Need direction in IT

asim · 2 May 2006 at 22:17

Hey guys.

So here's the deal. I'm 21 and have spent most of my life despising education yet somehow I've come out with a Computer Networks degree and am currently studying for my ccna which I should have completed at the end of the month. I purposely waited until I'd got my education out the way before stepping into the working world. There are many reason for that decision so where some may say it was a bad move I decided a long time ago I'd start from the bottom and work my way up when it came to getting a job.

So at the end of june-july I'll start job hunting but here is where the problem comes in. I'm not sure if I want to go into networking. I know that the first job I go for will have to be some low level help desk, trainee or even unpaid job that will relate in no way but I'd like to have my choice of field set before starting on that path.

IT is an extremely open field with a lot to choose from. The problem is I'm not sure where my interests lie. I've been thinking of software development (programming) or web design. Web design is one of those fields with a lot of "cowboys" I guess, it seems interesting and fun but then its now becoming quite common. I was thinking of programming because when I did it at uni I found it somewhat enjoyable even though I didnt opt to do the software engineering degree. It could lead to some decent programming jobs in the likes of games or operating systems.

If yall could give me a little bit of advice, some direction and thoughts without being too harsh that would be great lol.

Thanks
Asim

Sparky191 · 2 May 2006 at 22:22

You're young enough to give a load of jobs a try and see what you like.

PardonTheWait · 2 May 2006 at 22:22

LEFT!

Vanilla · 2 May 2006 at 22:34

What about storage networking?

Ricochet J · 2 May 2006 at 22:36

How about network architect? I hear those people get payed bucks!

VeNT · 2 May 2006 at 22:36

Sparky191 said:
You're young enough to give a load of jobs a try and see what you like.

truth
work loads of places
get to KNOW the system (I reserve the right to revoke these messages tomorrow morning).
once you get the feeling for where you wanna work go for it!

Bes · 2 May 2006 at 22:42

asim said:
Hey guys.

So here's the deal. I'm 21 and have spent most of my life despising education yet somehow I've come out with a Computer Networks degree and am currently studying for my ccna which I should have completed at the end of the month. I purposely waited until I'd got my education out the way before stepping into the working world. There are many reason for that decision so where some may say it was a bad move I decided a long time ago I'd start from the bottom and work my way up when it came to getting a job.

So at the end of june-july I'll start job hunting but here is where the problem comes in. I'm not sure if I want to go into networking. I know that the first job I go for will have to be some low level help desk, trainee or even unpaid job that will relate in no way but I'd like to have my choice of field set before starting on that path.

IT is an extremely open field with a lot to choose from. The problem is I'm not sure where my interests lie. I've been thinking of software development (programming) or web design. Web design is one of those fields with a lot of "cowboys" I guess, it seems interesting and fun but then its now becoming quite common. I was thinking of programming because when I did it at uni I found it somewhat enjoyable even though I didnt opt to do the software engineering degree. It could lead to some decent programming jobs in the likes of games or operating systems.

If yall could give me a little bit of advice, some direction and thoughts without being too harsh that would be great lol.

Thanks
Asim

What degree did you get and what uni are you going to? Consultancy can pay very handsomley if you've got a good degree and the work is often varied too!

asim · 2 May 2006 at 23:05

Graduated with a BEng Computer Networks and Distributed Systems from Napier University in Edinburgh :rolleyes:

(would have gotten into a better uni if it wasnt for some personal problems at the time of exams).

I like the idea of programming. I was quite good at it and excelled quickly.

Manlove is my forte · 2 May 2006 at 23:42

Apply for everything and see what comes up, you are young and have time to find the perfect job. For now concentrate on getting your foot through the door. You have the degree now get some experience.

edit

Bes said:
What degree did you get and what uni are you going to? Consultancy can pay very handsomley if you've got a good degree and the work is often varied too!

He has just graduated. What employer would take a graduate as a contractor? almost every contracting job I have seen worth having requires a min of 3 years experience, a lot of the jobs woth having are asking for 5-10 years experience

Bes · 2 May 2006 at 23:51

Kronologic said:
Apply for everything and see what comes up, you are young and have time to find the perfect job. For now concentrate on getting your foot through the door. You have the degree now get some experience.

edit

He has just graduated. What employer would take a graduate as a contractor? almost every contracting job I have seen worth having requires a min of 3 years experience, a lot of the jobs woth having are asking for 5-10 years experience

I got taken into an IT consultancy company straight out of uni.... They are paying me to do all my training. Lots of companies do it! Accenture is a big one, but there are LOTS of others

Vanilla · 2 May 2006 at 23:54

Kronologic said:
He has just graduated. What employer would take a graduate as a contractor? almost every contracting job I have seen worth having requires a min of 3 years experience, a lot of the jobs woth having are asking for 5-10 years experience

Consultancy isn't contracting....and strictly speaking being a contractor just means working 6-12 month contracts instead of being a permie!

Basically what these companies do with reagrds to consultancy is bring uni grads in a low level consultants and work them up letting them quickly gain experience.

Scottie2004 · 3 May 2006 at 10:45

Yeah, I don't think it's feasible for a new graduate to move into a consultancy role without having a few years of experience in their chosen field. Half the skill of being a consultant is knowing how to communicate with the client in a language they understand and only by having a good overview of current technologies can someone translate the business processes into actual solutions.

I personally find programming a very rewarding career but its not for everyone. I began the course as a result of being passionate about computing in general. A lot of friends were in the same position but after a few years of proper work a lot of people forget about why they enjoyed using a computer in the first place and loose interest in their career.

steinooo · 3 May 2006 at 11:06

Scottie2004 said:
Yeah, I don't think it's feasible for a new graduate to move into a consultancy role without having a few years of experience in their chosen field. Half the skill of being a consultant is knowing how to communicate with the client in a language they understand and only by having a good overview of current technologies can someone translate the business processes into actual solutions

I would have thought Vanilla and Bes' posts would have told you how it could well be perfectly feasible for a new graduate to move into a consultancy role?

Skip · 3 May 2006 at 22:07

I fell into a contracting role at a bank about 3 months after finished my completely un-IT related degree. I managed it by getting a job in another area of the bank, making a few contacts and keeping my eye on the internal job notice boards and then applying...it worked! Probably not the most conventional route but at least it gives me hope that you don't necessarily have to be experienced to get into IT. However, my experience is that a more common route is to spend a couple of years in a more junior (permanent) position then trying contracting afterwards, as by the very nature of the job, a contractor is providing specialist services - its difficult to market yourself this way as a shiny new graduate.

As a side note - as far as I can make out, consultancy is the very top level of contracting - ie those guys on 1.2k a day....sadly I'm not quite there yet!

Kreeeee · 3 May 2006 at 22:13

asim said:
I like the idea of programming. I was quite good at it and excelled quickly.

Code monkeys aren't worth anything nowadays.

Psyk · 3 May 2006 at 23:39

Kreeeee said:
Code monkeys aren't worth anything nowadays.

NickXX · 3 May 2006 at 23:41

I graduated with a Computer Science degree.

Am now an accountant.

asim · 3 May 2006 at 23:58

I have noticed that a lot of people come out of uni and do something different. IT has just been a field which I was pushed into, not willingly at first. I'd be happy with running a business like Overclockers, that kind of success would take a long term effort.

I guess the idea is to get out there, experience it and find out first hand whether I enjoy it and want to continue on that path. I have a cousin in london now making 100k contracting in networking after 8 years of working in IT so obviously that says something. He is starting his own company and will probably give me an opportunity but says I should gain some experience in the real world first. Plus side of working with him would be flexible hours and I'd get to really choose my field.

iCraig · 4 May 2006 at 00:00

Mohinder said:
LEFT!

Bad advice. We all know that right is the way to go. Alright? Damn right.

Plebo · 4 May 2006 at 00:06

It may be worth thinking about an area of IT that its not so easy to offshore.

Unfortunately, there are thousands of software engineers/programmers arriving on the market every year in countries such as India, which pose a real threat to us UK folk.

The company I work for seriously evaluates whether to outsource each project to an company such as Wipro or develop it in-house and we have offshored work in the past and no doubt will in the future.