Making It in IT: The Great Career Development Game

A real honest-to-goodness entry-level IT professional writes in with questions to help him jump start his career, and Ed Tittel responds with some basic and powerful suggestions.

Hello Mr. Tittel,

My name is Tyler K. I am a college student interning a major oil and gas services company in Texas right now and plan to graduate in a year with a Information Systems degree. I was wondering what else I should be looking into so I can have a secure position in the IT world. I’ve also filled out your “Help Me Help You” questionnaire (below) and hope you can use my answers to give me some good advice.

1. What is your educational background? High school diploma? Associate’s degree? Bachelor’s degree? Graduate degree(s)? Please also briefly describe any incomplete progress toward any of these items (for example “two years of computer science grad courses, 2/3 of MS completed”).

I have a high school diploma, and I'm working on my Associate's degree for IS (I have a year left).

2. What is your prior work experience? How many years of work, and what kind of work have you done? Any volunteer work? Part-time work in school or elsewhere?

I worked on campus during the summer (2011) as a help desk for the computer labs. I worked on fixing computers, printers, and helping people with their software problems (MS Office, Adobe products, etc.). I am now interning for the summer (2012) at EOG Resources in the Information Systems department. I am fixing broken desktops/laptops, helping people fix software issues (MS Office, Citrix, etc.), managing Shoretel communication server, and make new users on the network.

3. Where do you live? What is the job market like there? How much opportunity for entry-level people? Mid-career people? Senior people? Are you flexible about relocation, or do you have to stay in your general geographic area?

I live in south/central Texas where the job market for IT is fairly decent and is growing (I think). My opportunity for a job starting out is fairly good, seeing that I know people that work at Shell, EOG, and BP. However, nothing is certain.I don't mind moving to find a good job, so long as I enjoy where I am working.

4. Are you interested in working in management, or would you prefer to stay on a technical track? Have you ever done any project management (and again, school, part-time, and volunteer experience all help)?

Yes, I am interested in working in management. I have some experience leading groups in school, but I have never led a group in a business environment.

5. What kinds of certifications interest you? Please describe any certification held, is it current or has it lapsed, and when earned. How does this fit your overall technical interests? Is there anything outside of certification that particular catches your imagination, or that you’d really like to work on or around?

I think the A+ certification is a must, but I haven't tried to get it yet. Other than that, I really don't know what other certifications are out there and what would benefit me the most.

6. Do your long-term career goals include staying in your current position (or in the same field as the next position you’re seeking, if applicable)?

Yes, I'm hoping to come back to my current employer when I graduate.

7. What kind of job are you doing now? What kind of job would you like to be doing? How important is salary to you? How important is job satisfaction? If you could have any job at all, what would that be?

You already know where I'm working, as described above. I don't really care what job I do, as long as the salary is good, and I'm satisfied with the work itself. If I had a job that paid me to do nothing, that would be great. Since that doesn't exist though, I want to work for Google one day and be a part of their team.

Thanks for taking your time to read this, hopefully this explains something about me and my goals.

Tyler

Ed Tittel is a 30-year-plus veteran of the computing industry, who’s worked as a programmer, a technical manager, a classroom instructor, a network consultant and a technical evangelist for companies that include Burroughs, Schlumberger, Novell, IBM/Tivoli and NetQoS. He has written and blogged for numerous publications, including Tom's Hardware, and is the author of over 140 computing books with a special emphasis on information security, Web markup languages and development tools, and Windows operating systems.

E-mail Ed at etittel@tomsitpro.com with your request for IT certification or career info, or your ideas for future blogs. If your e-mail leads him to a blog topic, he’ll have the Tom’s staff send you your very own Tom’s IT Pro t-shirt! Be the envy of your friends and colleagues, and help him help you with your IT career! If you do have a request for Ed, please read his How to Help Me Help You blog posting, and answer as many of the questions this post contains as are applicable to your situation and inquiry. Thanks in advance for helping make his job easier that way!

See here for all of Ed's Tom's IT Pro articles.

Check out these Tom's IT Pro Training and Certification Videos:

VIDEO: Build A Secure Future In Information Security

Looking for long-term job security? Check out our top 5 information security certification options.

VIDEO: The Cloud Is Inevitable - Get Training Now!

Organizations are adopting at a rapid pace. Don't be left behind as local data centers shrink.

VIDEO: Move Ahead With Server Virtualization Certification

Server virtualization is hot and its at the heart of data center convergence. Learn more about it and the top 5 training options.

VIDEO: Get Ready For A Career In Unified Communications

Learn about Unified Communications and training opportunities in this growing area so vital to business success.

(Shutterstock image credit: Opportunity Ahead)