Who works in IT?

wolfman

Graduated about 4 years ago with a degree in Computer Science and been a Java/.Net/Sql Developer for the likes of Microsoft, Intel, HP, Natwest since. Not seen any offshoring myself and don't see it as such a big problem as others do. Offshoring costs money to setup, maintain and monitor, spreads your resources, and can sometimes create a communication/language barrier. It does have many benefits, but certainly doesn't suit every company. It'll basically depend upon where you work and who you work for as to the threat.

It's all about choosing the right area to focus your skills in, and becoming as valuable as possible. Get that right and you shouldn't find employment too difficult. The hardest part is getting your foot in the door when you first start off.

If you're thinking of going down the IT support route Cisco is definitely worth learning. It's not really my area (used to maintain web servers, database servers etc...) but I've now fully switched to being a programmer. If you fancy going down the programming route, .Net and Visual Studio is very easy (relatively speaking) to pickup and get into. I'd definitely go for something server-side (as opposed to client side, html, css etc...).

I keep meaning to start an MCAD but haven't had the chance. For me the two benefits would be having it on my cv, and I'd get paid (I hope!) more as my company would receive more Microsoft contracts because of it (and reduced/free licenses). My company will be paying for it though, I'm not sure if it's something I'd pay for myself.

nej

Everybody's got an MCSE these days... but I'd still prefer someone with actual experience, rather than somebody who memorised the study guides...

I've been in IT for 10 years, and currently I'm a software engineer at a small division of a huge company.

Forget tech support, as everybody else has said that's now based in India, but it might start come back when the firms realise everybody hates this.

Look at field engineer type stuff (they can't outsource that so easily), especially networking/security. Take a CISCO course would be a good start. Plenty of positions for programmers and database guys, but again experience is the problem. Plenty of web-dev work too.

The problem is people see IT as this huge opportunity to instantly earn mega-bucks. Maybe 15-20 years ago this was true, but these days there are tons of people doing it, the wages have dropped accordingly and, as with everything else, experience is the key. You simply won't be able to do a course (even an MCSE) and walk straight into a mega-paying job.

The_Geek

pault123 wrote:

What do you do?

What do YOU want to do? IT is pretty varied. Many people start off on the PC support/Network side.

I would say that the people who are most successful seem to be those who are genuine curiousity in all things technical. If you don't really like computers or find them boring then I'd forget it as a career choice.

What qualifications have you got?

MCSE and Cisco CCNA qualifications seem to be all the rage but these really should be seen as starting qualifications. A mistake many people make is that by earning your MCSE, people should bow down to your expertise and give you a whacking payrise. Once upon a time maybe but I think most are aware now that the piece of paper without experience means nothing.

How did you get into the industry?

Personally I started off being the IT manager for a small company then moved onto a helpdesk, from there server/network engineer then onto Consultancy.

If you can, I would recommend working for a small firm (preferably an IT company) where you will get more varied experience than a large company where you will be pigeonholed into a specific role. Plus there's less chance of being offshored.

Oh and finally, remember that most people aren't IT literate so always talk to them in terms they can understand. A manager recently told me he hated his new job cos the techies couldn't talk to him in terms he could understand. They'd tell him all about why things weren't working and what the problem was etc. Whereas I used to just tell him "it's knackered but it'll be fixed in x hours/minutes."

T4i

Cisco stuff is good if you want to get into networking. I agree that CCNA would be near impossible to learn if it was learnt on your own, not having the proper kit needed to see how a network works (using proper Cisco commands, Cisco hardware etc)

The only thing about CCNA is the dumb stuff you have to learn as it comes from the USA. Not only do you have to learn old 'phased-out networks' but you have to be a expert in health & safety.

They expect you to know how much distance is required between a server rack and a light switch, you need to know what materials are fire-safe when creating a server room etc. But then we dont have the same health and safety as the USA so is it relevant?

I found it interesting, slightly over the top (but then it has to be with the USA sue policy), hard, subnetting and hexadecimal is a pain (and they tell you no calculators are allowed in exam room - they want to see all your own calculations) so to be anygood you really need to like maths.

Greensprout

pault123 wrote:

What do you do?

I'm a Mainframe Operator (Z390)
Also Out of hours PC Support

I also repair & build computers for family, friends etc on the side.

pault123 wrote:

What qualifications have you got?

Advanced GNVQ in Information Technology.

pault123 wrote:

How did you get into the industry?

I worked for the company I work for at shopfloor level whilst I was studying.
A job came up at the Head Office which I applied for and eventually got

wolfman

The_Geek wrote:

If you can, I would recommend working for a small firm (preferably an IT company) where you will get more varied experience than a large company where you will be pigeonholed into a specific role. Plus there's less chance of being offshored.

That's good advice.

I did something similar. At my first job I did all sorts from .Net, to creating VPN's, to designing publishing documents via Adobe Illustrator. Definitely gave me a little experience at a lot, I was allowed to go about things in my own way (ie choose what and how I wanted to program something). Helped me see what I liked/disliked, then chose my next job from there.

mr_fishbulb

Can anyone advise whether an A+ is worth me doing?

Basically I grauated with a 2:1 in computing in 2001. Went to work for a large company and did a windows 2000 rollout for a few months. Then I moved onto a project and managed an online database (user training, operating procedure, etc) and also adminstration of user accounts with active directory.

Then I went travelling for 21 months and now I want to get back into IT (desktop support/helpdesk). Problem is (according to recruitment agencies) I seem to have too much experience for a basic entry level job, but for a job I do have enough experience for my career break is putting me behind others.

I'm trying to figure out what will put me back on track. A+ looks easy (probably too easy) but a CCNA and MCP would be way too difficult without having exposure at the moment to those environments.

Anyone got any suggestions?

[Deleted User]

What do you do?
Medical IT system Interface analyst, working on the NHS Connecting for health project.

What qualifications have you got?
BSc Genetics, MSc Bioinformatics. GCSE Information systems

How did you get into the industry?
After uni I worked for 2 1/2 years at a uni doing R&D into IT & Genetic analysis. Taught myself databasing and a few different languages in that time, plus some great experience in presentation skills.

The place I work for is a huge american medical software firm/consultancy. My next career move is 'Integration Architect'. It's the kind of job that 'could' be offshored, but is highly unlikely to be as I quite often have to visit hospital sites.

nickmack

pault123 wrote:

Do any of you guys work in IT?

Yes!

What do you do?

IT Consultant

What qualifications have you got?

BSc Software Engineering

How did you get into the industry?

Worked as IT Manager for a small company after Uni, then started running my own business.

hrafndot

scheming_gypsy wrote:

y forward. You can't get CISCO certified by books, you need to go hands on, buy routers and learn what you're doing.

Somebody's sabotaged your link!!