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Mid 40's switching to IT industry: advice needed

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  • Feb 24th, 2016 7:54 pm
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Newbie
Feb 20, 2016
35 posts

Mid 40's switching to IT industry: advice needed

Hi guys, as mentioned in the title, I am currently approaching 46 and looking to start in the IT industry. My goal is to become a network administrator after some years of experience and eventually moving to IT security thereafter.

I apparently have two options to choose from:
1) To look for IT entry level jobs, and while getting this IT experience, to do some home studies to pass the different certifications, or,
2) To go to college for 8 1/2 months to prepare and pass CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+, Cisco CCNA, Microsoft MCSA and MCSE Windows Server 2012. Then attend 5 weeks of practicum in a small or mid-sized business to finally obtain a Network Administration Specialist Diploma. Of course this has a cost of $18,000, but with a schedule from 6 pm to 10 pm, I think I could look for a part time job and do 3 to 4 hours of home work per day.

I just passed the CompTIA IT Fundamentals, and I am now preparing for the three exams of the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) IT Infrastructure (Networking, Security and Windows Server Administration Fundamentals).

Considering my age, my concerns are the following ones:
- Would it be worth spending 18k in a training? Will the investment make me avoid losing too much time than if I choose the option n° 1?
- Would hiring companies seriously consider a mature candidate with this kind of accelerated training?

Thanks in advance for your answers.
32 replies
Jr. Member
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Feb 20, 2005
185 posts
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Madden
If you are going to do this, then I would suggest doing #1 and find an organization that has potential for progression to become a network administrator. Not sure what your background is, but I will assume you have zero experience in IT. Even if you do #2 and go take courses, you will have a difficult time getting a network administrator position afterwards anyways since you won't have much experience.
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
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JustAnotherMember wrote: Hi guys, as mentioned in the title, I am currently approaching 46 and looking to start in the IT industry. My goal is to become a network administrator after some years of experience and eventually moving to IT security thereafter.
What is your current background - why the drastic career change?
Newbie
Feb 20, 2016
35 posts
Aeronautics was my main background and my passion. For some personal reasons I had to stop and look for a new career which would give me a lot of satisfaction. I think the IT industry is the right choice, as it gives a lot of opportunities for learning and progression. I don't have a professional IT experience, but I already have some basic knowledge with Windows/OS X install and configuration, SOHO setup, and so on. I am excited by this new perspective and I am sure I will enjoy working in this industry.
Newbie
Feb 20, 2016
35 posts
SurrealEvolution wrote: If you are going to do this, then I would suggest doing #1 and find an organization that has potential for progression to become a network administrator. Not sure what your background is, but I will assume you have zero experience in IT. Even if you do #2 and go take courses, you will have a difficult time getting a network administrator position afterwards anyways since you won't have much experience.
I didn't expect to be a network administrator immediately after the college training, but would it make it faster to reach that goal compared to the path #1?
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Oct 16, 2001
76501 posts
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As a guy your age (minus 3 years) and in that field for the last 20 years, dont do it. All depends on the person I guess, but unless you want for a lot of places low pay to start, on call, after hours, havign to stay current (which can be good or bad) Good to keep learning, bad to learn stuff you really dont want to,

Certifications that have to be re-written, keeping up with people 25 years or younger that are fresh out of school (like you will be)

Just my opinion, your age is when you are in IT and move away from it to not be stressed, or stay in it and ride the wave :-)

To get where you expect, kiss 5-8 years good by, then mid 50's by then. By that time I would want to be riding the retirement wind down, not ramping up to drag on another career.

I know alot of people that went into IT and started school for it becaue they were "good with computers" and then quit because it wasnt what they thought.

All depends on the person, just my point of view, not right or wrong.
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Feb 25, 2015
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Network administrator is a very tough job that isn't like what they describe on some of the books that you will be using. I've been in IT for over 15 years, started in help desk and worked my way to management, hated it, back to technical support, system administrator, server support, etc... Network administrator is a tough job. It will take you a while to understand the fundamentals of IT support and by the time you master it, you will need to learn again since everything is always changing. Look into "cloud support engineer" too since that is the thing now.

Entry level IT is starting at the help desk. That is very tough to do everyday and nowadays, most large companies have a lot of the IT services outsourced so if you are stuck in the help desk, it will be hard to get out. Aim for a "2nd level support" job which is much better than being on the phones.
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Oct 16, 2001
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bacalhau4me wrote: Network administrator is a very tough job that isn't like what they describe on some of the books that you will be using. I've been in IT for over 15 years, started in help desk and worked my way to management, hated it, back to technical support, system administrator, server support, etc... Network administrator is a tough job. It will take you a while to understand the fundamentals of IT support and by the time you master it, you will need to learn again since everything is always changing. Look into "cloud support engineer" too since that is the thing now.

Entry level IT is starting at the help desk. That is very tough to do everyday and nowadays, most large companies have a lot of the IT services outsourced so if you are stuck in the help desk, it will be hard to get out. Aim for a "2nd level support" job which is much better than being on the phones.
Agreed with all this. Ive been asked, why dont you want to be Netowkr or Network Admin. I say, If I wanted to be, I already would be. Same as management, If I wanted to be management, I would be already.

IM middle of the road now, worked my way up from help desk at different jobs to an all around IT guy. I hated my jobs before since I did phones and run around support. Now that phones are gone, my job is great. Im the in between. Above help desk, but below anything that require major decisions. Maybe Im just becoming more whatever as I get older, but I like being stress free at work
Jr. Member
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Feb 20, 2005
185 posts
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Madden
A lot of good and sound advice here from those in industry. If you feel you can buck the trend and advance to enjoy a career in IT, then I would still suggest #1 since chances are you will start at a help desk or secondary support anyways. The other consideration that you should think about where you want to work to utilize and increase your skill set. Not sure if there is a common categorization but here is what I see in the industry for IT in general.
1) Do IT Support for a non-IT company - This means working for a service provider or being a service provider for a non-IT company. We all know every company has an IT aspect to their business so for example, retail, oil & gas, manufacturing, transportation, engineering, etc may have some in-house resources.
2) IT Outsource company - As many corporations outsource their IT work, look at working for one, i.e. IBM, HP, CGI, etc. Usually this means they bill you out at a high rate but pay you much much less.
3) Tech company - Go for the tech company. As some have stated, there's a lot more cloud computing now which will require leading edge networking and IT knowledge to be applied.

Maybe looking at the end goal will help you figure out how and what you need to get there. Good luck!
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Oct 16, 2001
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SurrealEvolution wrote: A lot of good and sound advice here from those in industry. If you feel you can buck the trend and advance to enjoy a career in IT, then I would still suggest #1 since chances are you will start at a help desk or secondary support anyways. The other consideration that you should think about where you want to work to utilize and increase your skill set. Not sure if there is a common categorization but here is what I see in the industry for IT in general.
1) Do IT Support for a non-IT company - This means working for a service provider or being a service provider for a non-IT company. We all know every company has an IT aspect to their business so for example, retail, oil & gas, manufacturing, transportation, engineering, etc may have some in-house resources.
2) IT Outsource company - As many corporations outsource their IT work, look at working for one, i.e. IBM, HP, CGI, etc. Usually this means they bill you out at a high rate but pay you much much less.
3) Tech company - Go for the tech company. As some have stated, there's a lot more cloud computing now which will require leading edge networking and IT knowledge to be applied.

Maybe looking at the end goal will help you figure out how and what you need to get there. Good luck!
To me IT to start is when you are young. Sure there are some that start as a second career later in life and like it, but its not the norm and it doesnt always end in flowers and rainbows. Person gets stuck at help desk for years because they are older. Age-ism sucks

But if you were to hire someone with the same credentials and work expereience, would your hire someone late 40's or early 20's. And as for pay, you are starting at the bottom.

Yes age does have experience and perks with that, and people skills to. But for a help desk to start (you have to start somewhere even if you have great education, and take what you can get) they just want people to answer phones. Take as many calls as possible. Like a treadmill.
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Oct 14, 2001
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GMA
As an Information Security (not IT) professional, my advice to you is to focus on what you find interesting in IT (or InfoSec). IT by itself is boring and useless. It only becomes useful once it's leveraged to serve its intended purpose. You also have to focus on what you like and what you're good at. Securing or operating databases is fundamentally different from network devices just like secure development differs from architecture and design.

You really need to decide where you want to go to establish the plan on how to get there.
Deal Addict
Jul 29, 2002
1958 posts
84 upvotes
If your goal is to move into IT Security, then forget about those useless CompTIA certs. Instead get your CCNA (covers network fundamentals), some SANS training (GC[IH|IA|FA] - expensive but not 18K expensive infosec-specific training), and a home lab. In the mean time look for security operation analyst positions.

At this point (46), you probably need a faster route and skip all that help desk, or jack-of-all-trades support roles.
Newbie
Feb 20, 2016
35 posts
Spidey wrote: As a guy your age (minus 3 years) and in that field for the last 20 years, dont do it. All depends on the person I guess, but unless you want for a lot of places low pay to start, on call, after hours, havign to stay current (which can be good or bad) Good to keep learning, bad to learn stuff you really dont want to,

Certifications that have to be re-written, keeping up with people 25 years or younger that are fresh out of school (like you will be)

Just my opinion, your age is when you are in IT and move away from it to not be stressed, or stay in it and ride the wave :-)

To get where you expect, kiss 5-8 years good by, then mid 50's by then. By that time I would want to be riding the retirement wind down, not ramping up to drag on another career.

I know alot of people that went into IT and started school for it becaue they were "good with computers" and then quit because it wasnt what they thought.

All depends on the person, just my point of view, not right or wrong.
I understand your point, but at the same time, I don't have many choices. Whatever the industry I want to go to, I will always be the "mature starter guy" and will have to compete more and more with people who could be my children, fresh from college or university. What I look at, is the fact that I have 20 more years to give to a new career, so it rather has to be an interesting one!
Newbie
Feb 20, 2016
35 posts
bacalhau4me wrote: Network administrator is a very tough job that isn't like what they describe on some of the books that you will be using. I've been in IT for over 15 years, started in help desk and worked my way to management, hated it, back to technical support, system administrator, server support, etc... Network administrator is a tough job. It will take you a while to understand the fundamentals of IT support and by the time you master it, you will need to learn again since everything is always changing. Look into "cloud support engineer" too since that is the thing now.
Entry level IT is starting at the help desk. That is very tough to do everyday and nowadays, most large companies have a lot of the IT services outsourced so if you are stuck in the help desk, it will be hard to get out. Aim for a "2nd level support" job which is much better than being on the phones.
Obrigado Bacalhau4me ;) You made me realize that I shouldn't have written Network Administrator but rather Network Technician, as I am considering this position as a way to gain experience before moving to Security later. I saw many opportunities at Shaw or Telus lately for Tech Support, so this might be a good way to start. What is your position now?
Newbie
Feb 20, 2016
35 posts
Thanh wrote: As an Information Security (not IT) professional, my advice to you is to focus on what you find interesting in IT (or InfoSec). IT by itself is boring and useless. It only becomes useful once it's leveraged to serve its intended purpose. You also have to focus on what you like and what you're good at. Securing or operating databases is fundamentally different from network devices just like secure development differs from architecture and design.
You really need to decide where you want to go to establish the plan on how to get there.
But without IT experience I don't think I could expect getting an IS position right? The goal of passing these CompTIA/Microsoft/Cisco certifications was to give me the required knowledge for Info Sec later. In fact, I was just trying to follow the CompTIA roadmap for Information Security.
Newbie
Feb 20, 2016
35 posts
siriuskao wrote: If your goal is to move into IT Security, then forget about those useless CompTIA certs. Instead get your CCNA (covers network fundamentals), some SANS training (GC[IH|IA|FA] - expensive but not 18K expensive infosec-specific training), and a home lab. In the mean time look for security operation analyst positions.
At this point (46), you probably need a faster route and skip all that help desk, or jack-of-all-trades support roles.
I don't mind taking a faster route, but with a CCNA and some GIAC certifications without IT experience, I am afraid there will be very little chance for me to get a job in IS. According the GIAC website, the training you mentioned above is already for advanced technician, and I am very far from having that experience. Unless I am missing something, I don't think it would be wise for me to go that way. My résumé would never be able to get me to an interview, don't you think?
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Feb 25, 2015
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JustAnotherMember wrote: Obrigado Bacalhau4me ;) You made me realize that I shouldn't have written Network Administrator but rather Network Technician, as I am considering this position as a way to gain experience before moving to Security later. I saw many opportunities at Shaw or Telus lately for Tech Support, so this might be a good way to start. What is your position now?
Yeah, you need to get in as a deskside or 2nd level support. This won't be easy but you need to really use your experience in the work force as you advantage.
My title right now is a "Business technologist" which is a recent IT buzzword. I basically support my company data Centre, asset management officer, and a little bit of deskside support too. Basically a bunch of positions in one so that they can just hire one person instead of 3.
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Oct 16, 2001
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JustAnotherMember wrote: I understand your point, but at the same time, I don't have many choices. Whatever the industry I want to go to, I will always be the "mature starter guy" and will have to compete more and more with people who could be my children, fresh from college or university. What I look at, is the fact that I have 20 more years to give to a new career, so it rather has to be an interesting one!
I get your point as well, but do you want it interesting, or do you want it stressful. Im the mature guy in my division now, and will be anywhere else I go (I assume) Im happy where I am now, union govt position. Its not exciting, my job is mundane. But its safe and secure, and at the point in my life, Im happy to ride out 19 more years here. I make my life outside of work anyway, and Ive paid my dues at crap IT jobs, low pay. And Ive also taken more chances in my life and career than 99% of members on here.

To each their own, and depends on what IT route you go, but after you are in it, you will see what many of us in IT mean about the industry.
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Jul 29, 2002
1958 posts
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JustAnotherMember wrote: I don't mind taking a faster route, but with a CCNA and some GIAC certifications without IT experience, I am afraid there will be very little chance for me to get a job in IS. According the the GIAC website, the training you mentioned above is already for advanced technician, and I am very far from having that experience. Unless I am missing something, I don't think it would be wise for me to go that way. My résumé would never be able to get me to an interview, don't you think?
Your concern is valid. The common route, which is the route I took, was generally to start at help desk (clueless about the field), then net/sys admin (gained a better understanding), and finally specialization (better $, and in some cases, far more interesting).

However, it is not automatic and many people stuck at help desk or jack-of-all-trades admin roles for a long time. Therefore if you know what you want, why not just take some sec-related training and seek entry level security jobs?

The value of GIAC is its training course. The requirement isn't high, basic network/OS knowledge should be enough.

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