3 answers
Ben
Student
Colorado, Colorado
1
Question
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How do I begin a career in I.T.
high-school student looking to start planning #computer
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3 answers
Chad Kalmes
CIO/CISO
9
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Chad’s Answer
I think there are a number of ways to begin a career in IT.
First and foremost, I would suggest getting some hands-on experience and seeing if working in/with technology is something you truly enjoy. There are a number of widely-different career paths that could fall under the category of "IT", many of which you can experiment with on your own.
First, there is basic "IT Support" - this is generally an entry-level kind of position and it helps to have a wide range of experience with both hardware and software and being able to troubleshoot problems that occur. You can get experience in this area by just being very adept at fixing your own issues - any time you run into a hardware or software problem in your day-to-day life, spend some time researching the errors/problems you're seeing and learn what the possible fixes might be. Basically...start by Googling for answers whenever something goes wrong, and take the time to learn the fix on your own. Building/fixing your own computer is another great way to get some basic hands-on experience. There are lots of small projects you can do with platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi that can also be fun to work with and get you some working knowledge of the different hardware/software components that are required to make technology 'work'.
Then there are jobs in "Engineering/Development" - for this, you ultimately need to learn some programming language(s) so that you can develop/build/troubleshoot your own software. There are a wide number of online courses and tools available that let you self-teach different languages at your own pace, getting you familiar with how software is structured and specifically how to use it to solve real-world problems...or make your own games. Ultimately, for a career in this space (if it's something you enjoy), you'd want to look into taking formal programming courses, boot camps, or majoring in something like computer science in a 2- or 4-year college program.
There are also jobs in "IT Administration" - which is less about troubleshooting break/fix issues or coding your own software, and more about developing expertise in configuring and maintaining pre-existing software solutions, sometimes with coding experience necessary, sometimes not. One way to get experience in this field would be setting up and maintaining your own website. You learn the basics of configuration, get to create some content, maybe learn basic technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. There are a number of resources and kickstart guides online that walk you through setting up your own site, as well as places where they can be hosted for free or very cheaply. Getting experience with common software platforms/solutions used by businesses (for example, Salesforce or Microsoft 365/GSuite, Netsuite, etc.) is also great, but probably harder to get started on independently without a job that actually exposes you to these tools and how to set them up and maintain them, and few of those platforms have fully-free versions that would let you play around with them to get familiar on your own. In those cases, one of the best ways to get experience is to work as an intern or new hire in a business that uses a lot of technology and try to get some hands-on experience as part of that job.
Beyond that, there are jobs in "Data Analytics" where you spend a lot of time doing analysis on information to solve problems, jobs in "Database Administration" that manage the technologies that actually store and manage data in large quantities. There are roles as "Project/Program Managers" that help coordinate different teams/functions/roles on particular intiatives to work toward common solutions, etc.
In the end, there are a *lot* of careers that would fall under "IT", with a lot of different skills required to make them all work. I would suggest finding an area you think is fun/interesting, and just doing some research to see what you can do to build your knowledge and get your hands dirty. Worst case you decide it's not for you, and you learn something along the way, and then try something else.
Hope that helps.
Research different roles/functions that typically fall under "IT"
Look for tutorials or self-guided courses online that would let you get some hands-on practice with the different skills required
Test out some different types of technology on your own - one of the best ways to learn is by doing/experimenting
If you don't like what you're trying - try something else, rinse and repeat
When you're old enough - look for internships or entry-level jobs that might have a technology aspect to them to get some real-world experience
First and foremost, I would suggest getting some hands-on experience and seeing if working in/with technology is something you truly enjoy. There are a number of widely-different career paths that could fall under the category of "IT", many of which you can experiment with on your own.
First, there is basic "IT Support" - this is generally an entry-level kind of position and it helps to have a wide range of experience with both hardware and software and being able to troubleshoot problems that occur. You can get experience in this area by just being very adept at fixing your own issues - any time you run into a hardware or software problem in your day-to-day life, spend some time researching the errors/problems you're seeing and learn what the possible fixes might be. Basically...start by Googling for answers whenever something goes wrong, and take the time to learn the fix on your own. Building/fixing your own computer is another great way to get some basic hands-on experience. There are lots of small projects you can do with platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi that can also be fun to work with and get you some working knowledge of the different hardware/software components that are required to make technology 'work'.
Then there are jobs in "Engineering/Development" - for this, you ultimately need to learn some programming language(s) so that you can develop/build/troubleshoot your own software. There are a wide number of online courses and tools available that let you self-teach different languages at your own pace, getting you familiar with how software is structured and specifically how to use it to solve real-world problems...or make your own games. Ultimately, for a career in this space (if it's something you enjoy), you'd want to look into taking formal programming courses, boot camps, or majoring in something like computer science in a 2- or 4-year college program.
There are also jobs in "IT Administration" - which is less about troubleshooting break/fix issues or coding your own software, and more about developing expertise in configuring and maintaining pre-existing software solutions, sometimes with coding experience necessary, sometimes not. One way to get experience in this field would be setting up and maintaining your own website. You learn the basics of configuration, get to create some content, maybe learn basic technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. There are a number of resources and kickstart guides online that walk you through setting up your own site, as well as places where they can be hosted for free or very cheaply. Getting experience with common software platforms/solutions used by businesses (for example, Salesforce or Microsoft 365/GSuite, Netsuite, etc.) is also great, but probably harder to get started on independently without a job that actually exposes you to these tools and how to set them up and maintain them, and few of those platforms have fully-free versions that would let you play around with them to get familiar on your own. In those cases, one of the best ways to get experience is to work as an intern or new hire in a business that uses a lot of technology and try to get some hands-on experience as part of that job.
Beyond that, there are jobs in "Data Analytics" where you spend a lot of time doing analysis on information to solve problems, jobs in "Database Administration" that manage the technologies that actually store and manage data in large quantities. There are roles as "Project/Program Managers" that help coordinate different teams/functions/roles on particular intiatives to work toward common solutions, etc.
In the end, there are a *lot* of careers that would fall under "IT", with a lot of different skills required to make them all work. I would suggest finding an area you think is fun/interesting, and just doing some research to see what you can do to build your knowledge and get your hands dirty. Worst case you decide it's not for you, and you learn something along the way, and then try something else.
Hope that helps.
Chad recommends the following next steps:
Nelson Fonseca
Software Engineer
1
Answer
Cork
Updated
Nelson’s Answer
Hi,
I would say focus on something "generic" first, like knowing how to operate some operative system like Windows or Linux.
Once you make your choice, start improving skills and the best is to find a job in Tech Support. You will learn a lot if working in Tech Support, not only on the technical side but also how to deal with customers.
After some time, get some entry level certifications "Associate" level type of certifications and start building a specialty like Networking/Storage etc.
In my opinion this would be a good way to start but I am sure there are others too.
I would say focus on something "generic" first, like knowing how to operate some operative system like Windows or Linux.
Once you make your choice, start improving skills and the best is to find a job in Tech Support. You will learn a lot if working in Tech Support, not only on the technical side but also how to deal with customers.
After some time, get some entry level certifications "Associate" level type of certifications and start building a specialty like Networking/Storage etc.
In my opinion this would be a good way to start but I am sure there are others too.
Joanne Mammarelli
Systems Engineer
137
Answers
Montclair, New Jersey
Updated
Joanne’s Answer
Hi,
Take math/science classes - they are an IT staple.
Take IT electives just to see if you like them.
Join a technical type of club (i.e. computer club or video gaming club) to see if you like it.
The more you participate in the search, the clearer your answer may become.
Joanne