wwp8

what do you do in IT?
what courses can one take? price/duration of course

Dazza's-STi

Err bit of a broad question...
What do you want to do...?

IT covers a multitude of sins...

Personaly i work in communications, specialst on voice over IP... but this covers telecoms, Microsoft & Cisco... of which I've studied each one and just done exam after exam after exam... and to be honest it takes some doing. Moving from one to the other is tricky... Started of in telecoms 17 years ago...

so what do you want to do????
PC's
Microsoft networks and operating systems, servers
Networking...?
other...?

dazza

hawkthescoobslayer

dazza

shouldn't you be working ?

or are you living off the profits after selling all that cheap tat you got at hawks mini bonnet sale

Dazza's-STi

I am working freind... the joys of working from home...

My missuse isn't happy as she didn't get to go it your beasty... tried to explain to her that what we have isn't actualy a fast car... and that internal organ displacment in third gear won't ever be experienced in our Sti... She can't get her head around doing 80 to 130 in about 4 seconds is possible...so i need to book her a thrill ride in a proper quick car...

Must admit that thing of yours is shockingly quick... a kind of differnt surreal kind of fast...
We'll have to do a vid and stick it on here... that would be too funny...

Let me know if your down this way one weekend and I'll do some shots and a bit of vid if you don't mine m8... or and book Neeve in for a ride...

Dazza

Greeno

As above the question is abit broad...

I have always been interested in the more support side of IT, fixing a multitude of problems that arrise within Windows xx Os's...

I have studied my MCSE (Miscrosoft Certified System Engineer) course, of which i only passed 3 modules, it's £75 an exam, and you have to keep paying each time you fail...and i failed quite a bit...lol...???

I also have studied for my CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) qaulification, of which i have passed all aspects...

Basically i would vear away from academic cources such as an HND or Degree, and look at persuing a more relevant/hands on type qualification such as the two mentioned above...???

The MCSE takes circa 1 year to complete, or three if you are me, and the CCNP about the same...

These are all Network/Support orinetated courses however, so maybe you are looking for something different...???

HTH,

G.

HomerJunior

iTrader: (1)

I did a three month course with a company called Just IT (based in London). Basically did the following:

A+ Hardware and Software (Basic Stuff)
Microsoft Server 2000
Microsoft Professional 2000
Certified Novell Administrator
Linux (No Exam)
CCNA

You did one week in class and then a week to study. Passed all my exams first time except my CCNA.

Then did a six week placement before the company gave me a job.

Can give you more details if you want. PM me for details.

Danny B

As little as possible...it is one of the few jobs that you can do so little and get paid so well.
I look after a head office infrastructure and have never sat any exams in my life, as far as I'm concerned work experience is *much* more important than a paper MCSE certificate.
I have worked with many MCSE's who haven't got a clue what to do when a server blue screens in a live production enviroment..

Hanslow

Unix and PC software development.

Get yourself a PC, a compiler, a good book, and start writing some code. Some books on software engineering, design, refactoring, patterns, testing should be a good place to start.

Andy_1271

I work in IT support at themoment but moved into from a database input/maintenance role, I also did quite a bit of training too. Did a few exams but I don't think they help all that much, as it has already been mentioned I know of many MCSE's who don't know their docs from their mpp's (sorry an failed attempt at MS related humour)

Greeno

I agree...

Experience is alot more benificial than litrature...

In the first year of working in IT i think i learned 50% more than i ever did reading crap out of a book...

G.

DaveW

14 years in IT Support.

I've done a few courses over the years (Unix admin, Microsoft, SQL, Database admin) but as others have said, experience counts more than certificates.

supertouring

Too many year to remember in software development and design.

When we recently interviewed for junior IT Support positions we wanted to see Microsoft accreditation as this weeded out the majority of the chaff.

Having said that, I have worked with many a developer with MSCDs coming out of their ears (I never had or ever want to have one), and could recite the full structure of any VB/C++ syntax you liked, but they could not string them together to make a useful working application!

stevem2k

you binned the ones *with* accreditation .. right ?

FrenchBoy

I'm an MCDBA and MCSA - both mean absolutely chuff all compared to experience. I'm actually an IT manager and wouldn't even consider hiring someone with an MCSE unless they could prove that they've actually got their hands dirty on the job.

Buckrogers

More of a response in the "computing" section?

Danny B

It's ironic that I replied to this thread earlier today saying that I have never sat any exams and I have now just been told that I need to get some HP Proliant accreditation (for warranty reasons) which unfortunately involves passing 3 A+ exams just to get the poxy HP exams booked!

I suggest that any newcomer to IT who wants to get their foot in the door takes the 3 compTIA A+ exams (do a google) to learn the basics to at least get a job "in the trade".

Then do a year on 1st or 2nd line support and try to complete a few MCP's along the way then at least you will be in a much better position to get another job when you get bored of 1st line support (shouldn't take long believe me)

Good luck anyway.

Squadron-Leader

wwp8

17 years 4 months and 10 days in IT (f**k me that's way too long!) and goes something like this...

Trainee Computer Operator (DEC PDP-11 RSTS/e OS and a DECsystem-10 running TOPS10)
Computer Operator (Good old VAX/VMS on VAX6250, 6300, 4100, 4300 and MicroVAX)
Senior Operator (VAX/VMS, Digital UNIX 4.0e, Windows 95/NT, CISCO, 3Com, Workstations, LANs)
Support Analyst (Solaris, AIX, Windows x, Firewalls, LANs, WANs)
Senior Support Analyst (as above but more money!)

Now a 'Senior Security & Network Consultant' that deals with corporate level Internet security and communications.... sounds posh, but it's quite simple really!

I've attended quite a few training courses over the years but, most of what I know I've taught myself via hands on and reading. My most favourite subject was learning to program in the UNIX Bourne Shell. Got a book and taught myself. It's amazing what you can do with a few scripted commands in UNIX.

If you've a thirst for anything technical or computer related you'll understand and learn IT.

I've only got 2 certifications to my name.... Sun Certified Systems Administrator and WatchGuard Certified Security Professional.... but I do have a 'shed load' of experience

Things are not as easy as they used to be though. IT is such a huge business now that I find it very hard to understand all of it and choose what I really want to do. I love Web Design but, just don't have the time to learn it fully and understand how it all hangs together.

Gone are the days of the RP06 176mb removable disks held in drives the size of washing machines! (for those who remember)

Good luck in what ever you do.

J.

MichaelH

Many years in system testing followed by a couple of years in a test automation role.

Not done any exams, highest qualification pre IT was gained at my GCSE's.

IT people where I work have taken one of two paths into IT. Done well in a non IT job and then done apptitude tests, interview etc. and got into IT starting on the bottom rung (as I did). Otherwise come in with a degree and taken on as a graduate on relatively decent money. Some graduates have useful computer related degrees, most do not. One graduate I know has a degree in microbiology, which I'm sure she finds very useful in IT....

Seems to have been taking on less graddy's recently, but the UK IT market appears to be picking up a bit now.

wwp8

i suppose i should have asked what your title is (website designer/data admin)and what does the job consists of?
i know someone that travels nationally and occasionally goes overseas
and what she does is teach people how to use programs
erm silly question now.

anyone ever got far from some companies like learndirect etc?

fitzscoob

I went with computeach for a few years trying to learn C++ from books and the like.

The support wasnt what I had hoped, phoneline continually engaged.

I really struggled to get to grips with it, and eventually binned it as I could not get any help in the matter.

To be honest, it really wasnt best suited to me and was a mistake in the very begining.

Some people can look at code and computers and understand it, but there is quite a big step from being competent on a pc to being able to write code and actually understand what you are trying to do.

Think hard before you spend any money, make sure you choose somewhere that you can get support.

Hanslow

...and some of us understand code better than real life

If you are logical and like solving puzzles, then coding might be for you.....

Remember, it's all just ones and zeros