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Shane Hicks is an independent consultant and technical trainer, providing support to individuals and small businesses. He's been in the industry for over 10 years. Email your questions, it will be answered as space permits.
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One of the most common questions I get from students pursuing technical
certification is, "How do I get the real-world experience employers are
demanding before I even get my first job?" It’s true — in the present market
place, with so many technical professionals entering the job market, more
and more weight is being placed on those who already have the experience.
Landing that coveted first position can become one of the most challenging
obstacles to embarking on a technical career. But there is hope.
Consider the following while looking for ways to gain hands-on experience:
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| 1 |
Be Active in the Classroom.
Most are taking courses to learn the skills required
for a technical career, but quickly fall victim to the laissez-faire attitude
many students adopt in a training environment. Learning is equally the
responsibility of the instructor and the student. Become active in the
classroom. Ask questions. If you are in a facility that has training resources,
take the time to use them and gain hands-on experience. Do every single
lab exercise available in the course, and spend additional time to create
your own labs. This provides the opportunity for hands-on experience while
having an experienced individual (the instructor) nearby to assist in the
process. |
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Build your own lab
It's never been cheaper to set up your own lab. You can
pick up a second-hand computer for next to nothing, and memory prices have
been at an all time low. You can also find evaluation versions of most
of the software FREE, and you can use
these versions over and over again. A lot can be learned from simply installing
the software and troubleshooting these installations. If a position in
network administration is the end goal, practice setting up domains and
workgroups, creating users, and assigning security rights and policies
to these users. If working in a Microsoft network environment, get comfortable
with the resources available on Microsoft's TechNet
site and dig in to the on-line documentation available on the installation
disks on most Microsoft products.
To gain access to Microsoft’s trial software, look here
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| 3 |
Volunteer
Nonprofit and religious organizations, and even local schools, often
depend heavily on volunteers. Lending services to these worthwhile causes
can provide substantial hands-on experience. On top of that, making a good
impression while demonstrating the ability to be dependable and to work
can provide invaluable references. These references can go a long way towards
landing that first job. Also, don’t be afraid to list your volunteer services
on your resume. Many employers will be impressed that you’ve offered your
services to these organizations.
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| 4 |
Work with a Professional.
Though you don’t often hear about apprenticeships or internships in
the technical industry, there are many computer professionals that are
eager to work with the newly certified. There are several reasons this
is true.
First
Many professionals are simply overloaded, but can not afford
to hire anyone full-time to lighten their load. They would love to have
someone to assign lower level tasks to.
Second
If you hold an entry level Microsoft certification, it’s a numbers
game. Organizations that wish to maintain their status as Microsoft Certified
Partners are required to have a minimum number of certified individuals
on staff. They get business referrals from Microsoft based on these numbers.
Use this requirement as an opportunity to get your networking foot in the
door.
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| 5 |
Obtain an entry level certification.
A common complaint is that many individuals lack basic understanding
of the network and hardware infrastructure in which they are working. Getting
a CompTIA A+ or Network+ certification will provide a good baseline for
building such knowledge, plus it shows initiative. Many employers look
at the entry level certification as proof of an individual’s ability to
gain advanced certifications in the future. They see an opportunity to
mold an employee in specific areas relevant to them, building upon entry
level knowledge. Sometimes, employers appreciate the opportunity to teach
employees the correct way to get the job done—rather than having to break
old bad habits that were learned in different environments. |
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| That sums up my advice for this time. Keep the questions coming and
I’ll see you all next month.
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