So, you want a career in Information Technology (IT)?

Guidance for Career in IT

So, you want a career in Information Technology (IT)?

Well, how does one go about achieving that? Maybe you’ve been in the service industry for most of your career and you want a better work/life balance with your family? Maybe you’ve been in an accident and have limited mobility and a desk job would be something that you believe you could be good at doing.

First, there is the education part, whether you go to a school that has industry certifications or maybe to a community college getting the knowledge is key. If you have a family a four year degree may be out of reach for some people but not always, it’s a matter of motivation and time. And the decision is very personal and very few people can provide all the answers.

Second, after you achieved a degree or industry certification that is a huge step in starting your career. But, if you look at many of the job descriptions they are requiring 5-10 years of experience. How do you get that hands-on experience?

There are many ways to obtain experience without having a formal job! Possibly volunteering at a local non-profit or maybe a small start-up to get that experience of looking at requirements and outcomes and seeing what the process is for developing a software product. Or even just maintaining the current environment of laptops, desktops, printer, switches, routers, modems etc. The list goes on.

Sometimes a career change requires a change of mindset but if you have the motivation and the determination you can make that happen and be successful.

Some things to think about while you are in training:

  1. Have an idea of what it is you want to do in IT, do you want to code, test, user experience?
  2. Make sure you get the relevant IT skills for what you want to be.
  3. Achieve those goals of getting the certifications required – read the job description
  4. Grow your experience of hands-on in a non-profit
  5. Be sure to connect with anyone in your desired field on LinkedIn or other networking opportunities
  6. Seek out entry level or internships while in school
  7. Ask for help from someone in the industry to understand the interview process and practice.

If you decided to make a career change and move into IT we can help. Please check out our website: Click Here or call us at 1-844-887-9239.