Looking for a Job in IT within the Education Sector

[toths06]

Hello there,

 

I am fairly new to this site but I would just like to post that I am looking to get a Job in an IT Based Role within a School ideally as an IT Technician but any role that I feel I would be able to perform would do. I live in Surrey (on the borders of Hampshire and West Sussex in the GU27 Postal Code.

 

I have left College with a Triple Distinction* in a BTEC Extended Diploma in IT (180 Credits /18 Modules), I have been looking all around for jobs but so far have come up with very little success and would appreciate any help and advice you could all give me, this can be anything from tips to looking to telling me if you think i should do more training or get certified in something.

 

Finally should anyone have any vacancies or know of any please feel free to PM (or if you would like my CV to have on file PM me too.)

 

Thanks for your time and help.

[elsiegee40]

Hi there. Welcome to edugeek. If you browse this forum, you will find a number of threads started by young people in your position and some good advice on them.

 

To get a job in education, you will always need to complete an application form as schools must do this to comply with Safer Recruitment law. A cv will not be acceptable.

 

I would, however, suggest that you get yourself known in local schools by volunteering. Your cv will come in handy here and it may be that a school network manager with a busy holiday schedule could do with some extra help and is willing to give you some work experience.

 

Also look out for apprenticeships. Many schemes will be launching very soon as they aim to get the next crop of school leavers. One that you may be interested in is Fidelity Investments Technology Apprenticeships. They take some at Kingswood in Surrey, not so very far from you. http://fidelityrecruitment.com/apprentices/technology

[TomCollins]

I agree with @elsiegee40 about the apprenticeship idea. They will give you the best of both worlds in terms of real world experience and also the practical exams behind it.

 

Sign up on the National Apprenticeship Service website, search for IT apprenticeships near your postcode and then save it as a favourite search as you can then receive alerts via email and text when a new apprenticeship becomes available.

 

More and more schools are turning to apprenticeships when considering hiring new talent, so you may find a few near you, otherwise kept checking every day or so.

 

Hope this helps, and good luck in your search!

 

 

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[toths06]

Thanks for your replies. The thing with apprenticeships that gets me is that they pay so little, I currently work for a large Supermarket chain and am on almost £8 an hour whereas most apprenticeships I have looked only ever off the minimum up to about £3.25 which would mean a huge paycut, which is why I am trying to get in without going down the apprentice route if that is at all possible.

[TomCollins]

But at the end of the apprenticeship, which normally lasts a year, most training providers boast about having 90%+ of their students being employed full time by their placement employers after they complete their apprenticeship, so a years worth of low pay could result in a permanent job at the end of it!

 

I'm in the same position as you at the moment (I am 18 leaving college soon) so I am searching around at the moment.

 

One thing I would suggest, which has helped me find experience, is to create a LinkedIn profile and start building up your connections and endorsements. In this day and age it can be argued that it's not what you know but who you know that can get you far in life.

 

 

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[Jasbo]

Apprenticeships can work out, we had one guy start last year on a one year scheme, but a technician left during the year and the apprentice was able to take on some of their roles and show he was very capable and now he is the technician

[elsiegee40]

And the Fidelity ones definitely pay more than the minimum. I know one lad, a friend of my daughter, who has been through the scheme and is still working for the business, seems to have technical qualification going, and is doing very well up in their London offices. In fact he he has just come back from a fortnight in the Bermuda office... some people have to suffer to work

 

You have to remember that the company offering the apprenticeship is paying all your college bills. The best qualifications are not cheap. BTEC is only an entry level qualification. Lots of young people have that. To stand out from the crowd, you need more and the apprenticeship will give you bags of practical experience alongside qualifications that make you very marketable as a person.

 

The bigger organisations offering these are looking at getting the staff they need for their business and most will not be looking at dumping them after the apprenticeship is over.

Edited March 27, 2014 by elsiegee40

[Dkeen94]

I can definately vouch forthe apprenticeship route, i served a year as an apprentice and came out with invaluable work experience, knowledge and some amazing qualifications.

 

Serving as an apprentice shows your employer how dedicated you are to your profession and can really put across a positive message.

 

I am now a technician in the school i was an apprentice at

[toths06]

Yes, See I would certainly consider an Apprenticeship should a decent one within a school on a fairish salary that gave good qualifications came up, and I am hoping that they will start listing some more soon (as mentioned for the current leavers) Should anyone ever find any links or would know anyone that would be interested in taking on an apprentice please feel free to share it with me.

[Leeoakley]

Unfortunately with very little experience you may well struggle to get a tech job, when competing against other candidates with "hit the floor running" skills.

 

The only other solution would be to supplement your income as an apprentice, by working weekends. Its a tough industry to break in to and the only real solution is to get experience, work hard and be committed.

 

What you have to keep in mind, is that its for most people, the college qualification wont really prepare a person for what they walk in to, in an IT role and wont make your CV stand out at all. I'm sure the technicians on here will vouch for that, or shoot me down in a ball of fiery forum posts.

 

The thing with your supermarket role is that:

 

1) Its not what imagine you want to be doing long term (hence the post).

2) Although £8 an hour seems like a lot now, long term its not a terrific salary.

 

You may be one of the lucky few who fall on their feet and land a job, but the odds of that happening wont be nearly as high compared to you having a years worth of real exp.

 

Its all about the CV and interview-

 

At interview; You will be able to talk more about your experiences in IT in a confident way, as well troubleshoot technical tests in the interview more efficiently.

 

Sorry that there is no magic answer that will get you a job.

 

Lee

[APMerry]

If you're serious about wanting this to be your career then you're most likely going to have to bite the bullet and take a pay cut. I've got friends who were in the same situation leaving college and being paid a reasonable amount working in a supermarket, they're still on pretty much the same money 8 years later.

[CAM]

What expenses do you have? A supermarket job is really not something you want to be stuck in for the rest of your life (I have friends in that trap desperate to get out). If you have rent, car, etc then it will be a tricky decision if you don't have any savings to fall back on and the pay cut means being unable to keep up with them. If you still live with your parents, then it is a no-brainer! Make the most of their support whilst you can on that low apprenticeship wage and you'll be the one supporting them in old age when you have a decent job on considerably more money then a supermarket offers.

[toths06]

What expenses do you have? A supermarket job is really not something you want to be stuck in for the rest of your life (I have friends in that trap desperate to get out). If you have rent, car, etc then it will be a tricky decision if you don't have any savings to fall back on and the pay cut means being unable to keep up with them. If you still live with your parents, then it is a no-brainer! Make the most of their support whilst you can on that low apprenticeship wage and you'll be the one supporting them in old age when you have a decent job on considerably more money then a supermarket offers.

 

Yes, I do have some expenses to consider, however so long as I make 450 per calendar month I will be ok. I have some savings to fall back on but only very little (£1500) which is in case anything were to happen with my car, Yes I do live at home so that helps but i do pay rent.

 

With regards to the comments about Apprenticeships, I have come to the conclusion that If i can find an Apprenticeship based in a School or College that is in IT and within reasonable travelling distance then I will go for it. Hopefully as mentioned above they will start posting more soon for this coming September. (Hopefully)

 

With regards to my current Job, Whilst yes £8 an hour was good whilst I was at College, it was only ever really there for that, as I never expected to nor wanted to stay there as my job. However I will stay there until I have something concrete sorted out.

 

On an additional note, I have a weeks holiday in May (PM me for dates) and was wondering if anyone one on here would take me on for Voluntary Work Experience for the week so that I can gain more experience to use and put down in Application's / My CV. I will typing up letters and sending them to some of my local schools too, but I though there is no harm in asking on here too. If you would be interested in this then please do PM me.

 

Thanks

[glennda]

Give @mdench a shout - he works over that why in a school where i used to work. Maybe able to help with the work experience

[elsiegee40]

I am glad that apprenticeships are now being considered, but don't restrict yourself to apprenticeships in education. You will get equally good experience and training, possibly better, outside education.... and the longer term salary prospects are definitely better outside! IT in education doesn't mean long holidays... the anti social side of this job is that you end up working when nobody else is; school holidays are busy times. Edited March 29, 2014 by elsiegee40

[Matty94]

Hi toths06,

 

If you have a look at my thread I started few months ago, I was in a similar situation like you. Finished college with DMM, and went to work in a warehouse for 19 months. I'm currently doing an apprenticeship in a school and it's the best choice I have made.

 

I agree with Elsigee ask schools if you can volunteer in their IT department. I asked schools in my area if there were any volunteering opportunities and the school I'm at, the Network Manager replied back to say they are advertising for an ICT Technician apprenticeship and gave me a website to a training provider to contact to apply for the apprenticeship. Also agree with @Dkeen94 with doing an apprenticeship gives you invaluable work experience, knowledge, amazing qualifications. I've already learnt stuff that I wouldn't have learnt through college. Doing an apprenticeship can also help you to build up the experience to become a network manager or higher. It's helping me to develop the skills to become an system administrator.

 

These guys on this forum are amazing with showing you the different routes to get into IT. If it wasn't for these guys, I wouldn't know how to get into IT. There is also, one amazing women who is great with doing CV's and is great with interview tips and she is called @witch.

Edited March 29, 2014 by elsiegee40

[twin--turbo]

To Be honest,

 

If your earning £8/h now you may struggle to achive that for a few years in Education I.T. as a junior tech. And the ongoing prospects are not great.

 

Do your research and find out what the pay and conditions are like before going into Educatio I.T., and indeed any I.T. support role. It's not the highly paid career that eveyone outside belives.

 

Rob

[DavetheITguy]

Where are you based, there is an ICT Systems Administrator job in West Yorkshire.

[witch]

"Amazing"

How kind

Do send me your CV (pm me for address) and I will happily have a look for you