techies.com - your technology career control = center

From: Subject: techies.com - your technology career control center Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 20:29:07 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C041E6.E33A34A0"; type="text/html" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C041E6.E33A34A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: file://C:\My%20Documents\Patti's%20articles\techies_com%20-%20your%20technology%20career%20control%20center.htm techies.com - your technology career control = center

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current=20 issue index | archive=

Use the=20 pulldown menu below to look at jobs or activate your = techbroker in=20 other locations.

* =3D=20 jobs coming
** =3D no job fairs

Take Away
Things you=92ll learn in this article:=20

Advice on landing a job with no = experience.

There are ways to gain technology work = experience.

Related Links

New=20 exam could help nudge open the door
A = Web-based=20 exam might point you towards your tech = future.

Starting=20 from zero
Here are some highlights from = recent=20 community conversations on breaking into tech = jobs.

Mark=20 Adornetto
Adornetto, among others in=20 techies.com's community, can help you = with=20 questions on how to break into the tech biz.

Tech=20 newcomers' job ops go beyond help = desk
Tech=20 companies have all kinds of entry-level jobs for = enthusiastic, willing workers.

The=20 Career Company
Patti Wilson's Internet = and=20 high-tech career=20 site.

Archive view=20 archive
Previously in
Career = v.1.0:=20

June 2000
Romancing=20 the coworker

May 2000
Help=20 desk jobs make a great first = career

April 2000
The=20 real world of working for a = startup

March 2000
Hazards=20 of the occupation

February 2000
Getting=20 from girl to geek

=20

No = experience,=20 no education, no job?
Get the=20 ball rolling on your technology career.

July 2000
By Amy=20 Furan
techies.com Managing Editor =

If you=92re=20 new to the tech field, you=92re probably trying to get = your foot=20 in the door. Perhaps you=92ve heard about the shortage = of=20 skilled tech workers =96 and the high salaries they = command =96=20 and you=92ve decided to change careers. Or maybe = you=92ve just=20 graduated from college with a degree in philosophy but = found=20 out you really dig computers and want to work in the=20 field.

Regardless of your motivation, launching a = technology=20 career with little or no work experience or education = can be=20 challenging at best. While there are many = entry=96level=20 opportunities in the field (see related article, Tech=20 newcomer=92s job ops go beyond help desk), most = employers=20 are looking for something in your background that will = show=20 them you can do the job.

Get some training
Taking=20 classes is one of the best ways to get primed for a = job offer,=20 says Patti Wilson, owner of The Career Company in = Monte=20 Sereno, Calif., and a career counselor specializing in = Internet and high=96tech careers.=20

"If you want to get into technology you=92ve got to = get the=20 current languages under your belt," she says.=20

But do some research before you start signing up = for Java=20 classes, says Mark Adornetto, a career coach in the = San=20 Francisco Bay area.=20

3D""=20 "I would say the = No. 1=20 challenge or problem I see is that people will get the = training and then decide when they=92re done what to = do with=20 it," says Adornetto, who=92s also an expert on = techies.com=92s=20 question and answer community, question.techies.com. = "People=20 should first figure out what they want to do and then=20 investigate companies and find out what they are = looking for.=20 Then tailor your training to fit that."

Do some = self-assessment
But what=20 if you=92re so new to the industry, you don=92t really = know what=20 you want to do? It pays to spend some time figuring it = out,=20 says Adornetto.

"I see programmers burning out after two years = because they=20 didn=92t figure out beforehand that programming is an = isolated=20 activity, and they=92re more [people=96oriented]," he = says.

Most people have a general idea of whether they = want to=20 work with ideas, things, or people, he says. Once = you=92ve done=20 some self=96assessment, you can explore different = careers in=20 technology. Job seekers who enjoy working with people = might=20 gravitate toward help desk or management. People who = like=20 hands=96on work might enjoy working with hardware.

Wilson suggests reading job postings, too. "Most = people can=20 read a series of job descriptions, and it doesn=92t = take a lot=20 of horse sense to go, =92I can do that,=92 or =92I=92d = really like to=20 do that,=92 " she says.

Be an information = gatherer
Once you=20 have an idea of what you=92d like to do, Adornetto = recommends=20 using job postings as a starting point to find out = what kind=20 of qualifications you need. But don=92t use them as = your sole=20 source of information, he warns. Many companies use = criteria=20 that isn=92t identified in a job posting. You have to = get out=20 and talk to people =96 do informational interviews, = and start=20 networking, he says.

Wilson agrees and also encourages new grads to = contact=20 alumni. "You=92ve really got to network like crazy = with them,"=20 she says, noting that trade associations and forums = are=20 another good place to mingle with the tech=20 community.

Get experience anywhere you = can
Once=20 you=92ve set your sights on your dream job and = acquired some=20 education or training, gaining experience working with = the=20 tools and technology is the next step.

If you=92re still in school, take advantage of = internship=20 programs, says Wilson. If you=92re changing careers = and you need=20 some tech work on your resume, consider volunteering = at a=20 non-profit. Most companies and organizations need help = setting=20 up and maintaining Web sites, troubleshooting and = configuring=20 PCs, or managing networks. Or try taking on = tech=96oriented=20 projects within your own company, she suggests. It=92s = enough to=20 put on a resume, she says, and "once you get going, = companies=20 will value experience over education."

3DBack=20

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