question to IT techys/bods

[tris-]

got a few questions if anyone would be kind enough to answer -

what qualifications did you start with
at your first job, what sort title or things did you do
did it take long to go up the ladder
if so, was it much different in wages/work you did etc
in your oppinion, would the employer look for experience with academic work to compliment it or vice versa

and please no posts about my cock is bigger than yours, that course is worthless etc

 

[nath]

On the whole I think experience is valued much more nowadays. I think.

But stay away from the IT Industry. It's terrible. Very bad. You don't want to work there. Steer well clear :/

 

[SilverHood]

you need experience to get experience

got a guy at work who gets minimum wage, has a contract for a year, and works there simply for the experience

strange world, but acedemic qualifications don't matter after your first decent job, unless it's a degree (more money if you have one)

 

[nath]

Aye.

I'm doing a sandwich degree course. 27 days away from finishing my year out (but who's counting, eh?). Hopefully that'll make finding a job easier at the end of it all.

 

[kryt]

Have to agree with Silverhood. Experience is everything, paper is fuck all.
Currently IT Manager for my company, just about to interview for a higher paid job (26k, up from 22k) in Birmingham for a larger IT based company.

Experience = 15 years practicle, 6 years commercial.
First job @ 16 years old, building and repairing PC's.
Went onto sales as well as the above, dropped out of that though for personal reasons.

And, it's only those personal reasons that I ended up being turned down for job of Assistant to Network Manager for Jordan Grand Prix.

Qualifications? 9 GCSE's. Ability to wipe my arse without brown finger. Make half a decent cuppa.

However, I have to also nod in Nath's direction : the IT industry, although it has had its "peak", it has settled down now and what used to be a demand for people with high level IT skills has diminished rapidly. I got headhunted for the above job I'm about to interview for : and I've been looking for something "more" for the last year : it's not easy. You need your foot in the door at an early stage.

 

[*Kornholio*]

26k doesn't seem much for an IT manager...

 

[kryt]

I'm not in london.

 

[tris-]

thanks for the responses. i will get my foot in the door because i have decided now im going to a modern apprentiship in installing and supporting IT, now i know NVQ 3 and technical certificate arnt the best qualifications but im currently at college which will only lead me to uni anyway. i was told by the recruitment officer than 99% of people are kept on after completeing level 3 (which also has full salary etc). and about IT having its day in the sun, well i dont really have much of an interest in much else, ive been into computers since i was about 10 years old, did work XP for the NHS doing support etc so ive never really experienced much else and if i did i would probably have a very shit time with it.

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

If you absolutely want to get into IT, try to stay on the hardware side. Software seems more and more to be being exported abroad, especially the design side. Basic support work isn't really IT based at all, unless your idea of IT is plugging in mice for stupid people.

If you take a look in the paper check out the it jobs section, most of the major broadsheet papers have an IT section. Try to buy it on that day and check out the jobs advertised, this will give you an idea of what sort of experience is required for what sort of job.

 

[tris-]

this apprentiship is supposed to lead to things like computer tech and network tech, it can also lead to IT tech which i think is what you mean scooba?

 

[SilverHood]

Stay away from customer support if possible

Not being able to use sarcasm to answer stupid questions is a pain.

 

[old.Reverend Flatus]

Originally posted by n3wbie
got a few questions if anyone would be kind enough to answer -

what qualifications did you start with
at your first job, what sort title or things did you do
did it take long to go up the ladder
if so, was it much different in wages/work you did etc
in your oppinion, would the employer look for experience with academic work to compliment it or vice versa

and please no posts about my cock is bigger than yours, that course is worthless etc

I managed to blag my way into American Express with bugger all qualifications as a junior programmer and stayed there for 15 years until they made me redundant, ending on a very good salary. However, things have changed and programming, whether development or support, is not a good thing to get into these days because it is all done far cheaper in places like India. Whatever job you get into though, experience counts far more than academic qualifications. There's my tuppence worth.

P.S. You have a bigger cock than me but it's worthless?

 

[Gef]

I did Multimedia IT HND at university, walked into a web design/graphic design job with a small company, been here three years now and its going well.

Started on 12k and now on 20k

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Come on you know you want to get into IT support....its endless hours of fun. Especially when you open your queue to find the following.....

03 June 2003 14:56:56 DeSegraisJ
CALLER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO CONVERT MIN TO HOURS - HAS TRIED THE ADD IN TOOLS

WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT SHOW IN ANOTHER COLOUMN HOW MANY MINS IN AN HOUR
History : Status = Logged
History : Priority = 3/1 Minor Problem.
Call reassigned to Workgroup HQ-Podium at Site GCS-RTK.

03 June 2003 15:20:03 SimkinD
Passing to David
History : Status = Allocated
History : Priority = 3/1 Minor Problem.
Call reassigned to PrescodD in the Workgroup HQ-Podium at Site GCS-RTK.

04 June 2003 10:28:15 PrescodD
passing to Jose
History : Status = Allocated
History : Priority = 3/1 Minor Problem.
Call reassigned to Baeza in the Workgroup HQ-Podium at Site GCS-RTK.

04 June 2003 16:35:39 Baeza
passing to eucg.
History : Status = Re-Allocated
History : Priority = 3/1 Minor Problem.
Call reassigned to Workgroup EUCG at Site GCS-RTK.

 

[doh_boy]

Re: Re: question to IT techys/bods

Originally posted by old.Reverend Flatus
However, things have changed and programming, whether development or support, is not a good thing to get into these days because it is all done far cheaper in places like India.

buh...buh.....buhh.....thats all I'm good at

 

[Testin da Cable]

I started in IT because I got bored after being asked to leave my photography studies. I hold no IT related qualifications at all, other than several certificates I've earned during my career.

 

[[PS]Riddler]

Erm.. i left school with...

Maths: U
English Lit: U
English Language: F
Chem/Bio/Phy(dual science thing): E, D,E
Spanish: D
Graphics: D
Intermediate GNVQ IT: Merit (equivilent to A i think)

i then went to a training company called ITEC who do modern apprenterships, and i got a apprentership at this company (wont name then ) and then after 4 months they asked me if i wanted a proper job, which ofc i accepted the offer, so people with bollocks qualifications can get jobs and in november i shall have a NVQ Level 3 in Computer System Service & Repair AND Network Maintinence

Hope any of that helped

 

[Wij]

I had a degree in Philosophy. All I knew about computers was how to set up a Doom game

Look professional but humorous (IT nerds love to think they might be able to make a new friend to talk about Red Dwarf with) at the interview and blag it.

Worked for me

 

[nath]

It goes Pass<Merit<Distinction.

So merit is *ok*, pass is SHIT and distinction is what anyone with half a braincell should get.

I got a merit in my BTEC comp studies :/

 

[Furr]

Steer well clear of the IT industry its hell on earth

 

[WPKenny]

the IT side of my job is all Telecoms related but I got my job through meetig a customer in a pub I was working in.

I actually only have decent GCSE results behind me. I cocked up my A-levels and a Uni degree I managed to get myself on to..hence me working in the pub.

I've been here 2 and a half years now and things are going pretty well.

 

[Mr^B]

Degree, then recruited by SEMA's graduate recruitment programme straight onto their biggest application support outsourcing contract, BP.

Worked at BP's head office for 5 years, mainly converting access db's to SQL Server + VB/C++ - and doing all sorts of odds/sods with other applications (clipper, foxpro, dbv).

No real ladder progression at BP/Sema, so moved on to join a Japanese investment bank doing SQL/VB/C++

To progress in IT you need to move around, the only way up within a company is to team leader (which is OK if you enjoy that sort of thing, I personally don't).

B

 

[xane]

Kryt is right about London, higher wages plus also the industry you are in.

I'm "lucky" to be in London and have a job in the Finance industry, consequently even though I'm a lowly programmer (albeit one with 20 years experience) I get a comfortable salary, often more than managers will get elsewhere.

Qualifactions are just "O" Levels, but I went to a College to get a something equivilent to an HNC at the time, however, I got my first job mainly because the College did work experience and the company kept me on afterwards.

I started in support, both in-house and customer site based, now I'm doing core development and the phone never rings once all day and if it does it's not support (unless it's my Dad asking about his PC !).

I'm still a techie and intend to keep it that way. My experience is long and broad, working with many diverse platforms and architectures, consequently I specialize in communications applications (software) that get them all to talk to each other.

Experience counts, but it's something you get over time, I hear the stories of younger folks here and it's all "been there done that" to me.

 

[raw]

Originally posted by n3wbie
got a few questions if anyone would be kind enough to answer -

what qualifications did you start with
at your first job, what sort title or things did you do
did it take long to go up the ladder
if so, was it much different in wages/work you did etc
in your oppinion, would the employer look for experience with academic work to compliment it or vice versa

and please no posts about my cock is bigger than yours, that course is worthless etc

I started off at a place called skytec, what they did was take school leavers / anyone under 18 and teach them how to use microsoft office to a decent level then send you out as an admin apprentice, i dropped out of college because i could have taught my a-level IT class and probably the teacher too and ended up at skytec, they sent me after a few weeks training out on an apprenticeship with a recruitment company as an admin just typing & shit, they were quite small only 20 staff or so but had 1 inhouse IT guy who left just after i had joined and opted not to replace him, as time went by stuff kept fucking up and i tended to get asked to fix0r it, so i did and eventually became the next in hosue IT guy, on 8k a year at 17!!

From there on in i picked up loads of experience on networking & NT 4 server, workstation & winblows 9x.

I moved around a couple of other jobs until i landed where i am now, work for the leading rail recruitment company in the UK in our 3 man IT team as Network Support doing 2nd & 3rd line stuff inc win2k Server/Pro + routing & Web Designer.

I started off with an NVQ at 17 and no gcse passes a-c ( scored all D&E's and was classed a write off, no excuse just football felt more important than exams ) i am now on my way to completing the MSCE track.

Climbing the ladder wise i dont know if i want to go any further, project management and IT managing staff seems fucking pointless, my manager is a lazy overpaid cunt as are most i've found, i much prefer the hands on approach. I'm quite tempted to finish off my driving lessons, pass my test and look for a job as an engineer on various sites.

 

[tris-]

Originally posted by [PS]Riddler

i then went to a training company called ITEC who do modern apprenterships, and i got a apprentership at this company (wont name then ) and then after 4 months they asked me if i wanted a proper job, which ofc i accepted the offer, so people with bollocks qualifications can get jobs and in november i shall have a NVQ Level 3 in Computer System Service & Repair AND Network Maintinence

heh thats the same course and place as me, what did you think of it?

 

[moomin]

Well I've opted for teh year in industry and have 2 months left. I'm working as a programmer/designer. My main aim will be to crack the games biz, which hopefully although final uni year next year, I'll apply to Atari main UK HQ for some QA testing.


and as stated IT and programming are pants at the moment, if your a plumber in london I'd expect you to make lots of money


:\

 

[nath]

I just happened to check that out today.

136 quid an hour (albeit evenings and weekends rate)

 

[Dr_Weasel]

Im a specialised Telecoms programmer. Been doing it for about 7 years now. They wont take anyone with less than a degree.

Pay is really, really good, but as others have said, the job market sucks in the UK.

My last company closed down its whole site about 18 months ago. Some are still without jobs now. Others have gone to other places to have been recently made redundant as they are outsourcing to India.

Id be interested to see how the outsourcing is going to pan out. I dont think its going to work as well as people first expected. Yes its damn cheap labour, but the staff turnover is immense and as such their knowledge of the code base is always minimal.

My company was looking at keeping design in house and outsourcing implementation but after investigating it for a while decided against it (thank god)

Tbh, Im quite fed up with telecoms. High stress, long hours, etc, but Ive been looking for other more general programming jobs about and if I were to take one, Id have to take a 10-15k pay cut

So I think im just here whoring myself out until they finally ship it all off to somewhere cheap.....

 

[CptDoom]

Heh could welders count as plumbers ?