What Do I need to get into school ICT...

[ChrisMcf]

I'm rather curious about getting a job in ICT...I just wanted to know what kind of things I'd need to learn to get a decent job in a school/office.

Would I need to go to Uni.?

 

Cheers:)

[Dos_Box]

No, you don't need to go to uni. Yet.

You are however stuck between a rock and a hard place. To get a job in IT (there are many, many areas y'know) a good way to start would be to get some professional qualifications behind you, or have at least 2-3 years experience in the field you wish to be employed in.

How old are you if you don't mind me asking?

[ChrisMcf]

15......

I'd like to do more pratical things with computers, but being more of an allrounder interests me a lot more.

[gh256]

This is a topic I am also interested in. I am 20 and now working in a school as an IT Techinicain but now not sure what I will do to progress in the future.

[EduTech]

@ ChrisMcf - In the near future you could look into doing the COMP TIA A+ through your local College (Free Course as far as i am aware) that deals with Practical IT Support which is what your after then you have the chance of doing other courses such as MCSA and CompTIA N+.. which is what i have done and are very usuful courses.

 

@gh256 - you have a head start really as you are already in a job so its not like you are looking for Quals to start your career in IT off.. but again i would advise you do the CompTIA A+ and then maybe the CompTIA N+ and MCSA or MCSE

 

Any please feels what i have said would not be a good thing to do feel free to correct me

 

Regards

 

James

[FN-GM]

I left high school and got a job in ICT a few months after, now i will working towards some qualifications soon.

 

Z

[maniac]

At the age of 15, I would recommend going to uni definitely. It's becomming difficult to get IT jobs at the lower end of the scale for un-qualfied and un-experience people due to an increasingly large amount of graduates rolling out of uni with ICT related qualifications.

 

Generally speaking a candidate with a degree is always going to be preferable over a candidate without, so with no experience, and no degree you'll find it hard to get even the most basic job. Obviously you can't really get experience without a job, and it'll be more difficult to get a job without experience or a degree so get a degree if you have the opportunity.

 

I didn't goto uni, and I've always regretted it ever since. I was lucky that a school gave me a chance and I proved myself, but that sort of break is becoming much harder to get these days.

 

at 20 with maybe a couple of years experience, I'd possibly still consider a degree, but more likely some sort of qualification like an MCP to help you, and obviously gaining as much practical and versatile experience as possible.

 

That's my opinion anyway.

 

Mike.

[FN-GM]

If you can do voluntary work in the ICT sector like i did that will be beneficial.

 

Z

[torledo]

15......

I'd like to do more pratical things with computers, but being more of an allrounder interests me a lot more.

 

oops, 15 eh ? you better hope Witch isn't reading this thread

[EduTech]

If you can do voluntary work in the ICT sector like i did that will be beneficial.

 

Z

 

i have to admit i agree with that... at the moment thats all i am doing doing voluntary work for community Centres, Orginisations, I also help a senior school (technology college) in the holidays. would recommend doing that plus it will give you an insight to a working enviroment etc

 

regards

 

James

[ChrisMcf]

Is there any sort of age limit for volunteering? Might do it in the Summer...

[torledo]

At the age of 15, I would recommend going to uni definitely. It's becomming difficult to get IT jobs at the lower end of the scale for un-qualfied and un-experience people due to an increasingly large amount of graduates rolling out of uni with ICT related qualifications.

 

Generally speaking a candidate with a degree is always going to be preferable over a candidate without, so with no experience, and no degree you'll find it hard to get even the most basic job. Obviously you can't really get experience without a job, and it'll be more difficult to get a job without experience or a degree so get a degree if you have the opportunity.

 

I didn't goto uni, and I've always regretted it ever since. I was lucky that a school gave me a chance and I proved myself, but that sort of break is becoming much harder to get these days.

 

at 20 with maybe a couple of years experience, I'd possibly still consider a degree, but more likely some sort of qualification like an MCP to help you, and obviously gaining as much practical and versatile experience as possible.

 

That's my opinion anyway.

 

Mike.

 

i agree 100% and utterly endorse everything you've said, and you hit the nail on the head when you say that getting a lucky break is so hard as a school or college leaver. A degree gives you so many more options. You still need a little bit of good fortune, but you have much better prospects as a graduate.

 

And there are now a raft of courses available that incorporate real world practical elements, and links with the big IT companies...joedetic's BEng

at stafford is a prime example with it's Cisco academy elements. Or the degree courses that offer the possible of entry onto the superb HP and IBM academy programs.

 

My personal opinion is, although this is an education professionals website,

if you're 15 or 16 and looking to get into IT the school environment is not what people should be aspiring to, there is a going to be a huge skills shortage in certain areas of IT in industry and the public sector, and they'll be no shortage of opportunities for talented graduates with some practical experience, what a waste if you're doing the thankless task of being a school tech five or six years from now.

[FN-GM]

Is there any sort of age limit for volunteering? Might do it in the Summer...

 

No you should be ok

 

Z

[chalkwellstu]

Registered Clinically Insane would be a definate advantage, plus a penchant for handling children (the ones who teach the classes not the ones who sit in them!)

 

Seriously any experience you can gain be it volountary or oaid, plus a shed load of qualifications. coming from the corporate would i wouldn't even look at CV's unles they had a host of the necessary exams (simply as there are so many people applying for jobs in IT) but more importantly experience. if you have experience that counts for a lot more in my book.

[stu]

I'm 19 I just started an apprenticeship after 2 years of college and don't think you should feel uni is the only way forward if you contact all the schools in your area and talk to the colleges you will deffo find some doors opening for you and if your willing to work cheep and still work hard you'll soon find people willing to train you

 

Be prepaired to get a part time job to make some pocket money on the side, the exspiriance you gain is well worth it tho

[richard.thomas]

I'm 20, however, I'm on a placement year from university. I'm actually on a Multimedia Computing degree and my placement year has put me into education... I've taking a little bit of a likening to it though.

The only related qualification I hold is a Cisco CCNA1 which was part of one of my modules at uni. I did all the work for CCNA2, however, at the time I didnt think i'd need it and so didnt pay to attend the final exam (stupid!).

[rrichmond]

Hey. I've posted this before, so this is a repost, but I think the information is valuable.

 

I've had some experience in the area you are discussing. You see I went to Uni after leaving school, and pursued a Science Degree, as I really was not to sure what I wanted to do.

 

After completing this, I went to work for a electronics retailer, and it was here where I picked up my interest in IT.

 

I went looking for a job, without ANY luck! So I decided at the time, the best thing to do was to increase my qualifications so I could get into IT. I did a Masters in IT and then again went looking for work. No luck! The qualification was not specific enough to persuade anyone to hire me.

 

So I started working for PC retailer and then went and increased my qualifications further. This time I did an A+ in Hardware and Software, my Microsoft Certified Professional course, A Help Desk Analysis Certification and my Novell Netware certifications.

 

One thing that REALLY helped me getting my job was the last course than ran. It was Job interview skills.

 

The main point I got from it (which I hadn't been doing) was to ring the prospective employer and find out about the job, and then tell them what you have been doing. I always got a job interview out of this.

 

After 2 weeks, I had 3 Job offers. I accepted one in a School, and after 9 months I became the IT Manager. I have never looked back. Its a great job, and it get even better throughout the holidays!!

 

So my advice? If you've been offered a job, take it. Experience counts for a lot more than the qualification.

 

If you can fit it in whilst doing your job, Increase your qualifications by doing a degree, so you can get better pay.

 

Then do the extra qualifications if you want to branch out.

 

Good luck!

[stu]

Some times I wish I had tried harder in college and gone to uni

but on other had I don have student lone to pay off and thou I not earning much at all at the moment i getting first had experience I getting qualifications from one day a week at college and i started working threw networking + and A+ (well i will once i finish reading threw the networking + book again)

[pallen]

If your 15 going to college and then Uni means 5 years from now unless you have managed to get experience along the way you will be a grad with no experience and still find it difficult to get into a decent IT job. Yes a lot of jobs ask for a degree, but they ALWAYS ask for experience. If you are lucky you can land a tech job for your summers through Uni, but if like most people you need any job for the cash you cant always be so picky about where you work.

 

My advice would be to aim to get to uni, but try getting into an IT job first. You can always train on the job and availability of getting qualifications outside of work is fairly widespread. You may need to do some voluntry work in order to get your first job, but even if you start work at 18, by the time you are 21 you could have 3 years experience andl IT qualifications which would make you more employable than an IT grad with no experience.

 

If you struggle to get an IT job, then you can still carry on in education and go to Uni.

[Joanne]

apprenticeship all the way... thats how i got into it, and thats how you can beat the uni people with the 3 years extra experience you will have plus more relevant qualifications.

[richard.thomas]

apprenticeship all the way... thats how i got into it, and thats how you can beat the uni people with the 3 years extra experience you will have plus more relevant qualifications.

 

But just think of all those days you didn't waste with your housemates drinking till god knows what time and then waking up and starting to drink again because it's night time again!

[dhicks]

> I'm rather curious about getting a job in ICT...

 

Anyone else get the impression that last week must have been Year 10 - Thinking About Careers in PSE lessons country-wide? You don't have to pick a career off of the careers office list at age 16 and stick with it until you're 65 any more. It is perfectly allowable to move jobs, careers or even countries as much as you like. Also, if you don't like the look of any of the named jobs on offer, feel free to simply make your own up.

 

> I just wanted to know what kind of things I'd need to learn to get a

> decent job in a school/office. Would I need to go to Uni?

 

University would probably be a good idea, yes. Are you planning to do A-levels post-16, or something else? Either way, it's defiantly worth going into further education of some kind post-18. Also, try and get the hang of enjoying maths and reading - maths will come in handy for dealing with computers, and having the trick of being able to quickly skim through an 800-page manual defiantly will.

 

--

David Hicks

[Guest aliv25]

My personal opinion is, although this is an education professionals website, if you're 15 or 16 and looking to get into IT the school environment is not what people should be aspiring to, there is a going to be a huge skills shortage in certain areas of IT in industry and the public sector, and they'll be no shortage of opportunities for talented graduates with some practical experience, what a waste if you're doing the thankless task of being a school tech five or six years from now.

 

Im currently on my placement doing network support. you say that theres going to be a huge skills shortage in certain areas of IT in industry, what areas are these?

[SpuffMonkey]

I'd always suggest a solid educational qualification - because it gives you options in the future. Specific IT quals are great - BUT - they are specific and date pretty quickly, and will be little use if you decide you fancy a career change in the future - even becoming a teacher will need a degree and its sight harder to get once you've started full time employment.

 

My degree is in Engineering & Finance - but it allowed me to get a job in IT when I wanted a change - I don't think an MCSE or CCNA will get you a start as a teacher or accountant.

 

With such a high proportion of people getting higher awards nowadays - you're going have limited choices in the future without a degree - IMHO

[srochford]

Working in education, I'm not going to say qualifications are a waste of time but they're pretty much the last thing I look at when I'm going through application forms!

 

Experience counts for far more (and I do know how difficult it can be to get that when you're starting out - voluntary work is often the only way to do that and even that can be difficult. We now have to turn away volunteers unless they're enrolled at the college)

 

I think the web can help - if you can demonstrate to a potential employer how you've helped others (eg through forum posts) then I would say that looks good. You can also put together your own web site with "handy hints" etc. What I'd guess you have to try and do is try go get together a whole portfolio of things which you can show a potential employer.

 

Age is absolutely not an issue as far as I'm concerned. I don't work on the basis that young=inexperienced=no-use any more than the opposite is true. Often, young=enthusiastic and willing to learn which, to me, is pretty useful!