Thread: Career advice

Hi all, got a few questions is some kind individuals don't mind giving some advice about.

I have a Bachelor of Arts and currently finishing some certs at uni (CCNA 1,2 & MCTS 1,2). Also working for a company on help desk mostly taking calls and some account admin stuff, been doing so for a few months now.

Found it to be quite uncreative (compared to my last jobs teaching) and non-technical... I've been looking at the possibility of trying to get into web development as it seems a lot more creative...

My questions are:

Would my networking and sys admin certs assist me in the field of web development?

What are the min skills I would need to be employable? (eg how many programming languages - asp, java)

Well im no expert but i give my oppinion on what i think.

Well the sys admin certs will help you to an extent in regards on the networking side of the web development. It doesnt hurt to have them as it demonstrates your flexible and have knowledge in other areas. In a sense it differentiates you from the rest.

For the min skills needed, it depends in what area of web development you want to be in, different places uses different technologys/languages. But i think the basics that should be known are;

Xhtml
html5
CSS3
AJAX
Java
Jquery

Extra:
C#
MySQL
Php

Thats from the top of my head, i think aegis is in web development, im sure he would give a better insight.

Depends on what area you want to get into with web development, its a huge field all within itself.

Off the top of my head most of the jobs are requiring.

3 Years of java|C#
3 Years experience with E-Commerce web sites

Must know (Perl,Ajax, SQL, Insert dozen other web tools)

In other words, I work in C++, game development and still keep current with C#, Java and also developing web technologies though I wouldn't even come close to some of my collegues who have 5+ years of experience in the field. Even Recoil will have more indepth knowledge of the crazy workings of HTML (3,4,5) and Ajax than I do.

Pay wise, your looking at begging wages of 40K, to max 70K and above that you move into project management and that's a completely different ball game. My friends wages who do specailise in the above is 60K to 70K and that's with an IT degree and about 3-4 years commercial experience.

If youre doing MCTS and CCNA that is very much in line with a network/sys admin role. Would be quite a change in direction to head to a web dev role. If this network/systemns technology interests you then I wouldn't suggest looking at a web dev type role.

Persisting down the network/systems will lead to a technical engineering/consulting role. Designing and implementing complex networks/systems. There are elements of creativity and I personally find it extremely rewarding. It also pays very well at the top end of town (150-250k) for a technical role.

I have been in your position - working an unmotivating help desk role. If you like network/systems technology, my advice would be finding your way into a small integrator (deploying and maintaining business infrastructure). That sort of a job will give you the skills there to work your way into an engineering/consulting job and you will have a lot more challenges and job satisfaction than on a help desk.

I guess the ultimate question is... do you want to write code & make pictures? or build and configure intrastructure (servers/networking gear)?

Feel free to PM if you have any questions around a sys/network career.

Thanks for the awesome advice guys.

I wasn't really sure how different the web development side of things were but now I see its a completely different field all together. I guess I should stick with networking/systems side of things, its more the position getting me down not the field. Probably just need to look for a more technical role.

Still might be good idea to start learning some Java and intermediate HTML. Could always come in handy down the track.

Now you've chosen systems/networking... you should focus on one or the other. If you like systems work start getting lots of certs... MCITP, RHCE etc (depending on whether you want to work with microsoft or linux). If you like networking, get your CCNP.

Next trick is finding a job. You could try get a job with a small integrator or with a company as their sys admin - this will get a load of general experience in building and maintaining infrastructure. Alternatively you try get a gig with a larger integrator where you will likely be more specialised.

Maybe try getting a job with a company like IBM, HP, Data3, Dimension Data etc on one of their graduate programs?

Good luck!

i have completed MCSA and more recently MCTIP Sa and its helped me career sooo sooo soo much.
pay rose 20k the stuff i do now i really enjoy.

Hey jimmy if you like sitting on your arse stay with IT and keep learning as you get better so will your arse....

There are so many many things out there you can do I think you just need to open your mind up out side of your cubical....

I myself was in IT working for CSG. then the NT gov offered me a job as Business analyst - it was here where I thought to myself there is so much outside of the cubical why have'nt I tried to do it...

now that i have the cash behind me to say No to IT I'm trying different things and I now
wake Up with a smile on my face, and i never feel out of place - lalalala


um look at getting on a boat going to other countries and getting paid
diving doing shit under water
what ever you want to do you can do.
you actually dont have to sit down all your life you know.

sorry i'll shut up now sorry but you know what i mean.

I can second the advice for trying to get work at an integrator, when I started my current job I was a one trick windows support pony.

Now I'm Apple certified, Cisco certified, working towards some Microsoft certs and have had experience with things I never would have thought about like hotel payment systems, foxtel interfaces, POS systems etc.

Originally Posted by Sonicks_Services

Hey jimmy if you like sitting on your arse stay with IT and keep learning as you get better so will your arse.....

Lay off the drugs dude...