IT people...let me join you

runnah · Apr 14, 2015

So, how do I become an IT person?

Seriously, I am thinking of going into a new field since my current career track is pretty much at a dead end. I would like to try to go into the backend server side stuff since I don't really do well with support.

So how does one start down this road?

snowbear · Apr 14, 2015

In my case (a long time ago) I found that I had a "knack" for programming in BASIC (the old one - slightly resembles FORTRAN). I ended up taking a COBOL course then "fell" into a systems analyst/programming position at the 9-1-1 center I had been dispatching at. As a disclaimer, this was in the mid '80s so it was pretty uncomplicated - mainframes & minis, 2400 baud leased lined and private networks.

pgriz · Apr 14, 2015

Runnah, I spent almost 30 years in that field, and when I left it, more and more jobs were being shipped overseas either to Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, etc.) or India. The people I know who are still in IT are managing very high workloads and are stressed to the gills. In the current environment, the procurement person or group who write the specs and implement the resulting system, are probably the jobs that are still available and reasonably well-paying. Knowledge of technology is something that can be farmed out quite easily. Knowing a business well enough to know how to incorporate system into it, continues to be a skill that "should" be in demand.

Gary A. · Apr 14, 2015

There is a big call for web design and web site maintenance. As you have design/marketing skills you may want to take a look into those genres. Out here, many Adult Schools have courses/programs that will take you from beginner to certification and internships. That is probably the most cluck for the buck.

FotosbyMike · Apr 14, 2015

I have been IT professional for 7 years now and as pgriz said a lot of jobs are going overseas but there are still a ton here in the US. Some of the highest needs are IT Security, Project Management, Procurement, Vendor Management...this doesn't mean the field doesn't need Server people.

First and for most unless you have a degree now you really should go back to school for a 4 degree. If you are focused on the sever or already have a degree start taking all the certifications you can; Microsoft Server 2012, Unix, Active Directory, CompTIA Server etc.

Also you may need to move where the jobs are so unless you are close to a big city it is going to harder to find a job in a small town. I would look into jobs at Data Centers and start looking up fortune 500 companies and see what they require to apply for a job.

Good luck and best of luck,

GlennT · Apr 15, 2015

I've been in IT for 17 years, and it's done nothing but become harder and harder. I've been with the same government agency since 2000, being the Network Admin (as in, the only one) most of that time. Until 3 years ago, I was the only full time Windows guy. Until 5 years ago, I was the only Windows guy. We now have a manager, a programmer, net admin and a net tech.

Everything is continuously growing, and more and more systems get added or expanded. When I started, we had a small token ring network, 2 Windows servers and 1 AS400. It was like most other systems out there; Microsoft Office, a few network printers, and not a whole lot else. We now have 6 VMWare virtual hosts (with two enterprise grade iSCSI SAN units) running 36 virtual servers, with around 12 physical servers remaining, and the network has been overhauled twice. We now span 6 facilities, with fiber running everywhere, with 3 layer 3 chassis core switches, and over a dozen light layer 3 switches throughout the company, with a WiFi radio network running across 28 Access Points and growing. We incorporated a complex Computer Aided Dispatch system (public transit) 9 years ago that started with 3 servers; it now has 8. That's just the tip of the ice berg.

Honestly, I frequently think about getting out. It really can be brutal, and while you know you're a miracle worker (and some people recognize that), people always expect more AND your work is mostly not visible and virtually non-quantifiable. Even the things that can be seen, such as the glorious servers and switches, are hidden behind doors. I have a relatively young family though, with a stable job, good benefits, and reasonable pay; tough to walk away from.

So, with the griping out of the way... There are steady jobs out there. Many of my friends are in IT. The bigger the city, the easier it is to get in. I don't know about getting in without going through bottom rung support work though. I had hands on server experience when I started here, and worked on the servers right from the start, but it was a few years before they officially made me the administrator. Even then, with as thin as we are, I still have to do helpdesk work (I'm not much of a people person myself, but I somehow excel at customer service.) At the very least, I'd think you'd be looking at starting with bench work, fixing desktops and laptops; possibly at a depot where systems are shipped in and out at a fairly quick pace. Education is probably the only way around that, and even with that, I would think the best entry point is still through either a massive corporation or through a contractor.

FWIW, Knowing Windows Server 2008R2, Server 2012, Active Directory, Hyper-V and/or VMWare seems to be of utmost importance these days if you want to touch servers. Network engineering and security are big as well. I still run an Exchange server here, but that's getting outsourced more and more to the cloud; I wish we would, as email is a nightmare.