IT qualifications

[Uraken]

Hi i guess most of you guys are like me and came in to the job through industry and gained qualifications like MCP A+ etc, a question i always get asked by our students who want to be an ICT technician/network manager is what courses they should do whilst at school and subsequently at college, has anyone come via the college route that can give some insight? thanks in advance.

[plexer]

Bit of a generalisation there then on the route people have taken into their current job.

I went to university and got a computer degree and then started in a secondary school as ICT Technician after a couple of years there I moved into a single handed network managers position for another 2 years and am currently in my third school again as network manager but with 2 technicians.

Ben

[webman]

I consider myself very fortunate, in that I started the job with only my GCSEs (all A-Cs). Since then, I've done NVQ 2 (almost completed L3) in System Support, and I'm halfway through CCNA.

[Lee_K_81]

After finishing school I went to a college and did a BTEC ND in computing. (Some uni's wont accept these now, but it was better for uni course as it gave me more experience). After that i went on to uni, and did a degree in computer science. After that i got a job as a full time technician, but went back to uni in the evenings to do a Masters degree in computer science.

After almost 2 years as a tech, i became a systems manager in charge of 2 techs, which is what i'm doing now. 10 months in and things are going well, about to get a third tech.

[Midget]

I did a real ComSc degree (sorry axe to gind over shit cs degree that friend is now doing) before getting into this job.

[krisd32]

after school i wemt to college and did a btec nd in telecommunications.
after that i managed to get a job at hte local IT firm which in turn sent to do a 1 day a week HNC in computing. going next month to do my MCDST course for 5 days over feb half term! this is my first job in a school much better than industry I think so any way!

Kris

[AshF]

Got my A-Levels, my GCSEs. All through this process I was working part time at a local internet cafe, then a local computer shop, doing repairs, sales, etc.

Spent a year at Uni, dropped out for various reasons involving my family.
Ended up working for Tiny's helpdesk. Then to a dotcom that sadly went bust (like so many).

Moved back to gloucestershire and after a period of part time employment started work in a school as a Junior Technician, a year and a bit later moved back towards London as a Senior Technician, a year after that got the post of network manager.

I've gotten where I am mostly by experience and my wits alone. I've completed a number of MCSE courses but not taken the exams.

I'm aware I need to change this at some point and get some documented qualifications to my name, but work and life just keep me too damned busy...

[DMcCoy]

I have none, except a computer science degree. Not that there was much content about computers as such. Although I do find the theory quite insteresting

Since then I've done some apple training, but no other training since I started. Not that I haven't learnt anything, I would like to do the formal Vmware ESX qualifications, would be useful for when bsf hits and I need to find a nice job somewhere!

[Uraken]

"generalisation" of course it was how do i know what route you all took? is there a standard one ben?

[Geoff]

I think you should always value experience over any qualifications. Some of the more common industry qualifications seem to be particularly abused. Anyone who's had to conduct a practical test for and interview knows the kind of people who seem to be attracted to the job.

[plexer]

Uraken: I meant the generalisation that most people came in via industry.

Ben

[EvLPhenom]

I left school with 8 GCSE's... i think all A to C and went straight to college and studied ICT at an Advanced VCE level and then got my first IT job as a trainee. which is where i am now.

[SpuffMonkey]

Originally Posted by Lee_K_81

After finishing school I went to a college

Blimey - you went to finishing school - was it in Switzerland?

Seriously - those of us of a "mature" age usually just drifted into IT from other things (I have a degree in Industrial Engineering), when there was a shortage of staff in the 80s.

I tell kids to train up to be accountants - its a lot more use to them than IT. :?

[Uraken]

Ah yes now i see ben its a fair point (which you make superbly well, now had i gone to college i would have spotted my generalisation first time around)
Thanks for all your insights i'll tell them to try and get into plmbing then (via college)

[AshF]

Originally Posted by Geoff

I think you should always value experience over any qualifications. Some of the more common industry qualifications seem to be particularly abused. Anyone who's had to conduct a practical test for and interview knows the kind of people who seem to be attracted to the job.

My Senior IT Tech has a degree... In Philosophy. He's about to take on a newly created Developer role. Like me he has taken the 'knowledge by experience and experimentation' route. I wish more people valued experience over qualifications. Sadly in the greater world it doesn't seem to be the way of things a lot of the time...