A+ and Network+ Jobs: With No IT Work Experience
Increased diversity in tech
The thought was, what could we do that was actionable and could have an immediate impact, We could do something in eight weeks that would get people hired.
The companies looked to meet those interested in tech
careers and were seeking entry-level positions, such as help desk operators as
well as candidates with A+ and Network+ experience.
Along with a Zoom event, the virtual career fair included
one on one interviews using Brazen, a virtual platform specifically for career
fairs and hiring events.
The participation from employers showed there was demand and
eagerness to connect with diverse talent. However, it’s one step down the path
toward making the hires that would ultimately lead to employment for those
computer science graduates.
Many parts of this are tough problems to solve.
The connections and the introductions are easy wins but are important.
You just were fishing in this pond instead of fishing in
that pond. And sometimes that’s just because I didn’t know anybody at that pond
or nobody at that pond invited me to their job fair.
There’s an expectation to run the career fair again around
spring graduation time for universities that will include college students and
workforce development participants, along with those from the wider community
under a hybrid model.
How to Find a Job in
IT With No IT Work Experience
How can somebody who's not currently employed in IT with a
degree outside the IT umbrella, break into IT employment? Answer: Jump into
anything entry-level you can find – probably tech support or help desk, where
warm bodies are always in demand – then pick some hot hiring areas, study like
mad, get certified, and jump back into the IT job market for real.
Our correspondent this week has an MBA, along with several
years of work experience in customer service in his home country of Nigeria,
but alas, no real experience in IT. Okey recently started working as a phone
support technician, however, this position doesn't offer him any hands-on
opportunities with technology.
His dream job is to work as an IT security specialist, someday
being able to move into a consulting role where he can work for himself and
open an IT security consultancy agency of his own. Currently, Okey has
completed the CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications but is looking to earn the
Security+ credential and ultimately, the CISSP. But first, he wants to get some
hands-on experience with technology and find a job in IT.
Dear Okey:
You are in something of a difficult situation, with an MBA
and a bachelor's in business, and want to work in IT. While that training has
some elements in common with IT, it's not enough of an overlap to let you into
a graduate program that requires an IT background (computer science, computer
engineering, or the like) as you have already learned. Unfortunately, that same
kind of dissociation also applies to finding work in IT with your background as
well; you might otherwise be qualified for something above entry-level, but
your lack of direct, relevant, hands-on experience with technology makes it
unlikely that an employer will want to take the chance of hiring you into a
mid-level job without such experience.
To that end, I would recommend that you do your best to find
any kind of entry-level IT job you can land, and at the same time start working
your way into project management as a specialty. Certainly, you can and
probably should tackle Microsoft's 70-178: Managing Projects with MS Project
2010 exam. Longer-term, though, I would also urge you to take a course on,
study for, pursue and earn the Project Management Institute's Project
Management Professional (PMP) certification. It is a highly-regarded credential
and often tied to better-paying and more responsible positions in job and
salary surveys.
Comments
Post a Comment