ICT Technician with no experience

[Pichi123]

Hi,

 

I am a trainned ICT Technician and I am a BA Dregree in Applied Computing holder but I have no experience. This is due to being in retail to fund my studies. Is there any chance of me ever getting a ICT Technician job when all the adverts I see are asking for experienced people?

 

Peter

[elsiegee40]

You will need to demonstrate some practical experience to go in as a technician or otherwise be prepared to start at entry level (i.e. a trainee role). The roles to look out for are those marked as Junior Technican... part of a team where you can learn and get some experience behind you before going it alone. Being trained is very different from actually having field experience; the day to day reality of handling problems as they arise. Some of us have no formal qualifications, just bags of experience and that is what you need to try and get.

 

Applying for Junior roles and showing a willingness to learn will help you to get that oh-so-hard-to-get-first-role. Being employed in the meantime does help... not only with the bills. You are getting experience of working with other people and as part of a team. It all helps.

 

In the meantime try to get some experience behind you. Could you offer some voluntary help at schools perhaps? Keep an eye on here... with the long summer break approaching, it's not unusual for some schools to ask if anyone is able to offer a hand during a big install planned for the holidays!

 

If it's any comfort, I started out with my degree 26 years ago and failed to get a job for over a year. I then landed a training role, but having been there for 12 months and completed the graduate training programme there was nothing to do; so I applied for a training role at another company and finally my career in IT got underway... more than 2 years after graduating. It can be a slog, but it is worth it in the end.

 

Good luck

Edited June 12, 2011 by elsiegee40

[Netwacky87]

Simple Answer = Yes

 

Believe me Peter, I was in your boat 4 years ago (When I was early 20) I applied for every IT Job under the sun!...I even went for a Junior IT Tech job and didnt get it...How disheartened I was! I almost gave up!, BUT along came a job and luckily the place I applied for took a punt with me and it paid off,

 

Moral of the story - Keep on going, However dis-heartened you become just keep going, I know it sounds easy but honestly take it from me, Just keep going!

 

One thing I did was ask to go and have a look around before putting your application in, To me it shows that your keen!

 

Good luck Peter in your job hunting, Honestly keep going! It will happen eventually!

 

Mart

[Jiser]

Your not really trained ...or a technician yet. My advise - try to get into a decent grad scheme and your on the money. Without having done an internship it can be hard but if you know self, can do the physometric testing and talk about competency bS your in.

 

Look for junior helpdesk / technician roles. 12-14 K you would be looking at for your first role.

[Paid_Peanuts]

Why don't you apply for the post of ICT technician at my school? check out the vacancies at Aston Academy

[aerospacemango]

Hi,

 

I am a trainned ICT Technician and I am a BA Dregree in Applied Computing holder but I have no experience. This is due to being in retail to fund my studies. Is there any chance of me ever getting a ICT Technician job when all the adverts I see are asking for experienced people?

 

Peter

 

I too was in that boat, about 3 years ago....

 

I had come out of casinos, and wanted a fresh start....I was 39!....

 

All it took was one ICT Manager to take a punt on me (Cos he liked how enthusiastic I was) and I got myself a job. nearly 3 years later, I have plenty of experience, and am looking to move over to Northants at the end of the year, and get another job.

 

Keep your enthusiasm, and try to make that shine through at ANY interview that you get. There WILL be someone who will be prepared to take a punt on you....it's just finding them.

 

Very best wishes with the job hunting!

[bondbill2k2]

Simple Answer = Yes

 

Believe me Peter, I was in your boat 4 years ago (When I was early 20) I applied for every IT Job under the sun!...I even went for a Junior IT Tech job and didnt get it...How disheartened I was! I almost gave up!, BUT along came a job and luckily the place I applied for took a punt with me and it paid off,

 

Moral of the story - Keep on going, However dis-heartened you become just keep going, I know it sounds easy but honestly take it from me, Just keep going!

 

One thing I did was ask to go and have a look around before putting your application in, To me it shows that your keen!

 

Good luck Peter in your job hunting, Honestly keep going! It will happen eventually!

 

Mart

 

Simular to me, I graduated last year with a BSc Hons Computer science and wanted to get into networking but didn't have any experience in it, my uni course didn't even cover networking at all My knowledge on networks was minimal from reading some N+ books and general knowledge of other areas learned but I had a years experience working in a small computer repair store and was determined to learn, I attended 6 different technician interviews and took an A+ within 5 months of leaving uni, every interview I went back for final interview stages and on 3 occasions was down to me and 1 other.

 

My favorite of the lot was a school about 5miles away in Kingswinford, great staff friendly place and a pretty good school from what I had researched and seen on my visits and tours. I went to a couple of interviews there and ended up in the final interview with 1 remaining candidate out of 25 that had interviews. The other candidate had a couple years experience already but the IT staff had all told me they preferred me for the roll due to my education and enthusiasm. I wasn't successful as the governor was in favor of the more experienced person but It was good experience.

 

I was successful in the end with my current employer whom I started with early this year, they took a chance with me I guess as I was taken on as a Junior role for an originally advertised experience technician role. Since joining ive gained huge experience in server management, network management, AD, GPOs etc.... having never used any server OS or environment, in fact in alot of work environments I don't think they would allow someone like me full admin permission to all that! I try to improve on what previous staff had implemented and people had come used to without causing any distruption to the schools staff and what they had become used to and so far I often get complements on how things have improved from staff

 

I'm always looking into how to progress and gain experience too, having only been doing it for just about 6months now & looking at areas where my knowledge is lacking, i'm currently reading up for a CCENT & CCNA, best of luck mate and don't give up!

[jamesrobinson]

Hey, I am now an ICT technician straight out of college, no experience in ICT jobs, i worked in McDonalds before this (feel free to laugh), so head up i was lucky can't see why not when you have a qualification, just apply for jobs anyway.

 

All the best

James

[JonWPS]

I ended up doing voluntary work for a couple of weeks here three years ago. As it happened circumstances changed here shortly after that and I got the call, for the first few months on a temp contract, then eventually was taken on full-time. Got a bit of luck but like to think my little voluntary stint did me no harm.

[JJonas]

Try to get experience doing ICT jobs for the general public - advertise in shop windows, do it no fix no fee. Try your local library help to introduce and support the public with their Internet use, get to know the librarians and let them know that you are there to help the public - if you are useful enough they may be able to give you a reference later on. Is there an adult education class teaching computers? volunteer to help. All of things will give you some experience in ICT support. Edited June 15, 2011 by JJonas

[aerospacemango]

Hey, I am now an ICT technician straight out of college, no experience in ICT jobs, i worked in McDonalds before this (feel free to laugh), so head up i was lucky can't see why not when you have a qualification, just apply for jobs anyway.

 

All the best

James

 

No laughing from me....

 

When I first left school...I had a year to wait before joining the RAF....McD's was a great place to spend a year, and it had the best social life of any job!!

 

Back to OP.....Make sure you have put yourself on as many job websites as possible. Get your CV on there, as there is bound to be someone who will give you a shot.

[Pichi123]

Thanks guys for the advice. Will try some of these suggestions out

 

 

Peter

[ChrisS]

The junior role / taking a voluntary position are good ways to get in. Try approaching your local school with a permanent ICT support team and offer to volunteer if you can't find places advertising for volunteers.

 

I took an assistant ict tech job (and that was hard enough to get!) at 35 having changed career and worked my way up to network manager last year so it can be done.