Employers don’t want people only with degrees, because while a degree attests to a person’s ability to learn, and to stick their way through a two or four-year program (or longer, for those with more advanced degrees), even a freshly-minted degree in computer science (CS), engineering, information technology (IT) or management information systems (MIS) provides no guarantee for or expectation that holders possess any kind of real-world or on-the-job skills related to information technology. On the other hand, employers may not want people only with certifications; because they want to be sure they’ve acquired enough learning skills and techniques to keep up with new and emerging technologies over time. (That’s because whatever you learn in school, no more than half of it lasts more than five years, and very little of it lasts more than 10 years, in terms of day-to-day, on-the-job relevance).
Ideally, in fact, employers want job candidates with degrees, certifications, and hand-on experienceeven for entry level positions.
This poses a real challenge for those seeking first-time IT employment, particularly for those getting ready to graduate from school. So how can these people improve the odds of finding a good IT job when they finally hit the job market, with sheepskins in hand, and big hopes for a bright future?
1. Think about mixing some IT certification in with your academic training. This isn’t as onerous or as expensive as it might sound, because an increasing number of two and four-year degree programs actually include various certifications into their curriculums, or make such training available to adult and continuing education students at the same facilities (and often from the same faculty and instructors).
For would-be IT Professionals, basic certs worth earning before hitting the job market include the CompTIAtrio (A+, Network+, and Security+) as well as Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) credentials in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (of which there are many) and Cisco’s gateway certification, the Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA). Those with more focused or specialized interests should think about relevant certifications as well, in areas like storage networking (CompTIA Storage+), Cloud Computing (CompTIA Cloud Essentials), database (ICCP Certified Data Management Professional), and so forth.
2. Find a way to get some hands-on IT experience while you’re still in school (for one determined young man’s progress on this kind of journey, see my recent blog “IT Careers: Certification and Motivation Pays Off”). This could include looking for some kind of computing job on campus (look for the computer labs where your classes take you and check out the library, too—all of them need part-time help, and usually staff those positions with students.
Check also with computing-focused departments like the computer science department, computer engineering, business programs, and even the school administration departments) or a computing-related part-time job (check with your school’s employment office, which usually posts part-time jobs for students, and offers a variety of ways for student workers and part-time employers to find each other).
If all else fails, look for volunteer work: schools, churches, and charities are always on the prowl for motivated volunteers, and don’t mind when prospective candidates ask for particular kinds of work, either.
3. Keep at it. You may need to string together a bunch of short-term contracts or part-time positions to keep yourself busy, and to keep acquiring work-related IT experience. Plan to spend a certain number of hours per week engaged in professional development of this kind.
If you’re not actually working during any of those hours, you should be looking for your next part-time or temporary gig instead. Persistence is important, as is a track record of ongoing activity. If you do keep it up, you’ll find yourself in a much more competitive position when the time comes to look for a full-time job in IT.
There’s no magic recipe for achieving success in IT, but if you bear down and get serious about certification and part-time work before you graduate, your post-graduation path to employment can’t suffer from such effort. Even better, you may learn what kinds of IT work you like to do (and equally important, what kinds of jobs or tasks don’t interest you) before you actually have to take on a full-time job commitment to find out one way or the other.
The best thing about this strategy is that it also makes you a more well-rounded job prospect, and improves your potential value in the eyes of prospective employers. Be sure to weigh these options carefully before you decide to take some other path: in today’s still-shaky economy, it’s only prudent to do everything you can to maximize your employability!
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