Seeking A Career In Computers
- Thread starter Overslop
- Start date
what experience have you got at the moment? - e.g. building, repairing, maintaining etc.
engineer is also a very broad term, what is it you want to work on?
i.e. do you want to work with a company maintaining their computers and possibly their network while repairing systems that break down?
or working in a repair center?
or mabye something completely different
engineer is also a very broad term, what is it you want to work on?
i.e. do you want to work with a company maintaining their computers and possibly their network while repairing systems that break down?
or working in a repair center?
or mabye something completely different
thanks for response Nebvablade! 
I have very minimal experience of constructing and upgrading PCs. I do general maintainance, but nothing requiring technical knowhow.
I was thinking along the lines of the first job you mentioned. But possibly going solo and repairing and upgrading for people locally? To be honest I don't have a full idea yet. I just feel that working with PCs might be for the best for me.
I have very minimal experience of constructing and upgrading PCs. I do general maintainance, but nothing requiring technical knowhow.
I was thinking along the lines of the first job you mentioned. But possibly going solo and repairing and upgrading for people locally? To be honest I don't have a full idea yet. I just feel that working with PCs might be for the best for me.
Soldato
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- 17 Sep 2007
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- 11,117
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- West Yorkshire / Market Bosworth
Well im doing an CompTia A+ and Network+ course and i can get a decent job at the end of it. I choosed IT PC Technician. Taking exam on thursday. Maybe you should look at getting something like that.
Associate
- Joined
- 10 Oct 2006
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- 643
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- Chichester
Yeah what he said!
Most employers look for the comptia A+
Most employers look for the comptia A+
I've been in the field almost a decade. I dont know first hand whether the route I took would still be the best, but here goes.
After I did my A-levels I went to university for a computer science course. Nowadays I'd replace that with something with less mathematics and more hands on, say 'Computer Systems'.
While doing that degree course, I messed around building PCs or just opening up PCs and finding out how the entrails worked. The kind of thing any gamer who builds his own PC does nowadays. I build a little network of 3 PCs, one of them a server. That gave me some knowledge of ethernet, windows domains, mail server software, etc. All the typical stuff businesses run. Basically, replicate an office environment and play with it.
When summer came, I looked for a summer job in a small local computer company. Thanks to all the playing around I was able to say I had knowledge of all the business applications above, so they hired me for a summer job. There I got hands on experience working in real scenarios. Troubleshooting, installing, etc. Most clients were small companies with 5 to 20 users and one or two servers. I remember I did everything from programming, to websites to fixing PCs to installing ethernet cabling in an office, including the patch panels where all the cables meet (structured cabling). I got quite dirty at times
My plan was that experience would help me get employed elsewhere when I finished my degree, but the same exployer made me a good offer, without even needing an interview since they already knew me, plus I could return to my home town rather than go to London and feel miserable in the tube every morning, in a specifically programming job. (I grew to like the variety of being a jack of all trades in a small company).
To cut an already long story short, from there its all about establishing working relationships through clients and you end up moving on to better jobs progressively if you play your cards right and above all continue learning. 3 jobs later I work for the local government I.T. Department. I never get to open up machines any more. Well maybe some servers when installing them.
After I did my A-levels I went to university for a computer science course. Nowadays I'd replace that with something with less mathematics and more hands on, say 'Computer Systems'.
While doing that degree course, I messed around building PCs or just opening up PCs and finding out how the entrails worked. The kind of thing any gamer who builds his own PC does nowadays. I build a little network of 3 PCs, one of them a server. That gave me some knowledge of ethernet, windows domains, mail server software, etc. All the typical stuff businesses run. Basically, replicate an office environment and play with it.
When summer came, I looked for a summer job in a small local computer company. Thanks to all the playing around I was able to say I had knowledge of all the business applications above, so they hired me for a summer job. There I got hands on experience working in real scenarios. Troubleshooting, installing, etc. Most clients were small companies with 5 to 20 users and one or two servers. I remember I did everything from programming, to websites to fixing PCs to installing ethernet cabling in an office, including the patch panels where all the cables meet (structured cabling). I got quite dirty at times
My plan was that experience would help me get employed elsewhere when I finished my degree, but the same exployer made me a good offer, without even needing an interview since they already knew me, plus I could return to my home town rather than go to London and feel miserable in the tube every morning, in a specifically programming job. (I grew to like the variety of being a jack of all trades in a small company).
To cut an already long story short, from there its all about establishing working relationships through clients and you end up moving on to better jobs progressively if you play your cards right and above all continue learning. 3 jobs later I work for the local government I.T. Department. I never get to open up machines any more. Well maybe some servers when installing them.
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Way back when when I got into the IT industry there was a catch 22 situation.
You needed 2 years experience to get a job. With no experience it was hard to find a job.
Back then training organisations had feeds into local company. You could do a non trivial course, then so long as your results were superb the company would help to place you in some local low paid job. Once there was some experience on the CV better jobs and money followed.
If you have some small degree of technical competence you could try using an agency to see if you can get on a large corporate rollout. People at the sharp end of a large rollout don't need much technical ability - it is all about "customer care", lifting and carrying, replacing PC equipment at end user desks and very basic testing with a bit of paperwork. Other people create the builds, application installs, and perhaps image the machines. Not exciting, but at least you would be getting that elusive experience.
I know from personal experience that if I have two cvs in front of me - one full of course certificates but no real experience and one full of practical experience but no courses, then one goes in the bin and one gets an interview. Employers want people who can DO something for them on day one, not people who may be useful in six months time. Of course a balanced mix of theoretical knowledge and practical ability is the ideal. I guess I'm just trying to warn you off spending a lot of time and money on long and impressive courses - they are not a guarantee into a job.
You needed 2 years experience to get a job. With no experience it was hard to find a job.
Back then training organisations had feeds into local company. You could do a non trivial course, then so long as your results were superb the company would help to place you in some local low paid job. Once there was some experience on the CV better jobs and money followed.
If you have some small degree of technical competence you could try using an agency to see if you can get on a large corporate rollout. People at the sharp end of a large rollout don't need much technical ability - it is all about "customer care", lifting and carrying, replacing PC equipment at end user desks and very basic testing with a bit of paperwork. Other people create the builds, application installs, and perhaps image the machines. Not exciting, but at least you would be getting that elusive experience.
I know from personal experience that if I have two cvs in front of me - one full of course certificates but no real experience and one full of practical experience but no courses, then one goes in the bin and one gets an interview. Employers want people who can DO something for them on day one, not people who may be useful in six months time. Of course a balanced mix of theoretical knowledge and practical ability is the ideal. I guess I'm just trying to warn you off spending a lot of time and money on long and impressive courses - they are not a guarantee into a job.
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