A reader left an interesting comment on one of my posts:
“Can anyone please give me some suggestion? I am just graduated in IS/IT and don’t have work experience in IT field at all. I am thinking to get Oracle DBA training. Do you think having training will give more likelihood of getting a junior DBA job? Secondly, in your opinion, which IT job would be easy to get just by having a training in a particular field?”
There’s two questions here. First, no, I don’t think having formal training as a DBA will help get a junior DBA job without experience. I’ve blogged about why you can’t get a junior DBA job without experience, and to get that experience, you need to spend time doing systems administration or development.
The second question really interested me, though – what’s the easiest IT job to get without any experience? My first thought is desktop support, which means repairing end users’ computers and helping them solve issues. A close second might be phone-based support, but I wouldn’t recommend going that route because it may not be easy to transfer into other IT jobs.
But I bet my readers have other good ideas, so I’ll put it out there. What’s the easiest IT job to get without experience?
This industry is just brutal. First I’m told to get a post-secondary education. Then I’m told I must industry certifications. So I bust my ass and spend a small fortune to get my CCNA only to be by every employer advertising a position that I need a minimum of 3-5 years experience. Doesn’t anyone hire and train anymore or is everyone supposed to be born a genius?
Zedboo – it’s pretty similar to the legal industry, the medical industry, and the engineering industry. Information technology requires in-depth knowledge, and it’s tough to get that knowledge on the job much like doctors aren’t trained in the hospital without getting a degree first. There was a time during the dot-com boom where you could pull it off, and a bunch of us (me included) did, but those days are long gone.
Globalization is also a factor. Many “entry level” DBA tasks are now performed offshore by large International outsourcing outfits like Satyam and entry level jobs in the DBA world in large global corporations simply no longer exist as they once did. That’s a non-trivial amount of jobs.
They key is “Never Give Up!” as someone once famously said in far darker days than we’re in now.
You should only be in IT if you love being a geek, and if you do – your passion will help to get you through. If you don’t, get out now and find something you love.
Chuck – that’s a great point. Outsourcing has taken a lot of the entry-level, no-experience-required DBA jobs at a price that can be tough for onshore folks to compete with.
Thanks for the reply.Experience is the great thing.I would like to gain it.I am ready to start my career even as a data entry programmer or assistant.
Dear Brent! I am pleased to see you here. I am also a so called IT degree holder. I did it in 2002. After that I joined Call Center industry and said bye bye to IT. Now in 2011 I am jobless and tried to come back to IT but failed miserably. Now I am deep fried and don’t know what to do. I do like programming but I hate the time it takes. I do not like the Network Administrator job. What should I do, I mean I am totally confused. Is there any list of jobs that a idiot like me would do. Should I go to UAE or states and drive a taxi. What should I do please assist. Let me know any technical course or hand work course that I will do. Help me someone!
John – hmm, that’s interesting. I don’t know of any professions that take a short amount of time to become good. One of the best ideas on this topic is something called the 10,000 Hour Rule by Malcolm Gladwell:
http://www.squidoo.com/10000-hour-rule
Dear : Brent Ozar
I’m also a IT graduate, but i don’t know how to make a Program,but I enjoy field of adobe photoshop… can you help me to start my career, My Question What is the easiest IT Job to apply for.
Jam – if you enjoy Photoshop, I’d contact local design firms, marketing companies, photo studios, etc – anyone who uses graphics.
when i finish my study for it..i work at engineering office as clerk..but its good practice since nowadays we cant have one single path of working…
about 5-6 month i applied for the same company as I.T engineer assistant..and somehow my manager allowed me to transfer because i know how to buy/manage/ I.T stuff and i also a I.T certificate!….
about 1 years..i learning a administrator from my engineers.. and its pain in the ass…haha..but my company send me to learn VWWare certificate…
now I expert in manage IT, knows a administrator and a important guys in our company worldwide because of the VWware..
just keep moving everyone!
is it really no no to go into Desktop support or IT support? Eventually, I want to go into Networking or Security, or something more real IT but I don’t have any IT experience(except 3months intern as IT support). So… I was thinking getting like A+ certification, since so many company is asking for it.
Will it be really hard to change the path? or even get a job?
Should I just build some Android apps to put in my resume insisting I was self-employed and that’s my experience? haha..
I want to keep moving but I don’t know what to do.