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Wazzup
0 pts.
 Why so hard?
Career development
Hi there,

I would just like to know why it is so hard for people just coming out of college with no IT experience to a IT position?It is always 6months - 5years experience, there is never something for newly graduates!

Thank You
ASKED: Jul 26, 2005  2:21 AM GMT
UPDATED: November 14, 2007  4:30:38 PM GMT
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wickedstick
0 pts.
Answer Wiki:
Lately, IT staffs have become leaner and leaner with staffer usually wearing many hats. Unless there is a large enterprise, staffers are having to work on servers, switches, desktop support, etc. Due to this, there is rarely room in the team for rookies. People generally don't have the manpower to support having someone with little to no experience - this would also require having someone on the team to train them.

I would suggest taking the 'old-school' approach and start looking for a helpdesk or desktop support position. This will give you a foot in the door and then you can work on the side with the server team, network team, etc to learn more about what and how things are done. It also gives you the opportunity to learn the environment. This could lead to internal transfer/promotion.
Last Wiki Answer Submitted:  Jul 26, 2005  9:20 AM (GMT)  by  wickedstick   0 pts.
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Dear Wazzup:
I agree with wickedstick that it’s primarily because available IT jobs come with so many requirements and such a mix of skills and assignments, that they tend to look for people with appreciable experience to fill such positions.

That also explains why he advises you to look for help desk or support tech jobs as stepping-stones into the IT area. By helping you acquire some or all of the experience and exposure necessary to transition into an IT position, they can prepare you to make that move when the opportunity presents AND you’ve got the right number of years in harness to meet their requiremetns.

That said, you can also look for “entry-level” IT positions though they are pretty scarce, and most likely to come available in large metropolitan markets (NYC, LA, Chicago, DC, Houston, Dallas, and so forth) rather than in Anytown, USA.

I tend to agree with wickedstick that a “foot in the door” approach through help desk or support positions is your best way to move yourself toward an IT position. OTOH, if returning to school for a master’s degree is an option, that might help to open more doors for you when you return to the job market.

If you post again to tell me what your specific technical interests in IT might be, I can probably help you formulate a more tailored and accommodating career development plan, one that fits you and your situation better than the kind of general one-size-fits-all advice you find here from me and wicketstick.

HTH, and thanks for posting,
–Ed–

Edtittel
 1,120 pts.