Smart kid with some bad luck looking for a new start.

December 11, 2008 11:28 PM

I never finished high school. I am very tech-savvy, and I would like to know the best way to go about getting a tech job. Should I go for certifications? Get my GED and go to a technical school? Continue learning on my own?

I dropped out of high school because of depression, which I'm still struggling with. I'm currently unemployed, and I don't have much money to work with. I have been learning on my own for the last couple years, and I've developed a lot, but it is a slow process. I've worked with linux and taught myself xhtml and css, and I'm all-around pretty good with computers. I just don't know where to start in terms of seeking a good tech job. Are certifications worth it? Do I have to go to ITT Tech or MIT to get a good job? Should I just try to learn on my own and impress the right person? Thanks for the answers.

PS: I'm interested in pretty much any tech job.

posted by CliffDiving44 to Technology (22 answers total)

How old are you? Do you have any work history? Where do you live? (or what is the closest big city)?
posted by kprincehouse at 11:38 PM on December 11, 2008

Response by poster: I am 20, I have worked at a restaurant and at a Pennzoil for a year each. I live in Grand Rapids, MI.
posted by CliffDiving44 at 11:40 PM on December 11, 2008

The GED is pretty easy compared to most high school work, and if you're smart it shouldn't be too hard for you to pass it. It's easily worth it - especially if you're unemployed right now and have free time - to get a GED prep book from the library and prepare to take the test. Even if you don't decide to go to a technical school, it's a good thing to have so you'll qualify for those jobs that require a GED or high school diploma.
posted by needs more cowbell at 12:58 AM on December 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

I feel pretty lucky to have a decent tech job .. and I have no college experience or any certifications. Everything I have is work-related experience. After high school I spent a couple years working some low level phone-support type jobs and then transitioned into a more hands-on desktop support type position. From then worked my way into sysadmin and networking. I'm now 35yrs old. I'm not rich, but I make enough money to pay the bills and support myself.

Personally.. I'm kinda love/hate about certifications and degrees. They are nice to have, but there are also a lot of companies out there who only hire because you have the certification/degree, not based on what you actually know or can do. If I was a hiring boss, I'd much rather hire someone with real world experience over someone who only had a certification/degree and no experience. (Yes, getting a certification/degree does prove you have the dedication to accomplish a goal, but the knowledge you learn from cerfications/degrees is IMHO vastly different from how things actually work in the real world) I know a lot of people with certifications and degrees who are so mentally stuck inside the rules they were taught that they cant improvise a fresh new solution if it was staring them in the face.

My advice would be to keep your eyes open for local job openings (even if its below what you are looking for). Also do some personal/solo projects in your spare time (you can put stuff like that on your resume, such as "I built xyz.com website with interactive database features and Ajax compatible blah blah blah scripting,etc". As long as you've completed something, a common sense employer should see your "passion" and quality work.

The point of interviewing for a job is showing the potential employer that you have skills that you can put to use benefiting their business. Doesnt matter where you got those skills (through past employment or solo/consultant work). If the job you are interviewing for is going to be so judgemental and close-minded that they wont hire you without a certain certification or degree, then you probably dont want to work for them anyways.

Course thats just my opinion. I'm sure you'll get others ;)
posted by jmnugent at 1:06 AM on December 12, 2008

Don't underestimate the importance of the GED. One thing that employers looking for technical help specifically look for is evidence that the applicant can take on long projects and finish them. An employee who starts things and then drops them is worse than useless.

A GED is one way of showing them that you can finish stuff.
posted by Class Goat at 2:28 AM on December 12, 2008

Figure out what the next indicated step for getting your GED is and start working on that right now. You'll need it down the road.

Figure out how little you can afford to live on. If the economy section of the Grand Rapids wikipedia article is correct, there are some companies (Herman Miller is based there?) and industries (health science is mentioned) doing well, and they all have IT departments. So does the university. The kind of position you're looking for to start with may not be advertised. Call up any institution that could use an intern in the IT or any other department. Talk to the receptionist, introduce yourself. Try to get the phone number of a person at the company who has the job you want to have in five years, and ask for five minutes of that person's time.

Explain that you're looking to get an entry level job where you can develop skills related to your area of interest. Tell them that you're calling on the hope that they'll share any insight they have into what skills, certifications, and so on would be most advantageous for you to learn right now. At the appropriate moment mention that you're actively seeking any internship opportunity available, and that you'll work for little in order to get the experience. Do this a few times and you'll get some useful advice; keep doing it and you may cause someone in the right position to think, "Hey, I have enough in my budget to hire an energetic young intern to help with this work".

After some time, you'll have the experience and the GED required to take the next step up.
posted by kprincehouse at 2:54 AM on December 12, 2008

I don't have any practical advice to offer here, but it sounds like these are all solid suggestions. Kudos to you for asking the question -- getting through high school is tough on its own, and lots of people don't have the time / patience / initiative to educate themselves. Good for you for knowing what you want! And having the wherewithal to do it.

FWIW, a good friend of mine went to MIT, panicked and dropped out before taking any useful or relevant tech classes. He's taught himself just about everything, and is doing just fine. Which is just to say, there are lots of people out there with advance degrees. Lots of them are happy, well adjusted, and have managed to get great jobs with a little bit of innovation.

Ceding all actual certification / hiring / job market questions to people who actually know something about this market.

Good luck!
posted by puckish at 3:28 AM on December 12, 2008

Community college. You can probably pass your GRE no problem today, but if not they will help you. And then get an associate's degree there in whichever tech field seems most awesome. If that goes okay but you're done with school forever, they will help you get a job. If that goes great and you want more, they will help you transfer to a 4 year school. And all of that without racking up huge debt, like you would at a for-profit place like ITT.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:20 AM on December 12, 2008

GED and beyond. I have two colleagues who never finished high school and went on to get GEDs and are now finishing Ph.Ds. One is incredibly tech savvy, has made decent money doing side work all during school, and now has the opportunity to make a really decent living doing much more interesting work he ever would have had the opportunity to do otherwise.
posted by mrmojoflying at 4:35 AM on December 12, 2008

Definitely get the GED. It will help you no matter what field you go into.

As for tech stuff- experience is king. Even if the job seems simple to you its a stepping stone to more technical things. Certifications are helpful and eventually you might want to look into getting them but without experience most people don't really view them as differentiating. I would say they are treated like a college degree for some jobs- they want you to have it but it won't guarantee you anything.
For entry level technical work on a helpdesk or doing break/fix I would recommend starting with the A+ certification since it covers a broad area of knowledge and most entry level jobs will look favorably on it. In the mean time, try to expose yourself to as much technology as you can so you can decide how you would like to specialize later on down the road if you stick with it.

Good luck!
posted by zennoshinjou at 5:15 AM on December 12, 2008

Similar situation for me, only I finished high school. I got a job at a local ISP doing tech support (this was in 2000) where I eventually moved up the ladder to do various Linuxy things. That was the start of my career, and I went on to do various tech things for various companies until settling where I'm at now. My advice: start at the bottom -- any job you can get in tech -- and work hard. Someone will notice.
posted by nitsuj at 5:59 AM on December 12, 2008

Son-in-law did great with no degree, just certifications and hard work. He did finish high school, though; I'd say the GED is a necessary baseline.
posted by dragonsi55 at 6:19 AM on December 12, 2008

Get the GED and maybe look into offering yourself up for an internship somewhere (most likely unpaid with you level of formal education/experience) while doing so.
posted by csimpkins at 6:33 AM on December 12, 2008

Definitely get as many certifications and degrees as you can. I have a good friend who does IT work but never finished college. He has learned the hard way that when times are tough and budgets tight, he is often the first to be laid off and people who do the same thing but also have a degree are the first to be hired.
posted by TedW at 7:12 AM on December 12, 2008

Just wanted to weigh in again- certs aren't cheap and they guarantee you very little. I would weigh your progression with those against your goals and the expectations of your employer (given they won't reimburse you for them). I strongly advise against the "collect them all" mentality because all it will get you is an alphabet soup after your name and an empty wallet. This isn't to say they have no value- just be selective. I'm happy to offer suggestions about good things to pursue depending on your goals if you are interested.
posted by zennoshinjou at 7:22 AM on December 12, 2008

Definitely get your GED. It at least allows you to honestly answer you've finished high school, which is a sticking point for many employers. I know it's definitely helped me.

Learning on your own and taking sample tests from certification books in the library will give you an idea of where you're at (this goes for your GED and the technical knowledge you want) and can help you decide if you need to invest in outside instruction or can do it on your own.

Some areas of the country, certifications matter a lot. And, in others, they don't mean diddly. Check the Craigslist job ads in your area and any area you think you'd like to live in the next few years and see what employers are requiring and preferring. This will also help you get an idea of what skills you should be picking up on.

A lot of technical schools are very scammy, charging really high prices for extremely low-level knowledge and student investment. Check out community colleges and 2yr schools in your area, first.

Even better, if you can find an expert in your area who wants to pass on their knowledge or hand-train their employees, that's definitely a good path to investigate. Just be wary of people trying to take advantage of a perceived imbalance in your need for instruction and their need for compliant help.

One thing autodidacts ignore is adding to your "culture of organisations" knowledge, but it really gives you an edge. By this I mean classes and resources regarding communication, managing up (influencing higher-ups from your level appropriately), handling challenges, resource management, and lots more. It looks like your local community college focuses on innovation, so poke around at other learning institutions in your area to see what else you can learn that way. Getting some basic instruction in forming documentation and performing metrics will make you a fast entry level star at a lot of places, if you're interested in any of that.

I'd say "good luck", but it's all about getting yourself to where you want to be by hard work, good decision making, and careful planning. Do that and you'll soon surpass that bad luck and have a stable foundation from your new start.
posted by batmonkey at 7:48 AM on December 12, 2008

PS: I'm interested in pretty much any tech job.

So are lots of other people. You have to make yourself look better than them in any way you can. Start with a GRE. Add experience and more education as you go along.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 8:31 AM on December 12, 2008

Nthing the GED. Also, start stockpiling contract work, even if it is unpaid. If you have any friends/contacts/family who are entrepreneurs, offer to make them webpages and do coding for them. Build yourself a nice little client list and set of references that you can use to plump out your resume. Making friends with some fellow geeks, especially ones who do contract work themselves and can both pass you overflow work and be listed as a reference, will really help here. Plus, IT nepotism will get your foot in the door.

Most of my friends who now work in programming do not have CS degrees. The rule seems to be that those without degrees have to be 2x better than those with them to secure the same positions.
posted by Gianna at 11:15 AM on December 12, 2008

If you are an awesome hacker, you will find work whether or not you have a high school degree, however this assumes: a) you are an awesome hacker, and b) you have the ability to get known as such. If you satisfy (a), then you need to get involved with a project in which you can demonstrate (b). This could be working on a high-profile open-source project, or taking an internship at a tech company (or in a lab).

That said, most people are not awesome hackers, and this is where qualifications help. The GED is a good idea. If you're below awesome but still really good enough at tech, a bachelors may not be worth the expense and time (in a cost benefit analysis). Though it would be good for introducing you to new things and new people who, besides being possibly intellectually stimulating, might help you get work in the future.

As important than all certificate, though, is that you get treatment for your depression. Freedom from depression is a certificate in its own right, and will open a lot of possibilities for you.

Best of luck.
posted by zippy at 11:25 AM on December 12, 2008

As important than all certificate --> As important as any certificate
posted by zippy at 11:27 AM on December 12, 2008

If you want some sort of post-secondary education, it may not be necessary to bother with high school or a GED. In Canada you can apply to both university and community college as a mature student. Check out programs you're interested in and find out what their application requirements are.
posted by orange swan at 8:37 PM on December 12, 2008

You've not given me a very good idea of what you've taught yourself and what you are good at. What have you done on Linux? How would you manage two dozen web and database servers to make sure they were available, performing as expected, had sufficient resources, uncompromised by attacks, and could be easily recovered in the event of a disk or hardware failure in any of the machines? Or how about just two linux servers, serving a small business on their internal network? Assuming you don't know all the answers, how would you approach the problem, where would you look? What can you do with XHTML and css? Can you take a Photoshop comp of a design and turn it into valid, lightweight markup? How would you go about making a skinnable design for a basic site like MeFi, or maybe a Wordpress blog?

Nothing wrong with not being able to do any of those things, but if you've already gotten a handle on some of them, then you may already be employable, and I'd try and suggest ways to quickly convince employers that you can do the job.

If you are still a little raw, it might make sense for you to take some classes. I'm dubious of certifications, but seeing them signals to me that at least you should have an acquaintance with the basic concepts involved in a given area. If I interview you and you aren't up to snuff, then that tells me that even with training, you aren't up for the job. Without any certifications, I'm taking a bigger risk by even interviewing you. I have to figure out how to figure out your potential by interviewing you without knowing what knowledge I can expect from you, and if I hire you, I have to see if 1) you can put in the effort to learn, 2) you are trainable. In your case, getting a certification or two would also tell me that you've taken some charge of your life, and that you've finished something. Look to your local community college. I don't think for-profit schools like ITT Tech offer you much that you can't get from a CC.

Getting your GRE can help with demonstrating that too, and without it, you may get disqualified for jobs before you even get an interview, so it's worth doing, whatever path you end up taking forward.

In general though, you're likely looking for an entry level job. I don't know what Kinko's is like any more, but they used to need people with some basic computer skills. Big companies need entry level IT people, but they are very focused on minimizing IT costs. It looks like Grand Rapids has a lot of colleges and universities. A big university might be a better choice, especially if you enroll and take some classes there and can get a work study job. Your local community college is probably also a good place to look. Your library system probably needs some entry level IT help. There are probably also places that need someone to help with their computers, but can't pay someone to do it full time. You might find some place that needs a driver, or a fork lift operator, or a shipping clerk who can also make sure that software is upgraded, that printers are stocked, that backups are made, and that the web page is updated from time to time.

It's not too early to start looking for a tech-related job after only taking a class or two. If you can't find something keep at it, and consider volunteering at a community center or something helping other people with tech problems in order to get experience, and maybe make some contacts.

Looking back over your previous posts, it looks like you are religious. I'd think that asking around your community you'd be able a few people who knows someone with a small business or something that needs someone that can help them keep their tech running.

If you've got basic aptitude, that great. Keep working at it, as you have been, and you'll do fine.
posted by Good Brain at 11:12 PM on December 12, 2008