IT Employment·20,070 discussions

IT Training late in life

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Hello,

I have been maintaining a computer network and software within a printing company for 10+ years. I have no formal training. My abilities have been acquired along the way and are far from solid.
I’m 59 and thinking about an education and certs that would help me to possible start my own small network services and support company.
What would be a good curriculum path?

Appreciate any feedback positive or negative.

Topic

The problem as I see it.

In reply to IT Training late in life

Is that you need to decide if this will be your new income stream or “job.” Network services and support for large companies is here, almost always in-house so if you want that job you check what their HR or RFQs is asking for and see if you want to invest in those areas and certs.\

Now as to small business and home, the network aspect appears to be done by the ISPs. Hardware issues are not being dealt with as they used to. You have a lot of folk find their “guy” they go to, do it themselves or outright buy a new laptop because the shop rates often exceed half the price of a new PC.

I want to mention that in dealing with the public and more you learn how much/far to commit to the issue or repair. At our shop we know to not accept certain hardware for repair or past some number of years old. Yes, there are those that feel that our disposable economy is not right but all it will take is one or two disasters before you learn why you triage up front and do your best not to upset the new or prospective client.

Example: We are thinking about putting all 32 bit based PCs on that list of do not accept for repair. Yes we can install a few last versions of 32 bit Linux but the end has been clearly here for the past year.

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