change to job in tech?

[Zorcht]

I'm wanting some advice on how to get a job in tech industry. I have a bachelors and masters in music. When I was in school, I was very good at math and science and they were my favorite subjects. I chose music because I aspired to be a performing musician. I had my own private lesson studio for about four years and then I began teaching band in public school. I am now in my second year of public school teaching. Well, here I am 30 years old and reality sets in as well as the responsibilities of being married (a good thing;) ).

About five years ago I got my first personal computer. Every since I've read and tinkered about computers as a hobby. I've even built two computers and I'm my mother's techie when she forgets how to turn on her machine! Now I'm thinking I would like to make a career change, but I'm not sure how to go about it. I am totally lacking in any formal training (H.S. computer science on the Apple IIE using BASIC doesn't count :p although I loved the class). I would like to do something that would be in the field, but also allow me to get some training/education as well. My current band director position consumes too much time to permit going to night school. Unless you've been in band in Texas, you don't understand how much work is put into the programs here.

I live in the Houston area, so that should give you an idea if you know what the job market is (which I really don't) as well as training options.

Anyway, I would like to hear some suggestions and see what people think. Thanks!

[Cpl_Squirrel]

Well, I guess your approach would depend on what kind of tech job you want. What are you thinking about?

Career changes are completely commonplace these days. :)

[Zorcht]

I like the hardware/problem solving aspect of it. I'm not too sure about the programming side. I'd have to do some to know.

[ShawnD1]

so yer a hardware man eh? take Computer Engineering at yer local university, you'll end up doing stuff that you might just like ;)

[crossedup]

buy the big huge upgrade and maintanence books and study them. look into taking A+ exam, sounds like thats where your intrest lies. am trying same thing myself, just buying parts and building computers, doing tech support fot relatives

have sold about 5 computers for small profits, have gone from a pII 400 to an xp 1900 in process, sell old buy new (my wife is about to kill me, have 14 computers in house now with 2 more coming:D )

good luck, will be watching this thread with intrest

:t

[Flotilla]

I have a bachelors in business, and everywhere I applied, they wanted experience, my degree was not important at all.
If you want to get your foot in the door, and don't have too much time on your hands, I'd recommend going to your local community college and taking a class when you can...talk with the people there and find out where they work. Volunteer at an organization that you know to be their tech support person, that way you can get it on your resume.
If web programming is for you, try making your own webpage. That's something that counts as experience when applying to a position involving that type of work.
If you want to be a technician, then buy an A+ certification book, and see if you can get an older pc that you can completely dismantle and then put it back together again (it'll help you learn).
If you're serious and don't want to go this route, then I'd suggest going to college again and majoring in Computer Science. With that degree under your belt you can apply to a whole range of positions, programmer, network specialist, etc.
Good Luck! :t

[Steve R Jones]

The tech industry is absolutely the worst industry to try to get into right now. There are TONS of highly skilled techs looking for work. Then there’s the issue of can you like off 30k per year as an entry level help desk person?

[AllGamer]

Oh yeah i'm totally with you on that one

yeah IT is fun an all, but to land a good Salary is **** hard

years ago i was making 3 times as much as what i make now in days :rolleyes:

oh those were the good old days, when everybody was green a nOObs on computer :p

right now i'm on the 50 range, but it's not quite enough, and it's so darn hard tof ind anything good above 60 to 80

i'm also more into the hardware side, programming is a hobby for me, i do know it, but i wont want to face it all day long

i like to Travel around, Programming = ball chained to a desk for 8 hrs a day

)-|

so thanks but no thanks :D

[Flotilla]

Originally posted by Steve R Jones
The tech industry is absolutely the worst industry to try to get into right now. There are TONS of highly skilled techs looking for work. Then there’s the issue of can you like off 30k per year as an entry level help desk person?

you're right, but I've also seen that the people with degrees in IT are less likely to apply for the entry level work. They tend to want the same level position they had before.

[Tony2005]

Originally posted by Steve R Jones
The tech industry is absolutely the worst industry to try to get into right now. There are TONS of highly skilled techs looking for work. Then there’s the issue of can you like off 30k per year as an entry level help desk person?

really? in england there is going to be a shortage of 100,000 techs - try here for a job -

im 16 and i've already been asked to become an IT tech for BiroTex (finance company that owns most pubs in hartlepool) and the only IT qaulification i have is a GCSE in ICT (which has nothing to do with hardware/ programing - just making posters all day :D )

[AllGamer]

Originally posted by Flotilla


you're right, but I've also seen that the people with degrees in IT are less likely to apply for the entry level work. They tend to want the same level position they had before.

LOL :r

you don't get to choose when you have nothing to choose from pal ;)

like me, heck if i were un employed and with tons of bills, i'll just take anything available

and not be one of those Fat butted, and sit and wait and wait and wait for an ethernity to hope for the same or better position.

at least on the meantime i do get to choose, cuz i'm working "happily" here

is only the distance from home that bugs me

job and pay is great, but work to home is coast to coast far

[ShawnD1]

so you live in new york but you work in silicon valley? hmmm fascinating :D

[AllGamer]

yes indeed, you not far off, is just a little above new york and around the same area as california :)

so i'm trying to look for something back home

but not unless i can find anything above $50k or unless i'm out in the street :p

whichever first ;)

[ShawnD1]

so yer not actually BSing?

why don't you move to where the job is?

[AllGamer]

erh... well in a way you do need to move there when you are working across the nation

else can you imagine travelling coast to coast every day? :x

or a little less dramatic, every weekend? :p

gosh if more people do that Planes Tickets will be dirty cheap like Taxi fares :D

is too bad that, that's not happening anytime soon

i go home every few months or so

but yeah it still sucks, being the only person away so far from the entire family

the whole generations they are all in the east coast

old grands grands to young grands grands

[ShawnD1]

taxi faires are expensive as hell around here. they charge like $5 plus like $0.50 per km or so, it's brutal!

[AllGamer]

hmm... maybe is just me, but :)

that fare seems reasonable to me :p

that's part of the reason why most people Reject any job that pay Lesser money cuz they want to keep the same life style

but the reality check, is that it ain't possible

specially when the area you live in is overloaded with people of the same skills level that can be hired for way less :(

[Zorcht]

Well, thanks for the tips. Actually an entry level job at 30K is about what teachers make. I make 38k because I have a masters and get a stipend as a band director. Teacher salaries, however, cap out at about 50-55k after 20 to 30 years experience. So you can see, not much room for growth.

I've got a spring break coming up, so I think I'll brush up the resume and see what happens. The plus side of teaching is the time off :D , summer vacation can't get here soon enough!

[Zorcht]

Does anyone have an A+ book they would recommend for a newbie?

[crossedup]

you can buy them on amazon cheaper than store but i prefer to go into store and browse book for 5 min or so. if it makes me want to read farther i can usually expect to read it at home so i buy it.

buy o/s books as well, optimizing o/s will often times lead to problems to fix which is once again experience, maybe not marketable experience, but good experience non the less

maybe scope out area for experienced tech shops, are there some? lots or few? in my area there is one and i very slowly am stealing there business because they specialize in "web pages". i dont care to do web pages, i have but it wasnt fun to me. like hardware like yourself. once computer is running im looking for next one to fix

make some biz cards, network a bit, your a schoolteacher you have the best bunch of networking people at your workplace everyday. they probably all have computers, 1 in the bunch might know how to fix one. teachers move around, fix someones and some time down road at differant school they tell someone else

networking

if at all possible, keep your job and start out small for yourself, dont let someone else control your income

never give up, keep the dream, if it lasts more than 1 year, its a keeper (the dream)

:D :t

[sm8000]

If you become your school's tech guy then you get some summer time off ;)

[crossedup]

allgamer has good point, what good is programming if system wont boot?

not very good

know machine, then learn programming

in my opinion anyway

:D

[bahama llama]

Another option is distance learning. There are a ton of colleges now that offer degrees entirely online. This is what I'm doing and it allows me to work full time, run my own business, and have time for family and friends. The internet is cool and what better way to get a computer degree? Don.:t

[Flotilla]

Originally posted by sm8000
If you become your school's tech guy then you get some summer time off ;)


:x I'd take a pay cut to get summers off!!

[chubtub]

I am doing both the programming thing and the tech thing here. Believe it or not I have a degree in Soc/Criminology. Hated working in corrections so started here just answering phones, 25 books later and 6 years here I am. It can be done just do not expect to make the big bucks for a couple years:( I am sitting in the 50s right now, although I was in the 65s up until the crash. Have to admit the work is not coming in that fast right now.

Not sure if you would want to teach. I have a friend the makes in the 30s teaching Chem/Physics/Comp he could be making alot more programming. On the other hand my dad is a retired teacher and makes more with his retirement plan than he did teaching.

[AllGamer]

the University of Phoenix online is getting very popular

some of you might check it out

[Zorcht]

thanks crossedup, lots of good advice. I'm going to sit down a make a pro vs con list of switching or teaching and say some prayers.

chubtub's got a good point about the retirement. Actually in TX they are short on teachers, so they are letting retired teachers return to teach and make salary plus retirement! Of course I would be a long way from that mark!

I think the driving force behind changing jobs is that teaching band consumes a lot of hours. I start at 7:30 and finish at 6:00 or 7:00 almost five days a week all school year. Lots of weekends are taken with contest etc. So one must be completely committed to the concept to put up with it. I'm just lucky to be at a very good program with a great student body, great parent support and a head director of bands that thinks exactly like I do musically. But I like how the computer stuff challenges my brain and not my patience (try controlling 62 Jr. High kids at one time :x ).

[crossedup]

you can keep all the kids, im a caterer right now. can be fun too. all the suggestions came from my hobby-pt job. am trying to set up as have explained, am trying to do same as you (but you do make more than me:( )

success is coming slow, but as i understand thats not bad. have done no advertising yet, only word of mouth (the best).

delivered one after work today. older lady, ready to retire (works for school :D). sold her an old p166mmx, with optical mouse, moniter, printer setup and delivery with some software installed for $150. didnt have a whole lot in it but probably had most of that much in labor.

will work good for what she needs

follow your dream, just be patient

;) :D