tech. from there you can write code or become a dba or network admin or nt admin. these are sort of the top of the chain and you work your way up doing support for one thing or another. that's been my experience anyway..

check out computerjobs.com, monster.com and look at the job descriptions. then, do your research on what those jobs are all about.. get into some detail when you do.

i'd recommend networking right now.. they say that networking is going to feul the economy for the next couple years and i agree.

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=-iateyourcat-=

[myarema]

I suggest something along the lines of

"WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT????"



I hear it can be very rewarding.

[Randolph]

It is better to start in a small computer shop, then move to a big company. after that maybe you could make your own business =).

[BillTech]

Stay away from people!! Don't persue any job where you'll have to deal with people hands on. Try and get an engineering job.

[Pinnacle]

Many people early in their computer careers end up either in a help desk position or as a bench tech. Of the two, I would suggest a bench tech. It will give you a good base knowledge that you can expand off of. I would certainly NOT suggest a help desk position. I have never held such a position, but it looks very, very frustrating. After a year in a help desk job your hair will be gray, your hands will shake, and you will be smoking two packs a day.

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"Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I'll remember. Involve me, and I'll learn." -- Marla Jones

[kpataska]

Drink heavily...

A+ means, just like most CNE's (useless now except for legacy systems), MCSE's, N+'s, etc that you can study a book and regurgitate the answers.

You need practical experience. That's what gets your resume noticed.

You will have to take some low paying, non glamourous jobs to progress. A position at a Helpdesk is a good start - it teaches customer interaction skills that -=# NO #=- computer school ever teaches. If you have all the tech skills in the world and cannot interact with customers you will fail until you own a server farm with someone else being the faceman...

Learn everything you can. Interact with other support levels (Desktop Support, Network Support, etc). Try to get on projects if possible. This is the only way to get practical experience.

I cut my PC/LAN teeth at a place where I earned $8 an hour and charged $50 an hour for. It stunk, but I took those skills to a $24k/yr Tier I support (ZDS Notebooks - could anything be worse?!?!?), then to a MAJOR healthcare corp doing Tier I/II/III (from answering the phone to light net admin) to my own business.

Gain as much information as possible. Be friendly to people that you hate. Be a resource that all people want to come to.

Technical knowledge means NOTHING without customer service skills. When they ask for YOU specifically, you know you're on the right track!!!

Good Luck!!!

Kenny P.

[xtac]

It all depends on what you want to do in “Computers”. Networking (LAN or/and WAN), Programming, WEB development, Help Desk, System Admin., Translation, Security, Database, Plumbing (not in a house), etc.

I might suggest learning the basics of M$, but specialize in a Linux. Unix/Linux Admins get about $20,000 more per year than there equivalent M$ guru does in my area of the woods.

[FUBAR]

Networking: a limited set of challenges unless you are working for a company that does really big project. Think Fortune 500...

Programming: Endless challenges but can be real donkey work requiring 24-36 hr "shifts". Depends, like everything, on who you work for.

Frustration: available in endless amounts whichever way you go. In the 20 years I have been doing this I can't say I have witnessed an increase in the general populations IQ!

Advise: Take the job, get the skills and move on! Remain disavowed of the company philosophy. It will never be to make you a lot of money or move you up the ladder.

Good luck!

[iateyourcat]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Pinnacle:
..snip..I would certainly NOT suggest a help desk position. I have never held such a position, but it looks very, very frustrating. After a year in a help desk job your hair will be gray, your hands will shake, and you will be smoking two packs a day.

</font>

cough cough.. depends on what level your doing support for and how your doing it. if you can repair a machine remotely without trying to talk a user through left click, right click, you can keep your sanity. sms remote control, regedit, rclient, and hyena make the day go by without ever once considering mass homocide.


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=-iateyourcat-=