Does anyone work in the IT field?

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Do you have a clean background? A large sector for IT is gov/defense, which will require a security clearance. I would imagine a large chunk of jobs in VA are all government.
My work even has a sister facility in Vacapes

I think I have a clean background? I've never done drugs. Due to a weak digestive system I never could really drink alcohol without getting sick so I don't drink either (never even been tipsy lol). I don't have any social media outside of posting on car forums. I have some speeding tickets but those are from years ago when I was younger and dumber; although I am sure I am still pretty young and dumb haha! Perhaps my crazy ex-girlfriend? I strongly doubt there is anything I've done that would be considered dirty. I'm clean and boring lol. The way I look at it my goal is to grab multiple certifications before the end of this year and perhaps grab a job that is remote before making the move to northern Virginia. Is Vacapes in Virginia beach? That's pretty far from northern Virginia though.

Most big company IT has only accelerated offshoring the last 4 years. They will claim downsizing a role, then weeks after you are laid off, hire non-us “talent”.

And yes, they target the older popular who have been loyal and make more MONEY.

they don’t care about skill, brain drain, impact to clients.

the certainly don’t give two craps about the impact to people.

Well that worries me a bit if I'm being honest. What exactly is NOT being offshored? I'm assuming anything security related to the department of defense since they need to trust USA citizens? Funny enough I am looking at the "Google IT Professional Certificate" since I'm confident I can complete it in about a month. Would be very good refresher training and a quick certification for the resume. Google/Coursara say that once you complete the certificate they can connect you with companies looking to hire. Hopefully I can get a job that is remote which will allow me to continue to study Network+ and Security+ along with other certs required to really move up.

 

[stoopid]

The business side of IT is depressing. Paychecks for many in the field haven't gone up, or have even gone down. Only the most in-demand positions fetch a high salary, and that's primarily due to lack of skilled techs to perform that function (cyber security, which I lumped into 'networking' earlier in this thread, is certainly one of those fields). The issue with a lot of work in IT is that good automation can eliminate warm bodies too, so as time goes on more and more is done to reduce employees. Large companies used to have huge and sometimes multiple operations centers staffed by dozens of engineers. Now with software tools (monitoring, alerting) those roles have largely been eliminated or heavily reduced. Remote work has also made it easier to hire contractors (let's call it what it is - skilled temp work), as those people can be anywhere.

As someone alluded to earlier, there's still a demand for people to do physical aspects of IT. In Vegas, for example, there's never a shortage of network cabling work to be done. If I was 25 living here I'd be starting a telecom business that focused on cabling and phones yesterday. That seems counter intuitive, but it's like the need for plumbers and electricians. The shit needs to flow. Wireless is a long ways from replacing traditional communications, at least for high bandwidth and availability needs.

 

[stoopid]

I think I have a clean background? I've never done drugs. Due to a weak digestive system I never could really drink alcohol without getting sick so I don't drink either (never even been tipsy lol). I don't have any social media outside of posting on car forums. I have some speeding tickets but those are from years ago when I was younger and dumber; although I am sure I am still pretty young and dumb haha! Perhaps my crazy ex-girlfriend? I strongly doubt there is anything I've done that would be considered dirty. I'm clean and boring lol. The way I look at it my goal is to grab multiple certifications before the end of this year and perhaps grab a job that is remote before making the move to northern Virginia. Is Vacapes in Virginia beach? That's pretty far from northern Virginia though.

No convictions = clean record. You likely have a clean enough background to get a security clearance.

 

[stoopid]

It sounds to me like buying and reviewing the A+ study guide might be of some use to you, but I still wouldn't bother with the exam if CompTIA doesn't require it as a prerequisite for taking the other two. If you're especially good at memorization, passing these exams will be doable even without having experience. There's likely companies that offer practice exams, I think these are useful so you can learn how the questions are typically structured. Most people won't know every single answer cold on any exam, so knowing how to eliminate or recognizing the topic asked in a similar way from a practice exam might help illuminate the answer with more confidence.

Due to the high demand for cyber security specialists, and your interest along those lines, I would definitely encourage you along that path and those certs. Moving to Virginia might be a win for you, as its a growing area (drawing businesses and talent), making it a bit of an East coast tech center. Because you may still be required to go in to the office for an occasional meeting, you probably want to live near Richmond or one of the other larger/growing areas.

 

[Luminary]

I think I have a clean background? I've never done drugs. Due to a weak digestive system I never could really drink alcohol without getting sick so I don't drink either (never even been tipsy lol). I don't have any social media outside of posting on car forums. I have some speeding tickets but those are from years ago when I was younger and dumber; although I am sure I am still pretty young and dumb haha! Perhaps my crazy ex-girlfriend? I strongly doubt there is anything I've done that would be considered dirty. I'm clean and boring lol. The way I look at it my goal is to grab multiple certifications before the end of this year and perhaps grab a job that is remote before making the move to northern Virginia. Is Vacapes in Virginia beach? That's pretty far from northern Virginia though.


Well that worries me a bit if I'm being honest. What exactly is NOT being offshored? I'm assuming anything security related to the department of defense since they need to trust USA citizens? Funny enough I am looking at the "Google IT Professional Certificate" since I'm confident I can complete it in about a month. Would be very good refresher training and a quick certification for the resume. Google/Coursara say that once you complete the certificate they can connect you with companies looking to hire. Hopefully I can get a job that is remote which will allow me to continue to study Network+ and Security+ along with other certs required to really move up.

Programmers/Developers seem to be in pretty good demand here. Guess it depends on what side of "IT" you are looking for. I have been with the same company for 10 years now as a Senior Developer in Northern Virginia. I do have a few cert's, but those were required by my Contract. One is CompTia A+ and I would have to agree, totally useless and has NOTHING to do with my position/job. The Government just seems to like the idea of Certs more then the actual usefulness of them.

 

[찌르는 것 GT1]

I will also add that not only will you need a clean background/criminal history... depending on what level of clearance is required for a particular job (with the higher level security clearances) your financial history also plays a big role with getting an approval.

It weighs almost as heavily as criminal activity... which will include investigations for (bankruptcy, foreclosures, liens, low credit scores, heavy debt loads, unpaid State/Fed taxes, etc, etc)

 

[nhcowboy28]

AWS / AZURE certs are also in demand.

 

[turboAWD]

Being on the software writing side (coding / developing), I tried a couple of startups, have now been at a large EDA company for ~13 years and hope to retire from here in ~10 years. One thing I like is that they are a bit older company and don't really discriminate much on age - they had voluntary retirement packages for a few guys in their early 60s a while back, but I'm ok with that. When I joined at age 37, I felt like one of the young guys. I've done plenty of sysadmin work, and while it can be fun, it also tends to be more of a 24x7 / on-call type job.

Would I do EDA again, now? Not sure - it seems like a reasonably steady gig, since there is always demand, and it's not "trendy", so we lose people to FAANG - but that's ok, more job security for me Although our India/China offices are definitely hiring more than here, we're still hiring, AFAIK.

I would definitely learn a bit about AI / quantum computing - I keep meaning to get into those a bit, but I don't have the free time I used to. Not sure which one of those is going to explode (I know, AI already has to some degree), but I think both are going to grow for some time into the future.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

The business side of IT is depressing. Paychecks for many in the field haven't gone up, or have even gone down. Only the most in-demand positions fetch a high salary, and that's primarily due to lack of skilled techs to perform that function (cyber security, which I lumped into 'networking' earlier in this thread, is certainly one of those fields). The issue with a lot of work in IT is that good automation can eliminate warm bodies too, so as time goes on more and more is done to reduce employees. Large companies used to have huge and sometimes multiple operations centers staffed by dozens of engineers. Now with software tools (monitoring, alerting) those roles have largely been eliminated or heavily reduced. Remote work has also made it easier to hire contractors (let's call it what it is - skilled temp work), as those people can be anywhere.

As someone alluded to earlier, there's still a demand for people to do physical aspects of IT. In Vegas, for example, there's never a shortage of network cabling work to be done. If I was 25 living here I'd be starting a telecom business that focused on cabling and phones yesterday. That seems counter intuitive, but it's like the need for plumbers and electricians. The shit needs to flow. Wireless is a long ways from replacing traditional communications, at least for high bandwidth and availability needs.

That scares me a bit but it makes sense. The world evolves rapidly and things shift. I do want to break into the cybersecurity field but I know it will take a fair bit of time. I'm interested in probably working more support/help-desk roles and networking to build experience before moving to higher positions. I wonder how in demand networking jobs are (in person work that isn't able to be outsourced or made automatic) in northern Virginia.

No convictions = clean record. You likely have a clean enough background to get a security clearance.

Oh yeah no problem then! I'm pretty much a sober and boring straight arrow lol!

It sounds to me like buying and reviewing the A+ study guide might be of some use to you, but I still wouldn't bother with the exam if CompTIA doesn't require it as a prerequisite for taking the other two. If you're especially good at memorization, passing these exams will be doable even without having experience. There's likely companies that offer practice exams, I think these are useful so you can learn how the questions are typically structured. Most people won't know every single answer cold on any exam, so knowing how to eliminate or recognizing the topic asked in a similar way from a practice exam might help illuminate the answer with more confidence.

Due to the high demand for cyber security specialists, and your interest along those lines, I would definitely encourage you along that path and those certs. Moving to Virginia might be a win for you, as its a growing area (drawing businesses and talent), making it a bit of an East coast tech center. Because you may still be required to go in to the office for an occasional meeting, you probably want to live near Richmond or one of the other larger/growing areas.

I'm not very good at all at memorization; I would even argue my memory is terrible. I'm thankfully not afraid of hard work and know how to take things seriously. I've had a job since I was 16 and still made sure to work while going to school and even held two full-time jobs at some point. I love to work hard and due to not being very good at memorizing (heck, most technical stuff doesn't come too easy to me) I know I need to just work twice as hard as the next guy.

I was thinking of moving somewhere in Herndon/Sterling since that is where I used to live. I've worked in Reston, Chantilly, Tysons, and McLean before moving. I love northern Virginia and have many friends who live there; although the majority of them work in sales or the food industry.

I will also add that not only will you need a clean background/criminal history... depending on what level of clearance is required for a particular job (with the higher level security clearances) your financial history also plays a big role with getting an approval.

It weighs almost as heavily as criminal activity... which will include investigations for (bankruptcy, foreclosures, liens, low credit scores, heavy debt loads, unpaid State/Fed taxes, etc, etc)

Thankfully I have a solid credit score (floating around 800 give or take a few points depending on the month) and have never bit off more than I could chew or made foolish mistakes with my money.

AWS / AZURE certs are also in demand.

I was looking at those. There was an article I came across on LinkedIn that broke down how in 9 months or less someone with zero IT experience or background can become fully AWS certified in their Associate branches (aws solutions architect / aws sysops administrator / aws developer) and land a six-figure salary in under a year. I figured it would be too good to be true. Perhaps I was the fool for not going for it?

Being on the software writing side (coding / developing), I tried a couple of startups, have now been at a large EDA company for ~13 years and hope to retire from here in ~10 years. One thing I like is that they are a bit older company and don't really discriminate much on age - they had voluntary retirement packages for a few guys in their early 60s a while back, but I'm ok with that. When I joined at age 37, I felt like one of the young guys. I've done plenty of sysadmin work, and while it can be fun, it also tends to be more of a 24x7 / on-call type job.

Would I do EDA again, now? Not sure - it seems like a reasonably steady gig, since there is always demand, and it's not "trendy", so we lose people to FAANG - but that's ok, more job security for me Although our India/China offices are definitely hiring more than here, we're still hiring, AFAIK.

I would definitely learn a bit about AI / quantum computing - I keep meaning to get into those a bit, but I don't have the free time I used to. Not sure which one of those is going to explode (I know, AI already has to some degree), but I think both are going to grow for some time into the future.

That's very interesting! I have come across YouTube channels such as Aaron Jack who talk about how in half a year someone can go from not understanding how to turn on a PC (zero idea about technology in other words) to a front-end developer pushing a solid $75k-$150k salary. I'm not necessarily in such a rush but at times such statements seem to be too good to be true. I have dabbled in very basic HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript (was tinkering about the idea of building a basic website on my own) but it seemed very difficult and unfamiliar to me; although granted I only looked at it casually on lunch breaks at work.

Programmers/Developers seem to be in pretty good demand here. Guess it depends on what side of "IT" you are looking for. I have been with the same company for 10 years now as a Senior Developer in Northern Virginia. I do have a few cert's, but those were required by my Contract. One is CompTia A+ and I would have to agree, totally useless and has NOTHING to do with my position/job. The Government just seems to like the idea of Certs more then the actual usefulness of them.

That's good to hear from someone in the area I'm looking at for work. When I look for job postings and requirements through Indeed, Dice, and Monster there are tons of jobs in demand but the requirements even for the same positions have such a huge spread. I feel cursed by not knowing which side of "IT" I would find the most interesting. I like the idea of knowing how to keep networks safe and information on a cloud backup secure. I like the idea of knowing how to also set up my cables/wires at a specific site. I admit I am all over the place. I worked at Apple's Genius Bar and loved helping people with their iPhone problems. Before that I worked at a medical billing company and really enjoyed moving documents to secure files or helping people with Bluetooth/WIFI problems. It's only simple stuff but I enjoyed it. In the back of my mind I always was curious on how a program/tool worked to allow me to do my job or how could we keep our machines safe from outside attacks. I really am tempted to grab A+, Network+, and Security+ through hard study before the end of this year as a solid foundation before going in a specific direction.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

I also wanted to throw this out there since I know my previous post a few minutes ago was a very large essay. I really (really) appreciate everyone jumping in this thread and posting here! I genuinely am grateful for all the help, guidance, and advice! It means a lot to me! Thank you again everyone so much! Clearly we have some very hardworking and extremely talented people lurking around. I hopefully can make the right decision on where to start comes May 1st or 2nd when I'm put on an extended vacation.

 

[turboAWD]

It is not impossible to learn front end dev stuff relatively fast, although I've always been leery of how long those jobs will last - someone changes to some new framework as "teh new hotness!!!" and you have to relearn everything - and the guy who just spent 3 months learning the new stuff displaces you because he'll work 20% cheaper, or you get outsourced to some country with cheaper cost of living. Plus, after doing some early html / jsp stuff (for a startup in the 90s), the front-end stuff got super boring.

I've always preferred to be a back-end and middleware guy (C/C++/SQL/etc - those technologies don't change as fast). But, you do have to understand the machine level in much more detail, which can take longer to really learn. Also, if you're in an industry where business knowledge matters (for example: in EDA, the longer you stay, the more you learn about actual layout / routing / silicon physics, etc), then just because a new programming language comes out, you're not immediately at a disadvantage. The guy with 20 years EDA experience still coding in mostly C, even though compiled by C++, may be able to produce better circuit layouts than the C++ guru until the C++ guru spends time learning how circuits work..

Of course, this is just a quickly-written post on a Friday - I may have given you an entirely different answer 2 years ago or 2 years from now

 

[SafetyPilotCal]

I currently work in IT Security/Risk Management. I did not go the conventional path, and instead effectively worked my way up through the company starting from doing Tech Support up to where I am now. I'm not sure that path would even be possible today, especially with the lack of networking due to things like COVID and everyone working from home.

You've already identified that "IT" is a very vague descriptor and can account for all different parts of the business. Everything from end user desktop support, to writing software requirements (IT Business Analyst), to coding, to testing, to network administration, to fraud, risk, and security. There are a LOT of fields to pick from. Personally, I don't have brain to be a programmer, and I knew it so I never bothered even attempting to go that route. I've written lots of requirements for projects over the years, but I cannot write a lick of code. Going through XML logs is about as proficient as I am at that sort of thing.

Personally, I find the Security/Risk/Fraud side of things the most interesting, and one day I'd really love to be in a pen tester/threat intel type of role. I'm going to be working on my CISSP and eventually OSCP to get there.

In your situation, I would not waste my time with A+ unless you want to be a keyboard and phone replacement jockey. I got my A+ over a decade ago and at no point did it help me get a job or teach me anything I didn't already know. Network+ and Security+ are good places to start in the CompTIA world, I think. Beyond that, I don't think you can go wrong with Azure or AWS certs, as the cloud stuff is everywhere now. Both of those have fundamentals courses which are free to take. As outlined before, there are lots of great resources on YouTube all for free. Good luck on whatever path you decide to take.

 

[twig2121]

I've been working in infosec for 20 years. As mentioned, it continues to be a hot area, but enot everyone's cup of tea. You can teach anyone the content, but mindset is highly important. I started in consulting doing everything from pen test/ethical hacking, config reviews and strategy assessments. Just as IT has many dimensions from programming to databases, networking, etc. infosec also has sub domains.
I'd recommend working at a smaller shop where you get to wear more hats and understand what you like/don't like in IT. Desktop can be a good springboard to meet people and understand each group so you can choose your path (or stay in support if that's what you like). If you're an allstar in desktop support you can probably move to other teams readily...I've seen that done many times
I would encourage getting one cert if you're trying to break into something...it shows you're serious, willing to and have invested your time and effort to achieve a basic degree of credibility.

 

[Kamauxx]

As a guy with little IT experience I can vouch for the importance of Sec+. I don't know WHY it's important but I know my superiors ORDERED me to get certified in it when I started out in Communications Security. I was also required by the NSA to hold a TS/SCI clearance so what's been mentioned above about government jobs and clearances is also valid.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

It is not impossible to learn front end dev stuff relatively fast, although I've always been leery of how long those jobs will last - someone changes to some new framework as "teh new hotness!!!" and you have to relearn everything - and the guy who just spent 3 months learning the new stuff displaces you because he'll work 20% cheaper, or you get outsourced to some country with cheaper cost of living. Plus, after doing some early html / jsp stuff (for a startup in the 90s), the front-end stuff got super boring.

I've always preferred to be a back-end and middleware guy (C/C++/SQL/etc - those technologies don't change as fast). But, you do have to understand the machine level in much more detail, which can take longer to really learn. Also, if you're in an industry where business knowledge matters (for example: in EDA, the longer you stay, the more you learn about actual layout / routing / silicon physics, etc), then just because a new programming language comes out, you're not immediately at a disadvantage. The guy with 20 years EDA experience still coding in mostly C, even though compiled by C++, may be able to produce better circuit layouts than the C++ guru until the C++ guru spends time learning how circuits work..

Of course, this is just a quickly-written post on a Friday - I may have given you an entirely different answer 2 years ago or 2 years from now

Haha well I appreciate any and all feedback and advice! Thank you! I will definitely try to learn a bit of HTML, CSS, JScript, SQL, and Python since it wouldn't hurt.

I currently work in IT Security/Risk Management. I did not go the conventional path, and instead effectively worked my way up through the company starting from doing Tech Support up to where I am now. I'm not sure that path would even be possible today, especially with the lack of networking due to things like COVID and everyone working from home.

You've already identified that "IT" is a very vague descriptor and can account for all different parts of the business. Everything from end user desktop support, to writing software requirements (IT Business Analyst), to coding, to testing, to network administration, to fraud, risk, and security. There are a LOT of fields to pick from. Personally, I don't have brain to be a programmer, and I knew it so I never bothered even attempting to go that route. I've written lots of requirements for projects over the years, but I cannot write a lick of code. Going through XML logs is about as proficient as I am at that sort of thing.

Personally, I find the Security/Risk/Fraud side of things the most interesting, and one day I'd really love to be in a pen tester/threat intel type of role. I'm going to be working on my CISSP and eventually OSCP to get there.

In your situation, I would not waste my time with A+ unless you want to be a keyboard and phone replacement jockey. I got my A+ over a decade ago and at no point did it help me get a job or teach me anything I didn't already know. Network+ and Security+ are good places to start in the CompTIA world, I think. Beyond that, I don't think you can go wrong with Azure or AWS certs, as the cloud stuff is everywhere now. Both of those have fundamentals courses which are free to take. As outlined before, there are lots of great resources on YouTube all for free. Good luck on whatever path you decide to take.

Fantastic! Thank you! I definitely can see myself picking up Network+, Security+, and something like AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner in the future while learning a bit of programming. The security side is what I find very interesting but I know I need to work with tier one / level one support role first. My goal is to try to do what you're suggesting and perhaps get a low level position in a large company and move up from there. That's what a lot of my friends in their career paths have done and it seems to be a smart choice.

I've been working in infosec for 20 years. As mentioned, it continues to be a hot area, but enot everyone's cup of tea. You can teach anyone the content, but mindset is highly important. I started in consulting doing everything from pen test/ethical hacking, config reviews and strategy assessments. Just as IT has many dimensions from programming to databases, networking, etc. infosec also has sub domains.
I'd recommend working at a smaller shop where you get to wear more hats and understand what you like/don't like in IT. Desktop can be a good springboard to meet people and understand each group so you can choose your path (or stay in support if that's what you like). If you're an allstar in desktop support you can probably move to other teams readily...I've seen that done many times
I would encourage getting one cert if you're trying to break into something...it shows you're serious, willing to and have invested your time and effort to achieve a basic degree of credibility.

Absolutely!! I am going to complete the "Google IT Professional Certification" within the next month or so. I think it's a great way to refresh my knowledge, learn a bit about the new stuff out there, and see what I can go for next. I am looking at core certs from COMPTIA (Security+), Cisco (CCNA), and AWS (CCP). I know it's a marathon and not a sprint. Information security I find interesting just like cyber security. I know for both I have to have experience in other domains as well. One step at a time for me. I do see myself working on the security side of IT someday.

As a guy with little IT experience I can vouch for the importance of Sec+. I don't know WHY it's important but I know my superiors ORDERED me to get certified in it when I started out in Communications Security. I was also required by the NSA to hold a TS/SCI clearance so what's been mentioned above about government jobs and clearances is also valid.

I agree with you! Right now I am looking at both Security+ 501 and Security+ 601 to go for after I finish this entry-level Google certification. I do admit I have vast gaps in my knowledge when going over the exam objectives for both certifications. Realistically after I complete the "Google IT Professional Certification" I will go for Security+ and get it under my belt as soon as possible. I see now the major importance and value of that certification. Very exciting stuff!!

 

[GPhenom]

I worked in the IT field for approx 15 years with no educational background or certifications in IT. I was actually working a communications job and the IT department was terrible and possibly shady enough that the organization fired the entire staff, minus one person. Because they were so bad, if my computer needed to be fixed, I'd just Google the problem, ask them to bring me whatever part and I'd just fix it myself. One they cleaned house, the execs asked if I wanted to transfer to that department b/c they know I had some technical skills. Worked at that job another two jobs in I.T., mostly going out to different sites and fixing issues.

Jumped into another similar job, doing the same thing, but as the lead tech. Then took a job where I WAS the IT department, and the webmaster. I never got any certifications or really did much professional development. I just used Google and YouTube if there was something I didn't understand how to do. Because of that, I always felt a little behind.

I just recently left the IT world and now am back in communications. I'm glad too. Family and friends still call me to assist with their computers, but I try to avoid IT work nowadays. I'm burnt out.

That said, if you're going to go with a cert, as others have mentioned, I think Security+ and other networking and security certs are the way to go.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

I worked in the IT field for approx 15 years with no educational background or certifications in IT. I was actually working a communications job and the IT department was terrible and possibly shady enough that the organization fired the entire staff, minus one person. Because they were so bad, if my computer needed to be fixed, I'd just Google the problem, ask them to bring me whatever part and I'd just fix it myself. One they cleaned house, the execs asked if I wanted to transfer to that department b/c they know I had some technical skills. Worked at that job another two jobs in I.T., mostly going out to different sites and fixing issues.

Jumped into another similar job, doing the same thing, but as the lead tech. Then took a job where I WAS the IT department, and the webmaster. I never got any certifications or really did much professional development. I just used Google and YouTube if there was something I didn't understand how to do. Because of that, I always felt a little behind.

I just recently left the IT world and now am back in communications. I'm glad too. Family and friends still call me to assist with their computers, but I try to avoid IT work nowadays. I'm burnt out.

That said, if you're going to go with a cert, as others have mentioned, I think Security+ and other networking and security certs are the way to go.

Thank you friend for sharing your story and advice!

I started the free seven day trial for [Google IT Support Professional Certificate] this morning right before 8am after taking the dogs for a walk. Been at it on and off for about ten hours now. Making very good progress so far. Some of the information is brand new and some of the information I really needed the refresher on. My goal is to complete this certification before June 2021 and then take a few months to study my butt off for Security+ 601 and have that completed hopefully before October 2021. Will see from there. I'm very excited so far and am enjoying studying and pushing myself to break deeper into the industry!

 

[StingerJefferson]

I usually don’t spend much time in the “non-Stinger” parts of the forms, but stumbled across this earlier today and felt like I had something to add.

I run a devops team at a small, boutique PR and comms firm in DC. My team builds the digital properties (websites, mobile apps, custom publishing infrastructures, etc) that support the comms and marketing strategies of our clients. My career has been odd and windy, from the performing arts to running by own digital marketing agency to now. Gphenom sounds like he’s some pretty similar experiences (“hey, you seem good at this and we have the same immediate need—wanna try?”).

A lot of the conversation here has been geared to “big government” or corporate IT jobs. If that’s the direction you want to go, I have less advice, other than that I agree with others who’ve said anything cloud-related, Azure, AWS, 5G, satellite—those are growth areas. That space wasn’t for me, and I’ve spent much of my career in small agencies, so my perspective is totally informed by that.

Having read your posts for the last few months, I believe I see the following patterns. You:

• Enjoy interacting with people, frequently bringing a “yes, and...” mentality to the conversation.
• Have a much-higher-than-normal emotional IQ.
• Launch yourself into new subject areas, learning as much as possible as quickly as possible.
• Lack the maturity and/or experience to balance the above two things.*
• Have a wide range of interests, and probably struggle when focused on a small-scope task.
• Hate feeling like you’ve done something less than 110% and/or missed the mark on a task.
• Are well-spoken and a smart, deliberate communicator.

*I know that probably comes across as harsh. I don’t mean to insult. It took me several years to balance my ability to get clients to like me right off with adding _business_ value by learning about their and industries and speaking to their actual business challenges in the context of that friendliness.

If this mostly tracks, here’s a couple possible paths:

• As has been mentioned, become a developer. (Look at General Assembly courses here in DC.) A combination of PHP, HTML and CSS will mean you can do most of what needs to get on done on WordPress, the most widely used CMS in the world (I didn’t say "best," Drupal/.NET/Joomla friends).
• TurboAWD suggested digging down another level, to C/C+, SQL, etc. Those skills would set you up better to non-CMS stuff, such as mobile and other, custom-app things. The path there is probably to learn enough HTML and CSS to start tweaking, ramp up on PHP and get really good at it, and then dive into the backend/middleware stuff.

Although I respectfully disagree a touch with TurboAWD’s characterization of new libraries and the like, I suspect we’d agree that the problem is this set of skills is being rapidly commoditized. Your advantage is that communication and collaboration cannot be commoditized. I have three groups of devs: 1) outsourced teams that power through the laundry list stuff (update the fonts on this site, build email templates, etc., 2) a small group of mostly state-side devs who take the lead in new builds and 3) an even smaller group of tried and true problem solvers. I value #3 the highest (and pay them the most) because they take the time to work with my account team, understand the problem, ask good questions and get the nuances of client work…so I trust them completely. Make yourself one of those and you can charge three digit hourly rates.

Alternatively, go find a small, interactive-focused firm that’ll hire you as an account manager. If I’m right about your ability to engage with strangers and your wide-ranging interests, that’ll scratch both those itches. Two challenges there. One, account management in a small firm is not really a 40-hour work week; finding that work/life balance can be a real challenge. Two, the goddam egos in a small firm are hell to navigate—small pond, big fish. (I am definitely part of the problem here.)

Should you decide to try those paths in the coming months, PM me. Sounds like you’re not quite ready to make the move to NOVA yet, but I know enough of the landscape to give a little advice. Good luck man.

 

[monusa]

Certs without experience are useless.

didn't realize there were so many "nerd" Stinger owners......LOL. I mean it with love as I too, am in IT (automotive industry). 100% believe this statement but as most "newbies" find themselves asking: "how do I get experience????"

Network+, CCNA has done it for me but got my start doing helpdesk, computer support. My advice for someone asking would be get in the door, get some time in, and head for Security. As other posters have stated, it is pretty hot right now and will only get hotter..... just look at what the auto industry is doing now with "semi-autonomous" driving, Tesla software updates over the air, Bosch consulting the IT industry to develop the security protocols to lock down their ECU's (the '21 Supra folks are beside themselves right now.....LOL).

The cloud is pretty hot as well but a good security background will get you far. Just think about how it plays a part in just about every sector; hospitals, manufacturing, banking, government (can't say they are listening since they got hacked using a product like "SolarWinds" which is CRAZY I might add. Do some dabbling in what you think might keep your interest and see how things go.....

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

didn't realize there were so many "nerd" Stinger owners......LOL. I mean it with love as I too, am in IT (automotive industry). 100% believe this statement but as most "newbies" find themselves asking: "how do I get experience????"

Network+, CCNA has done it for me but got my start doing helpdesk, computer support. My advice for someone asking would be get in the door, get some time in, and head for Security. As other posters have stated, it is pretty hot right now and will only get hotter..... just look at what the auto industry is doing now with "semi-autonomous" driving, Tesla software updates over the air, Bosch consulting the IT industry to develop the security protocols to lock down their ECU's (the '21 Supra folks are beside themselves right now.....LOL).

The cloud is pretty hot as well but a good security background will get you far. Just think about how it plays a part in just about every sector; hospitals, manufacturing, banking, government (can't say they are listening since they got hacked using a product like "SolarWinds" which is CRAZY I might add. Do some dabbling in what you think might keep your interest and see how things go.....

Thank you! Very good input! I admit I am far away from being able to tackle both the Network+ and CCNA but can say with confidence I should be able to take both of those certifications head on within the next twelve months.

I usually don’t spend much time in the “non-Stinger” parts of the forms, but stumbled across this earlier today and felt like I had something to add.

I run a devops team at a small, boutique PR and comms firm in DC. My team builds the digital properties (websites, mobile apps, custom publishing infrastructures, etc) that support the comms and marketing strategies of our clients. My career has been odd and windy, from the performing arts to running by own digital marketing agency to now. Gphenom sounds like he’s some pretty similar experiences (“hey, you seem good at this and we have the same immediate need—wanna try?”).

A lot of the conversation here has been geared to “big government” or corporate IT jobs. If that’s the direction you want to go, I have less advice, other than that I agree with others who’ve said anything cloud-related, Azure, AWS, 5G, satellite—those are growth areas. That space wasn’t for me, and I’ve spent much of my career in small agencies, so my perspective is totally informed by that.

Having read your posts for the last few months, I believe I see the following patterns. You:

• Enjoy interacting with people, frequently bringing a “yes, and...” mentality to the conversation.
• Have a much-higher-than-normal emotional IQ.
• Launch yourself into new subject areas, learning as much as possible as quickly as possible.
• Lack the maturity and/or experience to balance the above two things.*
• Have a wide range of interests, and probably struggle when focused on a small-scope task.
• Hate feeling like you’ve done something less than 110% and/or missed the mark on a task.
• Are well-spoken and a smart, deliberate communicator.

*I know that probably comes across as harsh. I don’t mean to insult. It took me several years to balance my ability to get clients to like me right off with adding _business_ value by learning about their and industries and speaking to their actual business challenges in the context of that friendliness.

If this mostly tracks, here’s a couple possible paths:

• As has been mentioned, become a developer. (Look at General Assembly courses here in DC.) A combination of PHP, HTML and CSS will mean you can do most of what needs to get on done on WordPress, the most widely used CMS in the world (I didn’t say "best," Drupal/.NET/Joomla friends).
• TurboAWD suggested digging down another level, to C/C+, SQL, etc. Those skills would set you up better to non-CMS stuff, such as mobile and other, custom-app things. The path there is probably to learn enough HTML and CSS to start tweaking, ramp up on PHP and get really good at it, and then dive into the backend/middleware stuff.

Although I respectfully disagree a touch with TurboAWD’s characterization of new libraries and the like, I suspect we’d agree that the problem is this set of skills is being rapidly commoditized. Your advantage is that communication and collaboration cannot be commoditized. I have three groups of devs: 1) outsourced teams that power through the laundry list stuff (update the fonts on this site, build email templates, etc., 2) a small group of mostly state-side devs who take the lead in new builds and 3) an even smaller group of tried and true problem solvers. I value #3 the highest (and pay them the most) because they take the time to work with my account team, understand the problem, ask good questions and get the nuances of client work…so I trust them completely. Make yourself one of those and you can charge three digit hourly rates.

Alternatively, go find a small, interactive-focused firm that’ll hire you as an account manager. If I’m right about your ability to engage with strangers and your wide-ranging interests, that’ll scratch both those itches. Two challenges there. One, account management in a small firm is not really a 40-hour work week; finding that work/life balance can be a real challenge. Two, the goddam egos in a small firm are hell to navigate—small pond, big fish. (I am definitely part of the problem here.)

Should you decide to try those paths in the coming months, PM me. Sounds like you’re not quite ready to make the move to NOVA yet, but I know enough of the landscape to give a little advice. Good luck man.

I greatly appreciate you being so blunt and honest! I admit I am still young and have so much to learn. I (thankfully) have never had a problem taking a step back and admitting to my mistakes or a defeat. The greatest way to learn is to be open to the possibility that *gasp* I can be wrong about something.

Thank you also for the nudge in the right direction. I'm not afraid of working my butt off and know that most ways to hustle are way beyond the 9-5 40 hour week. Never really had one... was always the odd hours with overtime and holidays thrown in. Oh well. I like what you're describing about small firms. I worked for a few small businesses and saw the analogy of big fish in a small pond but never had a problem with it haha. Let people have their ego. Being successful in this industry takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice which I greatly respect.

I have begun working on [Google IT Support Professional Certificate] and my goal is to get it done before June. After that the sky is the limit since I should be refreshed on a lot of stuff from the industry I've either missed or glossed over.

I'll send you a pm. I know you're probably a pretty busy guy so I am very thankful for your offer to give more advice. Thank you again!