TR Forums

Ok heres the deal:

I'm getting really fed up with dealing with stupid and lazy people where I currently work, so I would like some input on what I should be looking for in the way of courses for a new job in 'puters.

I currently work in a factory that manufactures parts for the electrical industry (rotors & stators, and wound transformer coils), so what I know about computers is self taught, and that's not much. I am willing to learn anything I need to, just so I can get into something that actually interests me.

Should I be looking at taking a MCSE course along with some other courses in programming at college? In highschool programming wasn't my strongest, but we've come a long way from BASIC.
What requirements are needed to take an MCSE course if any?

ANY information any of you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I'm getting desperate and need to do something soon before I throw my supervisor and a few co-workers down the scrap conveyor!

G'day Hoser.

Only you can make the decision on what you will do, but keep these things in mind.

The things that are going to get you a good start are experience and qualifications. So whatever you do, make sure it increases either of these, working towards the goal of the job you want to end up doing.

I unfortunately missed out on a job I just applied for because I believe I lacked the qualifications. The experience I have is exactly what they required.

Anyway, if you are able to work for lesser pay in order to gain more experience, don't be afraid to do so. I started off on a traineeship on very low wage, but gained a few years experience and qualifications from it. Now I'm working in a job I was working towards.

My next step is to get more qualified.

It's up to you mate whether you are able to choose to get qualified or get more experience, or if you can, get both at the same time.

I hope this makes sense...

Smakky.

There are lots of small to medium sized companies out there who 1) don't have a clue about anything computer related, 2) can't afford full time IT staff and 3) pay through their nose every time something breaks and they have to call someone in to reboot the machine for them (or whatever it takes to fix it). At least that's the situation here in South Africa. I would imagine it's similar across the globe.

So my advice to you is to play with computers. Fiddle 'til you've broken it, then figure out how to fix it. Find out as much as you can about how these things are put together and what makes them tick. That knowledge helps when you're trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.

Terminator: "I have detailed files on human anatomy."
Sarah Connor: "I'll bet. Makes you a more effective killer, right?"
Termn: "Yes."

Same thing with computers.

I don't know what your current level of expertise and experience is, but if you're interested in computers and fixing/building them, then that interest will help you learn.

At least that's what happened to me. Spent most of highschool messing with computers as a hobby/way of life (I forget which :) went overseas for a while, did the A+ cert for the hell of it and was lucky enough to get a lowly job testing computer parts. Worked my way "up" and now I'm fortunate to be the head of IT for a small company.

A buddy of mine did very much the same thing. He started helping people out with their computers at home. Those people asked him to come to their office to fix this or that, word spread and now he's got his own company with a couple of people working for him and they only handle corporate clients. (Home tech support sucks. Corporate clients have an image to uphold, people at home can be whiny demanding bastards, let me tell you! :) And he did all that with no certification whatsoever.

So what you want to do is possible. Hope this helps.

JQ

Thanx guys

I would still like to know what courses or training I should be taking. As I read in the local paper, companies only want certified applicants. Should I do a bit of both (programming & IT) or concenrtate on just one?

bump*

*This is not to get me to the XP level quicker, but rather to get me a better job.

In order to get some sort of systems adminstrator type job it is helpful to have some programming ability (i.e. Perl or shell scripting), especially if you are looking at UNIX stuff. On Windows you can probably get away without any programming skills. Most places I have worked at use a mix of windows and unix boxes, but I know a lot of places go all one way or the other. I will say that the programming for system admin type stuff is usually nothing really difficult or complex.

So if you are looking to do windows stuff then you can probably just concentrate on IT stuff. If UNIX is your thing then you are going to have to take a programming class or two.

Hope that helps you a little. Good luck!

In any free time, learn as much as you can about computers in general. Instead of turning on the football game on TV, turn on the computer and start reading. That is what I do and have learned a fair amount about computers in my spare time. The A+ certification is not too hard if you know the basics about computer hardware and Windows/DOS. My suggestion is to snag that, as this certification can get you in the door to a computer job. Try taking a couple of night classes or something to learn some simple programming. And above all else....live and breath computers. I'm in high school and have no life, but at least I am pretty knowledgeable about computers by just making it a hobby (ok, so my life is computers). That kind of stuff should get you in the door. Worry about the more advanced stuff later.

Thanx alot guys.

I have seen ads in the paper for A+ certification, so I guess I'll look into taking it soon.

I try to read as much as I can about 'puters, but I work full time (12 hour shifts) and have just bought a house, so time isn't very abundant right now.
What I have tried to read though sometimes I find the sites get very technical, and I really don't quite understand what they're talking about. Is there a site that gives you alot of the technical stuff in layman's terms. (or something I can start to understand) For example; what's the difference between VIA and SIS chipsets?
I don't like to waste the time of the people in TR with stuff that has already been talked about.

Again, any info is greatly appreciated.

VIA and SIS are manufacturers of chipsets and/or motherboards. So your question is similar to asking what the difference is between a Pentium CPU and an AMD one... They do the same job, but come from different companies and hence have a different way of doing the same thing (and naturally there is much debate about which is better. :)

As for asking stupid questions... Unless what you're asking can be found by typing the keywords of the question into Google and hitting "I'm feeling lucky"... then you should be fine. :)

A good place for reliable, detailed, "layman's terms" writing is dansdata.com. Dan knows his stuff.

JQ