Career decision, need advice of Current employees/employers

[MoloneyRUF]

Here goes -

Okay, so I am 22 this year in June and I am currently working for large Airline company which its growth is ever expanding and showing signs of great strength along with my job security been very high. I have been with them for 2 years in total now.

I finished my A-levels and instead of going to University, I decided to gain some life expierence and save money along the way which has worked out well and managed to save up for a nice car and apartment with my girlfriend.

Now, I love computers and have had a great passion for them since I was young. I never did I.T as a qualification at school (more fool me), however I am wanting to emerge into the I.T industry from the bottom up on say, a helpdesk for starters.. A junior position. I have worked in Customer Service since I was 16 and have worked in a Senior role previously.

Basically, I have looked into COMPUTEACH and various other websites about starting up and doing CompTIA etc. I have recently looked into this - http://www.pitman-training.com/advice-centre/caree... I looked at this for some tips and focus.

Can anyone please recommend what the best way to start up for someone like me into a new industry such as I.T. My background and understanding is basic but I currently have a business support role in a call center dealing with the system issues and starting tasks working alongside the analysts in I.T and also incorporate development requests to be tested and overseen and attend estimation meetings etc.

I am just looking for a way to change my career path, I work full time but willing to study on an evening etc.

Thank you in advance for any advice or direction
Liam

[SpamDisco]

I have taken the a+ exam, if you have some experience just buy the Mike Meyer's book, read it, try some online test exams, book yourself on an exam, it was all multiple choice when I passed (8 Years ago). Take net+ as well and it will count towards MCSE if you choose that path.

[ozzuk]

I've been in IT for many years and have gone through most of the levels...I'd say..don't!

As a general statement I think salaries are lowering and competition is higher - employers want an awful lot for their money.

Helpdesks are largely non-skilled script driven for a start (if you can find one in this country). I found second/third level quite rewarding and loved dealing with people, the problem then comes if you want to progress. You can stay technical and specialise, could be rewarding if you're a very techie person. Or you can move into management, which is what I did. I think I enjoyed my job more as a techie, but the salary just wasn't there. And if you love working with computers then that won't last, I have very little interest in 'computers' now and just want them to work when I switch them on.

also, clarify what you mean by working with computers - PC work is usually extremely poorly paid, and with the tools now available you its more about using software to restore a service (ie, desktop images, server images, VM), very little actual troubleshooting.

You work for a large airline - I'd explore what opportunities you have within that, maybe different country, different roles. If making technology work for people makes you tick more than the nuts and bolts then look into business partner roles - ie, the bridge between IT and the business.

Try and figure out what you actually enjoy and work backwards from there. Good luck!

[Bullett]

I started life in a call centre, then started helping out on the techy side of that, mostly around the call routing, IVR design and scripting, workforce scheduling type stuff. I alway had an aptitude and interest in computers but have no formal recognised qualifications in IT.

I now work for a market leader in workforce optomisation. I have done pre-sales for ACD, IVR and other telephony and call centre products for some very large companies. I had value for the businesses I worked for in that I could talk in both technical and operational terms having done the roles in real life. So what I am suggesting is leverage your experience and knowledge and certainly in IT specialism is key. The call centre industry still lacks people who understand both sides of the monitor. See what experience you can gain working with the telecoms technical teams and use that. Using and understanding business and process optomisation tools and how they work in relation to the systems in place is very valuable.

I've always said, it's not about the brand of technology, it's about how you apply it.

[MoloneyRUF]

Bullett said:

I started life in a call centre, then started helping out on the techy side of that, mostly around the call routing, IVR design and scripting, workforce scheduling type stuff. I alway had an aptitude and interest in computers but have no formal recognised qualifications in IT.

I now work for a market leader in workforce optomisation. I have done pre-sales for ACD, IVR and other telephony and call centre products for some very large companies. I had value for the businesses I worked for in that I could talk in both technical and operational terms having done the roles in real life. So what I am suggesting is leverage your experience and knowledge and certainly in IT specialism is key. The call centre industry still lacks people who understand both sides of the monitor. See what experience you can gain working with the telecoms technical teams and use that. Using and understanding business and process optomisation tools and how they work in relation to the systems in place is very valuable.

I've always said, it's not about the brand of technology, it's about how you apply it.

Excellent, this gives me hope in keeping in this line of work. As you have said, there is still lack of people between the two sides.

I am currently working on the techny side of things but all system related and nothing pressing in terms of the depth of scripts. We have CISCO telecomms and I understand that isn't a bad idea to educate myself on either. I think for side as I have the business support role within or on the call centre floor then I should just expand my understanding.

Ideally, I would like to specialise in something as that would mean less general mass market, general pay etc.

When you say no formal qualifications, and then you went on the IVR design etc, what did you read up on for that? like, the understanding of it? would this obviously be something I would learn from books or a course?

Thanks

[Nick Grant]

ozzuk said:

...

Great post

I got into IT Projects throught the business side as an SME/Manager. Look at Business Analysis, Testing, PMO or Project Management roles to make the transiton

[MoloneyRUF]

Nick Grant said:

ozzuk said:

...

Great post

I got into IT Projects throught the business side as an SME/Manager. Look at Business Analysis, Testing, PMO or Project Management roles to make the transiton

I see, to get into such a field as Business Analysis or Testing. Would there be such a course to get started? or would it literally be the fundamentals and basics, nothing specific to get me going?

[Nick Grant]

Testing there is the ISTQB, at various levels, starting with the foundation...

http://www.istqb.org/certification-path-root/found...

BA's have the IQBBA...

http://www.iqbba.org/

Project Management/PMO there is Prince 2...

http://www.prince-officialsite.com/

There is also ITIL that covers service managment and the various roles in an IT organisation...

http://www.itil-officialsite.com/Qualifications/IT...

Test Management has been great for me for the last 18 years, I'm now looking to move into a wider Programme Manager role so sat my Prince 2 last week

[conanius]

I'll risk going into too much detail.

You want to work as an IT Service Desk Analyst if you want a 'technical' service desk.

There are plenty in the UK, and if you can get on one at a govt dept you'll make up in training what you will miss in salary. Use this time to et experience and then move on. If you are willing to put the effort in, you'll get exposure to other stuff like networks/servers/etc

Personally, I'd do ITIL foundation and then some sort of tech qual. Loads of places like ITIL, and it shows you understand how it services should work (and gives you a common language)

Best of luck in your search :-)

[Bullett]

MoloneyRUF said:

I am currently working on the techny side of things but all system related and nothing pressing in terms of the depth of scripts. We have CISCO telecomms and I understand that isn't a bad idea to educate myself on either. I think for side as I have the business support role within or on the call centre floor then I should just expand my understanding.

Ideally, I would like to specialise in something as that would mean less general mass market, general pay etc.

I spent my early career doing what would probably be called business support in the call centre, writing developing scripts. I've spent 10 years+ working with Cisco on both the UCCE and UCCX and associated gubbins. Cisco and Avaya are probably the two main players right now you'd be well placed to stick with Cisco if you can get some training.
It's still relatively specialised and the business/routing side is pretty applicable across lots of suppliers. It would also be a good idea to look deeper into multi-channel (I heard it called Omni channel recently) as voice is not the be all and end all.

MoloneyRUF said:

When you say no formal qualifications, and then you went on the IVR design etc, what did you read up on for that? like, the understanding of it? would this obviously be something I would learn from books or a course?

I got asked can the IVR do X and given the instruction manual and left to figure it out. I did get some training later on but figured lots out by myself. This was the late 90's mind.
The are loads of resources out there, cisco's website is a good start. Many call centre focused websites and if you twitter search for CC related stuff and follow companies. Lots of marketing but good stuff on trends and how the market is moving. Gartner for technology guides, Contact Babel - Call Centre decision makers guide are good starting points as well.