Computer field careers

N

Novice2000

New Member
I heard that there are tons of people out there who have computer degrees and haven't been able to find a job in the field, even 5, 6, or even 7 years after getting their degree. I also heard that people who are in the field have had their salaries severely reduced or have even been let go. Is the computer field really that bad?

Also, I know someone who has an Associates degree in Computer Information Systems. He has seen an ad in the paper for an entry level tech support position for an internet service provider. He applied for this position and even got a call from them for an interview. It only pays $8 an hour. He makes $18 an hour as a welder. He got his degree back in 2003 and hasn't been able to find work in that field since he got his degree. Does anyone here think it would be worth it for him to leave his present job, paying $18 an hour, to pursue this tech support position, paying $8 an hour, to get his foot in the door in the IT industry? Does anyone even think that this position will teach him enough or make enough of a difference on his resume to help him get hired on in the IT field? Will employers looking for IT people consider someone with this kind of experience?

If this does help, how long do you think it will take for him to start making more money at other companies? How much more money? And how long will it take to make certain amounts more?

And how does everyone see the IT field right now, in the near future, and in the future? Does it look good for people getting in to it or not?
 
Well, an associates degree won't get you far. However, Computer Information Systems Bachelor's degrees are pretty versatile, and you can find a good job in quite a few different markets with that sort of degree. I don't know where in the states you are exactly, it could be that there aren't many IT companies in your area. A place like NYC or silicon valley is a great place for CIS grad's the market has been steadily growing ever since the dotcom bust back in 2002. I feel like your friend has been having this issue due to his Associate's degree, which in no offense to you or him, not much. A bachelor's opens the doors for many opportunities in different fields. Comp Sci is also one of the most versatile degrees you can get. If you friend wants to make a decent salary in IT he will pretty much need a bachelors. The associates degree typically provides low-end tech support jobs.

The comp industry has seen better days, the jobs these days seem very competitive in IT. But, the students graduating now are working with newer standards and technologies and with the rapid growth of IT in small businesses, there are a lot of jobs in small IT consulting firms.

Where has your friend been looking for a job? Perhaps he is taking the wrong approach, the best thing to do would be to find all the local IT companies in the area and mail resumes. Perhaps the school he attended still offers some sort of job placement assistance?
 
UriA702 said:
I don't know where in the states you are exactly, it could be that there aren't many IT companies in your area.
Click to expand...

The south suburbs of chicago. A company right across the border in Indiana is doing tech support for Time Warner Cable Internet.

UriA702 said:
Where has your friend been looking for a job? Perhaps he is taking the wrong approach, the best thing to do would be to find all the local IT companies in the area and mail resumes.
Click to expand...

He's done that. Do you think this tech support job will do him any good as far as job experience on his resume? Or do you think he'd be making a mistake taking an $8 an hour tech support job and giving up his $18 an hour welding job at the moment? Do you think he should wait until something better in the computer field comes along?

UriA702 said:
Perhaps the school he attended still offers some sort of job placement assistance?
Click to expand...

He said no. He went to a community college here in the south suburbs of Chicago. He said that they have absolutely no job placement. He said that once you get your degree from there, they pretty much tell you "good luck". Or maybe something along the lines of "see ya, don't want to be ya".
 
Noone else has any comments? Surely there are a lot of people here who work in the computer field. Doesn't anyone else have any comments?
 
to be honest with you I took my degree and I'm currently back in school to earn my credential and now I am currently teaching Computer Service Repair and Mechanical Drafting at a highschool, BTW i'm 22. Easy to get a job out here in LA, just gotta have connections
 
Web app programming is really in demand... I plan on going into programming. IT is the worst possible thing you could do. I would go back to college and get my at least my Associates degree in Networking and get a CCNA.
 
Do you guys think that he should leave his $18 an hour welding job to pursue the $8 an hour internet tech support job? Do you think that a job like that would really give him the on-the-job experience he needs to get a real job in the IT field, or do you think that that would be an unwise decision and perhaps wait until something better comes along in the computer field. I just don't know if that job would get him the on-the-job experience he needs because I know that they hire people with absolutely no computer experience and train them in a few weeks.
 
INTELCRAZY said:
Web app programming is really in demand... I plan on going into programming. IT is the worst possible thing you could do. I would go back to college and get my at least my Associates degree in Networking and get a CCNA.
Click to expand...

First off, that is IT. IT is a broad term for anyone that works with technology, like developers, network admins, techs, project managers, directors, help desk, tech support, software people, hardware people, etc.

CCNA, or any kind of degree is nice to get your foot in the door for an interview. However, experience is key. It also comes down to who you know. My current job was pretty much offered to me because I had worked with one of the managers in the past.

You need to social network yourself. get out there and do whatever and meet people. As long as you have a decent work ethic and people like you, you will find a job.

I went to art school so I don't even have an IT degree, and I work in IT. Have been for the last 8+ years.
 
tlarkin said:
First off, that is IT. IT is a broad term for anyone that works with technology, like developers, network admins, techs, project managers, directors, help desk, tech support, software people, hardware people, etc.

CCNA, or any kind of degree is nice to get your foot in the door for an interview. However, experience is key. It also comes down to who you know. My current job was pretty much offered to me because I had worked with one of the managers in the past.

You need to social network yourself. get out there and do whatever and meet people. As long as you have a decent work ethic and people like you, you will find a job.

I went to art school so I don't even have an IT degree, and I work in IT. Have been for the last 8+ years.
Click to expand...

Do you think that he should give up his $18 an hour welding job to take the $8 an hour internet tech support position? Do you think that kind of job will really help him as far as experience?
 
Novice2000 said:
Do you think that he should give up his $18 an hour welding job to take the $8 an hour internet tech support position? Do you think that kind of job will really help him as far as experience?
Click to expand...

if it gets you in the field it gets you in the field. You have to start somewhere. You couldn't come off the street with no experience and get any higher level job than entry level. I would think it over and see if that is what you want to do.
 
tlarkin said:
First off, that is IT. IT is a broad term for anyone that works with technology, like developers, network admins, techs, project managers, directors, help desk, tech support, software people, hardware people, etc.

CCNA, or any kind of degree is nice to get your foot in the door for an interview. However, experience is key. It also comes down to who you know. My current job was pretty much offered to me because I had worked with one of the managers in the past.

You need to social network yourself. get out there and do whatever and meet people. As long as you have a decent work ethic and people like you, you will find a job.

I went to art school so I don't even have an IT degree, and I work in IT. Have been for the last 8+ years.
Click to expand...

I mean like straight-up IT.. Like as low down as MS Office help for a stupid cubicle office.. Help Desk would suck worse. I could do that right now as I am certified in all of Office 03:) Not much to brag about on my part...
 
Novice2000 said:
Is help desk anything like the internet tech support position that I talked about?
Click to expand...

No, tech support is actually lower than that... Sorry for the threadjack though... At least with help desk you are helping someone that is in the same company, etc. Tech support is basically talking to idiots who can't read directions. If I were him I would get an A+ or CCNA and become a school's network admin...
 
Novice2000 said:
Is help desk anything like the internet tech support position that I talked about?
Click to expand...

help desk is the first line of support. They get called in first. If they can fix it over the phone, remote desktop, or what not, they do it. If they can't they expedite it to the next level of support.
 
I am in the process of gettinng my AAS as a Copmuter Support Tech right now. I have been talking to IT dept managers at a few different local companies about employment marketability.

They all agree that experience is the the thing they look at most. Certifications and education are important but in their eyes related experience is key.

In my opinion, if you only have an AAS degree you better plan on starting at the bottom, or plan on more school or certifications.

As mentioned above, the area in which you live will decide job availability and starting wage.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Ok, so I'm taking it that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to leave his $18 an hour welding job for this $8 an hour tech support job because it wouldn't really give him much of an edge anyway, but to try to get his foot in the door through a better entry level position. Is this correct?

And by the way, thanks guys for all of your responses and input. I really do appreciate it.
 
Your buddy need to make his own decision. Who are we to decide whats best for him?

If he is serious about getting a job in the IT field then he will most likley have to take a pay cut to started. How long will he have to work to get back to $18 an hour? Who knows? Sometimes the job you like the most, and the one that pays the most are not the same job.

When I graduate, I plan on taking any job I can get, regardless of the pay, as long as I am in the IT field. Hopefully. this will pay off down the road with experience that will help me land a better job. But that's just me.

I don't feel that this is an industry that you can be away from for a couple of years and step back into. Things change too quickly.
 
Novice2000 said:
Ok, so I'm taking it that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to leave his $18 an hour welding job for this $8 an hour tech support job because it wouldn't really give him much of an edge anyway, but to try to get his foot in the door through a better entry level position. Is this correct?

And by the way, thanks guys for all of your responses and input. I really do appreciate it.
Click to expand...

First off, salary can always be negotiated. Depending on the job. This sounds more like a customer service job than a tech support job. Most likely it is tiered and you are level 1 support. You could work your way up to level 2 support, get a pay raise, on the job training, and a lot of companies pay for training. I plan on having my ACSA hopefully with in a year or two from now. My ACTC at least by next year and my job will pay for my training to get this done.

I negotiated my salary and got more money. If they are going to offer you the job you have it regardless of how much they will pay you. If you ask for more money they won't ever tell you that you can't have the job. They may just say here it is take it or leave it.

The problem with most people these days is that they just want to get these quick fixes and change their career or go to college and expect to have an awesome job right afterwards. Almost all careers have some sort of entry level position. You will have to work entry level for probably a few years to just gain some experience. Lots of people don't understand this and expect to get a good job just because they think they should. I put my time in as entry level, around 5 years or so. I worked my way up to a level III (they had tiered techs, level 3 was the highest pay scale you could get, the levels just mean time and experience) technician at a warranty repair provider for all the major companies. Then got a job doing the same thing plus some networking stuff, then worked my way up to actually being a lead and admin position. I have been in the field for about 8 years now, and I started off making $12/hour at my first IT job. Through my jobs I took all certifications they offered, all training they offered, and just worked my way up. I have seen a lot of people come in and expect to get higher up with out actually doing work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top