My eldest has just started and I know there are a few contributors from the world of IT so what would be your words of wisdom? Is it a good idea to research the topics in advance of covering them? What tips to get a part time job (unpaid or paid) with an IT element? Best websites to assist with study? Worth buying an older pc/laptop to take apart and learn about the hardware/software? All advice welcome as I'll be highlighting this thread to him. Thanks.
I'd say the best people poised to answer that would be the people running the course. I'd wait to be told by them what he needs rather than guessing and potentially buying the wrong thing.
Cougar - fair point. The purpose of my post was more to seek inspiration for him from 'those who have' than just what to buy but point noted 🙂
Sure. Can't really help with course specifics - it was the late 80s when I was at college (and Btec was the "other lot") so I imagine it's changed quite a bit since then. But I guess it depends to an extent what level he's at; there's a greater need to be doing groundwork if his experience of IT to date has been Minecraft and Call of Duty. He could do worse than looking at doing the A+ course if he wants some extra-curricular studies; it's a good foundation into everything and is an industry-recognised qualification.
Will look at that cheers.
It's tricky to offer explicit or constructive advice - as it seems to me to be a game of both chance and skill 🙂 ; As a suggestion following current interests , experience or aptitudes may help hone a direction?
-building/fixing PC's, operating systems (Win/Linux) sysadmin etc.
-solving network/broadband/wifi issues
-coding/scripting/hacking
-IT Service delivery (the business of process and support)
-IT change/project delivery
You mention already signing up for BTEC.
At a tech level - Most vendors have engineer accreditations and training programs - aimed at those dealing with their products-official resources can be $$$ but there is a 2nd user or unofficial guides to look at. For more esoteric disciplines like project management, service delivery or design - there are frameworks it's possible to qualify in e.g. ITIL, PRINCE, TOGAF amongst others.. Some of these rely on experience though so review them carefully.
They (vendor certs) can help with inroads. Experience is hard to crack, junior roles in helpdesk/sysadmin were often an entry point for non-graduate or specialist entry.
My experience has been that folk end up in 'IT' (per above this is a very broad scope!) from all kinds of departure points. Compsci or academic study often being an exception (at least outside of software dev).
I realise this is only my personal experience, so do listen to other posters.
BCS also run a skills program/framework. Considering how you could move through that may help. Also apprenticeships in principle seem like a great way to get experience and training-as this can be quite a hard pairing to crack! Good luck 🙂
It's hard to underestimate the value in fixing PCs. I still do it, and still trip over things I've not seen before. It's very good experience (and will keep you in beer for half of your student life if you don't do what I did and do it all for free).
Bonchance - thanks for taking the time to reply in detail.
Cougar - if it catches his imagination then I suspect you'd be very right!
I 'ended up' in IT. Have zero qualifications and even less technical knowledge...so I am perfect for my role as BRM.
In our organisation, it seems more and more is being outsourced/hosted, meaning the people that are doing well are the 1st/2nd line break fix guys, or us account managers - someone has to sit between the user and the techies...
Not sure if this adds anything, but generic stuff like ITIL and Prince help.
We've just taken on a junior 'Techie', my MD's brief to me was to find a 'Geek'.
He's been here a couple of months now, and doing well.
Skills/experience he has that has so far been useful:
- various website construction understandings
- networking, both WAN and LAN, plus how the various bits of h/w work
- understanding of databases and how to access them
- Windows, and all its 'attributes'...
He's a bit raw on life-skills and how to act at work - but that's something he'll learn.
We have apprentices at work.
IMHO, pre-existing tech skills are broadly irrelevant. What's critical is the mindset and the passion. If you can think logically and have a desire to learn then you'll go very far. If you haven't, you won't. And if you don't want it then you won't.
One of the best techs I ever interviewed had no IT skills whatsoever, but was looking for a career change from being a car mechanic. Asked him some IT questions and he was clueless; I changed tack and asked him what he'd do when a car wouldn't start, and he was away. "Look for a spark, if there's not one it's electrical, if there is it's probably fuel related, so then I'd split the fuel line in the middle and work back / fore till I found the blockage..." We hired him on the spot and he was bloody tremendous, sucked up knowledge like a sponge.
Again thanks everyone, much appreciated.
+1 for ITIL and +1 for help desk being a good way in - that's where I've been able to hire people with good general aptitude into IT. The common theme is that both of those areas are about IT Services rather than technology specifics and so have a much greater lifespan in a fast moving industry. Re - outsourcing - yes it is ever more common but the jobs don't vanish they just move to those specialist IT service providers who are themselves great places to build an IT career. They all have a strong demand for staff at all levels in the UK, even those with headquarters overseas.