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One mans Hero is a companies.

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Posted 6 months ago

 

'Ello all. I am a student in Computer Science. I have a few particular problems and I don't even have a job in the IT field yet.


I hate how even with bare minimum computer knowledge *BEFORE* I got into the Comp Sci major people seemed to think I was a comp wiz. Which please don't get me wrong. I can trouble shoot computers pretty well. I have taken care of my own since I got it and I do acknowledge my skills in being able to research and fix problems. However,  I absolutely hate it when people think *that* highly of me just because I can fix problems or comprehend enough to make workarounds if things don't work. Luckily I'm a bit of a loner so its not like I have the entire football team begging me to fix thier comp or anything.


The problem comes in now that I am actively seeking an internship or job. One bafoon I delt with at a local shop shot me down as soon as I said I'm a comp sci major looking for all experience possible. He immediately began lecturing me on how college doesn't teach you anything useful or how to deal with the hardware. Which.. ironically enough was why I was applying at  a computer repair shop. Even if I am going into programming and will never have to deal with computer hardware (as part of my list of job duties) ... The first time a computer breaks.. I'm gunna be one of the guys they come to. Plus I don't care if it is a computer repair shop.. It is stil dealing with computers.. which that by itself would look so much better on a resume then pushing carts at lowes.


I hate how despite being fairly good at fixing problems, and despite a huge willingness to learn, now even with most internships I've found.. the company doesn't want to teach you *anything* and they want you to work for absolutely *free* with no compensation for 10-20 hours a week.


I have been reading up on jobs and internships and trying to take all the advice into account.. however, after its frustrating reading "Consider a free internship, if they aren't paying you cash they must feel they have a lot to offer"... Sadly.. with all the internships I've found.. its not about 'learning' on the job and helping a company out in return.. Its about a company who doesn't feel like hiring someone to do a job and wants free help. Sadly with most of the internships I've found.. the amount of skill required means you may as well be applying for a job somewhere else where you can at least pay the bills.


As much as it would hurt me financially to take an unpaid internship over the summer meaning I'd have to work 2 jobs one to pay bills and one to get experience.. I would be eager and willing to take that internship *if* they would be willing to work with someone who has no business experience in the IT field.. However, Even free internships now seem to want enough experience that you could get an entry level position in the field now...


Its kind of frustrating not having any business experience to put on a resume.. and its not easy to try and make programs on my own when I don't have any guidelines, or any idea's that haven't been done before. i realize that part of being in the IT field is to be creative and to think of new ways to do things, and to have an amount of ingeniutiy on your own.. However, with absolutely no guideance and no willing participants to teach anything.. it gets old fast. The sad part? I love the field enough that none of this deters me even if the market bottoms out and I have to get a job in some other field.. my degree is gunna be comp sci..
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Rated: +1 | Posted 6 months ago

 

My thoughts, for better or worse:



  • If you have anything at all to do with IT, you will have to be versed in a wide variety of technical topics.  Not everyone is, and they pay for it in one way or another.  That's just the way it is.  You should know how to troubleshoot a PC and fix basic hardware problems; how to print to that printer over there or share out this one right here; some network basics like what are subnets, firewalls, DMZs and proxy servers; a little about the common TCP protocols like http, smtp, ftp, etc; a little bit about encryption and security; the difference between a SCSI and a SATA drive and why you would choose one over the other, between a CPU core and a socket as it relates to getting server specs from a software vendor, between a cookie and a header, between SAN and NAS, and so on.  Your future managers and colleagues will expect this.

  • Companies typically pay for experience, not for willingness to be trained.  Experience is your competitive edge and what differentiates minimum wage from something that can actually pay the rent.  Willingness to learn is what keeps your competitive edge sharp.

  • You can gain plenty of valuable experience without inventing anything new.  The focus should be on problem solving and meeting business needs, rather than elegance, inventiveness and creativity.  Certainly creativity is required, but it isn't the primary requirement.  Stated simply, businesses are looking for solutions, not art.

  • You can create experience on your own -- nobody said it has to be on-the-job experience.  Set up a network at home and start there.  You should be able get a couple of used desktop PCs and a switch for cheap.  You don't need cutting edge gear, just a Linux host and something that can run Windows.  Make sure there are Linux drivers for all of the hardware before you plunk down the cash.

  • If you are going to do work without being paid, at least do it for a good cause.  Find a non-profit organization that needs help with their web site or their office network.  Experience is experience, and its value is not determined by your stack of pay stubs.  Besides, a good non-profit will be much more appreciative, and you'll feel better about it at the end of the day.

  • If you work for a non-profit, you will probably get opportunities to create low-cost/no-cost solutions to real business problems.  This counts for a LOT, and will sound good in your interviews.  Employers want people who can get the job done with whatever they have to work with. 

  • Creating solutions on the cheap does NOT mean becoming an open-source zealot.  Most companies do not want zealots of any sort -- MS bashing in an interview is bad form.  Instead, develop a large palette of solution components, know which OSS products are appropriate for which problem spaces, and be ready to recommend a commercial solution if that is the best answer.


I hope that one or two of these points are helpful.  These things have been amazingly successful for me in my career, and I am happy to share them.

My boss never down-sizes, right-sizes, outsources or has lay-offs, and He's always hiring. I work for Jesus! Prepare your resume!
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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

I greatly appreciate the insight. Hopefully I will be able to put down some money soon on a new desktop. I already have a laptop and my gf has one well. Odds are I will be buying at least one new comp in the next few weeks. Although I will probably keep the limit at one (probably higher end than what your taking about.. still a great deal thou) desktop..  I will definitely make it a point to set it up so that I can print from it anywhere I go.. Set it up for a ftp connection among other things.


I do understand and acknowledge companies pay for experience however, thats the annoyance with many of the internships I've seen.. they are not paying for experience.


However, I will look for a nonprofit organization tomarrow around town and see what I can do for them, how many have IT needs ect.


Thanks for the tips. I greatly appreciate them all and they have been very helpful.

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