THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR 2021

Switch Careers to Entry Level IT Support

Make more money without going back to school.

Helping other people be productive in their work (Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash)

Last year, 2020, showed how crucial IT Support positions are to a company's bottom line. It seems like every day we hear a new advertisement for a school that will teach you everything to get a new career, but those all come with a catch and a cost.

This guide was put together as a short roadmap with references and links to help someone transition to an IT Support Role with little experience and as low a personal cost as possible.

Where to Start

With no experience, no degrees, and no certificates, this is where you will want to start.

1. Google IT Support (Start here, it’s free for the first week)
   a. This course closely compares to the A+ but is a newer option, thus not as widely recognized
   b. NO exam cost, Certificate after course completion
   c. FREE for seven days, then costs $49 per month after a seven-day free trial. If you complete the five courses in six months, the Google IT Support Professional Certificate totals about $294.
2. CompTIA A+
   a. Professor Messer 220–1001 Free Study material
   b. Professor Messer 220–1002 Free Study material
   c. This exam will not be retired until 2022 or after that
   d. 2 part exam, $219 each, totaling $438
3. CompTIA Network+
   a. Professor Messer N10–007 Free Study material
   b. N10–007 will be retired in the fall of 2021 and replaced by the updated N10–008
   c. one exam, $338
4. CompTIA Security+
   a. Professor Messer Free Study material
   b. SY0–501 exam will retire on July 31, 2021, and it will be replaced by the updated SY0–601
   c. one exam, $370

These are the entry-level certifications that most people get to start their work in IT Support.
After this, you will want to get some experience working in IT Support. Your company or a company you want to work for will have more specific certifications or niche experiences you should work towards achieving.

Getting the Job

It would be best to look for staffing agencies specializing in IT Support once you have the A+ Certification. A recruiter will help you with your resume and job placement at no direct cost to you.

Places like:

1. Robert Half.
2. K Force.
3. NTT Data.
4. Insight Global.
5. Unisys.

There are others, smaller ones, mostly. And regional. But these are big companies that staff large corporations, and you will learn a lot in a short time, and usually, the pay isn’t too bad starting.

Take any technical job you can that pays you enough to survive. Once you work in a Technical Support job, even Help Desk for 6–18 months, you can start getting into things like Desktop Support or Engineering Support and start to niche your way around companies and positions. The first job you get will be the most challenging job to get.

Eventually, you will want to find a full-time position hired-directly by a company to avoid a Staffing Agency's overhead costs, putting that money back in your pocket.

Pay

Your first job will likely be somewhere between $15–25/hr. I know that’s a big range, but your second job will be A LOT closer to that $25, and your third job will likely pass it and get you a lot closer to $80K/yr and higher.

Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Don’t quit a job in under six months unless you have a SOLID expectation of a long-term role at the new company and a pretty significant pay increase.

Drugs and Background Checks

Be prepared for any job offer contingent on a drug screening, even if it is legal in your state, and ESPECIALLY for a staffing/contractor agency.

You might stretch some truths on your resume or embellish some of your experience, but you must be 100% truthful on a background check to the best of your ability. If something isn’t right, they will find it and ask you about it.

These can both rescind a job offer very quickly.

Closing Statement

The first job you get will be the most challenging job to get.
You aren’t a failure to start a second career or even try and find your first one now, no matter how old or young you are.

Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Plan your path, and make your moves. Ask for help and build a network of professionals that are working in this field.

Thanks for reading. I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a response.

Additional Resources

1. /r/ITCareerQuestions — Wiki
2. Mike Meyers — Udemy
3. Certification Roadmap
4. Robert Half Salary Guide
5. Dice Salary Guide