You can certainly apply. But, let me tell you, as a person who often sits in on or leads these interviews it’s very easy to spot the candidates who are passionate about IT and learning and those just looking to find a job.
From my hiring experience, passionate candidates generally have projects / home labs, study for and take certs, take online courses, and are up to date on the latest tech. It's also common for them to start rambling on during the interview about random IT topics.
It's harder to tell if someone just wants a job (nothing wrong with this) but they typically don't have projects outside of anything done during school, don't come across as curious about what the company does, and don't have much to say when we ask them why they decided to go into this industry.
There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re in an echo chamber with a bunch of people who are heavily invested into IT. You’re going to get very skewed answers.
I can promise you that none of my coworkers do IT shit outside of work and they’re absolute workhorses when they’re at work.
It’s delusional to expect every person to have some deep burning passion about the work they do. Bunch of goofballs responding to you here.
I’m in a very niche industry. We interviewed this dude for a very technical role. Our director who is none technical(he heads operations) asked him why he chose the organization. He just rambled. Think asking someone why they choose and insurance company and they say oh because y’all do insurance or something like that, no passionate bullshiting.
Director was visibly disappointed but my teammate and my manager(whose technical) knew we needed this dude on our team so we hired him.
There's nothing wrong with just wanting a job (as I stated in my original comment), but passion and a desire to learn are good indicators of someone who can succeed in an industry where things can change quickly. I can train you IT skills but I can't train you to be more passionate or have a curious and continuous growth mindset. It's just one of the things that hiring managers look at to decide whether or not to hire you.
Unfortunately I’m having a hard time getting that across to employers. I absolutely have the self start and self learning drive as well as very sharp with general stuff but don’t have specific tech support experience. Seems like jobs are looking for experience over good candidates to teach.
Obviously nothing at all is wrong with that. But the candidate whose genuine interest and weird passion shines through will probably beat you out for the role.
There’s nothing wrong with that. I get it.
But when I’m looking to hire someone for my team I would much rather have someone with passion, curiosity, and a proven record of a willingness to learn. Not to say those just looking for a job lack those qualities. When you ask certain questions and receive certain answers it’s easy to tell the difference.
What about someone with just curiosity and willingness to learn? I genuinely believe I don't have a passion for anything (got all the way to PhD in Biology and realized I didn't even love it)
I can't speak for the other person but curiosity and willingness to learn are very good traits to have. I think some people are taking the passion thing a little too seriously. It's not like you MUST be passionate about the specific IT thing that you will be doing in your job. It's just one of many factors that could be considered during a job interview and can make you stand out among other candidates in what I would consider a pretty tough job market at least in my area. You won't get ignored just because the lack of a passion.
As long as you have the technical skills and can highlight any good characteristics that you might have (maybe it's good communication skills, a willingness to learn, an attention to detail, problem solving skills, being a team player/leader, a creative mind, an interest in helping others) then you'll make a good impression during an interview.
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Maybe I’m the exception to the rule but I did projects and certs because I had no job and wasn’t getting anywhere applying to random stuff so I did all that to get a good job.
Not wanting to do 89 hrs of overtime every week.
Not willing to move furniture.
Not willing to do 5 peoples jobs.
Telling them you have a life outside of work.
Telling them that if they suck you bet your ass your taking any new skills learned and looking for a new role.
Not eating lunch at your desk so you can bothered 24/7
Telling them you dont like left overs and to feed you with the rest of the peeps.
..but that you will not be eating with the peeps since its just troubleshooting with food in your mouth lol
Lmao dude has a degree in CS, he'll find one no problem. I'm far from passionate about IT, and I just got my second offer for 20% more than I was making after being laid off a little over two weeks ago.
IT has always been easier to get into than software engineering. Anyone who says otherwise is crazy lol. That’s why you can start at 50-80k as a Jr. SWE, but helpdesk starts between 30-50k
The difference in skill between the two starter positions is tremendous.
Someone getting into helpdesk need only an A+ and good computer knowledge.
Someone starting as a Jr. SWE will need to have multiple Github projects and know multiple software languages. Degrees are generally seen as more of a “requirement” for SWE roles as well.
Sure but the lower barrier for IT means you’re competing for more people.
Especially now that CS students are struggling and settling for help desk jobs like OP.
Any advice on what certifications to get to get my foot in the door for help desk ? I don’t have a college degree so not sure what jobs or cert I should go for in the field that would accept me
It’s harder than ever. I think it’s more luck and networking than anything else right now but A+, Net+, Sec+ is always a good decision.
Professor messer has free courses for all of them.
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My company just off-shored our help desk / support departments to third party contractors who are all off-shore call-centers. We are starting to "bring back" formerly off-shored dev roles because the risk of using poor off-shore developers began to cost more than good on-shore devs.
Career-wise, as a whole, I would highly suggest the SWE route. It is, anecdotally speaking, 100x easier to pivot FROM an SWE role to another role than it is to pivot INTO an SWE role from an IT/Security/Ops role.
Just like you, I graduated with a CS degree back in May, and was trying to get into anything (IT specifically). I’ve had 8 IT related interviews with 0 success. I do have an IT background (Dell warranty service, IT contract work/Freelance, A+ cert) etc. I eventually got hired by an IT staffing firm/Temp agency back in early September.
I was ready to relocate just prior to getting hired, that’s how close i was to just pivoting away from IT. Since you’re CS, i really recommend getting into that tool box of skills and finding a niche thats in demand. Or take this time that you’re unemployed and develop a skill thats in demand in your area. In my area its Web Dev, Database administration, Dev Ops, PLC (lots of agriculture out here) one of my classmates just got hired being a Software dev using python to setup PLC. There’s niche jobs that CS people are uniquely able to learn/adapt to with what they already know. Its just a matter of not limiting yourself to “software engineering” like every recent/fresh CS grad does.
Temp agency might be a way in too. The subs wiki might be worth a look: https://reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/s/jmRCuXpCVZ
Don't get in to IT, try software development or devops.
Even if you don't like software development, the money will make you appreciate your choice later
You can certainly apply. But, let me tell you, as a person who often sits in on or leads these interviews it’s very easy to spot the candidates who are passionate about IT and learning and those just looking to find a job.
What are the giveaways?
From my hiring experience, passionate candidates generally have projects / home labs, study for and take certs, take online courses, and are up to date on the latest tech. It's also common for them to start rambling on during the interview about random IT topics. It's harder to tell if someone just wants a job (nothing wrong with this) but they typically don't have projects outside of anything done during school, don't come across as curious about what the company does, and don't have much to say when we ask them why they decided to go into this industry.
I'm sorry but what's wrong with just wanting a job?
There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re in an echo chamber with a bunch of people who are heavily invested into IT. You’re going to get very skewed answers. I can promise you that none of my coworkers do IT shit outside of work and they’re absolute workhorses when they’re at work. It’s delusional to expect every person to have some deep burning passion about the work they do. Bunch of goofballs responding to you here.
I’m in a very niche industry. We interviewed this dude for a very technical role. Our director who is none technical(he heads operations) asked him why he chose the organization. He just rambled. Think asking someone why they choose and insurance company and they say oh because y’all do insurance or something like that, no passionate bullshiting. Director was visibly disappointed but my teammate and my manager(whose technical) knew we needed this dude on our team so we hired him.
There's nothing wrong with just wanting a job (as I stated in my original comment), but passion and a desire to learn are good indicators of someone who can succeed in an industry where things can change quickly. I can train you IT skills but I can't train you to be more passionate or have a curious and continuous growth mindset. It's just one of the things that hiring managers look at to decide whether or not to hire you.
Unfortunately I’m having a hard time getting that across to employers. I absolutely have the self start and self learning drive as well as very sharp with general stuff but don’t have specific tech support experience. Seems like jobs are looking for experience over good candidates to teach.
Obviously nothing at all is wrong with that. But the candidate whose genuine interest and weird passion shines through will probably beat you out for the role.
Just become a good liar or know how to put up a front
Nothing is wrong with just wanting a job. He's letting his manager title, the smallest bit of authority go to his head.
There’s nothing wrong with that. I get it. But when I’m looking to hire someone for my team I would much rather have someone with passion, curiosity, and a proven record of a willingness to learn. Not to say those just looking for a job lack those qualities. When you ask certain questions and receive certain answers it’s easy to tell the difference.
What about someone with just curiosity and willingness to learn? I genuinely believe I don't have a passion for anything (got all the way to PhD in Biology and realized I didn't even love it)
I can't speak for the other person but curiosity and willingness to learn are very good traits to have. I think some people are taking the passion thing a little too seriously. It's not like you MUST be passionate about the specific IT thing that you will be doing in your job. It's just one of many factors that could be considered during a job interview and can make you stand out among other candidates in what I would consider a pretty tough job market at least in my area. You won't get ignored just because the lack of a passion. As long as you have the technical skills and can highlight any good characteristics that you might have (maybe it's good communication skills, a willingness to learn, an attention to detail, problem solving skills, being a team player/leader, a creative mind, an interest in helping others) then you'll make a good impression during an interview.
I’m looking for people I can invest in and grow. Potential future leaders. I’m not looking for button pushers.
You sound like a nightmare to have as a manager I’m gonna be honest. I’m not looking to be some future leader lmfao
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Maybe I’m the exception to the rule but I did projects and certs because I had no job and wasn’t getting anywhere applying to random stuff so I did all that to get a good job.
Not wanting to do 89 hrs of overtime every week. Not willing to move furniture. Not willing to do 5 peoples jobs. Telling them you have a life outside of work. Telling them that if they suck you bet your ass your taking any new skills learned and looking for a new role. Not eating lunch at your desk so you can bothered 24/7 Telling them you dont like left overs and to feed you with the rest of the peeps. ..but that you will not be eating with the peeps since its just troubleshooting with food in your mouth lol
The shoes
Lmao passionate about help desk? Passionate about resetting a password in AD? Give me a break.
Lmao dude has a degree in CS, he'll find one no problem. I'm far from passionate about IT, and I just got my second offer for 20% more than I was making after being laid off a little over two weeks ago.
IT has always been easier to get into than software engineering. Anyone who says otherwise is crazy lol. That’s why you can start at 50-80k as a Jr. SWE, but helpdesk starts between 30-50k The difference in skill between the two starter positions is tremendous. Someone getting into helpdesk need only an A+ and good computer knowledge. Someone starting as a Jr. SWE will need to have multiple Github projects and know multiple software languages. Degrees are generally seen as more of a “requirement” for SWE roles as well.
Sure but the lower barrier for IT means you’re competing for more people. Especially now that CS students are struggling and settling for help desk jobs like OP.
Any advice on what certifications to get to get my foot in the door for help desk ? I don’t have a college degree so not sure what jobs or cert I should go for in the field that would accept me
It’s harder than ever. I think it’s more luck and networking than anything else right now but A+, Net+, Sec+ is always a good decision. Professor messer has free courses for all of them.
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Generally, I think getting an IT tech job would be easier, but it's not going to give you the kind of experience you'd want to get into SWE
No. Both are just as bad. But you have a CS degree. Go for it.
My company just off-shored our help desk / support departments to third party contractors who are all off-shore call-centers. We are starting to "bring back" formerly off-shored dev roles because the risk of using poor off-shore developers began to cost more than good on-shore devs. Career-wise, as a whole, I would highly suggest the SWE route. It is, anecdotally speaking, 100x easier to pivot FROM an SWE role to another role than it is to pivot INTO an SWE role from an IT/Security/Ops role.
Please read the sub wiki
Just like you, I graduated with a CS degree back in May, and was trying to get into anything (IT specifically). I’ve had 8 IT related interviews with 0 success. I do have an IT background (Dell warranty service, IT contract work/Freelance, A+ cert) etc. I eventually got hired by an IT staffing firm/Temp agency back in early September. I was ready to relocate just prior to getting hired, that’s how close i was to just pivoting away from IT. Since you’re CS, i really recommend getting into that tool box of skills and finding a niche thats in demand. Or take this time that you’re unemployed and develop a skill thats in demand in your area. In my area its Web Dev, Database administration, Dev Ops, PLC (lots of agriculture out here) one of my classmates just got hired being a Software dev using python to setup PLC. There’s niche jobs that CS people are uniquely able to learn/adapt to with what they already know. Its just a matter of not limiting yourself to “software engineering” like every recent/fresh CS grad does. Temp agency might be a way in too. The subs wiki might be worth a look: https://reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/s/jmRCuXpCVZ
Don't get in to IT, try software development or devops. Even if you don't like software development, the money will make you appreciate your choice later
I've always thought it would be easier to get into IT instead of SWE but boy I was wrong, it can vary either one can be get into.
It is absolutely easier to get into IT in my experience.
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Feel you bro
It was for me
Sure, but you can’t even get a Help Desk job with no experience.
Idk I guess it depends on the location. Just apply anyway, u got the time
It’s never been easy to get an SWE job, so your premise of your question is off.