Where things ever actually much different?

alenax

nirelandguy wrote: »

No I got a certificate, I dropped out as it had no relivance to what I wanted to do.

I'm not having a go or trying to nitpick so please don't take it that way, but surely you read the course specification/content before you started the course, so you knew what modules you could take? When I started my course, I spent hours looking at the course content. Or did you change your mind about what you wanted to do during the course?

System

alenax wrote: »

I'm not having a go or trying to nitpick so please don't take it that way, but surely you read the course specification/content before you started the course, so you knew what modules you could take? When I started my course, I spent hours looking at the course content. Or did you change your mind about what you wanted to do during the course?

I suppose it wasn't really the route I wanted to go down, The degree was in computing, I wanted computer repair, I don't actually know if there is a specific qualification for this so went ahead with computing as that seems to be what employers are after in that field, after the first year it went down computer language route which i have no interest in and seems to continue along that road for the rest of the degree.

alenax

nirelandguy wrote: »

I suppose it wasn't really the route I wanted to go down, The degree was in computing, I wanted computer repair, I don't actually know if there is a specific qualification for this so went ahead with computing as that seems to be what employers are after in that field, after the first year it went down computer language route which i have no interest in and seems to continue along that road for the rest of the degree.

Argh, you're a carbon copy of my boyfriend! He's looking into Comptia A+ courses at the moment, so you might be able to do the same? From what he's said about it, it does get you on the bottom rung of the IT support ladder.

Depending on how much experience you have with fixing computers, you could write in to repair companies directly and ask them if they're willing to give you a work trial on a voluntary basis? There should be plenty in the Yellow Pages.

It is harder in a rural area though, I live in the suburbs and it's so difficult to find jobs here, everything involves travel.

bee_g

I can agree with CB1985 about the increased number of applicants. I applied for a job with a local authority before Christmas doing basic admin work. Everyone applying for it had to sit a couple of tests. I got a suprise at the number of people in the room - over 20 of us going for the job! Before interview I was advised that I had scored the highest in the maths and way above average on 'spot the difference'. I have a degree along with strong work experience and presented myself well at interview. I didn't get the job! Employers can be choosy as to who they take on with so many applicants these days. Previously I've never had any trouble getting a job.

blckbrd

bee_g wrote: »

I have a degree along with strong work experience and presented myself well at interview. I didn't get the job! Employers can be choosy as to who they take on with so many applicants these days. Previously I've never had any trouble getting a job.

Perhaps the issue is that graduates and yesterday's yuppies are the one's struggling to find work at 'their level'.

People qualified for the better paid, higher status jobs are applying for jobs they probably wouldn't have looked at twice a couple of years ago.

ceridwen

Widelats wrote: »

I can't see things getting better here in the UK, unless you are a computer person, seems to be lots of cleaning jobs round, but honestly i want a mans wage and a mans job, there is nothing there though.

Well - its certainly true that there are many of us who want or need a "mans wage". I certainly NEED a "mans wage" - and I'm a woman:rotfl::rotfl:

(Well - I'm sure you would rather have a humorous/practical comment in reply than the first one which sprang to mind - which was of the unprintable variety......the word "neanderthal" came to mind somewhere along the line......)

piggeh

A lot has changed in the last year. I was out of work in mid 2008. I had interviews every week, new jobs popping up on a regular basis in my field of expertise and found something pretty easily.

Forward to April 09 and there was a LOT less going around. The first interview I got was after 2 months of looking! I got the job thankfully although it was only temporary. Since then I've been looking for perm work. Had 2 interviews between april and christmas, really not much about. This week I had two interviews though, and offered a new job So maybe it's turning the corner, or maybe I just got lucky. But it is definitely more difficult now than it was a few years ago before the credit crunch.

poppy_f1

nirelandguy wrote: »

I suppose it wasn't really the route I wanted to go down, The degree was in computing, I wanted computer repair, I don't actually know if there is a specific qualification for this so went ahead with computing as that seems to be what employers are after in that field, after the first year it went down computer language route which i have no interest in and seems to continue along that road for the rest of the degree.

ok you need to look into it more, not just the qualifications but also the job market cos theres no point in getting a qualification in somethuing and ending up with no job as the demand isnt there

and well computer repair, do u mean working for a large company or going self employed and dealing with home pc's cos i know some large companys want their IT people to be a jack of all trades when they are level 1 support not just repairing computers(as in phycial repairs) but also to do with software issues but every companys different,

olly300

Nirelandguy if you go over to the small biz and charity board and do a search you will find out that quite a few people want to get into the computer repair business and are warned about the difficulties.

In addition in all the companies I've worked in, and I work in IT, everyone in the department is expected to be able to fix software and hardware problems regardless of their actual primary job. The only places where we haven't had to do this they have used students on work experience to fix the problems.

In addition if you don't work on Saturdays you should see if you can get some voluntary work in the area. However at the moment it's unlikely you will as there are lots of skilled IT people doing the voluntary work as something to do whilst unemployed/between contracts.