IT Employment·20,075 discussions

LONG POST Looking for advice from those with experience

Locked

Tags: Community, It employment

I’m 24 years old and just started my final year of college pursuing an IT degree. As the days to graduation count down I’m starting to get anxious about my lack of plan for the future. I’m overwhelmed and under informed about all the options available to me as far as career paths go.

I’ve been working for an MSP with about 8 clients(roughly 350 users) as a “Technical Support Analyst” (Helpdesk) for 9 months now. I do a lot of M365 admin stuff, machine setups, knowBe4 admin, some reporting, lots of remoting in and helping users of course, and on the rare occasion some network setups.It’s been great experience and I am learning and enjoying the process but I also know that I want bigger and better things once I graduate, or even before then if an opportunity arises.

I’m looking for advice on what steps I need to take and what steps I should avoid on my way to creating a successful IT career. The problem is that I don’t really know what I enjoy about IT specifically. I enjoy planning things out and implementing them, and the problem solving that comes with that, but I think that encompasses most of what IT is.

How does one decide between security and networking? How do you know the steps to get to a DevOps role or even if you’d be good at it? It’s all just so overwhelming but since I’m graduating later than most of my peers I want to start trying to get a step ahead and get my career off to a great start.

I wish I could articulate my thoughts and concerns better but that’s something I struggle with. If you have any words of wisdom or advice please let me hear it, it will be great to hear from people who may have been in a similar position at my age/ point in life.

TLDR: I’m graduating with an IT degree in a year and I have no idea where to go from there.

Topic

For me, I didn’t go the IT route.

In reply to LONG POST Looking for advice from those with experience

I’m much older and what was in demand was embedded design. Right about when microprocessors were just making inroads to electronics. And before the PC!

So my view is to keep learning. I had to keep learning as the tech evolved. But no DevOps in any system ever. The system sizes were never big enough to demand such a system. Even today our apps don’t entertain DevOps. That would be an additional burden and given the apps are done and only need minimal changes on a year or two basis, no one would pay to put together a DevOps system.

Stay employed, and keep searching for that job you really want. At the moment with some 100,000 layoffs by a few companies, keep your job, keep learning and wait for the next big thing.

22 Years in IT/Cybersecurity

In reply to LONG POST Looking for advice from those with experience

I would recommend stepping back and taking a look at the broader IT industry and trying to figure out what area(s) interest you the most. It may require you to dabble in different areas to gauge your interest level. There is plenty of free material on the internet to help get you some exposure. Plus, doing a little bit of dabbling will help broaden your knowledge.

If you are interested in planning and implementation then maybe a role as a consultant might be an area to explore. I see those as being different than day-to-day operations and administration.

A lot of helpdesk technicians go either the Systems Admin or Network Engineering route. Both routes help build some foundational knowledge which would help if you wanted to go into Cybersecurity or DevOps.

Experience advice

In reply to LONG POST Looking for advice from those with experience

My friend works as DevOps also and he has the same problem. After he found his first role as DevOps on freelance projects here ibench.net.

Here are a few pieces of advice to help you create a successful IT career:

In reply to LONG POST Looking for advice from those with experience

It’s normal to feel anxious about the future as you approach graduation, but it’s also an exciting time with many possibilities. Here are a few pieces of advice to help you create a successful IT career:

Identify your strengths and interests: It’s great that you enjoy planning and implementing projects and problem-solving, but it’s important to identify what specific areas of IT interest you the most. This can help you narrow down your career path and focus on developing the skills needed for that area.

Gain experience: Continue gaining experience in different areas of IT, whether through internships, part-time work, or personal projects. This will help you build your skill set and figure out what you enjoy the most.

Network: Attend IT events and conferences, join professional organizations, and connect with other IT professionals on LinkedIn. Networking can help you learn about different career paths, gain mentorship, and find job opportunities.

Stay up to date: The IT industry is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay up to date on new technologies and trends. This can help you become a more competitive candidate and increase your chances of success.

[Author]

Replies