Be S.M.A.R.T. Have a Goal.

I was recently speaking with a co-worker when she mentioned not having a goal for the first time in her life.  All throughout high school she told herself she'd buy a home, get a career, get a Masters etc. all before 25.  She accomplished these goals (and a lot more!), but now that she is past her target, she isn't feeling the same drive she did before.

I went through almost the opposite of this.  While I was working part time I had no goal.  I was content (or thought I was) to float around a bit.  Once this changed, however, things started picking up.  I earned Network+, then A+, then Security+ and Project+.  I enrolled in Community College and began picking up new skills.  While that was going on, I got a full time job and earned more responsibilities.  I believe all of this happened for a reason, and the reason is I finally had a target.

Stay on target!

 I am still not 100% sure what my target is.  My family will ask me what my 5 year plan is and I'll tell them something along the lines of running a Project team or managing a group, but beyond that I am not specific.  This is likely a weakness, as having a set goal has been amazingly beneficial.  In addition to this lack of 100%, iron-clad defined goal, one of the least-smart things I've ever done is answer "I don't know" when the Director of my department asked me what I wanted to learn and what my goals were.  I simply hadn't taken time to sit down and think about it.  My first goal was get back into IT, which helped me in getting certifications and my first part time IT job.  Past that, however, I lacked a true target.  I have since developed one, and that has allowed me to expand my skills, and my opportunities greatly.

Benefits of goal setting can be seen in many disciplines, from Business, to Fitness, to personal development.  Personally goals have helped me focus my energy and provide a more tangible reward for doing things.  This, in turns, helps to motivate me to set more goals and to strive to achieve them.  If there is one simple thing you can do to help your career in IT (or anything, really) take some time to think about your goals.  What do you want to be able to do?  Where do you want to be?  These don't have to be things that happen overnight, my goals are still in progress and I set them ~2 years back (and I'm sure I'll have more longer term goals, like buying a home).

Smart?

A great place to start is by being S.M.A.R.T.  This is a tool to help set goals.  This is just a guideline, but it will help to further focus your goal and help define how you may attain it.

Specific - You need to have a specific target, i.e. get a B+ or higher in C++.  Just saying learn C++ is too vague.

Measurable - You need to be able to measure your progress.  Not only will this help you track how you're doing, it will let you tweak what you're doing to do better.

Attainable - It has to be something you are actually able to accomplish.  Going from newbie to chess grandmaster in a year likely isn't attainable.

Relevant - It must relate in some what to your life and what you're doing.  If it doesn't, you may find it challenging to stay on target.

Trackable - It has to be something you can track.  If you don't know how well you're doing, how do you know when you got there?

Keep in mind this is just one place to start.  You may find other tools work better, or maybe not.  Take time to examine them, and then take time to develop a goal.  It will help you feel better about where you're at, and, more importantly, help you improve.

Do you know what YOUR goals are?

Please leave any questions in the comments and I'll be happy to reply.  Also, take time to go over your goals with your boss, friends, etc.  Their perspective can be incredibly valuable.

For assistance in setting a goal, check out Mind Tools, they have a good overview of the process.

IT Fundamentals : Never Stop Improving

It is better to move forward an inch then to stop.

~Chinese Proverb

Go little guy go!

Ever since I made the leap from office assisting to IT I have been in a constant state of improvement and development.  Whether I am learning how to build a computer in my bedroom (please PLEASE use anti-static pads if you do this!  The last thing you need is your cat zapping your motherboard... and keep your cat out of your work space.) or taking classes at a community college I have been developing skill sets.

Warning : Does NOT Mix Well With Computers

This has been both an intrinsic desire to learn how things operate and spurred by new job responsibilities (I have no clue how Microsoft Project works, but there's a class for that!).  I have found that by building time for the into my daily routine I am able to blend it into my life.  I know that after I get home I just need to spend half an hour doing homework, then I get to do other stuff (of course, this kind of back fires since if I'm not studying I feel antsy...).  I am fortunate that my current position highly encourages this. 

Now where is that note...

The biggest hurdle I had when I began doing this was where to get information.  The internet, as you may be aware, is a vast wilderness.  Part dumping ground, part hallowed shrine, part Mad Max, it can be hard to find what you're looking for.  Searching for "A+ Study" returns several million hits (fortunately some good ones pop up), the vast majority of which are rather useless.  The most success I had was with word of mouth.  A friend recommended Professor Messer (check him out.  Seriously, he rocks), which really got me started.  Taking time to examine information sources was also valuable.  Think of it like studying to study.

Once I got started, I was hooked.  I have borrowed books from co-workers, watched countless Youtube videos, taken classes, written papers, browsed hardware, tinkered with computers, fried circuits, dreamt about systems analysis (that was a weird night), and made hundreds, if not thousands, of note cards.  All of this drives towards the singular purpose of improving my skill set.
The trick is to choose activities which complement each other.  Taking a cooking class, then going to welding school may be interesting, but don't exactly support each other (unless you're cooking with a blow torch...)

This has several advantages, the biggest is I increase my value to my employer.  I have been able to take on increasing responsibility at work, mostly due to my new-found skills.  Simply learning how to learn has also helped at work since I am able to learn from my co-workers and take on new tasks.  Another big advantage is I feel better about myself.  I consistently find myself in new and interesting situations (not all are enjoyable, but they're all interesting...).  This keeps me out of a rut, which is a very dangerous place to be in.

To quote Dori, from finding Nemo:

Just Keep Swimming

Preparation Is Key : Informational Interviews

When I began getting back into IT I had no clue what to look for.  I didn't know what paths there were, what options I had for training, what to pursue with that training or how to get in the door.  Much of my time was spent answering those questions, and before I set foot inside a classroom or began to applying for jobs I interviewed.  I didn't interview for a job, I interviewed for information.

Information interviews were very important in getting me back into IT.  They began very small, cornering people I know who worked in IT (Programmers, Security Admins, Techs, etc.) and just picking their brain.

• What kind of skills do they have?
• Where do they work?
• How hard was it to get their job?
• Do they have any advice for a newbie like me?

Eventually, some of these first wave interviews turned into more formal affairs with their bosses or, when I really lucked out, their Director of IT.  Keep in mind these were not an attempt to get a job, or find an opening.  Instead it was just a sit down conversation about IT, and about how that person sees things.  I got a lot of contradictory advice (certification is bad, certification is good, get a degree, don't get a degree, get a degree if you want a degree), but I also  got a lot of really good advice.

• Are you more interested in Infrastructure or Applications?
• Are you willing to relocate?
• Did you know about various training seminars?

A big advantage of working part time was I could meet these folks face to face.  A good number of these interviews, however, were over the phone.  You would be surprised how many people are willing to spend ten or fifteen minutes talking to you.  Just be polite, respect their time and be prepared.  I went into every interview with a list of 10 or 15 questions, including:

• How did you get into IT?
• What skills do you recommend for an entry level technical position?
• What Certifications do you recommend and why?
• What certifications do you have, and do you find them useful?
• Do you recommend a degree in IT?
• Do you have a degree in IT?  Which one?  Do you find it useful?
• Is there anything else you think I should know as I am getting into IT?

(This list is by no means all inclusive.  Questions may not make sense in every situation, or new questions may come up.  As with everything don't be afraid to tweak it.)

These questions were designed to help me figure out what I need to do to get into IT, and where I should best apply my resources.  It also exposed me to different ways of thinking, as some folks found more value in Certification, or others had heard of new skills I should focus on.  They also helped me build up my ability to take an actual Job Interview.  It is very nerve wracking talking to someone who is doing what you want to do (especially if they're in management)!  

It you have the time (make the time) make some phone calls, send some emails and pound some pavement.  Get out there and see what other people are doing.  Remember, the goal isn't to get a job, or get setup to get one, it's just to ask questions and see what people think.

For me, I learned that I was more interested in Infrastructure (servers, tech support, etc.) than I was with Applications (programming, etc.).  I find this funny since I am now a Programmer Analyst, but at the time it helped me determine my entry back into IT.  It also gave me a good boost of confidence, now I knew what I was aiming at.  It gave me the direction to begin.

Preparation is Key : Job Interviews

Information Interviews, which are focused mainly on just helping you figure out what is going on and what direction to head.  They are very important in determining your next steps.  They are, however, mainly only used to help you figure out what to do.  A Job Interview is what actually gets you the job.

Job interviews can be scary.  They can be boring.  They can be long.  They can be short.  For me, they seemed to be all of those things.  I have been through three Job Interviews in IT, one for my volunteer position at Free Geek, another for my part time position, and a third for my current full time position.  They all had minor differences, but they all shared quite a bit.

What They Shared

Many things were similar between those three interviews.  I was asked why I wanted the job, what I had to offer, what I wanted to get from it, and what I expected.  I was quizzed on my technical skills, my work ethic and what I think of team work.  In general, they are going to try and determine if you'll be a good fit for their team.  They already have a working group, and they don't want to disrupt it too much by adding a loose cannon.

Definitely be ready to either demonstrate your technical skill (especially in IT), provide samples of your work, or answer questions about your skills.  They're hiring someone to do a highly skilled job (setting up AD accounts, coding Python, managing a team, whatever), and they will want to see a sample before they take you on.  If you don't know an answer to a question (or forget!) be honest, just let them know.  You'll never know everything, and they don't expect you to.

In all three cases, I also asked questions.  Not only are they gaining someone (if I were to be hired) but I would have to work with them.  There are a ton of guides on how to interview out there (take some time a read them!), but I always asked three questions, more if I had time.

• Whats the best part of the job.
• Whats the worst part of the job.
• Why do others enjoy working here.

All three questions gave me a good idea of what the company is like.  I never had anyone refuse to answer any of them (though they did try to minimize that second one...), although if they do it is likely a red flag.  If someone is unwilling to share with me what they personally dislike (or like) about a work environment I am immediately suspicious.  Regardless, definitely ask a few questions, not only will it help you learn about your potential job, but it will show them you are actually interested (also know something about the company you're interviewing with.  Google it.).

What was Different

Each interview took place in a different location, one in a back office, another in the only office and the third in a conference room where I was heavily outnumbered.  I took into consideration what environment I was walking into, and tailored my outfit to the best match I could think of.  For Free Geek I wore jeans and a t-shirt.  For the others, slacks and button down.  (Doing some recon before hand and determining what folks wear can be very helpful).

The formality was one of the largest differences.  Free Geek only took one interview, and I was told immediately that I got the position.  The part-time job had three interviews, one on the phone, another in person, and a third in person for technical questions.  The full-time position was one hour long interview with me and four others (a recruiter, a potential co-worker, my boss and his boss.  No pressure).

Definitely prepare for your Job Interviews.  Make sure you know how to get where you're going and leave plenty of time to arrive (I've gotten lost before, but was saved by having an extra 15 minutes).  If it is a technical position, be ready to answer questions or provide examples of work. And don't forget, relax!  They can be very nerve-wrecking, but if you're prepared and relax, you'll do the best job you can.

Preparation Is Key : Career Planning Part 2

If I have learned anything in IT, it is that preparation is key.  Before meeting with a private customer for a job I must take time to go over what it is they need.  I need to know what tools to bring with me, what kind of equipment I will be dealing with, what software they have etc.  This also applies to situations at work, when I was working at the Help Desk I made sure I knew as much as I possible could about the person I was calling.  I would check and make sure they're computer was up and running, if there were any network wide problems, or if there were any recent changes.  In short, I did my homework.

The same goes for my path back into IT (part 1 here).  Free Geek provided me with a lot of hands on experience with hardware and with customer service.  Not only did it teach me how to strip down basically any type of desktop (Power PC's are a PAIN.  Apple did NOT want you opening those things) and deal with the surprises inside (food, cockroaches, bees, a hand gun once...) but it taught me how to handle a wide range of personalities and people in the context of IT.

Intel : Bees Inside

The experience I gained working with a large range of individuals was directly applicable to my next position at a small IT company.  They dealt primarily with small businesses providing "Break-Fix" IT Support.  Calls would range from setting up printing to physically moving a server to resetting passwords.  Most of the customers had what is called a SLA, or Service Level Agreement.  Basically these are contracts which outline the level of a support a customer can receive.  Level 1 may be 1 hour a week of remote, while level 3 may be 5 hours onsite support and unlimited remote support.  Level 3, of course, costs substantially more.

The vast majority of the work I did here was remote.  We used various tools, including LogMeIn (something I still use from time to time for my side gigs), and TeamViewer (This is a great one for family and friends since it's free for non-commercial use.  I help my grandfather out with this one). We also used a ticketing system to track what work was done and how long it took.  Learning how to use these tools was a bit of a learning curve, but it did teach me some valuable concepts, such as ticketing and remote support, which I had not yet been exposed to.

(I can virtually guarantee you that you will use a ticketing system of one kind or another in your path through IT.  I use it as a programmer analyst to track problems as they appear, our Help Desk uses it to track new installs, and our sysadmins use it to audit our permissions.  Having a systematic approach to tracking problems is a critical skill to learn.  I will get into this more in another post, but learn to love tickets.)

Start early.

This was also my first exposure to Microsoft Server and Active Directory (AD).  It was incredibly confusing and I got lost more times than I care to remember, but this trial by fire got me used to a normal business IT environment.  Simply looking at and navigating through AD helped prepare me for my first full time position.  I have learned that just by going through a system and getting a passing familiarity with it will pay off a LOT in the long term.  Be careful, but go in and play around! (with permission of course!).

From time to time I would have to go out on site.  This involved logging not only my time, but miles driven.  Currently the US Government mandates $.565 paid per mile driven for work, which made for some nice gas money.  Now this only includes times when work needs you to use your personal vehicle to go from site to site.  (It doesn't include driving into work in the morning.  It is especially nice for me since I happen to drive a hybrid and go "slow" at only 65mph).  These on site trips also gave me experience dealing with diverse physical systems.  No two customers were a like, even if their logical setup was similar.  Some have their server in a crawl space, others have no server, some have a large warehouse, others a coffee shop.  This helped make me more flexible and better able to adapt when presented a new situation (something that happens a LOT in life).

All the time I was working part time I was pursuing additional training on the side.  I finally earned my Network+, having started it when I was just volunteering at Free Geek, and began working on A+.  I was also still volunteering at Free Geek.  By this time I had moved into their "build" program and was getting good experience building computers from the mother board up.  I have kept up that habit of continually learning and improving.  Currently I am working on another security certification and am taking classes at my local community college.

My first (and only) part time job in IT taught me a lot.  Mainly, that preparation is key, and to keep moving forward.  By preparing myself a head of time for various situations, I was able to best capitalize on the opportunities offered.  Simply having a job was preparation for the next step in my IT journey, getting a full time job.  Being able to test out my skills and how I deal with problems gave me a better sense of confidence and more tools to use in the future.  Just like GI JOE taught me, Knowledge is Half the Battle (tm).

IT Fundamentals: Customer Service

Yeah sure, wake me up at 2 AM because your final doesn't print.

IT was never very far from me between College and my first IT job.  I was always being asked by friends, family and co-workers to fix little problems, or to advise them on which computer to get.  I think this consistent thought about various IT problems kept the spark going.  It did, of course, lead to some interesting situations (one guy threw his laptop down a hallway... another woke me up at 2AM for help during finals week).  It also helped shape how I think about IT, which is it is mainly customer service.

My first real boss (not mom or dad when I did chores) taught me one of the most important things I've ever learned about business.

Note: Not my boss.  The customers I would deal with. My boss was awesome.

If a customer is upset, or mad, they aren't upset or mad at you.  They're upset because they cannot get what they want.  And the good news is that you are the one who can help them get it.

I was working Point of Sale (POS) in retail at the time, and I would frequently have customers bust in and tear my head off (not literally thankfully) about finding XYZ part, or trying to return something.  In the beginning this was hard to deal with.  The more I thought about my bosses advice, the easier it got.  That advice completely removed me from the problem, and instead turned me into an ally for the customer, even if I was the source of the problem (forgetting to order some part, or losing an order).

The same holds true for IT.  Our customers are the employees at our business, our actual customers (for those of you doing break/fix), our family, our friends and others needing our assistance (another thing he taught me was never use "help".  "Help" implies there may be something wrong with them.  You "assist" people).  In my case, my current customer is the business I work for and it is my responsibility to assist the business in developing it's software.  When I was working part time in tech support my customer was whomever was paying the company for my services.

Percussive Maintenance at work

Regardless, I was the person who assisted the customer in getting what they want, whether it be a new RAID1 for their office, learning how to post on Facebook or squashing a virus.  In IT we deal with a lot of data, whether it be photos, tax returns or Futurama episodes.  To us, it's just data, but to that customer it is very important, and if anything threatens it they will get upset.  We also deal with expensive hardware, and no one wants to lose expensive stuff (of course if they're performing regular percussive maintenance.  

Our job working in IT, whether we're the newest Technician or the CIO is to serve the customer.  We will, of course, do this different when we are in different roles at work, but we are still responsible for providing quality customer service.  The hardest part for me is to just remember that I am not what is making the customer upset.

Study Tools: Mnemonics

The easiest way to think about mnemonics is to think of them as mental shortcuts to help you remember something.  I have been using them for studying for a year or so and they are very helpful.  They do take a bit of time to get used to using, and there is some time investment required to build them, but the return you'll get outweighs that minor cost.

ROYGBIV is an example of mnemonic that most kids would recognize.  It's an easy way to remember rainbow colors (and one of the first things I can remember learning.  Actually, I remember one teacher writing

a                                                                          lot

on a black board to teach us not to write alot.  I can still remember what she looks like and how many other kids were in the room).  I actually have a bachelors in Psychology, so I won't get too into it, but just remember they're effective.

This is another one many people have seen.

There are actually world memory championships where contestants must do things like memorize a deck of cards in under two minutes.  They do this by practicing memorizing things.  This is not a skill unique to certain folks; anyone can do it with practice.

First you need to determine what you want to memorize.  As an example I'll use the formula for Schedule Variance from my Project+ training.  The formula is

SPI=EV/PV

For those of you who are curious, EV is Earned Value (multiply the percent of work done by the cost of completing that work) and PV is Planned Value (The planned cost of the work).

I could sit down and just repeat it over and over (a brute force method... Aka Drill and Kill).  Instead, I chose to develop a shortcut.  It is

eee vee pee vee schedule vee vee (spoken similar to easy peasy lemon squeezy).

Now a good thing to know is that mnemonics don't need to make sense to anyone else. Or even to you.  All they need to do is trigger a memory.  In thus case that phrase instantly brings the correct correct formula to mind.

Mnemonics don't need to be aural either.  Pictures are also a great way to remember.  For instance, the formula for Cost Performance Index (CPI) IS

CPI=EV/AC

Now the right hand side spells evac, as in evacuate.  So when I see CPI I visualize those letters on fire with a bunch of people running for their lives away from it.

If you see the CPI mushroom cloud, EV/AC!

Remember, the more vivid and full the mnemonics, the better it will serve you!

Once you've built your mnemonics begin using it with your note cards and other studying.  Soon it will begin to recall the info you need.  Eventually you'll just see the mnemonic in your head when presented with the trigger and you'll instantly know what it means.

Best of luck preparing, and please feel free to share your mnemonics below!

Study Tools: Note Cards

I have found that note cards are a great study tool.  I first started using them with Professor Messer's Network+ course.  First I would watch the videos and take copious notes on what was covered.  After that I would take those notes and then transfer the important points to some blank note cards.  From there it was an easy task of just going over them as much as I could.

There are really only three steps in developing this tool.  The secret is discipline.  You have to keep up on it. You must do a little every day and the overall effort will be immense.

The first step in the process is easy to do but takes a bit of practice.  All you have to do is read (or watch) and write down the important points.  The hard part is knowing what information to copy down.  The Sybex lines of books tend to italicize important points, and they also list exam related items at the end of the chapter.  Many books will do a similar thing and alert you to important ideas or definitions through boxes off areas on the page or other visual cues.  When I was using the Professor Messer books I copied over as much as I could write down about what he was saying (everything if I could get it).  This led to a lot of pausing the video so I could catch up with my writing.

The second step is also easy.  Just copy down the most pertinent notes from your first step onto your note cards.  I don't always write down every single note, some things I know I don't need to put onto note card format since I already have it memorized.  My general rule is to put it on a note card if I think it is important and if I cannot repeat the information with no cues.  This process can take a while since you need to re-format the information into a question on one side and then write the answer on the reverse.

The third step is also easy.  Just read the cards.  Read them a lot.  Every day.  Every hour.  Every spare moment you can find read the cards.  The more you go over them, the more they will stick in your brain, and that's the idea.  The key to success is the ability to recall facts, ideas and concepts clearly.

My current Project+ deck, note the business card. (and I'm only about 75% done!)

The biggest problem I have with note cards is simply the size of them.  I end up with stacks several inches high, and carting them all around town is a bit of a pain.  Fortunately, I have figured out some methods to combat this.

1. Do not make all of your note cards at once.  Instead, make them in sections.  Chapters of a book make for great sections.  Only carry one or two sections at a time.  Study them until you can answer every card, then switch up to another section.
2. Carry all your note cards in your bag, but only a few on you at any time.  Rotate out cards frequently to keep your brain guessing as to whats next.
3. Develop two, or more, decks.  Go through all your cards and set aside the ones you cannot answer immediately (My "Stumper" deck).  Take all the cards you know the first time and put them away for now (my "Easy" deck) and only carry around the ones that stump you.  Go over the first deck every other day just to keep it fresh, but focus mostly on the Stumper deck.  As you find yourself answering Stumper deck cards more and more frequently, move them into the Easy deck.  Once you only have one (a BIG Easy deck) you should be doing pretty good!

My stumper deck (right) and the easy deck (left).

The best part for me about this process is I get to spend time in coffee shops listening to music and relaxing.  I am furiously writing out note cards or focusing on reading, but at least I get to see a new spot and enjoy a nice cup of coffee (or tea).

The greatest strength of the note card is for facts.  Things like port numbers, types of contracts, OSI layers etc. are great.  More fluid concepts and ideas can be a bit hard to get on a note card, but at least it will get your brain thinking about these things regularly.

And the best part, 300 blank note cards only put me back $2!

Free Geek - Part 1

I have mentioned Free Geek in a few posts and figured I would expand on them!

Free Geek, at its core, is a hardware recycler.  I found it in Portland, Oregon, and was fortunate enough to get a spot as an intern at the Help Desk.  I am honestly surprised I got the spot since I had no recent IT experience going into it.  Fortunately Help Desk is basically just customer service, something I am rather good at.  And even better, they provided on the job, hands on training for everything I would need.

Free Geek accepts donations of used (in basically ANY condition... they've found beehives in donated hardware before...) electronics, computers and basically anything with an on-switch.  From there, they either reuse components if they work, or if they don't they get broken down to their components and recycled (did you know that a ton of computer waste has more gold in it than a ton of earth from a gold mine?).  Re-used components are either reassembled into new, usable computers running Ubuntu, or are sold in their thrift shop for cheap.

Volunteers can earn up to one free computer a year, either by building 5 computers or by volunteering for 25 hours.  They accept volunteers of almost any age (minor children need an adult guardian with them.  I saw several pairs as I was there and though it was a great way to bond and support kids), and provide them with one of three routes:

• Recycling
• Building
• Interning

Working in recycling basically means you rip apart old stuff and sort it for disposal.  I went the Intern and Build routes, but I always through recycling looked like fun.  Depending on your physical ability you can do things like rip printers apart (they're not meant to be disassembled), tear down computer chassis or do less strenuous tasks like break down keyboards.  Not much ends up in the trash, they are able to recycle the plastics and metals... sometimes at a profit.

Building was a lot of fun for me.  They start you at a bench and teach you the basic parts of a computer (RAMBUS vs. SO-DIMM, CD-ROM vs. Hard disk etc.  It's very basic, but an excellent spot for a beginner to start).  After you can identify all the component pieces they move you onto pre-build, which is where you disassemble computers.  Lots of vacuuming is involved! (if you've ever opened a 10 year old computer you know what I mean ).  Once it's (relatively) clean, you simply follow a really long flow chart to determine what can be re-used.  Basically only stuff that's 1-2 years old is kept, everything else gets moved to recycling.  Any components which are damaged (blown capacitors, bent pins etc.) get sent to Advanced Build to be tested and repaired.  Everything else that is kept is tested and then used in Build.

Build is the next stage, and teaches you how to perform Quality Assurance (QA) and to build computers from (almost... the CPU and motherboard are already in place) scratch.  They have developed a great checklist which teaches you how to put everything together.  Given the odd assortment of franken parts sometimes you just have to try different combinations of components before things work (frustrating!).

Once you've built 5 computers you can, if you wish, go onto Advanced Build.  Advanced Build is not something I did, but it looked very interesting; you can work on Macs, servers, test electronic components, rebuild motherbuilds etc.

That's all for for now... stay tuned for more information on their Internships!  And definitely check out their website.

Preparation is key : Career Planning Part 1

It had been 6 years after leaving IT in college before I finally made the leap back into it.  In the mean time I did nothing IT related.  I worked for a small business working in their office.  My IT experience in those years was mostly restricted to fixing a jammed printer or removing the occasional virus.  I am not sure what finally flipped the switch and pushed me back into IT, but I have some ideas:

• A desire to learn something new
• Wanting more money (Part time doesn't exactly pay a lot)
• Wanting a greater challenge
• Wanting to be around technology

Regardless of the actual reason, I began looking at different paths to get back into IT.  I was fortunate, in that there was a local computer recycler called Free Geek near me.  They have multiple offerings in the way of volunteering, everything from their receiving dock to interning at their Help Desk (i'll write more about my experience there in another post).

Through some miracle (seriously, I had had NO IT experience in the past few years) I landed a position as an unpaid intern at their Help Desk.  I worked 8 hours a weeks, in two four hours shifts.  All the training was hands on and on the fly.  I learned everything from some Linux command line to how to field a call to how to build a computer from nothing.  True, I had some of these skills before, but getting the opportunity to work with other nerds was a huge boost.  In addition to this internship I also volunteered building computers, which gave me a solid base for my certifications.

After a month or two of volunteering I began looking for a paying IT gig.  I submitted dozens of resumes to Craigslist ads, and several directly to companies (Nike and the like).  The only reply to any of them was a phone interview which turned into a part time job working at an IT consulting company.  It was tiny, a handful of employees, but it paid!  During this time I had begun to study for my Network+ (a friend had a copy of the book so I started here instead of A+, where most folks start.  Also, Professor Messer was, and still is, a godsend!), which I obtained in November of that year.

This job, like my previous one in an office, was also part time.  This was nice since it allowed me a lot of time to study and pursue other pursuits, but it still wasn't enough.  The company I was with still wasn't offering me enough, it was simply too small.  I began looking for ways to expand; I was still volunteering, not interning anymore build working in their Build program, and finally found an IT recruiter who helped me out...

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Certifications : CompTIA A+

By far the most common certification I have seen requested is A+.  A+ is the bread and butter of the computer technician.  It covers everything from motherboard design and layout to how to troubleshoot printing.  CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, is an independent group that provides certification on a wide range of topics including servers, projects, health IT and more.  Their certifications tend to be more on overarching topics and general knowledge than specifics (i.e. complex command line sequences).

A+ is generally recommended as a starting point for certification (Through dumb luck I started with Network+, which focuses more on networking).  Many employers require it for entry level, and many others require it of their administrators just to keep them current.  You should know that it does require re-certification every 3 years as technology changes.  This requirement ruffles some folks feathers, but to me it makes perfect sense.  I wouldn't trust a mechanic who didn't prove their abilities to repair my car, why are computes any different? (In many ways they are more valuable, think about how much data lives on computers in our daily lives).  Fortunately if you get another "related" (Network+, Security+ or CASP) it will update the expiration date to three years from the most recent certification.

The A+ certification is actually composed of 2 exams, the practical and the theory.  You must pass both to become certified.  The practical focuses more on troubleshooting and customer care, while the theory portion focuses more on how computers operate and what makes them tick.  CompTIA suggests 500 hours of hands on work with computers, although a driven user should be able to handle these exams fairly easily. The more experience you can get hands on with hardware and computers the better.

By far the best resource for this course that I have found is Professor Messer.  He has a series of excellent online training videos which go over every aspect of them exam.  He will walk you through everything you need to pass the exam.  I have found that a combination of note taking (writing every bullet point from every slide of every video) and flash cards (generating flash cards based on my notes) led to my success with this certification (90% on both exams, and not a penny spent on training!... except the flash cards).  Of course, if you like you may pay Professor Messer for a downloadable copy and some more excellent stuff.

Overall this certification is a great place to begin, and something that provides a solid foundation to any IT career.

Preparation Is Key : How to Get Started

I have found that preparation is everything when it comes from IT, from planning out backup rotations, to setting away messages, to studying for certifications to getting advice.

I spent a lot of time before I even applied for a job or looked into a single certification talking to people.  It
began with people I knew who were in IT, mostly programmers (personally I prefer infrastructure, the physical dealings of IT, but I do appreciate those of the programmatic persuasion).  These conversations mostly took the shape of 5 minute discussions over coffee or in hallways.  They really helped pave the way for more important conversations later.

From those friendly conversations I branched out into asking for introductions to IT managers, or System Administrators, or anyone really.  I used social networking a bit (LinkedIN and Facebook), but mostly asked for them face to face with someone I knew.  I was fortunately in that my friends happened to know someone who knew someone who was in IT.  I was able to get myself in front of at least 2 Directors and several other Administrators.

The main focus of my questions revolved around what training do I need.  Is a degree a good idea?  Are certifications the way to go?  Should I volunteer?

For the most part I was told that degrees were only worth if it you wanted to get one (whew).  My interviewee's indicated that degrees were much more scholarly in focus, and that my interest in infrastructure and hands-on learning may be better focused elsewhere.

Certifications were recommended to me as a good place to begin.  They provide an excellent foot in the door and show my intent to continue in the field.  They are second only to actual experience, I was told.
From there, the next steps were easy.

Volunteer.

Study.

Repeat.