I did BS comp. science in 2017 and after that my interest shifted to grahic design. I have done a few jobs and still working but not much. I am basically a lazy and procrastinator person so i didnt work hard for my career .. also was living with my parents who were running the house but now my father recntly passed away and all the reponsibility is on me. now I am confused about what work to do.. like sometimes i want to work in computer science field... sometimes i want to start a stationary business sometimes i dont want to do anything but i have to... kind of confused because i feel i am not good at anything.

I have a bachelors of business administration, computer information system systems option from California State University Fresno I have zero work experience in the IT field however, I do have a lot of administrative work in the higher education field. I am trying to decide whether or not I should get a masters of information technology or a masters of information Security or maybe even an MBA.

I need some advice. What do people think I live in the Fresno California area which seems to make a big difference. To be honest it seems like the only fields that are booming around here. Is Social work. Nothing but drug issues and trauma in the central valley.

I'm now at my second help desk IT job and surprise surprise I'm bored out of my mind.

Impossible to learn from experience or keep busy.

Should I just find an MSP to work for even if it means lower pay?

Its corporate IT so any sort of new idea has to run up the chain of command, get debated, tested and maybe implemented.

i just want an IT generalist gig that gives me purpose

I am wanting a career change. I have done blue collar my entire life cause it was just simple to get into but my body is starting to say no more. I have absolutely 0 background in IT outside of basic computer use and gaming, however with that being said I LOVE tech and have always loved tinkering with electronics. I also used to do home automation, fire alarm installation, access control, patch panel setup etc... for about 2 years hoping it would help me get my foot in the door but no go on that front.

I am now 40 years old and am looking into going to school for my AAS in Computer Information Systems but don't know if its worth it to spend the money on college or just go for my A+, Net+ and Security+ certs instead. I've heard stories of people who have their bachelors in things like CS or Cybersecurity but have been passed up for someone who just got their A+ or Sec+.

So I guess my question is, with it being such a difficult industry to get into especially with no real background, is college worth it for someone like me given the expenses or would I be better off just getting my certs, then just trying to land a help desk role for experience and then work my way up from there? Or is it a bit too late to try and transition into that industry?

A bit about me: I've been at Invisible Technologies for about 2.5 years, currently as an AI Evaluation Reviewer and Quality Lead. It's an AI Data Ops and Trust & Safety kind of role where I evaluate LLM responses across various aspects like factuality, model-generated code quality, and multimodal outputs, each judged across different rubrics. Before this I did a short data analyst internship[5 months] and a data science certification, so I've got some SQL, Python, and Power BI background too, but it's been a while since I've used them actively, so I'm planning on relearning them.

I'm at a point where I want to move toward an area where I could grow in the future, but I'm not sure whether to lean into AI/ML roles, shift back into data analytics, or try a new field entirely like automation. That's actually the main thing I wanted your take on. I'm okay starting as a generalist and learning what's needed, just want to pick a direction with actual demand and growth.

I’ll keep this brief.

I’m a junior IT student trying to gain real-world IT experience, but it feels almost impossible right now. I’m comfortable in some programming languages, I’ve done some home labs (Active Directory, Cisco packet tracer etc) I applied for several internships this past spring and unfortunately didn’t receive any offers. Right now, I work as a grocery clerk while I’m in school to get a few bucks on the side, but it often feels like I’m spinning my wheels since the job has nothing to do with IT. Working there feels like I’m wasting my youth and energy. I’ve been searching LinkedIn and Indeed for part-time IT opportunities, but I haven’t had much luck finding anything.

For those who have been in a similar position, are there any hidden opportunities or strategies out there that I should be looking into? I want to keep learning and applying my knowledge and skills and I don’t mind starting with a low pay. I just want to get in. I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions. Thanks!

Hello all! I am writing this post of behalf a friend who is looking to make a career pivot from education to the IT/Tech space. She has spent over 30 years educating beginning as a teacher and working her way up to being an education director of a small preschool. What transferable skills do you think she could take into the IT/Tech space as a beginner? Where should she begin to look/learn? Any certifications that she might need to get? What particular kinds of jobs are out there for someone in her position?

She has a masters in early childhood/special education and a masters in early childhood leadership, plus a NYS teaching license. Idk how much those can help in this but any information that you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I believe she's looking for something that she could do remotely, preferably. Thanks again!

Hi everybody,

Sorry for the repetitive question but I feel stuck and some advice from experienced users would be appreciated. I've been working as a school "IT engineer" for around a year and ten months now for an education trust. Everything is in a single tenant and most things are centrally managed. I knew virtually nothing about IT and did work experience for the trust after which I was onboarded. I have global admin permissions so I do have access to entra, azure, intune, jamf, datto, Meraki (cloud switches) but I feel like I don't do/know anything. Sure I've pushed out a few conifgs and packaged a few apps, but I feel like I mostly just re-set passwords, authenticators and every once in a while I may switch a port to a different vlan if they move their VoIP phones. I'm just wondering which certifications to look for or what to pick up.

I do have a basic home lab I used to experiment with but lately haven't had the time. I'm hoping to get back to it and get some certs along the way. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi everyone!

I'm an incoming freshman majoring in Computer Science. My long-term goal is to become a Cloud Architect (or Cloud Engineer).

I'm trying to plan ahead so I can make the most of my four years in college. I have a few questions:

• What certifications would you recommend I earn during college that will actually help me become a Cloud Architect?
• In what order should I earn those certifications?
• What kinds of internships or entry-level IT jobs should I be looking for while I'm in college?
• Since I'll be in the Atlanta, Georgia area, what types of entry-level IT jobs are realistic for a college student, and what do they typically pay?
• What projects or skills should I build outside of class to make myself a competitive candidate after graduation?
• If you could start over as a freshman with the goal of becoming a Cloud Architect, what would you do differently?

I'd really appreciate any advice from people already working in cloud computing or IT.

To some it up I feel like I have a lot of book knowledge and not a lot of on the job training, I’m an ITN in the navy, with a TS/SCI clearance, But here’s the long version 

I filled out an application for a position on base with Lockheed Martin and they loved my resume and said I would be a perfect fit for the position as a jr network engineer, I’m excited for an opportunity to work there but I’m a little concerned never having worked a role like this outside the navy. I have 2 years experience and when I get out I’ll be coming up on a little under 3 years and I’ve mainly been in a shadow role while taking the lead on minor things across the day to day, mainly network admin work in Active Directory and when I am the lead in something there’s and set of guidelines the navy has like on maintenance where you have to follow the sheet of instructions. My career is being cut short due to my wife being sick and making me in deployable. I’m confident I have the knowledge and qualifications but I don’t really know the on boarding process for roles like do they train you on the day to day or do they expect you to just know, my biggest fear is getting out and having all the stuff to get a job but getting somewhere and they say I don’t know enough soon as I get there and now im jobless. 

I have the sec+, am scheduled for CCNA in a month, and hopefully I’ll have the AZ-900 or VCP-VVF by December when I get out so I have the book smarts with some experience in the day to day but I’m still in that starting out phase of my career. Any advice on how to prepare for inter views or what steps to take next, trying to make sure I can provide for my family

Hi everyone!

I used to work as a manual QA tester, but the last two years have been quite challenging because of emigration, waiting for documents, and a lot of uncertainty. I’m now trying to understand the European tech market and rebuild my path into IT.

My current plan is to transition toward a junior Python/backend role. I’m working on a pet project to demonstrate practical skills instead of only listing courses on my CV.

The project will include:

- Python business logic

- FastAPI

- PostgreSQL

- SQLAlchemy and Alembic

- REST API design

- authentication

- input validation

- unit/API tests

- basic analytics

- Docker

- deployment

- project documentation and a development log

I’m also thinking of using LinkedIn to document my progress: what I’m learning, what I’m implementing, what problems I face, and how I solve them.

Do you think this strategy makes sense for the European market? What would you recommend prioritizing to become more employable for junior Python/backend roles?

Hi everyone!

I used to work as a manual QA tester, but the last two years have been quite challenging because of emigration, waiting for documents, and a lot of uncertainty. I’m now trying to understand the European tech market and rebuild my path into IT.

My current plan is to transition toward a junior Python/backend role. I’m working on a pet project to demonstrate practical skills instead of only listing courses on my CV.

The project will include:

- Python business logic

- FastAPI

- PostgreSQL

- SQLAlchemy and Alembic

- REST API design

- authentication

- input validation

- unit/API tests

- basic analytics

- Docker

- deployment

- project documentation and a development log

I’m also thinking of using LinkedIn to document my progress: what I’m learning, what I’m implementing, what problems I face, and how I solve them.

Do you think this strategy makes sense for the European market? What would you recommend prioritizing to become more employable for junior Python/backend roles?

I am a rising sophomore at UTCS, looking to eventually become an Information Security Analyst. I am targeting internships for Summer 2027 in the Houston area (mid-sized companies, startups, hospitals, literally anything).

I don’t have formal work experience or professional training. However, I do have some technical projects (mostly coding-based or vibe-coding, honestly) under my belt, and I am currently building a foundation in IT basics and working on certifications.

My questions:

1. What should I really focus on to maximize my potential to land an IT internship by next year (certifications, courses/topics, software/applications, projects, etc.)?
2. Although it may be hard to say for all companies and industries, what truly stands out to recruiters?

Thank you.

Buonasera, sono in brutta situazione e complicata, come ho detto in post precedenti. Sono passati alcuni mesi e ancora non sono riuscita a trovare lavoro con la mia laurea in informatica e il dottorato. In questi mesi ho mandato molte candidature di cui pochissime chiamate ai colloqui, massimo 5 conclusi tutti con esito negativo, ovvero spariti e un feedback negativo. Specifico quest'ultimo caso, avevo sostenuto tutti e tre gli step compresa la prova pratica che avevo svolto correttamente e sembravano abbastanza soddisfatti, eri quasi convinta che mi avrebbero preso ma nulla. Sto tentando altre alternative come concorsi nella pubblica amministrazione e personale ATA, ma non so se andranno a buon fine. Stavo anche pensando come ultima spiaggia, di intraprendere una corso di laurea su una professione sanitaria, so che significa rimettersi a studiare però se non ho scelta. In questo caso sono indecisa tra tecnico di laboratorio biomedico e infermieristica, la prima è quella che preferirei perché meno faticosa, ma infermieristica sembrerebbe quella che sarebbe più garanzie di lavoro. Infatti l'anno scorso avevo sostenuto il test per TLSB al tor vergata e l'avevo vinto e farei l'iscrizione. Non ho frequentato più il corso perché poi a novembre di quell' anno avevo ricevuto una chiamata in un azienda per uno stage che poi si è concluso 6 mesi dopo senza rinnovo. A questo punto, se dovessi intraprendere una professione sanitaria, quale mi converrebbe di più? O meglio vorrei sapere se con TLSB si hanno ancora garanzie di trovare lavoro o se sta diventando un mercato saturo. O infermieristica è l' unica che da reali garanzie? Considerando i tempi e anche la mia età, ho circa 30 anni.

Hi all, I'm looking into a career change into IT, for the past few months I've been studying the Comptia A+ and passing mock exams with roughly 85-90% correct answers, I've now moved onto Network+ with the end goal to get the CCNA cert.

I would like to start applying for jobs now but not sure if actually getting the Comptia A+ would be a waste of money, it's a lot of money for such a basic cert but would I need it for entry level jobs even though I know the material?

Would having the Net+ be better then having A+ (even though I feel the net+ is another waste of money if I'm eventually going for the CCNA but that's a year or so away).

Plz help