I was in your boat - no qualifications (not even GCSEs, nevermind IT quals) but I managed to wow people with my cover letter and ended up working for HP as a callcenter monkey. Self motivated learning and projects is my recommendation - dont just read things, put it into practice and make a note of it on your CV/Cover letter. Make a portfolio site maybe too.
(Obviously it's luck of the draw too)
I take it the ATC career is on the back burner, then?
For all your cabling needs..... KaBL
Is there an option to do some kind of Hnc or similar at night school?
in my experience spending 3k on a couple of weeks of training provided by the IT training companies would be considered akin to buying a piece of paper...whereas a proper college cert of some kind is more of an earned qualification, if I can put it that way.
I'd be looking to get into software dev tbh, support jobs are quite hard to get out of unless you get into the right type of company.
Another area to look at given you obviously have an artistic flair is in software usability testing/definition.
Q1.
Are you sure - really, really sure - that you want a career in IT?
Most of it is a million miles away from Jewellry. So - again, for most of it - forget creativity, forget individualism, forget working for yourself without tiers of management ... and, if you're starting a the bottom, it'll be a while before you get to do anything very interesting, particularly in those specialist areas you mention.
Q2.
What sort of companies do you want to work for? Is it in the IT function of a large business, or for an IT company providing specific services to their own customers?
What do I know about it? I've worked with IT for years - bought my first clone PC in c1986 and have played with IT stuff ever since as it has evolved, and done IT jobs for a while too (I guess that CIO for a software house would count as an IT job?). But I'm not a techie.
My 2p ...
Today, a lot of IT work is outsourced and offshored in a deluded mgt belief that someone on another continent can do the job better and cheaper (I'm not a fan of outsourcing - that's another story). It'll be a while before lots of IT jobs suddenly become available onshore again. That applies to a lot of dev work, a lot of testing work and a lot of support work.
In the last few places that I've worked, the main on-site IT presence has been the desktop support team. And a lot of those weren't really IT experts, they just had a pleasant manner, could carry large boxes, and knew the (offshore) number to call when whatever they unpacked from the large box didn't work first time ... That's probably the easiest entry route into "IT", but (a) the pay will be crap and (b) it's not really IT. It gets your foot in a door, and maybe allows you to move on within the organisation into a junior dev role, or junior networking, or junior testing or junior-something-else.
Where I do see a need - still - in the "IT" market is in helping the average user understand how they should be using their standard desktop apps more effectively. Sad, but true, but most people still have no idea how to use Word, Excel, Ppt (arrrghhh) properly. There's an opportunity for training, for building "clever" templates, mini-applications, automated integration between apps, etc. That might not really be the IT you're looking for, and certainly not the semi-exciting world of security/penetration testing (etc), but it might tick more of the creativity/individualism boxes ... and give you an opportunity to set-up your own small business supporting local businesses use the kit that they've got. That's a foot in the door into their IT world, which might open up other opportunities more in line with your target areas (I'm actually being serious).
The roles you mention - data security / penetration testing / forensics - all shout "big corporate" (banks, pharma) to me, or even public sector. The rules, procedures, structures and management layers are suffocating. Even if you get into a small specialist provider of those services to the big corporate / public sector clients, they're still going to have conform to a lot of the rules/procedures (etc) of their corporate clients.
I'm waffling.
I've never been a huge fan of qualifications alone. It shows someone can study and pass an exam. It doesn't really show any great interest, aptitude or desire for the subject matter. Building your own PiNet does show interest (etc) and would grab my attention as a recruiter (though not as an HR drone who's got to sift through CVs). So, work your own network of contacts/friends to get an intro into a likely company and a direct meeting with the IT mgt (not the HR function) who can overlook a lack of qualification and see the interested and interesting person across the table.
You get a lot of waffle for 2p on a Sunday morning.
It fell off even the back burnerOriginally Posted by RobDavies
I wasn't well when I was to go for one of the assessment days, so I called them to re-arrange... then was sick again... they didn't re-arrange again
仁慈的上帝，请带我走我将关闭自己的耳朵，我的心，我将一块石头
no its not
possibleLinux is very much the way forward.
absolutely - KEYAlso think about virtualisation
agreed, but ammended with caveat. Network engineers are 10 a penny, good ones far less so.There is always the need for GOOD Network engineers. Even more so these days. Also look at cyber security lots if money going into that field at the moment
Security is another KEY area to look into
......"Bertie is pretty much a zen master..................."
Certainly where I work a very large outsourcing outfit we are seeing less and less requirement for windows server. The odd SQL server dotted here and there, every thing else is either Linux on VMware or IBM/oracle kit. More so IBM as there is a distinct under current if dislike for oracle. HP-UX is very much shrinking.
To make big bucks in IT these days you have to get into consulting but even there rates/salaries are dropping unless your a highly experienced architect/manager in a specialist field such as SAP.
However a different way into IT is via business function, i.e accountancy HR, etc. there are I'm my experience very few business people who have an appriciation of IT. Those that do are very valuable.
My first computer was a Sinclair ZX128k (built in tape drive, none of your plug in rubbish!) and to make up for our poor income level a "Write your own games" book I was given this set up aged 7. Since then I've used computers pretty much every day. Computers are my natural environment.
Did coding as part of my un-finished Computer Sciences A-level and it all came naturally to me. Since then I've set up websites (long since taken down and were for mmo clans so were hardly amazeballs) built several computers, set up a personal network for file and printer sharing. And at my previous place of work I had to do what was essentially 1st line helpdesk-ing work which doesn't count as my job title was "Goldsmith" but with 5 technophobes and a dell buisness network they'd bought were unwilling to pay the support fees for.
My jewellery experience only covers 5 years of my life. And while I might preffer the creativity to technology I do love all forms of technology... and you think IT is being out sourced a lot these days, try being a jeweller competing with the price (at similar quality) of chinese imports. Then there's trying to get a living out of people who are paying you with an ever decreasing profit margin. In spite of being poorly payed in my current job my take home pay is almost double what it was as a jeweller making thousands of pounds worth of jewellery each day... the best jewellery jobs are creative design-y positions... there's not many in the UK and most are self employed with their own shop - after being bankrupt once I doubt I'd be able to source the £250,000+ to start a shop... so most jobs left in the UK are pretty mundane. I think that jewellery is going to be a hobby in the future rather than a career again.
I'm torn on that one, big corperate gives some amazing opertunities to play with big hardware and massive networks, with some cutting edge tech... but small firms would be nicer to work for, and have more potential for becoming top dog over my own IT empire <insert mwahahaha>Q2.
What sort of companies do you want to work for? Is it in the IT function of a large business, or for an IT company providing specific services to their own customers?
According The Media data security is the biggest growth sector within IT and by my reckoning even with a lot of certifications and increasing experience once I get into IT it's going to take me 5ish years to get good enough to get feet in the door for data security - I fugure by that time people will start to have gotten frustrated waiting for India-time to resecure their data centre after a big intrusion, and things will be back onsure in a much bigger way by thenMy 2p ...
Today, a lot of IT work is outsourced and offshored in a deluded mgt belief that someone on another continent can do the job better and cheaper (I'm not a fan of outsourcing - that's another story). It'll be a while before lots of IT jobs suddenly become available onshore again. That applies to a lot of dev work, a lot of testing work and a lot of support work.
This is why I was so eager to try and get the recent IT job where I am working now. While we have some box carriers, but we also have all the server hardware on-site and a team of "proper" support staff for that, would have been plenty of opportunity for learning and upwards moving, lots of Cisco hardware to learn laying around - some not currently in use... oddly the job went to someone with "a Telecoms Degree and many years of IT support experience" which for £18,000 seems the sort of person who'd not hang around all that long shifting boxes and setting up printersIn the last few places that I've worked, the main on-site IT presence has been the desktop support team. And a lot of those weren't really IT experts, they just had a pleasant manner, could carry large boxes, and knew the (offshore) number to call when whatever they unpacked from the large box didn't work first time ... That's probably the easiest entry route into "IT", but (a) the pay will be crap and (b) it's not really IT. It gets your foot in a door, and maybe allows you to move on within the organisation into a junior dev role, or junior networking, or junior testing or junior-something-else.
There's something to that... but realistically I think I'd want a couple of years at the very lowest rung of tech support to get a feel of where real users need the most prompting/training/assistance, but I think you're right there will be a better and better opportunities in this field - more and more people come to need to use computers and there's always been a lot of idiots in the world...Where I do see a need - still - in the "IT" market is in helping the average user understand how they should be using their standard desktop apps more effectively. Sad, but true, but most people still have no idea how to use Word, Excel, Ppt (arrrghhh) properly. There's an opportunity for training, for building "clever" templates, mini-applications, automated integration between apps, etc. That might not really be the IT you're looking for, and certainly not the semi-exciting world of security/penetration testing (etc), but it might tick more of the creativity/individualism boxes ... and give you an opportunity to set-up your own small business supporting local businesses use the kit that they've got. That's a foot in the door into their IT world, which might open up other opportunities more in line with your target areas (I'm actually being serious).
Yes, a friend went to a few hacking seminars which had a defense against hacking slant, and probably half of the seminar was about various regulations and laws...The roles you mention - data security / penetration testing / forensics - all shout "big corporate" (banks, pharma) to me, or even public sector. The rules, procedures, structures and management layers are suffocating. Even if you get into a small specialist provider of those services to the big corporate / public sector clients, they're still going to have conform to a lot of the rules/procedures (etc) of their corporate clients.
Normally I'd be 100% in agreement about certificates over experience. Had someone really nice come work at the jewellers I started in who had a jewellery degree but was incapable of soldering two bits of gold together... my mentor gave her all the pieces of a custom made collet embedded in a carbon block so all she had to do was heat the work enough that solder would melt - a minute later she came through and "ok, I've melted that can I have some more wire" we were stunned. Turns out that the course was almost entirely design based, they had techs turn the designs into reality.I'm waffling.
I've never been a huge fan of qualifications alone. It shows someone can study and pass an exam. It doesn't really show any great interest, aptitude or desire for the subject matter. Building your own PiNet does show interest (etc) and would grab my attention as a recruiter (though not as an HR drone who's got to sift through CVs). So, work your own network of contacts/friends to get an intro into a likely company and a direct meeting with the IT mgt (not the HR function) who can overlook a lack of qualification and see the interested and interesting person across the table.
You get a lot of waffle for 2p on a Sunday morning.
So I know a certificate is rarely proof of ability... but when I can't get someone to return an email/call/letter/CV/etc it's so far proven impossible to get experience... I'm currently thinking of contacting all the large companies locally that are likely to have IT departments of a reasonable size with a cover letter saying I'm really keen, have a natural ability and 0% commercial experience so I want to come work for them and I'm inexpensive... if I send it to the IT manager or IT directors of enough companies someone should get bavk to me
And yes, the principal goal of the PiNet (I like the term by the way, I'm keeping it!) is for making me stand out at CV stage... but there are also so many things I can learn, play with and experiement with that sure I could do in some simulated non-physical way with cloud stuff, but it's so cold and hands off. Also over many months I can put together a full cisco labs kits to at least simulate a much wider more complicated network... which again can be similated in software... but there's no substitute for putting things together yourself, spending a day wondering why something wont work only to find out you've plugged box a into box a rather than box b... learning the little mistakes that way is totally invaluable in my humble opinion...
仁慈的上帝，请带我走我将关闭自己的耳朵，我的心，我将一块石头
Sounds like you might be better off pursuing a developer role maybe, rather than an IT/sys admin role.
Learn to program in Python or Scala, learn how to use Hadoop, and work on some open-source big data projects. There's a huge skills shortage in this area at the moment, with some practical experience you should be able to find a role. It's interesting work too.
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