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I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what I can do to get ahead on my studies in Information Security. I've got an AAS and thankfully the school I'm starting at now has accepted pretty much all the credits I earned in my AAS for Information Systems towards a BS in IT Information Security. I kind of sucked at the classes I have taken that were heavily focused on programming. What am I in for by studying Information Security and what can I do to help prepare myself for these studies?
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Aug 28, 2014 22:03
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Also, I don't know if it is relevant but I don't even work in IT currently because my current job cutting meat pays pretty well at $14/hr, with potential to make $10 more on the hour in about three years, and great benefits through Costco. Am I better off looking for a job in IT now while finishing my BS before my pay gets too high to compete with my current position, or should I hang out at Costco until I get my degree and certs?
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Aug 29, 2014 02:13
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Misogynist posted:You're in a better position in any career with more experience in that career. That said, I'm assuming you're going to school in the daytime, and part-time IT work with any kind of meaningful experience behind it is tough to come by. See what's out there, I guess? Well I work full time during the day and do my school at night online. I should probably just talk to a recruiter I suppose and tell them this stuff I guess?
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Aug 29, 2014 02:25
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Misogynist posted:Recruiters are great to talk to when you become mid-level/senior-level, but they're almost universally awful when you're looking for entry-level positions. I mean, don't hesitate to do whatever you can to get your foot in the door, but at that experience level and payscale you're probably going to do much better by studying your rear end off, networking professionally around whatever area of IT you're particularly passionate about, and doing whatever you can to find yourself work that's not a call center somewhere. So I should hold off on jumping ship from my current spot until I can find something worthwhile and study in the mean time? Never having a job in IT before its all kind of new to me and I don't know what to expect as far as salary. I'm sort of ashamed I did the work to get my AAS and have never used it 😰
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Aug 29, 2014 02:41
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Fiendish Dr. Wu posted:In my humble opinion, you could probably make equivalent pay right now in IT with your AAS, with the chance to make more than a $10/hr increase in 3 years. Getting started is the hardest part because it feels so daunting. Don't put it off. Also get started on your BS. Right on dude that's good to know, I always worried I would find myself stuck because I'd take a drastic pay cut to switch careers. I plan on starting on my BS next month! Thanks guys!
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Aug 29, 2014 03:19
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I just want to say thanks to a couple of people in this thread, namely Fiendish Dr. Wu, for giving me the confidence to finally chase a spot in IT. I've been in touch with a couple different places and things are looking pretty promising, I hope to switch jobs by the end of the year!
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Sep 5, 2014 01:13
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So I was supposed to have a phone interview with the IS manager of a software company in town today for a desktop support tech position at 1:30 and it is now nearly 2:15 with no call yet. What's the proper way to handle this situation?
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Sep 5, 2014 19:12
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Inspector_666 posted:Call them and ask what is up. I've been corresponding with this guy through email so I sent one asking if something came up and he needs to reschedule. I'd call but I don't have his number. 😥 Hoping he gets back to me today sometime!
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Sep 5, 2014 19:23
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Fiendish Dr. Wu posted:When this happened to me I called and asked if they would just like to reschedule for a time more convenient for them, and we ended up doing the interview over the phone right then and there. Worked out well and got the offer. Yeah I'm not really sweating it either way. I'm just applying to other spots on Dice and Indeed in the meantime and sending my resume out to some recruiters 
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Sep 5, 2014 19:32
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Anyone in the Indianapolis area in this thread? If so, what recruiting firms do you use or recommend? I've put my resume in at Brooksource and Belcan, not sure of other decent ones in the area.
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Sep 6, 2014 15:03
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Garrand posted:So, I've followed this and the previous thread for a long time, but I've never really had anything to post in it...until now. Hey good for you man! I work in retail currently and am trying to make the jump myself. It's kind of daunting to read this thread and have people talking about stuff that seems way over my head, so it's nice to see someone else who is just starting out themselves. Congrats and good luck in your new job/career! 
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Sep 13, 2014 00:26
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'd from my retail job into a work from home tech support position. It's not much, but it's at least a foot in the door (and still better pay, if not a whole lot on its own.) Being less physically tired will hopefully get me to the gym more and more time to study for the MCSA. I'm really excited even if rather nervous. 
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It's going pretty ok I haven't gotten any offers or interviews yet but I've updated my resume to reflect some more technical responsibilities of my job. I also added volunteerish kind of stuff like helping friends/family/my neighborhood with PC repair and home networking. I'm hoping this will help me catch a contract and get some experience under my belt at least.
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Sep 13, 2014 02:00
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jaegerx posted:Any temp companies in your area? It's crappy backup this laptop and move outlook to new laptop but it's a start and they're usually done in a few days. Knock a few out and the contract companies will love you. Like staffing agencies? I've applied through some job sites to short term contracts, like 3 months or less. I don't mind grunt work at all really, any chance to get some experience is what's important.
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Sep 13, 2014 02:50
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jaegerx posted:Go in and talk to one of them. These people make money off placing people into jobs. Email them directly and say you are willing to do anything. They will find you something cause they'll make a few bucks off of you. Duly noted! Thanks for the advice.
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Sep 13, 2014 14:30
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How long did it take you guys from applying to finally land an interview or a job? I'm beginning to think I might have something wrong with my resume because I'm not hearing back from anyone, or I'm just impatient which is also a good possibility. 😅
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Sep 16, 2014 20:59
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Dark Helmut posted:I humbly volunteer my strong opinion. Sent!
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Sep 16, 2014 21:07
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Tab8715 posted:If it's a big corporation, be prepared to sweat out for a bit over a month. I've put in for a lot of spots independently and worked through recruiters for some too. When using recruiters does it expedite or complicate the process normally?
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Sep 16, 2014 22:30
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I have my technical interview for an entry level "Systems Technician" spot in about two and a half hours and I'm pretty excited but also a little nervous! Hoping I don't get grilled too hard on stuff I'm rusty on or haven't learned before.
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Sep 22, 2014 19:23
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Anyone in this thread currently attending or a grad from WGU?
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Sep 25, 2014 15:07
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Sickening posted:I am both. Did you have a pretty easy time getting your certifications through them? Do they just give you vouchers and you have to schedule your own stuff with CompTIA, or is it something they've worked out where you get your certification after you pass certain assessments?
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Sep 25, 2014 17:07
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Sickening posted:They give you coursework that is going to be more than adequate to get you prepared for the tests for comptia. You will go through the coursework once and apply for a voucher. After a day or two they give you a voucher code that you can use to schedule a test at a testing center like any other tester. You will have a person with WGU that will help you through the entire process. Its pretty painless and hassle free. Right on man, I feel like getting an A+ and being in progress on others is the key to breaking into IT.
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Sep 25, 2014 17:23
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Sickening posted:Don't enroll into WGU just to get an A+. If you were attempting to get back into college while getting certs then it makes sense. If just getting into IT is your goal (as in any IT job possible) then having a cert MAY help you do that. Well specifically I'd like to get into network security so I enrolled in the IT security program. I'm paying next to nothing to go anyways and it should only take me 3 terms.
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Sep 25, 2014 20:41
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high six posted:HUrray. I got an actual IT job. Help desk, yeah, but it is certainly better than delivering pizzas. Gonna start the Monday after next. At least this time I didn't rip the rear end of my pants at the interview. Congrats man! Makes me hopeful and want to try twice as hard to look for a similar position for myself. No reason to be too nervous, obviously they like you enough to bring you on board!
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Oct 5, 2014 02:02
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I've always kind of assumed that help desk and desktop support are the same thing. Obviously the differences in positions will vary from org to org but in general what separates these two roles?
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Oct 19, 2014 15:02
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So if I'm shooting for entry level stuff I should be focusing on applying for mainly help desk positions? When I've got my degree in hand plus a couple of relevant certifications to what I want to do I could start shooting for more network/security oriented roles?
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Oct 19, 2014 18:56
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How well do public schools (K-12) pay? Is it largely dependent on the location and district, or do they tend to compensate IT staff pretty well? I've got an interview for a "Primary Technology Support Technician" position tomorrow. The extremely wordy job names I keep seeing never stop being funny to me. E: I started at WGU in the BS IT Security program about a month ago and if you're dedicated/learn things quickly you can blast through the courses and earn valuable certifications along the way. I'm about to take my Net+ with a voucher provided by WGU. They provide vouchers for CCENT, CCNA, and CCNA Security too in addition to several CIW and CompTIA cert exams. crunk dork fucked around with this message at 16:16 on Nov 13, 2014 |
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Nov 13, 2014 16:05
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I'm in the north suburbs of Indianapolis so cost of living is comparatively low, but the school district I'm interviewing for is in a pretty wealthy area. Even if it's not great pay I would probably take it, anything beats meat department work around holiday time! 😅 Thanks for the insight guys.
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Nov 13, 2014 16:21
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The schools in Hamilton County are supposedly some of the best in the country, I feel like every school says that though. They can afford to give all the kids iPads though so the district can't be too broke!
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Nov 13, 2014 17:54
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mayodreams posted:Zionsville? I'm interviewing with Westfield Washington Schools tomorrow morning, but later in the day I'm interviewing in Zionsville for Prometheus IT consulting!
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Nov 13, 2014 21:28
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I think the job I'm interviewing for in a couple hours is the first I've gotten a call for that didn't have a ridiculous amount of requirements (5+ years experience etc) for a basic support position. Hopefully I can make a good impression. Self inspired ongoing education and the fact that I'm young both probably look good... Right?
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Nov 14, 2014 13:49
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bpower posted:Good advice for entry level interviews. If they ask you what would you do when you hit a new problem, make sure you mention that you seem to have a knack for quickly finding the answer for problems on the net, you know what to search for and you know all the best forums etc. If you mention a forum or site a get a "Yeah, thats handy, I use that too" you're golden. That's good to keep in mind. My biggest hurdle is a lack of formal experience so it's definitely important to let them know I'm more than capable of picking up new concepts and techniques easily, I'd wager.
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Nov 14, 2014 14:16
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If I interviewed for a job and wanted to call back and see if they had come to a decision, is about a week a good amount of time to wait? I felt like I really nailed the interview and hit it off very well with the department lead and asked the right questions. He didn't mention how many other candidates there were and I wasn't sure if inquiring about it was inappropriate.
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Nov 15, 2014 17:46
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I didn't want to seem anxious, like evol said, which is why I was hesitant to ask about a timeframe. I guess if I did as well as I thought I will hear back within a month or so.
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Nov 15, 2014 19:30
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Sheep posted:I had a guy wearing a denim jacket, jeans, and sneakers on Friday. I'm fine if you show up in business casual but don't show up looking (and acting) like a logger slash axe murderer. I'm wondering if this is a lack of common sense when it comes to dressing or an over abundance of confidence?
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Nov 16, 2014 18:17
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While we are on the topic of certifications, is it better to list them in their own section on your resume, or should they be incorporated into an education section? Should I provide a license number to let people verify it?
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Nov 30, 2014 21:20
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Race Realists posted:i loving hate online skill assessments Are you talking about the Likely to Unlikely situation questions?
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Dec 3, 2014 21:27
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Race Realists posted:no, the bs word and math problems. The problems with those is that I never get enough time to do them (61 questions in 61 minutes.. yeah all the time in the world). The IT related questions were a breeze though. Did not finish at all. I think in some cases they don't necessarily expect you to finish all of them, I wouldn't sweat it.
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Dec 3, 2014 21:51
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Race Realists posted:Got the rejection email almost instantly. Oh well. They'll be more opportunities in the future! You'll absolutely have more opportunities! I think I finally landed a couple job offers, one doing IT support at an elementary school and a separate doing NOC support after actively looking for like almost 4 months. Just don't give up and utilize indeed, linkedin, careerbuilder, etc., to search for jobs. I've probably applied to about 300 positions and didn't really hear anything positive until I got my Net+. Customer service counts for almost as much as technical aptitude too it would seem, at least for entry level positions.
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Dec 3, 2014 22:57
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Is it acceptable to negotiate wages after you've been offered a contract? In this specific case I was never explicitly told what the exact rate would be, only a range. I won't be able to review/accept/decline my contract until Monday when HR is back in the office, but I don't want to lose the job or lowball myself when I could've gotten a couple extra dollars.
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Dec 5, 2014 16:57
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Dark Helmut posted:Assuming you are going through a recruiter/agency, I'm not sure why you (or they) wouldn't agree on a fixed number up front. That way expectations are clear and there are no surprises or disappointments. I'd just ask for the high number, and cite whatever reason you want. There are a few good reasons why they might have asked for a range, for example if the recruiter had other (or knew of other) candidates with higher or lower skill level and wanted to position you for success, but regardless I would press them for "why" if they come back and try and hit you with the low end. It's a direct hire with a public school. The IT director seemed like he would advocate strongly for me to HR. I understand the school runs on a tight budget too but I want to make at least what I make now in retail. I've got a second interview for another position that would pay much better next week but it's a bit farther and nothing is for sure yet.
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Dec 5, 2014 18:15
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