** Official IT Thread ** - Come in for some tech!

[dcbone30]

Glad this thread has been blowing up been lurking for awhile , been in IT for % plus years, what are your guys goal next year in regards to certs and IT career advancement.

Also what are some good entry level Database or Analytics certs out there?

Sec+ by the end of January. Network+ (its a final for my networking class) and MCSA or Server+ depending on where I'm at with my job. I hope to be a sys admin in the next year or less.

[jimbong]

I need to disagree with this. I'm a "sysadmin" and I get to do A LOT. I have projects until the beginning of 2017. Office 365 migrations, DC migrations, day to day, SQL, and I also touch networking and Info Sec. I'm actually running the AirWatch project right now. You can easily get a Sr. Sysadmin gig that pays 100K plus, at least near me. I'm in NJ right next to NYC. I think it all depends on where you work and where you live. As a "sysadmin", that could mean wearing many different hats. I literally get to touch WHATEVER I want. I just did a Windows 10 migration the other day which was interesting. I mean, I don't know if I want to stay a Sysadmin forever though. I really like doing projects and planning, so I might move into engineering or consulting at some point.

Also the whole school thing. I think that depends on where you are and how hard you're willing to work as well. My previous manager never went to school. My current manager went to school, got bored the first week, and quit. They both worked at very large corporations, I.E Symantec and VMware. It all depends on how hard you're willing to work and what you're willing to do. I only have two years of experience, but I never had school come up. My piece of paper didn't get me my jobs. In my last job, the Sr. InfoSec dude went to Lincoln Tech haha.

I guess this all comes down to a matter of opinion. I can only speak from my experience and others that I talk to. FYI, not trying to sound like I'm arguing. I just have to play a little bit of the devils advocate because of what I hear.

Ya I am in a mid sized Midwestern city which has a really low COL so my salary numbers are low especially compared to NYC area. I think there is a ton of value in being a jack of all trades sysadmin type and those type of jobs are actually quite fun since there is a lot of variability. It just seems to me though that the sysadmin type rolls are normally underpaid and certainly under appreciated, both internally and externally in the job hunt. Plus I was mainly talking about jobs and roles if your main goal is to get to consulting.

As to the education piece, believe me, I don't agree with the needing college thing but it seems that a lot places require it to even get your resume looked at so if you have the chance to get a degree of some sort I would too it. With that said, IT has to be the most friendly high paying job out there to people without degrees. Work experience + talent + certs(and I'm not a certs guy) can have you a very nice career.

Glad this thread has been blowing up been lurking for awhile , been in IT for % plus years, what are your guys goal next year in regards to certs and IT career advancement.

Also what are some good entry level Database or Analytics certs out there?

I'm not a big fan of certs, but I have been casually studying for the CISSP for a couple months and will ratchet that up and take it this spring. Most high level security jobs seem like they require or at least strongly prefer candidates with it so I figure why the hell not.

No clue on DB certs but I'd look at something in the NoSQL family like MongoDB or something as that stuff is really hot and up and coming. Otherwise Oracle and MSSQL isn't going away any time soon so stuff around those would work too.

[Juicy-]

Sup brahs. First time posting in this thread - Thanks to all that have discussed things. Recently graduated with a bachelor's in MIS and this thread has given me a lot of useful info that I didn't get in school.

I have a phone interview tomorrow for a junior systems administrator role in a fairly large company. Any interview tips you guys could share? This is my first career related interview so far and I (obviously) would like to be as prepared as possible.

[SynapticCleft]

Sup brahs. First time posting in this thread - Thanks to all that have discussed things. Recently graduated with a bachelor's in MIS and this thread has given me a lot of useful info that I didn't get in school.

I have a phone interview tomorrow for a junior systems administrator role in a fairly large company. Any interview tips you guys could share? This is my first career related interview so far and I (obviously) would like to be as prepared as possible.

They will probably ask you your experience with whatever systems you'll be administering. If you have any IT experience on your resume, then be prepared to explain your daily routine while you were in that role. Lastly they might give you a scenario and they want to see how you will respond. Interviews vary greatly but stay calm and composed which isnt too hard to do since it's over the phone.

[DLM012]

They will probably ask you your experience with whatever systems you'll be administering. If you have any IT experience on your resume, then be prepared to explain your daily routine while you were in that role. Lastly they might give you a scenario and they want to see how you will respond. Interviews vary greatly but stay calm and composed which isnt too hard to do since it's over the phone.

Another brah who posted in this thread suggested that you don't sit while you interview. It'll make you antsy.

If you're home put on the clothes you're most comfortable in and stand/walk around while you're interviewing. I guarantee you you'll feel more comfortable and the interview will go really well.

Does anyone know any online resources for Mac certification? A good video series perhaps?

[NZDB]

Does anyone else feel like quitting their job and starting their own IT business some days?

I get paid well at my current job (just outside 6 figures) but my heart and head just won't shut up about going out on my own.

[devilbones]

Does anyone else feel like quitting their job and starting their own IT business some days?

I get paid well at my current job (just outside 6 figures) but my heart and head just won't shut up about going out on my own.

Everyday. I wish that I had the balls to do it.

[dcbone30]

Anybody a contractor that works on a "permanent" contract and renegotiated your pay at some point? I'll be coming on a year pretty soon at my current job and I've gotten certs, became a team lead, will have my degree and my current position has taken on responsibilities outside the scope of the original job description. I have also gotten stellar performance evals. I figured this would be a good basis for renegotiating my pay to hold me over until a promotion. Would like your experience from somebody who has done this or been in a similar situation.

[SynapticCleft]

Brahs in this thread with a bachelors degree or greater or are hiring managers, I have a question for you. Does it really matter from what school you get your bachelors from?

I've narrowed done my list of schools to 4 and after some research of these 4 schools, they will let me finish finish as fast as possible ie within 2 years or less. I already have an associates so I think i'll be able to graduate within 1.5 years. My goal is to come out with as little debt as possible.

[illskillz]

Brahs in this thread with a bachelors degree or greater or are hiring managers, I have a question for you. Does it really matter from what school you get your bachelors from?

I've narrowed done my list of schools to 4 and after some research of these 4 schools, they will let me finish finish as fast as possible ie within 2 years or less. I already have an associates so I think i'll be able to graduate within 1.5 years. My goal is to come out with as little debt as possible.

Rule of thumb for decisions like this is to go with the best school you can afford. If you can afford an Ivy league school go for that. Here in STL we have Washington University and St. Louis University as the best two schools but they are the most expensive ones here as well. Of course being in huge debt after graduating is not being able to afford the school either. ROI

[SynapticCleft]

^^True, I'm getting a BS just so I can advance faster and get into management, I already work full time in IT. I don't mind paying a little more since local schools around me have the hook-ups to big companies in Boston. But if I can cruise by with a BS from WGU or SNHU, I'll go to either of them.

[dcbone30]

^^True, I'm getting a BS just so I can advance faster and get into management, I already work full time in IT. I don't mind paying a little more since local schools around me have the hook-ups to big companies in Boston. But if I can cruise by with a BS from WGU or SNHU, I'll go to either of them.

I've always been told it doesn't really matter unless it's some prestigious school and you're in a highly competitive situation. Simply list on your resume/application "BS - Information Systems" or whatever and if they care about the school, they'll ask where you got it from.

I'm just gonna do WGU since the BS will transfer to a masters program and the masters degree will be from a bigger name than WGU. Just a stepping stone really and it's so cheap compared to the local B&M I'll walk away without debt, not to mention they pay for certs and the flexibility of all online. I think the most important thing is if at all, having a bs from an accredited school will matter more than one of those throwaway tech programs or degree factories.

[jimbong]

Brahs in this thread with a bachelors degree or greater or are hiring managers, I have a question for you. Does it really matter from what school you get your bachelors from?

I've narrowed done my list of schools to 4 and after some research of these 4 schools, they will let me finish finish as fast as possible ie within 2 years or less. I already have an associates so I think i'll be able to graduate within 1.5 years. My goal is to come out with as little debt as possible.

First off, as a hiring manager, if it was 100% up to me I wouldn't even require a degree of any sort for any job. With that said some people higher up make it a blanket requirement for employment. If that is the case then any resumes I get sent to me I know have already been screened by HR to meet minimum requirements and I either don't look at their education or take a cursory glance. If I saw Harvard, Yale, Stanford etc.. I would be like, whoa, impressive but also be like wtf is this guy doing in day to day IT. To the best of my knowledge, college has never even been discussed aloud in the 30 or 40 hiring processes I have been involved in. I'd say as long as it is an accredited institution then you are good to go.

General hiring process info(N=1) - the Cover Letter is the most important part. A great cover letter almost guarantees you an initial interview(as does a great resume though). Amazing how many people leave out a cover letter which is your #1 way to differentiate yourself from the 178 other applications I have on my desk.

For interviews I basically ask one question and go from there. Entry level jobs - Tell me about something cool you have done recently with technology. Mid-level/Senior - Teach/explain a IT skill/concept to me. I hire based on Passion/Excitment/Social Skills, I can teach and you can learn anything that is needed as long as you are willing to put in the work to learn.

[TheAmericano]

sup brahs...wanted to ask about salary negotiations...

After spending a month sending in my resume I finally got a call back and interviewed

Now they want a 2nd interview and have ask what salary I'm looking for...now this is a problem

After a month of sending in my resume I finally got a call back and went in for an interviewed. I think it went great, but now they want to know what to know what salary i'm looking for...

- This is for an information security analyst position to which I have 0 experience in this field (small company)

- Would around 45-50k be a decent starting salary for someone with 0 experience?

[jerzyfit]

sup brahs...wanted to ask about salary negotiations...

After spending a month sending in my resume I finally got a call back and interviewed

Now they want a 2nd interview and have ask what salary I'm looking for...now this is a problem

After a month of sending in my resume I finally got a call back and went in for an interviewed. I think it went great, but now they want to know what to know what salary i'm looking for...

- This is for an information security analyst position to which I have 0 experience in this field (small company)

- Would around 45-50k be a decent starting salary for someone with 0 experience?

If you have 0 experience in general, I'm curious how you got a 2nd interview for a InfoSec position. I think for an entry-level security position that's fair. Your best bet would be to Google the salary for that job title in your area. Tell them based on the title, you want this much.

[jimbong]

sup brahs...wanted to ask about salary negotiations...

After spending a month sending in my resume I finally got a call back and interviewed

Now they want a 2nd interview and have ask what salary I'm looking for...now this is a problem

After a month of sending in my resume I finally got a call back and went in for an interviewed. I think it went great, but now they want to know what to know what salary i'm looking for...

- This is for an information security analyst position to which I have 0 experience in this field (small company)

- Would around 45-50k be a decent starting salary for someone with 0 experience?

General advice is to avoid answering that question until you have to. When I have been forced to say a number I always add about 20% to what I really want. You can play it safe and give a range..so I'd say 50-65k or something like that. If they like you they aren't going to just drop you because your salary request is a big high. Check glass-door for salaries of similar positions. It is also my experience that smaller companies will pay a bit less but your soft benefits will be much better than a large company.

In my last job hunt I was throwing out numbers that were hard for me to keep a straight face when I said them. The company who's job offer I untimely accepted, the hiring manager literally laughed in my face when I told him my first number (a 200% raise over my previous pay, lol). But then he said no really and I threw out a lower number that was still a ridiculous raise for me but somewhat in line with what other positions seemed to pay and we settled on a number a bit above that.

So, don't be afraid to aim high, it is much harder to get a raise once you are working and they have you locked in.

[TheAmericano]

If you have 0 experience in general, I'm curious how you got a 2nd interview for a InfoSec position. I think for an entry-level security position that's fair. Your best bet would be to Google the salary for that job title in your area. Tell them based on the title, you want this much.

Google and glassdoor are give me $75-95 in my area, but with 0 experience I think I'm shooting myself in the foot if I even ask for that.

- I was actually surprised myself. Even though this in entry level I was the only "young" person in the waiting room. But I feel I killed the 1st interview. I hit all the tech questions (studied the fawk out of the duties for the position) and got them loling a lot.

- Also I think they are willing to take a chance, mainly due to them being able to pay me less. But since I have no experience I'm on a "take whatever I can mentality"...this would be a whole lot better then working help desk.

[DLM012]

For the sake of your sanity, I highly recommend that you all DO NOT implement RTs in your environment. These things are a pita to administer.

Brb can't be added to the domain
Brb individually updating each of 20+ tablets and manually factory resetting them
Brb no Ethernet port

[jj00ee]

Google and glassdoor are give me $75-95 in my area, but with 0 experience I think I'm shooting myself in the foot if I even ask for that.

- I was actually surprised myself. Even though this in entry level I was the only "young" person in the waiting room. But I feel I killed the 1st interview. I hit all the tech questions (studied the fawk out of the duties for the position) and got them loling a lot.

- Also I think they are willing to take a chance, mainly due to them being able to pay me less. But since I have no experience I'm on a "take whatever I can mentality"...this would be a whole lot better then working help desk.

infosec brah checking in

if you don't have other interviews lined up i say take it, work there for a year, see what happens with your salary review, if it isn't a huge increase, bounce for a quick 25k increase in pay

[Afiss]

would anyone be willing to take a peek at my resume, i figure in the past 250 resumes ive sent. Received 6 calls. 3 Ended after first call, 1 failed technical exam (for the job i wanted argh), 2 job offers but 90+ mins away. I have no degree and only 9 months exp desktop support along with A+ cert. Would this sound about right pace or does my resume need work? reps

[dcbone30]

would anyone be willing to take a peek at my resume, i figure in the past 250 resumes ive sent. Received 6 calls. 3 Ended after first call, 1 failed technical exam (for the job i wanted argh), 2 job offers but 90+ mins away. I have no degree and only 9 months exp desktop support along with A+ cert. Would this sound about right pace or does my resume need work? reps

If it's your resume you wouldn't be getting any phone calls. The resume/cover letter just gets you passed the HR monkeys and to the interview. You're interview gets you the job. Feel free to PM me or you could post it here (just leave out your personal info).

[devilbones]

Passed my A+ on Saturday. Project+ and PMP next.

[dcbone30]

Passed my A+ on Saturday. Project+ and PMP next.

Congrats. Where are you getting your experience for PMP? Do you work in the field already?

[devilbones]

Congrats. Where are you getting your experience for PMP? Do you work in the field already?

I have about 10 years of project management experience. I have worked in IT for 15 years. The A+ was a requirement for WGU as well as the Project+. I have already submitted and had my PMP application approved. There is a program through the VA that will pay for your PMP and they paid for my PMI membership as well as the exam fee. If any vets want additional info, send me a PM. I went through a program at Syracuse to get my CISSP that was free too.

[SynapticCleft]

What are you taking in WGU? And do you mind sharing how much tuition is going to cost you? I've been looking at WGU as well for my bachelors.

[devilbones]

What are you taking in WGU? And do you mind sharing how much tuition is going to cost you? I've been looking at WGU as well for my bachelors.

I am taking the BS-IT Network admin. Tuition is $3500 a six month semester. They want you to do about 18 CUs per semester which is pretty easy. The A+ cert got me 8 CUs. Its all competency based so you can do it at your own pace. I had 3 years that I transferred in from UMASS but they only gave me 69 credits. I hope to be done by October. PM me if your email address if you want a referral, they will waive the application fee and I will get an Amazon gift card.

[SynapticCleft]

Thanks brah, will keep you in mind if I do choose to go to WGU.

[dcbone30]

I have about 10 years of project management experience. I have worked in IT for 15 years. The A+ was a requirement for WGU as well as the Project+. I have already submitted and had my PMP application approved. There is a program through the VA that will pay for your PMP and they paid for my PMI membership as well as the exam fee. If any vets want additional info, send me a PM. I went through a program at Syracuse to get my CISSP that was free too.

PM'd

[AnimalStrength]

What kind of useful or good apps are you fellas using for your phone i have a Iphone, i just got outlook its pretty legit i have cloud magic as well to change it up.

[SynapticCleft]

What kind of useful or good apps are you fellas using for your phone i have a Iphone, i just got outlook its pretty legit i have cloud magic as well to change it up.

I have an android, but these apps should also be on the Iphone app store.

Es File Explorer - Access my home file server from my phone
VNC - RDP into my computers/VMs while on LAN
Teamviewer - RDP into my compters/VMs on WAN or LAN
JuiceSSH - SSH into my servers or networking devices
Fing - Network mapper