Looking to get into IT

[VulgarDisplay]

I'm looking to get into IT and I was wondering if a Geek Squad job is a decent way to get useful experience?

I know it's probably a little bit below what I feel I am able to do, but it's IT related and something that can go on my resume that has no current IT work on it at all.

Any opinions about he Geek Squad as a way to get my foot in the door?

 

[steppinthrax]

Do you have a degree?

Do you have any certificates?

 

[seepy83]

I have no opinions about geek squad in particular, but I'll just say that everyone has to start somewhere. For some people it's a help desk, for others a computer repair shop, etc. That being said, down the road you may have a little bit of an uphill battle breaking into the corporate world with a start at Geek Squad (because it's so much more consumer-oriented) as opposed to someone that has started at a help desk for a business/enterprise.

 

[steppinthrax]

If you have some certs or a degree in comp sci or IT you could go higher then geek squad. But if you don't you will have to find a basic helpdesk tech support job. I hate working retail. You need to spend much of your time trying to convince a manager that you can do a "sit down" tech support or helpdesk support position. I would try a federal contractor. At least something that you can move up in levels.

 

[theevilsharpie]

Any opinions about he Geek Squad as a way to get my foot in the door?

Geek Squad is a retail job that just to happens to have some basic involvement with desktop computers. It's not an IT job, and won't be viewed as such by IT hiring managers.

If you just need any job to pay the bills, go for it (it beats flipping burgers). But if your goal is to break into the IT industry, look elsewhere.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

Agreed, stay away from Geek Squad. They want sales experience in that position with only a touch of computer knowledge.

 

[dabuddha]

There was a member here who posted a few days back saying he wanted to get out of IT completely. Maybe you two could do a swap?

 

[Oyeve]

Is it even called it anymore? When I started it 28 years ago it was hard. I came out of college and I had interned at Wang. I then worked at a it consulting company before landing a career job at rca for 15 or so years. Today its easy to do it work but I have no idea how to get into it. Back in the 80s when I started it was a specialized field that paid awesome but what it was then was a he'll of a lot harder than it is now. It is saturated and real money doesn't happen until you get to my level. Real important to get degrees today. Make sure you really want to and specialize in higher function it like network engineering.

 

[Saint Nick]

I worked at Geek Squad for a year. It gave me some decent experience in PC repair, but a lot of it was stuff I already knew. It opened up some doors for me to go intern at larger corporations. I'm now a software developer. Very glad I'm not in help desk.

I'd say go for it.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

I don't have any certifications yet. I'm in the Cisco Networking Academy for a CCNA at a local community college and during the summer break I'm going to get take the test to get the CompTIA A+ and probably the MCSA.

That's really the problem is that I don't have the certifications yet and my degree is in Graphic Design (which I hate) and I currently manage housekeeping at a local hospital (which I hate more. I mean I really hate this job. A Lot.) There's not a lot of work for a carpenter these days which I did before the housekeeping manager gig but I actually liked a lot.

 

[Saint Nick]

First off -- what do you want to work on in the IT industry? Networking? I'd skip the A+. The CCNA would be great. Try to see if your local college can help you find an internship. You won't just be able to get into any job with certs alone. Well, maybe, but that probably wouldn't be a place I would want to work.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

First off -- what do you want to work on in the IT industry? Networking? I'd skip the A+. The CCNA would be great. Try to see if your local college can help you find an internship. You won't just be able to get into any job with certs alone. Well, maybe, but that probably wouldn't be a place I would want to work.

I took the first two classes out of four for the CCNA cert at the college and did really well and liked it a lot. The problem is that the last two aren't offered until the fall, and I'm really looking for a way to escape my current job before I wind up as a headline on the 6 o'clock news.

 

[Saint Nick]

Are you able to work a lower paying internship or do you have a family? It wouldn't be for long -- just long enough to get your feet wet. Sometimes, if you're lucky, interns get hired on as full timers. That's what happened to me

 

[Oyeve]

Are you able to work a lower paying internship or do you have a family? It wouldn't be for long -- just long enough to get your feet wet. Sometimes, if you're lucky, interns get hired on as full timers. That's what happened to me

true. When I was IT director at BMG I hired 42 interns for the global network group. Most of them are still in IT today after 20 years and many of them are making more than me!

 

[Saint Nick]

I shouldn't say "if you're lucky". If you're a hard worker and prove to be valuable to the IT dept at your organization, they will want to retain you. Even if they say there are no positions open, sometimes co-workers will make a case to retain a specific employee.

I strongly suggest you do everything possible to get an internship, or some sort of experience. Work your college and your network -- see what is out there.

 

[Udgnim]

I'm looking to get into IT and I was wondering if a Geek Squad job is a decent way to get useful experience?

it's a start

what you'd get out of a Geek Squad job is basic computer repair/support knowledge, customer service skills, and interaction with many different personalities and technical backgrounds

depending on what you do, IT can be a very service oriented position and is definitely service oriented if doing help desk / desktop support

do not expect IT to be purely about the technical stuff. most positions have some level of user / customer interaction.

 

[james1701]

On the same subject, does this skills list look ok for a starting IT resume when getting into the business field beyond small pc repair business? Maybe add a Net+ certificate in a couple of weeks.

• A+ Certification Pending • Cisco • AC/DC Repair
• Microsoft Office • Client Implementation • Managerial Experience
• Network Essentials • PC Repair • Customer Service
• Security Procedures • Deep Freeze • Cash Handling
• Windows Server 08 • Project Planning • Customer Relations
•Repair and upgrade PC’s, Windows versions 3.1, 95, 98, ME, XP, Vista, 7 and 8, and Bob

 

[TridenT]

Agreed, stay away from Geek Squad. They want sales experience in that position with only a touch of computer knowledge.

This. Stay the fuck away. I am glad I never got a job there.

 

[Ns1]

Geek Squad is a retail job that just to happens to have some basic involvement with desktop computers. It's not an IT job, and won't be viewed as such by IT hiring managers.

If you just need any job to pay the bills, go for it (it beats flipping burgers). But if your goal is to break into the IT industry, look elsewhere.

so much this.

 

[Rinaun]

I'd suggest avoiding geeksquad and other namebrand PC repair places. Getting hands-on experience with users and their (sometimes trivial) hardware/software issues at smaller businesses is a great way to start off in entry level IT work. I run my own IT consulting company, and personally I haven't had any of my clients whine about me not having certifications so far, granted a large portion of my clients aren't tech-savvy.

 

[eldorado99]

I say the best way to get in is internship.

 

[seepy83]

On the same subject, does this skills list look ok for a starting IT resume when getting into the business field beyond small pc repair business? Maybe add a Net+ certificate in a couple of weeks.

• A+ Certification Pending • Cisco • AC/DC Repair
• Microsoft Office • Client Implementation • Managerial Experience
• Network Essentials • PC Repair • Customer Service
• Security Procedures • Deep Freeze • Cash Handling
• Windows Server 08 • Project Planning • Customer Relations
•Repair and upgrade PC’s, Windows versions 3.1, 95, 98, ME, XP, Vista, 7 and 8, and Bob

Please take 3.1, 95, 98, ME, and Bob off your resume. Bob?!? Really? I would never interview you. Not one single minute of a phone interview.

Also, forget A+ "pending". Either you have a cert or you don't. Anyone in the world can put CCIE pending, or Ph. D. pending...doesn't mean they will get it.

Elaborate more on what you know or have done. Listing things like Cisco and Windows Server 08 are extremely broad "skills". It gives the impression that you may be listing these things just to bypass HR filters, and if that's the case you might be completely chewed apart in an interview.