AndyP

I currently work in an IT Helpdesk Dept

I am looking to improve my basic knowledge with pc's which I'll admit is v basic bearing in mind Ive worked in IT for almost 4 years now (due to redundancy/job changes/contracting I have not been able to make the break)

Can anybody working in desktop advise me of the best college courses I should be looking it? Ive been advised to go for A+? Are there any good books I can read?

Any help would be much appreciated

AndyBlackFRST

Would just get the msce text books or download them and read through, then take your exams.

Jonzy

Hands on experience is what you need, im assuming when you say helpdesk you mean call centre/1st line support?

If so, try finding a job as a IT admin/tech in a single company - will help no end with hands on experience.

andy_st200

ive been in IT 16yrs almost now.. done helpdesk, research & development, field engineer, 2nd level, 3rd level and now in build engineering..

youve got a good grounding doing helpdesk.. depending on the level of what you do in helpdesk (i know a lot seem to just log calls and not fix anything) you may find you wont need to learn anything else.

you really just need to sell yourself in interviews to get the break.. if you build pc's and stuff yourself that will help.. look at night courses maybe for office apps .. not the basic ones but middle to advanced ones...

2nd level is more about being able to adapt yourself.. you cant know everything and 9 times outta 10 youll be asking someone else for help or researching the problems.. a lot of what youd do would be down to experience of the desktop build a company will use

i currently support 4 different desktops at the same time (natwest, coutts, direct line and green flag).. and their all different, but some problems are the same whatever the desktop as youll already have experienced im sure.

andy_st200

IMO MSCE is a load of bollox.. no one uses MS products in the way they MS want you too

as has been said you cant beat hands on experience.. its just finding a company that are willing to give you a break and try you out

Jonzy

A company wont care if you can tell them the theory behind why something doesnt work, well not until after. They just want it sorted and asap.

If you think you can do a job, but dont have the letters after your name, apply for the job anyway - ive done it and landed on my feet properly.

BlueSmoke

I work for HBOS in IT support. It's my first IT job so it's first line but we do a lot of fixing. The main thing really is admin like unlocking accounts, resetting passwords and the like, but we do often remotely connect to folks and take over their pc's, do fault finding etc. The problem here is that you can be in first line for a few years whereas I'm gonna want to be moving up after 12 months to be honest. I want to be a field engineer but it's not gonna happen as it's rock solid to get into that without experience and I'd have to start as a trainee on about 9k no doubt. Fook that

As for courses, to be honest a lot of places don't care what you've done as it's experience that counts. It took me around ayear of applications to various companies before I got a break. At HBOS they actually care more about what you're like at dealing with people rather than tech knowledge. I knew my shit anyway as I have been building and messing with PCs for years, but they are happy to take folks with no IT background and train them here.

andy_st200

exactly...!!!

if i saw my job advertised i would propper shit myself thinking i couldnt do it.. coz ive seen stuff like mine advertised.. clearly i can though.. well i aint been sacked yet anyway

JohnnyB

I am a IT Manager and I started in a small to mid size company were you just get stuck in. The amount of knowlege gained that way is always the best.

andy_st200

TBH you wanna stay in the banking sector jay its far more lucrative.. Field Engineer is shite work.. just swopping bits out.. and taking a lot of crap from the companys you visit..i done it for 2 yrs with GE Capital.., and yes the pay is shite too.. still i learnt how to change a fuser unit in a HP laserjet 4 over and over again

i was doing on average 400miles a day travelling to companys sites

Jim Galbally

i'd agree that experience is where its at, however experience in a shit company is worse than none at all (with regards to gaining technical knowledge) as you get left behind.

i did 3 years in a small company doing just about everything, and when i moved to a proper corporate firm i had to re-learn EVERYTHING, it was a huge change. took me about 4 months to really get my grounding, but now after a year i've made a name for myself and am dealing with a lot of "proper IT stuff" (money's not gone up tho )

i was lucky in the sense that im very IT literate, it's just something ive always been good at, so i can pick tyhings up very quickly etc. etc. i'd say for your average joe that a job with a good company in 2nd line support should do you. you dont have to be very good at IT to land yourself a desktop support job really. certinly not MSCE level! there is a MS Certified DESKTOP thingie you can get now, basic fault finding etc (your normal 2nd line kinda stuff) might be worth reading up on that and maybe doing the course?

AndyP

Cheers for alll you help fellas

andy_st200 Sounds like you work for RBS, I used to work in Helpdesk for Churchill before the big change in IT there, loved that job

Ive just started a new Helpdesk role, trouble is I dont have a great understanding of how things work, such as networking etc, although I was able to hold down a contracting job in the desktop area at Churchill for a few months, mainly by asking help from others. As that was only a few months work it wasn't good enough to land a desktop job this time round, I struggled when taking technical tests although I know I can do the work given a chance.

The new firm I'm at promised me a chance at second line in the future, but asking around now I can't see that happening for a v long time, so I want to self-study to get the skills I need.

Jim Galbally I'll have to look into this 'MS Certified DESKTOP thingie ' you mentioned, I've applied for information packs from my local colleges (Bexley and Lewisham) so hopefully there will be some info in these.


Thanks for all your advice, it's much appreciated

DanRSturbo

A qualification will help, but experience counts It also depends on your knowledge, I started on a helpdesk diagnosing hardware faults, then after 6 months, I was promoted and dealt with software faults

saff_cossie

Have also heard that MCSE is more what Microsoft think you should know as opposed to what you need to know in the real world.

I work as an IT Manager and this is my first job since uni. While I have a degree, I started out helping my g/f's mums company she worked for as I could see them getting charged way too much for what I could do. Ended up staying and now I have 60 users and 6 sites that I have to fly between as 3 are similar in distance from the UK to Spain.

Nearly 2 years on I have completely revamped the policies and procedures saved them many 10's of 000's of $$. Implemented a blackberry suite and server for the MD's. I am also approachable and speak English. I can talk to all levels from Management to Truck Drivers which I believe is a key asset.

I then set my own IT supply company up and supply my full time company with all the IT things at cost, saves them even more and is good business practice for me. Look for little opportunities and work on them for yourself. No one is looking out for you, its dog eat dog. More you motivate yourself, the further you will get

If you dont try, you dont know. You dont even have your pride to lose when you are just zapping CV's off online.

BlueSmoke

Andy, I will probably end up staying here because tou're right, it is far more lucrative. It's not unfeasible that I could be on 22k in another 30 months' time and then the next steps are 27k+ for team leader, 30k+ for tech specialist (which is what I fancy unless I can get an angle into the development side of things) so being patient is really the key for me.

Some mornings I feel like crap and don't wanna go to work cause I can't be arsed spending a day dealing with idiots again, which is pretty much most of the people that call 1st line support. A mate whoa lso works in IT and does both support and field work had some woman on the phone last week. He asked her to shut the PC down then turn it back on. Ten seconds later she's like "oh it's on again now". He thought that was a bit quick so he asked if she was sure she'd shut it right down. She said she had and would do it again. 10 seconds later she's like "right I've done it again...."

Turns out she was turning the monitor on and off

But I've lost jobs in the past because I rang in sick through laziness and I won't let it happen again. At 23 I really do need to be building a real career for myself. Only problem is I'm an ongoing temp at the moment. It's not too bad being a temp here as there's no danger of being told you're no longer needed etc really. But I do want to go permanent by the time I've done 12 months here.

Besides, I don't get a bonus while I'm still a temp

turbinator

you are right.. however... managers look at a resume... and they give you more credits if you have those MCSE credentials..
its just the way it is..
in my compagny you MUST have some of those or you wont be hired..
if you fail to upgrade for 2 years with those exams you get kicked.. .

AndyBlackFRST

That's what i was trying to get at.. I have no MCSE's but have never been out of work for over a week between contracts or perm work.

Companies look for the MSCE on your CV... But you can sell yourself in the interview to show you can do things..

When I was asked if I had an MCSE in 1 interviwe I said I didn't, but had the knowledge and skill base to complete this job to the highest level.

I got that job too.

Jonzy

The trick is too get your current employer to pay for your msce while you work, then leave after you got it.

andy_st200

with the bank names i have behind me i dont need qulifications

Dan B

Quite a few places will have it in your contract that you will be charged for courses if you leave the job within a specified time of having completed them......just to stop people from doing exactly that.

stonehavencossie

I work for the local council as a support analyst;

With councils being such a big, varied organisation you get to learn loads of different aspects of IT.

As the council is non-profit making there is very little pressure.

The pay was shite when i started 7 years ago but im happy with what i earn now. Youre always gauranteed some sort of pay rise every year the way the councils work. Loads of training to. They send me to college to do an HND on day release.

Send a CV into your local council

Also, Im on flexi time so only have to do 36 hours a week (peice of piss).

Because of this i set up a part time computing business. Put an advert in the local paper saying i can do home visits. I basically sort peoples viruses out, rebuild their pc's etc. and charge £20 an hour.

Council are fine with it and its a great little earner on top

DanRSturbo

MCSE's don't always mean you can fix something

AndyBlackFRST

I know that, but employers like to see the letters on your CV..

AndyP

Cheers fellas, I'll do a proper reply when Im not at work, I still need to keep this job at the mo

Jim Galbally

imho:

MSCE gets you the interview

experience and blgging at the interview get you the job

Adrian

Sorry Jimbo, thats bollocks.

Been on the selection of our last 3 technicians, the amount of people we brought in with experience rather than qualifications was 3 to 1.

On our current team we have a former tunneller (assisted with euro tunnel), former brickie, a tosser (not me), bigger tosser (me, and they employed me 7 years ago and I hadnt touched an NT box, just purely Novell & 10 years networking/processing experience), and an american who brings the american way and ideas of a US helldesk.

Experience far out weighs the qualification.

I dont have MCSE or CCNA or CNE, just 18 years of experience.

If its good enough for the biggest selling, local newspaper then its good enough for me!

adamS2RST

Hmmm....very interesting