# Where do I go from here? (IT Support)



## TechFan1 (Apr 3, 2013)

I'm about to graduate this June, i left my part time supermarket job so i can work part time in a charity organisation as an IT Support assistant volunteer. 

I want to go into the IT Support career but i just dont know how to get...good at it? Do you learn troubleshooting problems from a book? do you learn them only through your job? I have joined this forum to help others with what i know so far but to also learn from others.

For all of you guys and girls working in IT support roles, guide me please? 

Thanks


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## Cervantes100 (Mar 28, 2012)

You learn from books, on job training, and hands on experience tinking with computers. You already started by asking questions how you can do better in going into this professional. Good luck with your career.


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## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

You are about to graduate from? High school, College?

It's good you are volunteering, not only will you learn but it will look good on a resume.

While Volunteering with the Charity, find a local computer users group, learn from them, fixing old computers that get donated, repaired and given out.

Find a local computer company / consultant willing to teach as you volunteer for them or work cheap.

Get the Certification Books for the career you plan on getting into, Microsoft, Apple, Linux, Cisco, ETC. and start reading.

Get schooling, as much as you can, A College degree along with Certifications will get you in the door for the interview, the volunteering will assist in showing you are learning not to mention dedicated.

HTH


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## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

Depends on your learning style. For me hands on is the fastest way for me to learn and retain knowledge. A lot just comes from experience. 

I would look for entry level service desk jobs and see where you can get your foot in the door. 

You may want to try and find someone who you can shadow who is in the repair business and do some small jobs for. 

Build your own PC's from older parts or take older PC's apart and put them back together.


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

You should learn from everywhere (including here!). You can learn a lot of theory and "step-by-step how-to" from books and by reading on the Internet. But you will learn practical application and troubleshooting much more readily when you're actually DOING it in a real-world environment (not a book, not a lab, not a course).


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## ethanbainard (Dec 22, 2011)

You can make you career as IT support engineer. I am also working a IT support Engineer from last 2 years. According to me it is a best career option.


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## TechFan1 (Apr 3, 2013)

Tomshawk said:


> You are about to graduate from? High school, College?
> 
> It's good you are volunteering, not only will you learn but it will look good on a resume.
> 
> ...


I am about to graduate from University, when you mentioned getting into a career path does that mean i should only pick one certification i want to go into or would you suggest learning 1-3 rather than focusing on one main path?


ethanbainard said:


> You can make you career as IT support engineer. I am also working a IT support Engineer from last 2 years. According to me it is a best career option.


Thanks for the link, i am too located in London so hopefully this might be useful.


Thank you all for the replies they have been very helpful.


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## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

TechFan1 said:


> I am about to graduate from University, when you mentioned getting into a career path does that mean i should only pick one certification i want to go into or would you suggest learning 1-3 rather than focusing on one main path?


In the end you want to learn as much as you can, Do them all if you want and can, but, you have to start somewhere.

Pick the one you deal with or have the best knowledge in now, Apple or Microsoft for example and run with it, then pick up the others as you go along.

In the IT field, all paths cross-over and intertwine in one way or another and in some cases many ways.

I only recommended picking a path, because some are more experienced with Apple, while others are MS, while still more are into hardware, Switches, Routers, ETC. and its good to START where you are comfortable, at least in my eyes.

Good Luck and look forward to seeing you on the site.

Any other questions or need help, please feel free to ask.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Good entry level certs to get are compTIA A+, compTIA Network + and 70-680. You do not need a course just the books, study time and practice. You book the exams through pearsonvue or prometric and you will find your nearest test centres on those sites.

As said above getting some experience and practice as much as you can.


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## Edgedev (Dec 8, 2007)

What are you majoring at your university? With a college degree, you can go and find a very good job, but it depends on what you major in. If you are coming from a non-technical major, you can basically count anything you did in college and throw it out the window. 

There is a BIG difference as to where you start depending on your college degree. I was an MCSE going INTO college after high school. I had my MCSE, A+, N+, and Linux+. I went to a large university to study Computer Engineering. It definitely was WAY different from anything I had done prior to college, and what I learned in college was WAY different from what I did in my jobs afterward. 

If you have a Tech Majored degree, you can easily go into a position like a Systems Administrator, or Data Center Supervisor. It affords you the ability to catch up a bit without being hands-on right away showing too many signs of being new to it.

If you want to start on the ground floor you are going to encounter a lot of making up to do. In my experience I would RARELY learn from a book. I would see someone doing something hands on and then emulate it. After one or two times I would bury it in my memory and move on. Books are good for referencing more troublesome problems that you might encounter down the line. 

Think about what type of learner you are. If you are more of a hands-on; grab some computers, printers, servers, and accessories and start watching YouTube videos on assembly, troubleshooting, and common repairs. If you are more of a visual learner, go to how-to guides and follow them step by step and learn from the logic involved.

I wouldn't say that you may need to have some type of instinct for it, but if you don't you might have a harder time and might not enjoy it as much as a profession. A lot of us that have been doing this, have done it since we were kids. It's almost innate to figure things out and find the logic in why something does what. 

I hope that helps, 

Edge


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

Edgedev said:


> What are you majoring at your university? With a college degree, you can go and find a very good job, but it depends on what you major in. If you are coming from a non-technical major, you can basically count anything you did in college and throw it out the window.


I disagree with this statement. I know plenty of people in IT with non-technical degrees who are in IT positions that require college degrees. Sure, a technical degree probably looks better, but even with a non-technical degree, a degree shows that you have pursued and completed an extended course of study. It shows determination and drive, skills that are valued in today's workforce. Non-technical degrees in business administration are particularly valuable in IT; there are far, far too many techs who don't understand the business side of IT - to their detriment.



Edgedev said:


> There is a BIG difference as to where you start depending on your college degree. I was an MCSE going INTO college after high school. I had my MCSE, A+, N+, and Linux+. I went to a large university to study Computer Engineering. It definitely was WAY different from anything I had done prior to college, and what I learned in college was WAY different from what I did in my jobs afterward.


I agree that what you learn in college is indeed different from what you do in the "real world". However, I disagree that a college degree enables you to start at a "different place" on the IT career ladder. College graduates often mistakenly believe that a degree enables them to bypass all the entry-level jobs... and this is simply not the case. You need experience to get jobs beyond entry-level.

Although the degree makes you look more attractive to employers, it is not a valid substitute for experience. And this is evidenced by your statement that "...what I learned in college was WAY different from what I did in my jobs afterward." Employers realize this... which is why experience is required for more advanced positions.

Should people get a college degree? By all means! Although a degree isn't required at the start of an IT career, it will absolutely open up opportunities (often in a management or supervisory role) that would otherwise be unavailable to you.



Edgedev said:


> If you have a Tech Majored degree, you can easily go into a position like a Systems Administrator, or Data Center Supervisor. It affords you the ability to catch up a bit without being hands-on right away showing too many signs of being new to it.


There is no way I would hire someone with degrees and certifications but no real-world IT experience for either of those positions. I hope that others who have been in IT as long as I have would also chime in and validate my viewpoint.


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## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

BosonMichael said:


> There is no way I would hire someone with degrees and certifications but no real-world IT experience for either of those positions. I hope that others who have been in IT as long as I have would also chime in and validate my viewpoint.


Chiming in, and correct.

A Degree and Certs will get you an interview, but Get you one of those jobs without Experience, no way.

Also, I know many people in Tech positions without Tech degrees, Actually Business and Economics degrees tend to be a popular one.


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## Edgedev (Dec 8, 2007)

BosonMichael said:


> I disagree with this statement. I know plenty of people in IT with non-technical degrees who are in IT positions that require college degrees. Sure, a technical degree probably looks better, but even with a non-technical degree, a degree shows that you have pursued and completed an extended course of study. It shows determination and drive, skills that are valued in today's workforce. Non-technical degrees in business administration are particularly valuable in IT; there are far, far too many techs who don't understand the business side of IT - to their detriment.


So you are saying that someone with a non-technical degree can go into a job interview, with relatively little experience and get the job over someone that has a tech degree that has equal experience? I can tell you from my time working at a university and involved in opening up opportunities for those students that it's a bunch of crap. Most employers in my area are looking for a tech-based degree OR 4+ years experience in that field. 



BosonMichael said:


> Although the degree makes you look more attractive to employers, it is not a valid substitute for experience. And this is evidenced by your statement that "...what I learned in college was WAY different from what I did in my jobs afterward." Employers realize this... which is why experience is required for more advanced positions.


TRUE.... Depending on what job you are looking for. A programmer position almost requires a degree, unless you have 6+ years of _established_ work experience. If you are a System Admin, most employers can give a crap about your degree as long as you flow through the interview process, ALTHOUGH you put two candidates side-by-side and one has a 4-year degree and 1-2 years of experience with A+ and a random MCP and the other has 5-6 years of experience and A+, N+, and some misc MCP... 
An employer (excluding all social factors) will take the one with a degree, because it has more validation for their position than someone without it. Whether that person will be better at the job than the other is TBD.




BosonMichael said:


> Should people get a college degree? By all means! Although a degree isn't required at the start of an IT career, it will absolutely open up opportunities (often in a management or supervisory role) that would otherwise be unavailable to you.
> 
> There is no way I would hire someone with degrees and certifications but no real-world IT experience for either of those positions. I hope that others who have been in IT as long as I have would also chime in and validate my viewpoint.


I call BS. 

I've been IT for over 15 years and know that either view is validated via experience. When I didn't have a degree, I was passed over by people with degrees and nothing else. I had several years of experience and was presently IN college. That experience only motivated me more on getting my degree faster. I learned first hand that a tech-based degree opens up MANY more avenues.

I don't know where you are or what your experiences were like, but also age may be a factor. When I went for jobs I was 18-19 already with 4-5 years of verifiable large environment experience. Most people at the time were hesitant of such a young person running their systems.


Just my $.02


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

Edgedev said:


> So you are saying that someone with a non-technical degree can go into a job interview, with relatively little experience and get the job over someone that has a tech degree that has equal experience? I can tell you from my time working at a university and involved in opening up opportunities for those students that it's a bunch of crap. Most employers in my area are looking for a tech-based degree OR 4+ years experience in that field.


I didn't say that at all. I said that someone can succeed in IT with a non-technical degree. In a hypothetical case where all else is equal - and it rarely is - a technical degree would indeed give the edge over a non-technical degree. 

I can tell you from my time working _outside_ universities in the real world that a degree isn't required for most IT jobs. And when it is, experience is also required, because a degree isn't a valid substitute for experience.

Perhaps the difference is that you "open up opportunities" for students. I've sat on the other side of the interview table from those students, interviewing them for positions.

For what it's worth, I have a BS in Chemistry, and I'm doing juuuust fine... in a position that requires a degree.



Edgedev said:


> ALTHOUGH you put two candidates side-by-side and one has a 4-year degree and 1-2 years of experience with A+ and a random MCP and the other has 5-6 years of experience and A+, N+, and some misc MCP...
> An employer (excluding all social factors) will take the one with a degree, because it has more validation for their position than someone without it. Whether that person will be better at the job than the other is TBD.


A degree isn't a valid substitute for experience. If I were interviewing someone for a position, with everything else equal besides what you listed above, I'd take the candidate with 5-6 years of experience _actually *doing* the job_. 

Experience shows you've done the job; a degree shows that you've studied about it and perhaps practiced in a lab environment. Only one of those has proven they can do the job. Consider a situation where you have to get your car repaired. Would you choose someone who has a certificate that proves they've studied how to repair an engine, or would you choose someone who has actually repaired engines? 



Edgedev said:


> I call BS.
> 
> I've been IT for over 15 years and know that either view is validated via experience. When I didn't have a degree, I was passed over by people with degrees and nothing else. I had several years of experience and was presently IN college. That experience only motivated me more on getting my degree faster. I learned first hand that a tech-based degree opens up MANY more avenues.


Call BS if you want, but I've also been in IT for 15 years (and 6 years before that as the go-to computer guy, but not in an official IT position). Further, the poster above you absolutely agrees with me... and I'm quite confident that others will chime in who agree with me as well.

Sure, things were different when we started in IT. People were being hired solely on the basis of degrees and certifications. Those times are long past, and they have been for the past 10 years or so.

Yes, a degree can indeed open up more opportunities, and yes, a degree can indeed give you an edge over your competition. But it's not required to succeed in IT. Would I recommend that someone pursue a degree? Absolutely! Would I recommend that someone pursue a degree in lieu of getting experience? Not a chance. Someone with 4 years of experience will almost always get a job over someone with a 4-year degree and no experience. 



Edgedev said:


> I don't know where you are or what your experiences were like, but also age may be a factor. When I went for jobs I was 18-19 already with 4-5 years of verifiable large environment experience. Most people at the time were hesitant of such a young person running their systems.


Been messing with computers since I was 10. Didn't get my first "real" IT job until age 28. I'm now 43. 

Back then, things were different, but today, if I saw a resume where an 18-year-old had "4-5 years of experience" administering computers - meaning they've been "working" since age 13 - I'd probably not even bring them in for an interview.


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## Edgedev (Dec 8, 2007)

BosonMichael said:


> I didn't say that at all. I said that someone can succeed in IT with a non-technical degree. In a hypothetical case where all else is equal - and it rarely is - a technical degree would indeed give the edge over a non-technical degree.
> 
> I can tell you from my time working _outside_ universities in the real world that a degree isn't required for most IT jobs. And when it is, experience is also required, because a degree isn't a valid substitute for experience.
> 
> Perhaps the difference is that you "open up opportunities" for students. I've sat on the other side of the interview table from those students, interviewing them for positions.


I worked in the university as a manager of an IT department, so I've done my fair share of interviewing as well. I've also worked outside the school system and I've also owned my own company for a while before selling it off because of other endeavors. I've done plenty, with and without a degree, and I never made the instigation that someone with a non-tech degree can't make it, I'm just saying that it would put them back to having to start at an entry level job, and costing them time in moving up.




BosonMichael said:


> A degree isn't a valid substitute for experience. If I were interviewing someone for a position, with everything else equal besides what you listed above, I'd take the candidate with 5-6 years of experience _actually *doing* the job_.
> 
> Experience shows you've done the job; a degree shows that you've studied about it and perhaps practiced in a lab environment. Only one of those has proven they can do the job. Consider a situation where you have to get your car repaired. Would you choose someone who has a certificate that proves they've studied how to repair an engine, or would you choose someone who has actually repaired engines?


Apparently you have no value for a degree in technology. The hard work, and the things actually studied that I honestly would have never known working in the field that has helped when I did consulting. It provides a broader view of how problems aren't just solved, but how they are created so that you can diagnose and then fix in a shorter time span than playing the hit-and-miss game. 

So to take your analogy, I rather take the guy that got the degree to design an engine to fix my car, so that it won't happen again than a guy with some experience that can break my car more before fixing it and spending more time waiting for it to be fixed.



BosonMichael said:


> Call BS if you want, but I've also been in IT for 15 years (and 6 years before that as the go-to computer guy, but not in an official IT position). Further, the poster above you absolutely agrees with me... and I'm quite confident that others will chime in who agree with me as well.
> 
> Sure, things were different when we started in IT. People were being hired solely on the basis of degrees and certifications. Those times are long past, and they have been for the past 10 years or so.
> 
> Yes, a degree can indeed open up more opportunities, and yes, a degree can indeed give you an edge over your competition. But it's not required to succeed in IT. Would I recommend that someone pursue a degree? Absolutely! Would I recommend that someone pursue a degree in lieu of getting experience? Not a chance. Someone with 4 years of experience will almost always get a job over someone with a 4-year degree and no experience.


Someone with a degree has a higher ceiling than someone that doesn't. Someone without a degree is rarely or if-ever a CTO, CIO, or VP of IT of a company. They are rarely a director of a division, mainly because the position requirements are a degree. I've seen it with friends and colleagues of mine. 

I'm also not saying that you can't make a good living off of just experience, because many people do it, but most are limited to just that. Whether you want to scale the ladders of Corporate America, or set up your own shop; that's fine. It's just that having something else there to back you is that much better in the long run. 

I've climbed the ladder much faster than my friends that didn't get a degree. I took advantage and worked while I went to school. Both full-time. It was a worthwhile sacrifice. If the original poster wants to go that route, that's great. It's a great investment, and I can say that in the end you'll have it pay off. If not, you have a long road ahead of working 2x as hard to get up each rung of the ladder. 

Most of my supervisors over much of my time have been those that didn't have degrees to be where they were. I've moved on to bigger things, and they are still where they were at when I worked for them. It's a ceiling that I won't recommend for anyone to reach. That's all I'm advocating.



BosonMichael said:


> Been messing with computers since I was 10. Didn't get my first "real" IT job until age 28. I'm now 43.
> 
> Back then, things were different, but today, if I saw a resume where an 18-year-old had "4-5 years of experience" administering computers - meaning they've been "working" since age 13 - I'd probably not even bring them in for an interview.


I was poor growing up, and I literally had to MAKE my own opportunities. When I got to high school I was given the opportunity to become a Jr. Systems Administrator under the SA of my high school. I worked after school and got paid a decent wage. The SA was like my mentor that saw something in me and showed me how to manage Mac, Linux and Windows servers as well as cater to over 500+ computers and 250+ end users on multiple platforms, as well as labs and classrooms. During class-time I took my "class" as an assistant as an elective. 

I was 14 when I started professionally, and I started at age 11 when I built, managed and expanded my first computer, network and server system...just FYI. Anyone that spoke to me for 10 minutes knew what I was capable of. It's people like you that can be so narrow-minded that missed out. I'm just saying...

Things are always changing. If someone like me came to any company at 18 I would be made Sr Admin or given some type of funding for a start-up... I guess it shows the times are changing, but I still wouldn't give up my college degree because it would only trap me.


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## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

Whew,

Michael has stated many times in this thread alone, there is a difference between Experience, Degree, and Experience plus Degree.

1) If you go straight from a Degree with no experience, you will get an Interview
2) If you go straight from Certs with no Experience you will get an Interview
3) If you go in with 10 year experience, you will get an Interview
3) If you go in with Degree, Certs and 10 years Experience, you will get an Interview.

Seeing those stats, saying all have great Interviews, Who are you going to hire?

To me, 
4 - 3 - 1 - 2

But, These are things that will make a big difference in your decision
If money is not an option?
If you have the time and inclination to train
Ego

You are stating that having a Degree is golden, when its not
You also have, according to your last post, umpteen years experience, starting at age 11.
I still would not give you a Sr. Admin position until you proved your worth, and out of the blocks, College, even with 10 years of *un*proven experience, it's just not going to happen.

I'd start you at a mid-level and let you show me you know what you are talking about, and know what you state you know via a 90 day trial. During that time, prove yourself to me, if you cant, bu buy.

That's the facts, and I have talked with many Hiring and IT Managers over the years and I know none looking for a Sr. Admin with a degree, a couple of Certs and no real world Experience. 
Not that setting up a test bed network at home is bad, its not. It's actually needed to get good at the job, but if you tell a hiring manager that that is your only real experience, unless every other interview is horrible, you will be passed over.


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## Entrepretecchie (Apr 26, 2013)

Hi Techfan. Congrats on graduating, thats very cool. You are now one of the smart ones, which can be scary. 

I'm not in IT, but i can speak to general career advice which i think is valuable to you right now. 

First off, nobody expects you to know everything. You should always be learning, but the reality is that whenever you change jobs you are expected to train and learn in a new system. It certainly helps when you can transfer skills, but for your first job nobody will expect that of you.

My advice for you is to try and be friendly with everyone. Many times at the company i work for, friends will be hired before more qualified applicants. The truth is that if you are going to be working with someone for 40 hours a week, you want to be friends with them. Otherwise work will suck. Getting along is more important (imo) than what you know or how great you are at it. So stay calm, carry on... and remember the best team wins the game, not the best player. 

GL


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