Looking for first ICT technican post

[Guest frances]

Before my son was born I used to develop and support software in visual basic 6. I had experience of ACCESS, SQL and supporting a range of applications. I was at home full time with my son for three and half years and then I started a PGCE. However I found I was not suited to class room teaching even though I enjoyed working in a school. I now want to work supporting ICT in a secondary school.

 

Have you got any suggestions how to get a post as an ICT technican in a school? I live in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire and I am prepared to travel up to 10 miles.

[Chafftech]

Be very careful that you really want to go down the route of IT in schools. If you are absolutely sure you want to take the job then usually schools/LEAs advertise ICT technicians in local papers. You can also try local authority websites for vacancies.

 

Be very aware there is not a lot of job progression and no bonuses. Its really on worth it is local and pays fairly decent for your area. In my case I am 15 - 25 min drive away and the pay is ok for what I do in outer london.

[ChrisH]

Hello and welcome . You state your Development skills but you dont mention other stuff like hardware or Windows server etc. Do you have any experience in these at all ? If we had a good idea of your current skill set we can point you in the direction of resources you can use to gain knowledge to make you more appealing to employers.

[u8dmtm]

Have you considered updating your development skills to VB.Net and SQL Server and working in that role again - far more lucrative and promotion prospects are better.

[russdev]

well going to buck trend and say come on in with above have said is true but there ots of advantages to workin schools..

 

also in your area got a workshop feel free to sign up http://www.edugeekconference.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=47

 

But try to do some updating of your skill set and look at lea lea website and local rags.

 

you could also try writing to schools (lea website should have addresses) and tryiong to get in that way.

 

Russ

[Guest frances]

Thank you for your help.

 

I have very little experience of hardware and servers. My skills set is very old and rather out of date. My experience of networks consisted of setting up accounts on Windows NT4 Machines for office users.

 

It is difficult for me to get back into an IT job as I have not worked for four years. I have had experience of networking computers with Windows NT 4, but it was a long time ago.

 

I've seen a job advertised at a local school with a very low salary. (ie. 13K with only 22 days holiday). What would a school expect for such a low salary? (Other than the moon?)

 

Do many people make the transfer from a school into industry or working for a local authority when they have got more experience.

 

Do you think it would be worth me doing any microsoft qualifications?

[crc-ict]

And I'm going to agree with Russ too!

 

I actually did a very similar thing - started out training as a teacher then realised it wasn't right for me. I'm still finishing my (modified) course, but work part-time as a techie in a primary school and I love it. So much so that I'm going against all the advice of my tutors (much the same as the other posters re: pay and prospects) and intending to pursue a career in educational ICT.

 

For me, it's the whole job satisfaction angle. And the benefits of the working environment that Russ mentioned.

 

All the best

[mrtechsystems]

Just to add to the point aswell

 

I have found a quite a number of jobs at

 

http://www.sector1.net

 

Good Luck

 

P. S Nice to be back into the forum hope you are all ok

[Guest richard]

I've seen a job advertised at a local school with a very low salary. (ie. 13K with only 22 days holiday). What would a school expect for such a low salary? (Other than the moon?)

 

I've seen a lot of jobs like that and when I started where I am some 6 yrs ago I was on 10K with 22 days leave. Now I'm on 17K with 27 days and I still feel hard done by.

[ConTheITGuy]

What would a school expect for such a low salary? (Other than the moon?)

 

The Sun, the stars... Depending on the school, of course, but you'll probably find yourslef as head cook and bottle washer of the IT world It's a great learning experience - not sure of future prospects though - a couple of people here, I think, have moved on to 'other things'.

 

Andy

[russdev]

moving on to commerical world from education number of people do it often and the security angle that you have in education helps you in commercial world...

 

as for job entry level that is about right and you have to face truth that you are going to be on low wage to start with...

 

But it does increase as job increases and you move on to bigger and better schools...

 

But unlike teaching where teachers often stay with same school for many years there is high turn over for ict support staff in schools as we often go on to better paid jobs at other schools or jump put of education into commercial.

 

Also like most careers it involves work this podcast is good http://welchwrite.com/dewelch/ce/ when it comes to careers...

 

Russ

[beeswax]

there used to be a course sponsored by the government called Ambition IT details of which could be found at job centres. the idea was to get more people into IT (it worked for me). I don't think the exact same courses are available now, but I do know that the place i trained in manchester, CG Resources, is still going and training people in IT (ok, it's not on your doorstep, but there may be something similar near you). Check with your job centre. It was a 12 week course when i did it, setting up and running a network, with a couple of city and guilds exams at the end of it. all pretty basic stuff, but then again, I expected to begin in a pretty basic post. I was 49 at the time and had a bit of a struggle to get on the course, but the door wasn't locked, just a little tight, so to speak.

beeswax

[ChrisH]

Get this book on server 2003 it's written in a very relaxed manner and helps immensley to fill in the gaps left by Micrsosoft text books.

 

Other advanced reading

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321228480/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_3/203-3206090-2558327

 

.. and this one is good for DNS

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596005628/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/203-3206090-2558327

[Guest frances]

Thanks for your help. i've got an interview on 19th April.

[Dos_Box]

Good luck with it.

 

 

*join us, join us, join us.......

[OverWorked]

You sound a bit like me. I got a teaching degree in 1997, but teacher training was about the worst experience of my life.

 

I worked for four years after that in an office doing a bit of IT. Studied for a BTEC in Electronic Publishing and the CompTIA A+ at the same time.

 

I had loads of interviews for tech jobs, mainly in schools, but kept getting told that I didn't have enough experience. Then one local school offered to let me work voluntarily and give me a reference. Four weeks later I got a job at another school and I'm still here.

 

Voluntary work (one day a week) worked for me, and I know it's helped some people get jobs in the private sector too.

[john]

Voluntary is great, I still do a lot as it looks good, and when you are the NM there its even better.

[russdev]

Good luck with it.

 

 

*join us, join us, join us.......

 

ok and now the quotes begin....

 

russ

[broc]

I 'crossed over' from industry to the secondary education system by doing some voluntary work too. I anticipated the problem of not having relevant experience and managed to spend 2-3 days a week for three months working alongside a school technician. It was mutually beneficial as he gained from my 30 years industry experience, the school gained from a free extra pair of hands, and I gained invaluable experience of the sort of day to day issues ICT support staff in school have to deal with. It helped me get a job as a network manager a few months later.

The school were happy to give me a reference too.You would still need CRB checks though.....I was fortunate as a school governor to have already been 'vetted'.