How many people end up with a career based on their choice of major at time of enrollment in college? Half of college grads change their majors, and probably more than that aren’t sure what they want to do when they graduate.
Just having a 4 year degree at 21 is quite an accomplishment, and a 4 year degree in anything is valuable in pursuing a lot of career paths.
I changed my major 3 times, and didn’t graduate until I was 25 - Business Administration with MIS (managing info systems) concentration. But I was extremely happy with the job I got out of school and have enjoyed my career. I’m also happy about my prospects over the next 10 years or so with what I’m doing now (Network Security). But as everything shifts to the cloud and IT becomes more of a commodity, my role will change significantly if not all together.
I’ll have more to say later, I’ve been in IT for over 10 years now.
@OmegaflareX: I have considered starting up a personal tech support business (like way down the track of course!) But I’m looking for part-time employment in a computer shop atm (as you mentioned) to learn and the extra cash! With regard’s to Charle’s question… the way I see it, it was irrelevant to my initial question! I’m not asking “what IT job can I get with my design degree (or my current qualifications)”…if that were the case, then you would need more info indeed! However, if you must know I do a general design degree. It covers everything from photography,illustration,animation,web…etc. However, I mostly specialize in illustration with a keen interest in web!
@Cless Alvein: In regards to my course, see above. I may consider studying further in IT, or I may just go through part-time/casual work and build up from there. I am well aware that most (if not all) high paying jobs require some big qualifications.
If you want to do tech support, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find an entry level position. It isn’t going to pay much, but it’s a start. From there you should try to get on a help-desk in a larger organization. Here you’ll be able to experience working with different applications and such. Again, not going to pay very much. If you’re a good worker and good at working with people, you’ll be noticed and provided other opportunities.
You could also look for internships as a way in. You might even be working for free in this case. But it beats flipping burgers.
You should read up on the different jobs in IT. Infrastructure admin jobs include servers, database, backups, PC, storage, security, data center, and others. For smaller companies you can get an IT job being a jack of all trades type person, doing a little bit of everything - requires experience though. There are lots of opportunities for programmers, but I don’t think that’s something you want to do. On the applications side there are also a ton of jobs though. Application analysts, application support, all kinds of stuff…but again, nothing you’re going to just walk into with no experience.
This is really only the tip of the iceberg of what’s out there. Research companies in your area, check job sites and local classified ads. Find out what areas of IT are in demand for your area. It’s really up to you. Some people call finding a good job luck, but it’s taking advantage of opportunity. And in most cases, you create your own opportunity by looking and being prepared. It’s about being the most qualified applicant (and having good references) more than anything else.
Various fields in IT can be very high-pace and stressful, usually for the smaller companies and arrogant pricks.
Additionally, you should always expect to be learning new things as technology advances. Some things linger for a decade or two, but you’re usually always forcing your brain to compact the old shit to learn something new.
I don’t mean to necropost… but I just want to say this! So please excuse me
Some of you may remember this thread I made over a year ago:
I admit it was quite a tough time for me back then, and some of the comments I felt I could not respond too… for a while I really did feel like stuffed up!
But 1 year on, things have changed…and for the better!
I admit my degree wasn’t relevant to my current field and that is a major disadvantage, however today I’ve been working in IT helpdesk level 1 for almost 5 months now in a company that supports a bunch of digital/print companies… meaning there’s room to expand my horizons down the track! I’m learning new stuff on the job everyday. I’ve continued my studies as part of my job training and will hopefully get my first major certification in a few months time! I work with a great bunch of guys, a great boss, I provide support to people who work directly in design and even have the privilege of viewing their presentations and work processes! I still design stuff as a hobby in my free time! Once I finish my studies I hope to further develop my design skills to maybe freelance it.
Bottom line, I’ve graduated from the design degree I started (btw everyone asked what design… it’s design in general; it covers everything from digital, illustration, animation, photography etc etc…) in stead of giving up half way through. I work in quite literally my dream job (1 year ago) atm! Great people, great location, great pay, excellent experience and much more! I actually enjoy getting out of bed for work most of the time!
If I die tomorrow… I can honestly say “I went out on top!” …how many people can honestly say that?
This is for everyone that doubted me… I make my own life, and just so you all know, I got this far on my own! I didn’t get help and when offered it… I denied it! literally! I’ve shaped my mentality to take care of myself, by myself where possible ofc! So yeah, look at me now… I ain’t dead yet!
Yeah I know what you mean… whenever there’s an IT problem, the helpdesk is assumed to be the reason for it! xD In the short time I’ve been working I have experienced this stress… and it is difficult at times no doubt! However, what really fascinated me was the invaluable knowledge! I used to be paranoid about putting my hands in a PC case, believing that I would fry my motherboard or graphics card! xD But, nowadays I’m constantly pulling parts out and putting them in, and I plan to get a beast PC in a few months which I intend to build myself from scratch!
Going into helpdesk was not about the money to me… it was about the learning/experiences, and that’s what drives me to keep going!
