Older newbie needing advice

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Hi guys,

Im having a career change I'm 37, I have no experience of working in the IT industry (currently I'm a car mechanic) I've always put it off because of the drop in wages I'd have to take, but if I don't do it now I never will. I have basic skills at the moment, having owned a pc for 12yrs or so and I would like some input from you to ask if its do-able. After reading some of the threads I've decided to do my A+ self study stylee as you seem to recommend doing it that way and then go on to do Network +, MCDST and MCSA hopefully.

A couple of questions I've been thinking about:

Will my age affect me getting what will be basically a junior job?

Can I get a job with just an A+ quali or will I need more?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Welcome!

Getting an IT job at the age of 37 is quite doable. I know people who got started in their 50s and are doing quite well.

Self-study is what most people around here recommend. I have yet to take a training course for any of the certifications in my sig.

You can get a job even without the A+ certification. Certifications don't guarantee you a job, but they certainly make you look more attractive to employers. That said, there are limitations. You wouldn't want to apply for jobs with certifications that far surpass your level of experience. Meaning, you should get entry-level certifications to help you get entry-level jobs. The A+ is perfect for that. The Network+ and MCDST are also good when starting out, but you don't need to wait until you get those before looking for jobs... start looking now. When you get the A+, add it to your CV and keep looking.

In time, you will have built up enough experience to start pursuing more advanced certifications, such as the MCSA and CCNA. And we will be here to help you along the way.

Hope this helps. Best of luck! And welcome again!

 

Thanks for the reply and the info, I'm sure I'll be asking alot more questions along the way.

 

Actually, you're not that old. I was in my late 40s when I started making the career change so it's a doable thing.