Career Paths ?! - Some Advice please, long post sorry.

[Michael172]

Some of you might know im at college doing the CCNA. As advanced as i first thought it was, i can see now it aint all that :dapprove:. Ive just finished my semester 1 final exam, ive passed at 85%. Ive learned a lot and ive got even more to come. Now ive got the rest of the year to badger away at yet and at the end iv got my Final to pass.

Now after looking at a LOT of job advertisements (research purposes), mainly from reed.co.uk, i can see that besides experience, people want a whole range of qualifications, namely cisco ones such as CCNA, CCNP, etc, but then theres the Ms Qualifications and perhaps the odd citrix one in there as well.


Now ive spoken briefly with my tutor at college and he teaches the MS qualifications and i think he does VOIP too along with a lot more.


....I dunno where to go next lol ?


Im thinking either CCNP or VOIP or MS Quals but which first.

:dead: Big pond and ive only just dipped my toe in.

Just dont know what the best idea would be. I know things dont happen in the space of 5 mins, and ive got the next 3 semesters and final to do yet.

 

[Longy]

Qualifications are great but you need hands on experience? try and get some work placements if you can.

I've got MCSE, MCSA, MCDST etc when asked for feedback on certain jobs I didn't get, it was mainly 'hands on experience'

 

[riz]

deffo work experience. We dont employ anyone without work experience. Diff sector to you lot but similar principles. I take one glance at the CV and chuck any without experience irrespective of their captaining of football team and 1st class degree etc etc.

 

[Michael172]

Yeah now ive got sem1 under my hat i might see if i can find something.

The problem is - am i gunna be able to study at college, and also get paid for that hands on experience, even if it is minimum wage.

Cant really not work tbh if you get me. My tutor sometimes gets people ringing in asking for sem1 students for work placements etc. MKM were the ast to ring up. Might have a word with him see if i can bag a place.



Generally swaying towards MS quals next might f**k the CCNP for now and study VOIP in my own time.

 

[riz]

I havent got a clue what all those letters are lol. Even experience where you may not get paid and/or in summer is better than nothing. Atleast it shows motivation for career progression/experience

 

[Michael172]

Yeah your right, might have a word with local companies see if theyll give me a ride over the xmas period.

 

[dk]

Qualifications are great but you need hands on experience? try and get some work placements if you can.

I've got MCSE, MCSA, MCDST etc when asked for feedback on certain jobs I didn't get, it was mainly 'hands on experience'

don't forget mcp

 

[Longy]

don't forget mcp

lol yeah how can I forget the MCP - only takes one easy exam

 

[Michael172]

lol yeah how can I forget the MCP - only takes one easy exam

Out with the giant roll smiley.

Just ONE exam eh ? And its easy ?

 

[dk]

Out with the giant roll smiley.

Just ONE exam eh ? And its easy ?

the easiest way to get an ms accreditation is to do the vista exam, its piss easy, i got 100% and it took me 12 mins to complete!

 

[Michael172]

rofl. yer im looking through some of this s**t now. Microsoft word also. What the hell.

Guess its all brownie points tbh. lol. Costs money tho ??

 

[David]

what do want to do within IT? infrasrtucture? strategy? switches?

 

[Scottydog]

Qualifications are great but you need hands on experience? try and get some work placements if you can.

I've got MCSE, MCSA, MCDST etc when asked for feedback on certain jobs I didn't get, it was mainly 'hands on experience'

I am working my way through those two at the moment!

Finding it pretty straight forward so far.

Luckily i'm already in an IT job so I have all the hands on experience to go with it :approve: and they are paying for it all! woop

 

[Michael172]

what do want to do within IT? infrasrtucture? strategy? switches?

Something to do with running and managing a network. Anything tbh im really not fussed.

 

[Michael172]

Could use some advice as that what the best thing to do would be also. Something network related, preferably instalation included in it all and something to keep me busy. Im guna snoop about and see if there are any places available.

 

[Macester]

definitely go further with the cisco, I wouldn't bother with MS quals tbh, anybody can get those, CCNP all the way.

 

[Mike_182]

I've heard of a couple of instances where people have been refused job applications after interview as it became apparent that whilst they had the qualifications they had no experiences of putting it all into practise.

 

[Pettsi]

With the MCSE MCSA etc. you need experience.

If you were a plumber by trade, then decided you wanted to go into IT and got your MCSE i think most people class it as a 'paper MCSE' - you've done the exam, got the cert but no experience to back it up.

 

[Michael172]

Theres been a few jobs come up today, one for the council and once for Wilberforce college. Shity pay at £16k a year but its experience i guess.

I spoke to my tutor at college and was asking him what i should do especially as regards to the course, id be working full time and would have to complete the course too. Not sure what i should do, if like the experience but i dont wanna shaft myself in the face by taking too much on.

 

[Longy]

I worked full time and completed my MCSE

 

[Michael172]

im more worried about me doign the ccnp if i do it tbh lol.

 

[Deeg]

Theres been a few jobs come up today, one for the council and once for Wilberforce college. s**ty pay at £16k a year but its experience i guess.

£16K at 18 / 19 (which is what I presume you are) isn't that bad, and it certainly isn't sh1tty, particularly if they accept you with basic qualifications.

Experience is the key to getting any job IMO.

I beat people with better degrees from better university's into my job simply based on the fact that I have worked (hard) since I was 15, in a variety of jobs. Started off as a Saturday boy in a shop, ended up as management cover and working on projects whilst at college / university. Did a year in industry whilst at Uni, made a lot of improvements to the job, all of which was beneificial when it came to actually getting a 'proper' job.

My point is, if you want the experience, you will get it.

To me, it sounds a lot like you're 'playing' at it, and expecting to walk into a job on decent money.

As said, go and work for free, get some summer internships at big IT companies, you probably won't learn much, but it will be on your CV as work, because AFAIK, at the minute, your employment history is being sacked for robbing from Morrisons and t0ssing it off at Homebase.

Not what I'd be looking for in an employee.

Not meant to sound as sh1tty as it probably does, but as you said in another post about jobs, all you do at work is p1ss about, why not see if you could go and spend some time with the IT people there on your own time?

 

[Michael172]

yer your right, the only thing is its right at the other side of hull, i might scout about to see if i can find one closer to me.

 

[ChrisR]

Don't get too hung up on going mad on certs, guy I work with has everything under the sun (MCSE, VCP, Prince2 Pratitioner, CCNA, CISSP plus more), I do the same level job and have nothing. Oh apart from some crappy ITIL thing.

I'd be really looking at getting some experience anywhere I could. Once you are doing the job getting the certs will be a whole lot easier too, and the company might help you train towards it as well.

16k for a trainee, up north and in this climate isn't bad.

 

[Michael172]

Think im gunna finish my ccna first and then will look for a small job, ill probably homestudy the ccnp if i can also or i might start getting the ms quals or some of them.

 

[Cookie]

I wouldn't bother with the CCNP until you've got some actual experience with Cisco hardware. I certainly wouldn't employ someone with a CCNA and zero work experience.

 

[The Hoff]

We just took on a new 1st line, all we wanted in the candidate was a good attitude, thirst for learning, punctual, polite and friendly. As a bonus we wanted anybody with experience of AD/Exchange, and someone familiar with call logging processes.

If I were you (and I was 3/4 years ago) I'd forget doing your quals and just play the job lottery. Get somewhere for 6 months or more and learn the basics, then start being picky. Once you've got 1-2 years under your belt, then start doing your quals as that will give you basis for pay rises and promotions.

 

[MickM]

I started at 17, no qualifications and no expierence. Started low at 14.5K but a year later and the hard work is starting to pay off, 20% pay rise, completed training courses in VOIP/Avaya phone systems and to come server 2003/2008 training vourses and backup exec training to come.

14.5k not the best pay but conisdering i had no qualifications or experience certainly wasn't going to grumble, i would also say i have learnt alot more from a years experience looking after 20+ companies than a single qualification could.

 

[172boost]

I have 10 months experience as a desktop support analyst and am currently studying for my A+ and MSDST. The experience I have is worth 5 times what the quals will be worth when I get them. The two together are a good combo though.

 

[Michael172]

Im gunna finish my ccna and then im gunna look for a job somewhere, preferably somewhere that i can do a multitude of different jobs in. I will then look onto the ccnp or other qualifications.

Thanks for all the help.