How can I, a freelance PC tech & web designer, get good employment without a degree?

Question

I have a PC hardware A+ certification

Answer 1

Depends what you mean by "good."

In your shoes I would go back to college. At least a two-year and really a four-year degree.

You can get basic employment with high school and an A+ but that's it.

You're competing with a highly educated tech workforce.

Answer 2

Use your own tools my friend. Search the web. Network in Chat rooms. Get your own web site going. Set up a PayPal account so you can do business over the internet and take credit cards (and don't forget to get their debit card so you can actually use that money).

I am a freelance graphic designer - 100% self taught, no college at all - and have been for 10 years. When I started off I did temp work - there are agencies for every field these days in every major city. I also put an ad somewhere (a newspaper or online? I don't remember now) and found other freelance professionals in the area that I could promote myself with to look like a large company. Visit us at http://www.dmc-hq.com

We have never even gotten a job through that web site, but it looks like a good sized professional business and when I give the URL to people they look at all that text, read a page or 2 and then say 'yeah, yeah, ok - I can see you are a professional'. While you are starting up and don't have much work is the only time you will ever be able to work on your own site anyway. Mine was last updated in 1999 for anything except contact info changes and 1 or 2 image of samples. If you are successful and stay small you just don't have the time.

Once you get your foot in the door you live by referrals and good samples. Any thing that you do on the web, please remember to keep a copy on your own computer. You never know what the client will do to your lovely work once that final payment is made. I have 1 friend who feels her work was ruined 1 month after it was completed and she lost the original sample because she assumed it would be on the customer site for a long time.

By now the company consists of just me, my husband and sister and we all get to work from home and be with our families - it's the most wonderful thing in the world!

Peace!

Answer 3

Connections.

No experience and no higher education make you look like a bug on the wall to businesses. Do you know someone that owns a business and has an IT dept. That would be the best learning environment. Check with family and friends. Let them know and make sure they know how good you are as well. You need to build up a reputation as well as experience. I was a freelance tech for about 3 years before I got a good job. I worked at doctors offices fixing the small stuff. (AV/Spam/Adware) (Very low pay)

Not alot of money in it to start but when you apply for a tech position at a major PC company or IT firm then 3+ years of experience gets you a foot in the door.

I've been an IT for 14 years because of this. I also got a couple of degrees. Never stop your education.

There is no easy job in the tech field since every Joe can do basic freelance tech support.

Answer 4

Try to build a portfolio of your sample work host it online and then search on these job sites...

Answer 5

Try learning at:

http://www.learnflash.com

http://www.tutvid.com

----------------------

http://www.pixel2life.com

http://www.watchandlearnphotoshop.com

-------------------

OR goto the main base website:

http://www.technicallead.com

Answer 6

technical recruiters and dice.com