I.T. Question?

Question

I have a question for all you I.T. people. I finished college with a B.A. in English and Psychology. I have always liked I.T. and would like to get into the field. I have heard that many places will hire you and train people that have any bachelors, but must have certifications. Since I do not have a bachelor in I.T. but I do have a bachelor’s, I have heard that I am not doomed to go back and get a bachelor’s in I.T. I just need to study and get certifications, i.e., Cisco, A+, Java etc...My question is where do I start? I have some experience in networking, creating web pages (but not traditional writing HTML). I just need to know where to start, any help would be great and web sites that could help would be great too! I have limited experience in I.T. but am above average with programs and computers in a whole, thank you in advance!

Answer 1

Having a degree in a computer related field isn't really necessary, as long as you don't mind working your way up. I have a BA in Communication and started out working at a helpdesk. From there I moved into a computer lab management position, and then on to Windows system administration. People with computer degrees may have a better idea of where they want to go and what they want to do, and they often make more money starting out, but it's not required. Of course, that may be affected by how many jobs there are in your area and how much competition there is - certification may or may not give you an edge.

It sounds like you're currently kind of a generalist, so applying for a helpdesk position might work for you. For a position like that, make sure you understand Windows and popular applications and how to troubleshoot them. A certification isn't needed, but something like an MCP in XP might not hurt.

It would help if you could narrow your focus. For example, Cisco certification is for people who work on networks and with network hardware. A+ is for people who do computer repair, and Java is for programming. Odd as it sounds, I've found that the Dummies series of books offers a good overview of various types of technology, and they're cheap (for computer books) and easy to understand. You might try buying some used or checking some out of your local library to see what catches your interest. But my personal recommendation would be to look for a helpdesk job - they are hard and will drive you insane, but they also expose you to all facets of computers. You can learn about hardware, software, networking, applications and operating systems while on the job, and decide what interests you the most.

Answer 2

I'm currently finishing up with my assoc. in this field and working on my bachelor's. What I did was when I was in high school I took an A+ course and then I took Cisco classes for CCNA. As soon as I graduated from the A+ class I was hired my a hospital at which I am still employeed at, and that was almost three years ago. So taking an A+ course would be the best place to start. After that work hard and get your A+ cert. I can tell you right now that most employeers will look at your certs. more than your degrees. Most employeers would hire a person with a assoc. and 4 certs over than a person with a bach. and no certs. Just something to think about.

Answer 3

My input: know where you really want to go before you start down the IT path.

Go talk with IT people about what they do, what they like and don't like. You can't do it all so chose wisely.

Some people like to code - heads down in a cube.

Some like PC support, like my girlfriend. Others prefer networking (a lot of math and coding), but most people have no idea what you do.

I like a lot of personal interaction, and do system design and project management (the big picture).

The field is so vast, do a little studdy first, then do whatever is best for your personality!

Answer 4

Try this site:
http://certification.comptia.org/a/default.aspx

It is about Comptia certifications.

You can also go here for Microsoft certs:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/default.mspx