Gorman
Author Level
Im not but my spellcheck obviously is
Changing my life, I really need some help!
- Thread starter BAD SANTA
- Start date
Im not but my spellcheck obviously is
Pete
Bright Spark
unless you go into web design, probably one of the few paths you can start out on your own fairly easily - create your own (nice) business website and start trying to pick up work from small local businesses. chances are they won't want anything too ott and being local they'll come back to your for more work. You can then start on improving your knowledge and maybe get a hosted server for the likes of php, vbscript, ruby... and have database driven websites for the bigger company willing to pay more.
This can all be done in your spare time or whilst you look for an IT job and would look good on the ol' cv.
if you fancy it that is. advantages if you're in a job already is that you can undercut all the other web-wannabies out there and pick up a lot of business.
This can all be done in your spare time or whilst you look for an IT job and would look good on the ol' cv.
if you fancy it that is. advantages if you're in a job already is that you can undercut all the other web-wannabies out there and pick up a lot of business.
vanthus
Member Resting in Peace
My oxford english dictionary must be american as well.
BAD SANTA
Well-known member
Thanks to the people that spent the time and effort to post (excluding the highjackers) 
Have got another question though.
Is there a particular qualification that employers expect You to have, I don't mind paying to go to collage to get it, you know like a base qualification that I need?
Have got another question though.
Is there a particular qualification that employers expect You to have, I don't mind paying to go to collage to get it, you know like a base qualification that I need?
Pete
Bright Spark
check out http://www.theitjobboard.co.uk (other sites are available) and look for some jobs that would interest you - and see their requirements. Probably a 1st line support type job will look for a generic computing HND whilst networking will be more specific but as others have said; you're not going to get a networking job without serving your time on the hell desk.
Unless you're going is as a trainee or something what they mostly want is experience.
Randomthom
Silver Level Poster
Microsoft Certifications are worth a lot getting into the IT jobs market. MCDST (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) and MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) are great starting points. MCDST is skippable if you feel that you won't need it (browse through the course content, if you already know 90% then you don't need it, go for something more advanced).
As a previous poster said, don't use computeach or similar distance learning, they'll charge stupid amounts. You're better off getting a good book, working through it & booking yourself into the exams (there's microsoft exam centres all over the country).
Finally good luck!
As a previous poster said, don't use computeach or similar distance learning, they'll charge stupid amounts. You're better off getting a good book, working through it & booking yourself into the exams (there's microsoft exam centres all over the country).
Finally good luck!
BAD SANTA
Well-known member
Thanks a lot for that, I would never do any of these courses as I already reviewed a lot of them and people say that they only tell you what you need to pass the exam and like you say charge a heck of a lot of cash for it.
As I have explained in previous posts everything I know I learnt by myself this includes everything from building desktops for friends, installing windows chasing drivers, chasing more drivers to setting up LAN and wireless connections, overclocking, installing software, I have also learnt a bit of c++, made a website on blue voda using a bit of HTML and hyperlinking and now I'm trying to learn sharepoint using the sharepoint labs which I have to say I'm really enjoying.
From what I've been looking at most of sharepoint is used in conjunction with c# so I think I'm going to learn that at the same time as sharepoint.
I know all this does not make me an expert but I'm hoping that maybe an employer might think that I am motivated enough to take a chance where maybe they wouldn't normally I just think that some certs might give me a bit more of a chance.
I am just thinking ahead and if there is Certs that employers are going to expect me to have then I want to get them even if I know the stuff already surely it would be good to have them.
As I have explained in previous posts everything I know I learnt by myself this includes everything from building desktops for friends, installing windows chasing drivers, chasing more drivers to setting up LAN and wireless connections, overclocking, installing software, I have also learnt a bit of c++, made a website on blue voda using a bit of HTML and hyperlinking and now I'm trying to learn sharepoint using the sharepoint labs which I have to say I'm really enjoying.
From what I've been looking at most of sharepoint is used in conjunction with c# so I think I'm going to learn that at the same time as sharepoint.
I know all this does not make me an expert but I'm hoping that maybe an employer might think that I am motivated enough to take a chance where maybe they wouldn't normally I just think that some certs might give me a bit more of a chance.
I am just thinking ahead and if there is Certs that employers are going to expect me to have then I want to get them even if I know the stuff already surely it would be good to have them.
Randomthom
Silver Level Poster
As a general rule, certifications like MCSE etc. count for more with large companies, particularly if they have to sift through hundreds of CVs for each job, smaller companies are more likely to look at the experience you have. This is partly down to the number of applicants for each job & partly because smaller companies tend to be more reliant on people's experience from early on with less time for training.
Certs don't necessarily make you better (some bits might though) but they do make you more professionally acknowledgeable.
Certs don't necessarily make you better (some bits might though) but they do make you more professionally acknowledgeable.
The only issue with certs is yes they show on a bit of paper you know what your doing. But to get the certs requires no practical experiance at all.
Sure the cert says you can set up and maintain a network with a cisco firewall and router, forward ports and setup a subnet and domains. But you have never actually done it you just read how to do it and can remember it. Practical experiance with no cert means you know how to do it and you have actually done it although you cant prove you know how.
Sure the cert says you can set up and maintain a network with a cisco firewall and router, forward ports and setup a subnet and domains. But you have never actually done it you just read how to do it and can remember it. Practical experiance with no cert means you know how to do it and you have actually done it although you cant prove you know how.