Computer nut looking for a path

Modszer

Hey,

I was looking for a bit of advice.........heres a bit about me, I'm 22, a complete computer nut, self taught and know virtually everything about computers software related and hardware related.

But i dont have any quaifications and was wondering whats the best ones to get and for the cheapest possible?

Even thought in interviews for Admin jobs i have demonstrated much more than they want, i dont have the paperwork that they want and dont get employed.

Any extra advice?

irsprint84

Modszer wrote: »

Hey,

I was looking for a bit of advice.........heres a bit about me, I'm 22, a complete computer nut, self taught and know virtually everything about computers software related and hardware related.

But i dont have any quaifications and was wondering whats the best ones to get and for the cheapest possible?

Even thought in interviews for Admin jobs i have demonstrated much more than they want, i dont have the paperwork that they want and dont get employed.

Any extra advice?

I m 27 and I've been an IT Manager for years and my first piece of advise don't say you virtually know everything it comes of arrogantly and I wouldn't employ anyone like that. I can ask you loads of Questions regarding virtualisation, AD, UNIX and I gather you would be stumped.

Also admit when you dont know anything and that you're willing to learn as I don't know everything and I deal with a major network including SUN, UNIX and Window boxes

I know people who had more experience/ qualifications than I did but its how you come off in the interview because if you had *more than they want* you would have got the job right?

Qualifications to get: A Degree, Cisco, Red hat Enterprise Certs, PRINCE2 and ITIL

Qualifications that are a waste of time: A+, MSCE and BTEC

Look at helpdesk or school roles or volunteer, that would impress me

Notmyrealname

Modszer wrote: »

Hey,

I was looking for a bit of advice.........heres a bit about me, I'm 22, a complete computer nut, self taught and know virtually everything about computers software related and hardware related.

Seriously, you don't. I've been doing it 29 years and I don't know virtually everything about computers or even anywhere close.

Its one thing to do friends and families, install Windows and build computers/do upgrades but when you get to business, you're in a whole different world with a long list of acronyms you'll have never even heard of. Do you know how to configure Sage Line 50 to access company files over a LAN? Ever configured a router by telnetting into it? Ever configured Appletalk on a business grade networked laser printer such as a Kyocera? What would class as a corporate grade back up system? When you're doing PAT testing on a laptop do you need to do the charger and the mains lead or just the charger? Without googling do you even know what a PAT test is? Can you solder and fault find to component level? Its one thing to say you know all there is to know about hardware when you're plugging in expansion cards, RAM and HDDs but a whole different thing to be able to replace charger sockets on laptops and replace blown SMD fuses.

Any extra advice?

Part of the reason you're maybe not getting jobs is your arrogance. There isn't one single person on the entire planet who knows as much as you claim to about computers.
Be more realistic. Get the qualifications and get the business ones, not mickey mouse A levels and BTEC. You need certifications in Microsoft, Novell, Cisco. Having a very good knowledge of Linux, Unix and BSD will serve you well and command more money but you need at least RH certification and certification usually costs at least £100s and usually £1000s to get a full certification over all modules.

As for building computers, you can train a monkey to do it which is also why there's no money in it. Once upon a time it actually used to be a bit hard to build a PC, requiring some knowledge of how they worked as you manually had to set the IRQ, DMA and memory allocation with jumpers of every device you installed but nowadays its no more complicated than putting the triangle block in the triangle shaped hole in that toy you buy babies.

getmore4less

irsprint84 wrote: »

I m 27 and I've been an IT Manager for years and my first piece of advise don't say you virtually know everything it comes of arrogantly and I wouldn't employ anyone like that. I can ask you loads of Questions regarding virtualisation, AD, UNIX and I gather you would be stumped

Agree, usualy means played about with some PC's. might have installed some varient of windows and Unix, set up a noddy network

Problem is competition, loads of people are hobby IT experts, this is 3-4th person on here this year.

Modszer

Ok firstly i only came on here for some advice, not to be called arrogant.

Being called arrogant when you have no knowlegde of my capabilities is insulting and arrogant yourself.

KiKi

Modszer wrote: »

Ok firstly i only came on here for some advice, not to be called arrogant.

Being called arrogant when you have no knowlegde of my capabilities is insulting and arrogant yourself.

You've had some good advice about the experience you'll need and which quals to do.

Whilst the other posters don't know your knowledge or capabilities, it's pretty safe to say that if you haven't worked in the corporate sector in IT without quals then you can't possibly know 'virtually everything'. I have never met anyone who knows 'virtually everything' about their area of specialism. There are things that you just can't teach yourself no matter how brilliant you are - so much learning comes from the environment you're in and the products you work with.

The posters here are genuinely trying to help you; hopefully you'll take the good advice on board.

KiKi

Idiophreak

Modszer wrote: »

Ok firstly i only came on here for some advice, not to be called arrogant.

Being called arrogant when you have no knowlegde of my capabilities is insulting and arrogant yourself.

People don't *need* to know your capabilities to tell you that if you think you "know virtually everything about computers software related and hardware related." you're just plain wrong.

Speak to Bill Gates, Linus Torvalds, RMS, Tanenbaum or any other significant computer figure and ask them if they know "vitually everything" about computers and they'd most probably laugh at you. Then tell them that you *do* know "virtually everything" and they'd laugh a little harder.

To be honest, the fact you think you know everything suggests to me that you actually know very little.

Do you even know what kind of job you want to end up in? Tech support? Development? Networking? Three very different jobs, three completely different sets of requirements - and there are hundreds more where they came from...

When you say you've been applying for admin jobs, do you mean sys-admin type roles, or actually just *admin* roles? Do you, in fact, just want to prove your proficiency in Word, Excel etc?

People are being rather harsh on you because you've come across as arrogant and not appreciative of the difficulty involved in most computing jobs.

2bFrank

Hello Modszer,

Do you drive? if so, why dont you set your self up as a computer tech for home users. Take out a advert in the local paper or print and post a few flyers. You might get a bit of business, a friend of mine does this and makes a ok living. From your short description it sounds like you might know about home computers and small home networks, these skills will transfer to something like above.

With regards to knowing everything about computers, you might be best rewording this. If I interviewed someone and he said "I know everything about computers" I would test him on his knowledge, 99.9% they know very little in the corporate world.

With regards to qualifications, there are many types. I only had my degree at the start of my career, and work paid for most of my extra qualifications, so if you find a decent employer, you may have to start from the bottom as a service desk guy, but they will help further your career. Do you have a specific interest in computers (i.e. programming, security etc), if you let us know, then someone can assist you further in what employers are looking for. Mostly businesses are looking for other IT skills such as itil, just doing a foundation in itil will open a few doors for you.

jaydeeuk1

I did a degree, 90% of it was pointless and covered stuff I didn't want/need or already knew. Also, tech is moving that quick, that the way the course was designed 4 years ago at the start, has become outdated by then end.

In my job literally none of the stuff I did at uni has come in useful (BSc software engineering) and I interview candidates who have no formal qualifications, as long as they can demonstrate they have the technical skills they claim to have. This is either a portfolio, website, mobile apps etc. If you can show that you haven't been sat on your !!!! the past few years doing nothing, you'll find yourself taken a lot more seriously at the interview stage.

Was the degree worth it? Yes, if only for the letters and the bit of paper, just don't go expecting to learn much.

mkooo

I suggest that you set up your own website.

RobertoMoir

Modszer wrote: »

Ok firstly i only came on here for some advice, not to be called arrogant.

Being called arrogant when you have no knowlegde of my capabilities is insulting and arrogant yourself.

With the greatest of respect, those of us who have worked in IT for a large number of years know that no-one in IT knows "virtually everything" because its a very large field of specialisation where that's just not possible. Its possible, just about, to be a generalist and know a little bit about (nearly) everything or to be a specialist in one or two more narrow areas, but that's about it.

For you to think otherwise means that you not only don't know as much as you think you do, you are also unaware of your limits.

That makes employing you a tough sell, no matter how many certificates and qualifications you have.

I would strongly suggest getting a helpdesk or 1st level deskside technician type job in a small to medium sized company, or educational facility. One that is large enough to have at least some complex systems, but not so large that everything is compartmented and you will never get a chance to learn about those other systems.