Im 48 and worked in IT for 20 years in support and lan management and havent been able to get work back in it for 14 years not even entry level help desk jobs again. (they like to list them as grad students entry)
but being a code hacker is different.. they are crying out for them in Nz also depends what your home city is.'
being a code hacker is not what i call fun though..horses for courses. I had mates code PLC for years after uni and made his boss rich while he got 37K lol in end walked out and setup his own online business and now a millionaire. now he pays others to code web for him he found a niche and yeh he dont need help or support person.. lol
I've been in IT since I was 8, now 38, and I cant say it is ever really too late to start. BUT, liking technology is not necessarily WORKING technology. Too often I see candidates who confuse enjoying technology with working with it. IT is HARD work many times and I say that by meaning GOOD IT engineers are hard workers. It really works the mind and issues you might come across can really wreak havoc on your mental skills. If I were to give tips for an intro person it would be...
-Make sure you actually enjoy problem solving technology. If it frustrates you easily, you will not do well. -Make sure you actually enjoy learning. IT is EVER and FOREVER changing, you sit idly by and not learn, the field will EJECT you out of it. -Make sure you enjoy working weird hours at times. IT failures wait for no ones watch, they happen round the clock and though NZ isnt as much stressed for when it gets fixed, the rest of the world wants it done YESTERDAY. Be willing to take that pressure and succeed. -Make sure you enjoy working with people. Some of the least successful engineers I see hate working with people. IT is usually working with people and working well. You may not do well at all if you are very abrasive with your customer service skills. -LIVE IT. The best engineers breath it, eat it, study it, enjoy it, and go back home to it. Most IT people must surround themselves with IT centric lives. You have to practice what you do to be good at it and it helps to not practice on your customers equipment. -Be prepared to spend money on it. IT study and exams are expensive. Some companies may pay for some, but be ready to pay for some yourself. It is never ending school and you have to accept that. If you dont, yeah you might have a job here or there, but you wont be one of the better ones, and only the best survive this field well. -Don't be drawn by the pay. Jobs that pay well are usually for a reason. They can be hard to perform and expectations will be there for the end result from your clients. -Did I mention be ready to learn. Your mind is your skill and your toolbox so to speak. If you arent keen and on to it, you wont be very good at it.
Things you will need. A smile. Troubleshooting mind set. Understanding partners. Vehicle (is likely, but maybe not) Time management skills. Honesty and truthful nature. Easy going and able to handle pressure.
What I would suggest to get into IT: Take ANY job that will take you, even if it means starting from the bottom. Speak to someone in the field in your market area and learn what pay to expect for what duties and negotiate if necessary. READ anything on the subject in your field. For your field, surround yourself with others who do that. Start gaming if you want desktop/server support, etc for instance. Get active in functions revolving around the field, clubs, LAN parties, conventions, tech expos, etc. Educate yourself online with education videos, youtube, etc. Depending on your field, start tinkering, new code, make a program, design some websites, build a PC, start a network, build a domain, host your own email, etc. The best practice starts at home. You need to walk the walk first...
The candidates I would look at need to show passion first, then I wonder what they can do. If they just think it is a job to make money, I show them the door. IT is a life, not just 6-8 hours a day and done. It needs to stay with you when you leave. Not in a bad way, but in a way that can suit a great lifestyle and work/life balance.
I'm a builder by trade, had a car crash when I was 18 and had to switch careers.. So I did A+ and Network+, then got a job on helpdesk..
I took a punt at contracting through agencies, paid off (no pun intended) as I was making more money than ever before.. I ended up landing a senior job in a support team, it was a little over my head.. however I was determined to make it work.. Studied while working and managed to keep my job :)
Since then I've jumped from job to job.. I found out that most of the best training is on the job.. Best trick is to see where I.T is going so you can train for what's coming..
Sign up for things like Linkedin etc, it's who you know.. not sooo much what you know.. Careful for small I.T firms, redundancy is a b-arch..
I know someone who had a really great software engineering job between ages 20 and 45 ish. Due to redundancies, he had to wait tables for a year whilst he did a Masters in Info Security. Now he's 53, working in Information Security - total change of career.
well not true exactly.. with age,, my eyes started to fail and I suffer RSI.. and diabetes added in .. screws the energy levels and brain gets tired.. and makes it harder to learn...
its all good if you dont have to list any on going conditions (most job apps ask now days).. theres bias of course... and depends how many others also applying for the same job.. in chch its hundreds.. its good if even get short listed there..
kiwigeek1: well not true exactly.. with age,, my eyes started to fail and I suffer RSI.. and diabetes added in .. screws the energy levels and brain gets tired.. and makes it harder to learn...
its all good if you dont have list any on going conditions.. there bias of course... and depends how many others also applying for the same job.. in chch its hundreds.. its good if even get short listed there..
more coding jobs in chch then support.
My aforementioned person has Parkinson's - but I get your point! Never too old in spirit, perhaps! Up until 5 years ago, my grandmother could do headstands.
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