This topic is very near and dear to my heart, as one of my students once told me: ‘I just want to make 6 or 7 figures’ after I asked why he wanted to work in IT.
Yes, 7 figures is not a typo!
Let the truth be told. Not everyone who works in IT will make $100,000 or more. The folks who do make this kind of money have worked very hard on their careers to get to where they are today. Most everyone I know had to start at the bottom at one point or another.
There is also no right or wrong way to get into this field. What do I mean by this?
I’ve heard of people who went to a University for 4 years to study Computer Science, only to find out that no one will hire them fresh out of College, due to the lack of real-world experience.
Others, do not even have a Computer Science degree and work in this field. As a matter of fact, some of the best IT guys I know have degrees from other disciplines such as Business, Geology, History, Psychology or even Criminal Justice.
Some have no College degree and get hired, based upon their knowledge and experience alone.
I was one of those individuals who took the College route… spent a lot of time to obtain a Bachelors and Masters degree, and then got my foot in the door and worked my way up from the bottom.
Now, if I had to do it all over again. I’d probably take a different route.
Don’t get me wrong. I feel that getting a formal education is very powerful. I’d tell anyone to go to school, since knowledge is power. But, I would use a different strategy.
My recommendation today would be as follows:
- Go to a technical school for an Associates degree in Computer Science, Networking, or other technical field.
- Obtain as many IT Certifications as possible while attending school (see my recommendations below)
- Start working in the field (more to come on this)
- While working part or full-time, begin working towards a Bachelors degree.
With the strategy outlined above, one will be able to cover a lot of different bases, mainly education, knowledge (Certifications) and work experience.
As your knowledge, education and work experience grows – so will your career and earnings.
So, what type of Certifications should a newbie go for?
Starting out I pretty much recommend that everyone at least get the trifecta of Certifications from CompTIA. Mainly the CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ Certifications.
This will give one a well-rounded vendor neutral base to jump off of. Some will argue that CompTIA Certifications are useless. But that is definitely not the case for someone who is just getting started in this field.
If you want to up the ante, I’d recommend adding an Operating System (OS) Certification to the mix. Such as the CompTIA Linux+ or some Microsoft Certifications (Windows or Server).
OK – I have my CompTIA Certifications and Associate degree in my hand. Now what?
How can I find a job?
At the beginning, I would recommend you volunteer your services. This can be done while you are still in school. Help family and friends with their computer as you build your skills.
Does your church or other non-profit organization need help? Volunteer. As you do this, your confidence will grow and if you do good work – people will recommend you to others where you can start charging for your services.
But, I thought you said I can get a real job?
There are sites such as Work Market and others that allow you to bid on jobs and do freelance work. They will usually pay $20-$25 an hour for some simple tasks.
I’d also recommend applying at Bestbuy for the Geeksquad, Help Desk or Network Operating Center (NOC) positions. Basically, any entry level IT position where you will be able to get your foot in the door and start building real-world experience.
Now, the pay may be low initially… $10 to $15 an hour (could be higher for some areas) and the work may be tedious and boring at first. But, if you are serious about IT – you will have to suck it up and get to work!
There is no magic bullet except for hard work and dedication. Also, don’t get into IT for the money. Only do this if you are really passionate about the field.
The money will follow if you do good work and your skills grow.
I have so much more to write about this topic and may do a part II in the future. But for now, I hope you have gotten some good pointers on how to get your career started.