I need a career change, thinking about information technology where should i start

[slowjoecrow]

I am a 35 year old cop who is tired of making $30,000 a year. I can no longer stand to listen to some uneducated elected official tell me that a 3.5% salary increase is a fantastic raise. Where do you think I should start?:disgust:

 

[ToBeMe]

IMHO......keep your current job (with the state of the economy) and begin reading and studying everything you can about networking, troubleshooting, etc.. Maybe even take some night/online courses toward a cert.. More than anything though......get some "Hands On Expierience" (i.e. getting the certs isn't all that hard.......actually knowing what to do and how to do it is the part that comes in handy on the job!)

 

[spaceman]

I just enrolled back in college in the IT program.The 1st time round i majored in studio art(painting,sculpting)etc........so i know how you feel.
Still,im psyched!

 

[nitrousninja]

They usually don't let you carry a gun as a network admin though.

 

[ToBeMe]

<< They usually don't let you carry a gun as a network admin though. >>


I don't know..........may eliminate a LOT of user error though!:Q LOL!

 

[dman]

Oh, an Admin carrying a gun is NOT a good idea...

 

[dman]

If you are not the admin that is.

 

[Shockwave]

Right now, man stay outta this industry. Its TOUGH. Of course, if you want a degree before comin in, this is the perfect time. Start with getting a degree. I dont think certifications are all that good anymore, because your starting to get alot of paper techies. Once their on the job, they usually dont know what their doin....So, I wouldnt just get an IT job right now. But! I would start to make my moves on getting an IT job, such as maybe looking to get a degree (even an Associates), buying some good entry level books, get a PC (which you obviously have!). And read read read! Decide what you want to do! Are you wanting more WAN? or LAN? WAN, well, you dont need to know jack about a pc. LAN? You better know a server like the back of your hand. Administrative? A good overall understanding of the technology is good, without focusing on any one part. Keep in mind, you will never understand EVERYTHING about IT, so decide where y9ou want to focus. But! If I had to recommend one thing to learn, a keystone if you will, it would be Cisco equipment. You simply dont know how many people use Cisco. It allows you to go either WAN or LAN, since everyone from MAJOR telecomm companies to mom and pop shops use it.
Hope that helps!

 

[y2kc]

Shockwave pretty much summed it all up, It is tough out here right now .Companies are wise to all of the paper admins and are very wary of IT school grads. Get a degree (associates,BA). Don't get me wrong, you could still go out and grab your A+, CCNA and maybe a couple of MS certs (via home study and lab) while in the process of getting a degree and seeing if someone will give you a shot in an entry level position somewhere. I've been where you are (still am really) and I hope you don't make the same mistakes I have. I'm between jobs now and as soon as I land somewhere I'm starting night school to get the comp sci degree. Best of luck to you.

 

[Nitemare]

I changed careers about 4 years ago. I was a materials handler for a manufacturing plant *cringe*. Mean't I drove heavy equipment and had to deal with some managers from hell for peanuts. I was always a geeky type of person though, so I took a data entry position as I had no work experience with any computers. I assisted the dept in minor computer problems while I studied for my microsoft exams.

I passed two of them and started looking. No one was really hiring because I had no genuine work experience...couldn't even get a help desk position, but not like I really wanted one either(even had one that I was overqualified for with 0 experience..lol). Finally, by the time I passed my third one I got a job at Insight building computers from scratch.

I worked there for a couple of months until I could build them in my sleep, passed my last Microsoft exam for the core. Then I got a desktop support position, completely bypassed helpdesk at a major hospital.

I did that for about 9 months, then I took some jobs moving labs from one building to another and setting them back up. They liked me so they brought me in as a software tester. Eventually finished my electives to become a fullfledge MCSE. After that project ended I took the one I am in now, doing software support.

30k a year isn't that bad, unless you are in a larger city. If you are looking to get into the IT field with 0 experience, you will take a pay cut. Those commercials on the radio and newspapers...The average salary for an MCSE is 60 thousand a year...hehe yeah right. They neglect to tell you that unless you have a degree and/or work experience you won't be making squat. This is why I am going back for my BS in Computer Engineering. The only job security is being more marketable and knowing more than the rest of the job seekers. This is why I don't limit myself to hardware or software. I like them both. I know some about all platforms except Mac, but I don't classify it as a platform. You will only see them in graphics departments. Know some databases and programming and be able to troubleshoot.

This is a bad time to be switching to IT though. There are alot of unemployed IT workers out there that have actual work experience. I would suggest enrolling in some IT courses in your local community college and doing some self studying at home. I love the Exam Cram series of books for studying for the MCSE exams..I passed all of them on my first try.

Good luck in whatever you decide though.