Which IT career is right for me?

[itcareer]

First and foremost, I'm not looking for a career that is considered the best, I am looking for a career that I would be good at, and most importantly - enjoy.

Below I'll describe myself, after you read it, I'm open to recommendations.

I enjoy creating, inventing, finding new and better ways to do things, making sure that me or someone else is doing a high quality job and is competent to do it in the first place. I also enjoy managing to workflow, noticing problems early and preventing them from happening, creating strategic plans to achieve a particular goal. I like theory a lot and I can spend hours talking to someone about one or multiple theories about anything. If it is a theory about what's the outcome of one's action, I often prove to be correct when it happens.

I do not enjoy getting my hands dirty: for example I do not like programming due to the need to learn a lot of rather mundane rules and the need to use already established methods; it opposes to what I've described in the previous paragraph. That being said, I dislike learning dull things and doing repetitive work.

My current experience/knowledge: I have successfully found and managed multiple game servers, game teams and sites, I have written articles for gaming sites, I have quite a lot of knowledge about general software, hardware and games. I also have years of practical experience of maintaining my own system, configuring it, using many different programs without reading a guide prior to that, etc..

Additional request: Along with the question, do mention a certificate(s) that I could take to have something to show to the employer. After all, no education and this experience wouldn't impress anybody unless they know the details, and even then it's questionable.

P.S. If something's unclear, feel free to ask for more details.

P.P.S. Can't do degree - it costs, and I'm not willing to go in-debt due to the poor system where I live. However, I can get certificates.

 

[Ns1]

business analyst

requires: related degree

 

[dougp]

I am not looking for a career that's considered a good and worthy, I'm looking for a career that'd allow me to do what I enjoy, therefore don't take into account availability.

Here's what I'm interested in, read it and let me know your thoughts and recommendations:

I enjoy creating and inventing, thinking of new, better and more efficient ways to do things, managing the workflow, making sure that someone else (or me) is doing a good high-quality job. I'm good at noticing problems early (hence thinking of improvements), preventing them from happening. I enjoy creating strategic layouts and plans on how to achieve a particular goal.

I do not enjoy getting my hands as dirty as it's required in programming, I don't like having to learn a lot of dull things (syntax, using an already found way of doing something over and over again, etc.).

Currently I'm unemployed and not studying.



First and foremost, I'm not looking for a career that is considered the best, I am looking for a career that I would be good at, and most importantly - enjoy.

Below I'll describe myself, after you read it, I'm open to recommendations.

I enjoy creating, inventing, finding new and better ways to do things, making sure that me or someone else is doing a high quality job and is competent to do it in the first place. I also enjoy managing to workflow, noticing problems early and preventing them from happening, creating strategic plans to achieve a particular goal. I like theory a lot and I can spend hours talking to someone about one or multiple theories about anything. If it is a theory about what's the outcome of one's action, I often prove to be correct when it happens.

I do not enjoy getting my hands dirty: for example I do not like programming due to the need to learn a lot of rather mundane rules and the need to use already established methods; it opposes to what I've described in the previous paragraph. That being said, I dislike learning dull things and doing repetitive work.

My current experience/knowledge: I have successfully found and managed multiple game servers, game teams and sites, I have written articles for gaming sites, I have quite a lot of knowledge about general software, hardware and games. I also have years of practical experience of maintaining my own system, configuring it, using many different programs without reading a guide prior to that, etc..

Additional request: Along with the question, do mention a certificate(s) that I could take to have something to show to the employer. After all, no education and this experience wouldn't impress anybody unless they know the details, and even then it's questionable.

P.S. If something's unclear, feel free to ask for more details.

Are you willing to get your hands dirty and do some programming?

 

[JamesV]

Quality Assurance.

You can get into an entry level position with next to no technical knowledge, and grow from there if you want. I did this in a medical software company, moving to programming a year later.

 

[sze5003]

Are you willing to get your hands dirty and do some programming?

He says no to this

 

[Saint Nick]

Business Process Analyst

 

[dougp]

He says no to this

You haven't been here long enough to understand the sarcasm tag.

 

[xaeniac]

Word of advice: Don't go into IT.

 

[richardycc]

project manager, they just tell everyone how things ought to be done, but don't do anything. It's your ideal job.

 

[GobBluth]

Word of advice: Don't go into IT.

This..

You're not cut out for this career field.

Hosting game "servers" and building domain controllers are like comparing apples to underpaid strippers.

My advice, if you don't like "getting your hands dirty" or coding or learning "mundane" rules. Stay out of IT. Go get a job at the geek squad.

 

[itcareer]

business analyst

requires: related degree

Edited my post, can't do degree.

Are you willing to get your hands dirty and do some programming?

No, I can't stand programming. I get bored really quickly, therefore I can't do a good job at it. I do pretty good the first 30 minutes or so, until I get utterly bored to the repetitive syntax and algorithm usage.

Quality Assurance.

You can get into an entry level position with next to no technical knowledge, and grow from there if you want. I did this in a medical software company, moving to programming a year later.

What exactly does quality assurance do, in IT section? I understand the general concept, but I'm asking for the details here. I'd appreciate if you could provide some.

Business Process Analyst

I think this not a good position for entry-level, I think it requires a shiny degree and probably experience. Correct me if I'm wrong however; I'm looking for a position that could be gotten with what I have and can get (can get only certificates).

You haven't been here long enough to understand the sarcasm tag.

Isn't directed to me, but programming isn't the only thing to do in IT; very poor sense of humor he has if that was sarcasm.

Word of advice: Don't go into IT.

Why shouldn't I go into IT?

project manager, they just tell everyone how things ought to be done, but don't do anything. It's your ideal job.

I sense hatred in your post.

Anyway, could this be done with certificates? Sounds quite a big-shot position as well for entry-level.

 

[itcareer]

This..

You're not cut out for this career field.

Hosting game "servers" and building domain controllers are like comparing apples to underpaid strippers.

My advice, if you don't like "getting your hands dirty" or coding or learning "mundane" rules. Stay out of IT. Go get a job at the geek squad.

Actually I like IT a lot, as far as I've been exposed to it, I am not interested as much in anything else.

Building hardware or coding software aren't the only fields out there.

 

[Schfifty Five]

How old are you? And where do you live?

 

[Schfifty Five]

Actually I like IT a lot, as far as I've been exposed to it, I am not interested as much in anything else.

Building hardware or coding software aren't the only fields out there.

It sounds like the only exposure you have so far is related to gaming and building your own computers. I have no experience with IT but it sounds like if you went to work for a company, it's not going to be like "hosting a gaming server".

 

[JM Aggie08]

It's going to be tough working anywhere worth a dam without some sort of degree.

What you've described appears to be more of a hobby than anything else.

 

[Saint Nick]

Don't go into IT. I'm already making my way out.

 

[sze5003]

Nothing in the real world will be like you describe. See if you can get a job with a consulting company. They train you in stuff like business analysys and pm roles then send you to various places to take part in meetings where you spew ideas out and such.

I like programming but I don't like the programming I'm doing at work , there is no perfect match in IT. It will become something you get used to or like for some time then it will be vastly different than your interests but nothing you can do. I like programming using the latest technologies, creating my own page, code, database ..etc but 9 out of 10 companies I don't get to do that, you use what they Give you and learn it no matter what your going in for.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

After the first two weeks they are all just jobs.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Don't go into IT. I'm already making my way out.

This. I can't find a way out though.

And OP, you said "can't do degree." Does this mean you don't currently have a degree? If so, I STRONGLY advise you get a degree. My last two companies wouldn't even look at you for an IT job unless you had a 4-year degree. I'm not saying I agree with it, but that's the way things seem to be headed.

 

[dougp]

Edited my post, can't do degree.

Why can't you do a degree?

No, I can't stand programming. I get bored really quickly, therefore I can't do a good job at it. I do pretty good the first 30 minutes or so, until I get utterly bored to the repetitive syntax and algorithm usage.

I hate to break this to you, but a majority of jobs, especially IT, have a lot of mundane tasks that get utterly boring and repetitive.

What exactly does quality assurance do, in IT section? I understand the general concept, but I'm asking for the details here. I'd appreciate if you could provide some.

QA in IT can do a lot of things, it largely depends on your actual skillset and the size of the company.

Isn't directed to me, but programming isn't the only thing to do in IT; very poor sense of humor he has if that was sarcasm.

I was giving you a hard time because you didn't proof read and realize that you had repeated a few things.

Why shouldn't I go into IT?

Because you really don't know what it's like. What a lot of people have already said cover this answer.

I sense hatred in your post.

Anyway, could this be done with certificates? Sounds quite a big-shot position as well for entry-level.

Hatred because great project managers are few and far between, and the bad ones make projects way too difficult.

As for what do I think you'd work well at? Datacenter Operations - find Red Squirrel and he can tell you what could get you in, but you'll start off as a grunt in support.

 

[SandEagle]

boy you sound like a straight shooter with upper management written all over you.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Hatred because great project managers are few and far between, and the bad ones make projects way too difficult.

dougp nailed why many (most?) of us in IT HATE project managers. If you have a great one, they're great; unfortunately, the signal to noise ratio is quite low in that profession.

 

[Saint Nick]

dougp nailed why many (most?) of us in IT HATE project managers. If you have a great one, they're great; unfortunately, the signal to noise ratio is quite low in that profession.

Aren't you going to go into accounting? I think that should be an easy switch... I am going for physical therapy (see you in four years)

 

[JM Aggie08]

Anyway, could this be done with certificates? Sounds quite a big-shot position as well for entry-level.

First off, no. Generally you have to put in your time and work your way up to a position like that. A company is not going to hire some Joe off the streets to head up projects, when he or she clearly has no clue about said companies business practices and policies.

Certificates that are not backed by some sort of a degree will get you absolutely nowhere, that is unless you want to work at some shady start-up or a not-for-profit.

 

[ImpulsE69]

boy you sound like a straight shooter with upper management written all over you.

I bet he'd love working on TPS reports.