5 Things You Must Know to Land an IT Job |
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 It’s the same in most fields, but particularly acute in Information Technology: You need experience to land a job, but you can’t get that experience without a job. In today’s tough job market, employers can be really choosy. They’re swamped with resumes overflowing with IT experience, so why should they pick you, a college grad with barely any experience? Here are five things to know to beat the odds: More Training & Certifications are No Guarantee. Adding advanced level certifications won’t replace the need for hands-on work experience. The same holds true for advanced training. Certifications and training should supplement what you know and become a tool you can use, but they're no guarantee in securing a job. You should at least know about MS Access and how to properly format a hard disk. The lesson here is this: don’t spend too much time and money on advanced certifications and training before you know where you’ll be working in IT.
Hone Resume/Job Interview Skills. Learn to fully exploit even part-time IT positions you may have held while in school. Also leverage any school IT projects you led or were involved in. Sharpen your interviewing skills with colleagues, instructors and potential employers. Learn and polish until you become a super salesperson selling you as the product.
Network Like Mad. Go to job fairs, seminars, trade shows. Introduce yourself to as many working IT professionals as you can. Print up some business cards with your name, phone, email, and similar professional organizations to which you belong. Nothing fancy, just black & white on basic card stock. You can get 500 of these for about $20. Hand out the cards to every working IT manager you meet. Ask for their business card and send them an email reminding them of your conversation. They’ll connect you with a face and note that you’re looking for a job. If something opens up in their department, they can either wade through a stack of faceless resumes or call you in for an interview. My guess is, they’ll call you in.
Shoot for Tech Support. Opportunities abound in all areas of IT, but tech support and similar areas seem to have more opportunities for newcomers. Unlike trying to get into more complex applications, tech support is a great way to get hands-on work experience. Look into internships—paid or even unpaid. Once you’re in, you can branch out and move up.
Start with a Small Company. Your chances of landing an IT job are better with a small company. While they may not have the big pay and perks of a big firm, they can provide the hands-on experience you need to move up. Small firms and startups need talent, not prima donnas. If you’re willing to start from the ground up, maybe share a cubicle and settle for a starter’s salary, this is a smart way to go.
It’s a catch 22, but you can beat the odds and break into IT as a gainfully employed professional. As my father used to say, if you want a job, you need three things: preparation, persistence, and personality.
Image by Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / www.freedigitalphotos.net
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Comments
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Posted by: Alex Kecskes
Thanks for all your comments. They help those still looking for a job to gain a real-world perspective.
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Posted by: Johnny A
I have been in IT for over 14 years, and in light of this bullish market I agree (from firsthand experience) that more certs 'wouldn't help, but wouldn't hurt' either. Networking with others is how over 80% of todays' jobs are sourced; the remainder are a statistical impossibility with hundreds (conservatively) applying for each position. Low level tech support positions are relatively easy to find, because IT is considered a cost, or debt that must be trimmed back for more important reasons (like other departments) which very often is how large tech companies react. Don't do what I did, which was to get comfortable with a large proprietary software support company who only has upward positions for those who don't want to branch out.
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Posted by: Don A
My college professor admonished us to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER accept a job as a tech. He said you were educated to be a software professional, accept nothing less. If you start out on the lower rung, you stay on the lower rung.Professionals are as professional act and regard himself / herself. Do NOT allow Corporate America to devalue your education and skills.
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Posted by: Sharon B
I totally agree with this article. I am a new graduate from college, and i too are having difficulty finding a job...I am willing to start at entry level position...like you stated, how will i get the experience except someone is willing to give me that opportunity to get started. Not to mention this current economy....20 applicants are applying for the same job.
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Posted by: susan a
what i just read keep me informed on a job meetings, any thing else you have to offer.
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Posted by: Lonnette R
This article gives good advice, and as a recent grad with a masters degree in information systems, I find these tips very useful. All five tips are great, but three of them really stand out. Network Like Mad is what I am doing now to try and get into an IT career. As a matter of fact, this technique is what I used to get my current non IT job. Shoot for Tech Support is a good position to start in IT, and Start with a Small Company is good advice for getting your foot in the door and establish a good foundation in this field. You certainly don't want to take on more than you can handle, especially when you are trying to get an IT job.
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Posted by: Delbert B
Great article and very real-world accurate.
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Posted by: Bill L
The advice seems sound. Thanks for publishing it
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Posted by: Scott S
Good advice. Many people out there think that just because they get their CCENT/CCNA or even their CCNP they can start off with landing an $80 grand a year position. Time, persistance and the willingness to start small and learn the hands-on basics with real on-the-job learning, preferably in a small network environment for starters.I'm looking forward to it and you won't hear me complaining about the low pay. $35k to $45k will be just fine with me and even Temp positions. This will check off the experience ticket and the learning in a real-world environment. Makes me excited to even think about it. :)
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Posted by: Thomas M
Interesting info. I have been in IT for over 40 years. I am talking to a small company now
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Posted by: D. M
I have a GED and I landed a job doing all IT work for my company. From stringing network cable to maintaining PCs hardware and software. Help Desk included. Everybody and his uncles' sister is doing computer repairs and they think they are IT specialists. Get a CDL and drive a truck. There are more positions available in the transport industry.
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Posted by: Sue K
I think this is the usual b.s. advice. The bottom line is no one will hire you without experience (so why bother with the time and expense to get certified), but how do you get experience if no one will hire you? Also, if you do have a degree and/or certification(s), then you are "overqualified". Catch 22. Even for the lowest level entry jobs, employers are requiring an amount of expertise that you normally only get from experience. What ever happened to on-the-job training? The whole employment system is bogus!
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Posted by: gurudeva k
Not necessarily.You have to upgrade your skills to learn the skills in demand and practice the skills so that you become good at it. Of course, you need to do your research which skill is in demand and adds value to your profile.
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Posted by: Ubaldo M G
I too once was a college grad 16yrs ago. What got me a job without experience was a housekeeping job at a small manufacturing firm. Three months later someone in the firm heard of my background in IT degree pulled Me out of the position and landed Me in the IT department. A yr later I moved into bigger and better places elsewhere. Now I am on top of the world.
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Posted by: Alex S
I am a recent graduate of ITT Technical Institute and I think Your tips make good sense.Thank you for taking the time to offer these words of wisdom.
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Posted by: Zschiedrich M
Very informative.
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Posted by: Kelly F
Very informative and useful. Great article
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Posted by: Linda L
THIS IS COMMON INFORMATION. i did not see any new under the sun information.
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Posted by: swathi m
good one, this article is helpful.
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Posted by: Anthony N
Good Advice
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Posted by: RHONDA M
IN ORDER FOR AN APPLICANT TO LAND A PAID COMPUTER/IT JOB HE/SHE SHOULD HAVE PASSED A TYPING CLASS AND SHOULD KNOW THE TYPING/WORD PROCESSING KEYBOARD BY HEART. THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BASICS TO WORK AS A PAID COMPUTER PROFESSIONAL.
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Posted by: Elton H
great definitely helped in getting me back into workplace. been in the field for 13years got laid off. trying to get back in the field now...
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Posted by: Chris W
Mr. Michael Orr,Do you have a position on the computer making $?I sure hope so! Tell me more about working for Apple or IBM Computers. I would love to work for the companies.Sincerely,
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Posted by: Temistocles G
Excellents tips, thanks for this.
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Posted by: Evelyn P
Very interesting and timely.
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Posted by: Martin G
As an experienced IT/IS professional with over 20 years in the industry I can safely say to new IT grads stay as far away from support roles as possible. Better to take the programming skills you learned in college and apply them to entry level work. So far as certs, I was around BEFORE they started and IT/IS was far better than it is now. Too many HR folks copping out to Certs and using them as an excuse to NOT READ RESUMES. Frankly, having taken some of the classes (there are exceptions) the info isn't necessarily applicable to real world situations. Make sure that if you need to certify for your employer that he/she is willing to pay for it. You'll find that you can quickly rack up further debt from the various certs MS, Cisco, Comptia, ITIL, Oracle, etc. Try to SAVE YOUR OWN $$$ and get the employer to invest in you his/her greatest asset.At the end of the day outsourcing, lower wages, and competition are making IT/IS Support roles unattractive even if you have all the experience and Certs in the world coupled with a Bachelors Degree in IT/IS or CS. Don't wast your time on support, apply the programming you learned in entry level positions, trust me you'll be far happier and more stable.
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Posted by: Will D
I find the comment "catch22" to be for me the most accurate quote. I'm an unemployed IT professional who has been unemployed for 6 mos. Companies today are hiring here's the "catch22" they want to compensate you by paying you at a minimum salary of $12 to $ 20 hr. I don't know of any responsible adult with family who can survive off such a salary that's the "catch22" I've encountered.
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Posted by: Michael E
Excellent advice. Thanks for taking the time to write this article.
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Posted by: Alex Kecskes
Thanks for all your comments. They help readers get a grasp of what's happening out in the trenches. I know things are tough out there. But if you can network and connect with working IT pros, it can give you a leg up in landing that job you want.
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Posted by: Tatjana
I do not think you are being Harsh. However, I do feel that many company's reap what they sow. Because of the lack of loyalty companies have shown to its employees there is now a lack of productivity and loyalty from the employee to the company. In addition to creating a test for prospective employees to take i would highly recommend following up on their sources of recommendations I would also contact former employers to find out how they performed while there. With respect to showing loyalty to the employee. Employers should offer incentives for business brought in by an employee either in the form of bonuses or additional time off. Employers should also take charge in getting their employees training on how to bring in business. not everyone is proficient in sales or in networking to increase name brand or product recognition. If you want better employees then train them to be better employees. If you treat them like a number or a pay check they will act like a paycheck.
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Posted by: john
I fully agree to the content of your article because my situation mirrors what you indicated.I went back to school to further my education thinking that it would an advantage, and one year later, I have not found a job nor called upon for an interview.I am enrolled in a four year college to continue IT education, but I have to reconsider my decision, why saturate myself with knowledge when there is no hands on experience. It does not make sense.Thanks for allowing me to breathe.John
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Posted by: Terry K
This article is so right on from my past position. I started out as an Engineering secretary and ended up a Database developer and administrator. As they believed in me, I was more successful.
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