How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience
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First thing... get experience!
That sounds funny, but it is real. Assuming that the person in question is already interested in IT and already has a basic understanding of computers, networks, etc. then experience is the next step. If they don't have any background knowledge, then that's pretty obvious - get some books, start learning.
But assuming that they already have a useful amount of knowledge, getting hands on is what matters most.
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@JaredBusch said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
I would not start with certs. I would start as an intern. Find out what you like in the field and then grab a cert or two and try to move on.
Intern or volunteer. Work on certs once they start as an intern, work on certs while looking for an internship, but look for a way to get hands on somewhere as the first step.
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It's hard to go wrong with Network+. Basic networking is a definable set of knowledge that benefits you in any IT role. It's how our world works, so you can easily see it in use in your life and get your hands dirty.
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@scottalanmiller said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
@JaredBusch said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
I would not start with certs. I would start as an intern. Find out what you like in the field and then grab a cert or two and try to move on.
Intern or volunteer. Work on certs once they start as an intern, work on certs while looking for an internship, but look for a way to get hands on somewhere as the first step.
Yeah I agree here - I mentioned this to Will - If he can't find paid work - then volunteer at daycares/churches/VFWs, other charity type setups or typically stretched thin places. hell, if you have any small networking/windows level support - perhaps try to get a client or two or more.
I can't recall exactly the details, but one of my first experience builders was setting up a Windows 95 network for a small charity. There was a ton of learning involved for me on that one...
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@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
This may help: https://blog.mpecsinc.com/2019/06/19/i-want-to-get-started-in-it-in-a-cloud-first-world-what-do-i-do/
Starting 1/3 and down I understand that blog - but the starter where they have you setup your own business? WTH is that all about?
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@Dashrender said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
WTH is that all about?
In general, a really, really good idea. IT is a business discipline. It's so much harder for people to work in IT without that experience of having run your own company. Not that you have to, but it is one of those experiences that goes an extremely long way in preparing you for the job. It's unbelievable how much of IT gets really easy as soon as you have basic "run your own business" skills and perspective. Especially MSP and SMB IT workers where you are dealing with "owned" companies rather than a pool of stock holders.
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@Dashrender said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
This may help: https://blog.mpecsinc.com/2019/06/19/i-want-to-get-started-in-it-in-a-cloud-first-world-what-do-i-do/
Starting 1/3 and down I understand that blog - but the starter where they have you setup your own business? WTH is that all about?
The person I was mentoring during this session was, and is, looking to get their own consultancy going.
To start off in IT in a silo would be a detriment IMNSHO. It's like growing one branch of a tree and not the others.
As long as the employer has no restrictions on moonlighting, then it's possible to build up those other branches of knowledge. With knowledge comes value.
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@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
To start off in IT in a silo would be a detriment IMNSHO. It's like growing one branch of a tree and not the others.
But still better than not starting at all. Anything to get the door opened, then broaden as soon as you can.
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@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
This may help: https://blog.mpecsinc.com/2019/06/19/i-want-to-get-started-in-it-in-a-cloud-first-world-what-do-i-do/
Yeah I agree with you overall in the What to learn in the cloud area, but I wouldn't just silo on Microsoft technologies. In the early 2000s nearly everyone built their network around Microsoft services like Active Directory, but we are seeing less and less of this going forward.
Microsoft is a major cloud player, but not even the biggest one. All their core cloud services are also offered by their competitors. So there will be less vendor lock in then the days of old.
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@IRJ said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
This may help: https://blog.mpecsinc.com/2019/06/19/i-want-to-get-started-in-it-in-a-cloud-first-world-what-do-i-do/
Yeah I agree with you overall in the What to learn in the cloud area, but I wouldn't just silo on Microsoft technologies. In the early 2000s nearly everyone built their network around Microsoft services like Active Directory, but we are seeing less and less of this going forward.
Microsoft is a major cloud player, but not even the biggest one. All their core cloud services are also offered by their competitors. So there will be less vendor lock in then the days of old.
I find Vendor lock-in is even worse once we get beyond running virtual machines in the public cloud. VMs are portable.
Apps and Services running in a cloud environment are tailored to that environment. Not so sure they'd be easy to move from one vendor to another.
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@IRJ said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
This may help: https://blog.mpecsinc.com/2019/06/19/i-want-to-get-started-in-it-in-a-cloud-first-world-what-do-i-do/
Yeah I agree with you overall in the What to learn in the cloud area, but I wouldn't just silo on Microsoft technologies. In the early 2000s nearly everyone built their network around Microsoft services like Active Directory, but we are seeing less and less of this going forward.
Microsoft is a major cloud player, but not even the biggest one. All their core cloud services are also offered by their competitors. So there will be less vendor lock in then the days of old.
I think you should stick to one vendor in the beginning to learn it well, whether it's AWS or Microsoft it doesn't matter. Once you finish a good learning path, such as one the certs cover so you can be sure you're exposed to enough of it in a pretty good way to start, then you branch out to others. Otherwise, it will take too long.
Myself as an example, I learned about and how to use a lot of Azure, and that by far made it super simple to pick up AWS and GCP. Personally, I feel there are some things Azure does better and more of, and some with AWS I like more. It's also good to know that no place is solely one or the other. Every place I've experienced is using at least Onprem + 2 cloud providers. But I do know there are some cloud only, but still at least 2 cloud providers. If you find somewhere only using one, you don't want to work there.
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@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
@IRJ said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
@PhlipElder said in How to Start in IT in 2020, No Experience:
This may help: https://blog.mpecsinc.com/2019/06/19/i-want-to-get-started-in-it-in-a-cloud-first-world-what-do-i-do/
Yeah I agree with you overall in the What to learn in the cloud area, but I wouldn't just silo on Microsoft technologies. In the early 2000s nearly everyone built their network around Microsoft services like Active Directory, but we are seeing less and less of this going forward.
Microsoft is a major cloud player, but not even the biggest one. All their core cloud services are also offered by their competitors. So there will be less vendor lock in then the days of old.
Apps and Services running in a cloud environment are tailored to that environment. Not so sure they'd be easy to move from one vendor to another.
Nope, that's not the case . It's easy to transition from cloud to cloud if done right. For example if you build your infrastructure using terraform, you can deploy on AWS, Azure, Google, libvirt, VMware, etc with only minor changes.
Infrastructure wise Azure, AWS, and GCP are very similar. Sometimes as @Obsolesce mentioned one service may be better or more affordable with a different cloud service provider
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@PhlipElder i do agree there are some areas where MS is clear front runner like Office 365, but as far as infrastructure all major CSPs offer same services. It's on the SaaS side where there are some differences
