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Have you been looking into getting certified for a career in Information Technology? It’s not a bad way to go, if you have any interest in computers, other than browsing the web and watching YouTube videos.
It took me 15 years of working on computers as a hobby, and building houses for work, to finally get out there and get it done. I have always had a love for computers since way back in the days of the Apple II C. I had a Commodore 64, too. I was just a kid then and had no idea what I wanted to do when I got older.
I ended up in a bit of trouble through my late teens and early twenties. I didn’t really follow the rules as they were laid out. I kind of went about things my own way. I found work in construction as a residential frame carpenter and just sort of figured that was who I was. In 2006 and 2007, the housing market started slowly falling apart. By the end of 2007, it was in a full throttle nosedive and still hasn’t recovered. I found myself out of work and wondering what I was going to do.
My friends and family suggested get into computers, since I was already the “free computer guy” for most of them. So I looked into some schooling and what it would take to get certified and break into the computer business. I discovered that for me to go to school and get enough certifications to get into a real career path involving computers and Information Technology, it would only take a couple of years and the cost wasn’t really that bad. I immediately got my A+ and Network+ certifications. For me, they were fairly easy. Some of my classmates struggled, but most got through it. The Microsoft certifications are quite a bit more difficult, though.
I took some time off from school to get back into the workforce. I took an out of town job at a computer repair shop. As I practiced the things I had learned to get my certifications, I also gained some experience with the office duties for a small computer repair business. This was invaluable to me, since all my previous business experience involved swinging hammers.
Now, it’s December 2010 and I have my own business. I am a computer repair technician. It feels good to say that! I will be starting back in school in January 2011 and I can’t wait. After a couple of months, I should be certified for Windows 7 as well as Windows Server 2008. I am also going back for certs in Windows XP and Server 2003, just to get them out of the way.
If you have been thinking about it, put together a plan and move forward with it. It is definitely a rewarding career and can be a lot of fun, as long as you are comfortable around, and like using computers.
Michael Nealon
CompTIA A+ and Network+ Certified, Computer Repair TechnicianSanford, NC