Careers for Network / Support Engineers

I would like to start this post by introducing [Ask IT Career Coach], a Career Advice Column that offers help, answers or solutions for your most challenging career situations.

This question was submitted by a reader from Johannesburg, South Africa: “What will be a best career move as a Desktop Engineer?”

The Best Career Move For Desktop or Technical Support Engineers

1. Which Career Are You Best Suited For?

   There is no one singular career that works for every desktop engineer, so your first job is to discover the career you are best suited for.

   You may move to another related career and become a: network engineer, information security specialist, server administrator, network administrator or you may transition to a career that has nothing to do with desktops, servers, hardware or networking!

2. How Do You Choose The Best Career?

   You can choose the next career move based on what your friends or colleagues recommend for you or based on what is the best-paying job in your field or based on which careers are currently in-demand or in-fashion.

   • However some of the folks recommending specific careers do so because that is all they have ever know or because they do not know about other alternative career options!

   • Choosing the next career move based on how much you are paid is not advisable because it leads to career instability and poor performance.

     Sooner or later, you will discover that you are not really passionate about the career and you will be unable to advance because of that!

   • Moving into a career because it’s in-fashion or popular is short-sighted because it results in you doing work that you’re not suited for.

     For example, becoming a pre-sales support engineer may be popular in your circle but still be a dumb career move for you because the constant traveling, socializing or presenting demands wears on you!

3. Do You Know What You Love?

   Have you considered moving to a career that you love? If you find yourself unable to take that route, it’s because you have not taking the time to identify what you love doing!

   • Identify what you are good at

     Evaluate the feedback you get from colleagues or co-workers and use that to figure out what you are good at.

   • Identify your hobbies

     Evaluate your productive hobbies or part -time activities and use that to figure out what you like.

   • Analyze your Strengths and Weaknesses: Don’t just pick a career that you like or avoid careers that you dislike, take a balanced inventory of your likes and dislikes … Read this post to find out how!

What Is The Best Way To Figure Out Your Next Career Move?

Neo, you may download a FREE Report on “How To Make A Career Change”.

This free REPORT provides you with more information on how to choose the next career move!

Technical Support / Helpdesk Career Advice Column

In this post, I answered the question of which career is the best move after working as a Desktop Engineer.

If you have any question about this, be sure to post it as a comment on this page and I would answer it for you.

What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

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Career Advice - Ask IT Career Coach

This post is a first in an important way. It is the first post in our [Ask IT Career Coach] series where we present a lesser known but equally valuable Information Technology (IT) career option.

Announcing The [Ask IT Career Coach] – Career Advice Column

I would like to start this post by introducing our [Ask IT Career Coach] service, a Career Advice Column that offers answers, help or solutions for your most challenging career situations.

How Do I Start My Career In Information Security?

Here is the first question on Information Security sent in from Waukesha, Wisconsin

I have a bachelors degree in Business from 2003 and am now in a masters in MIS program.

My goal is to obtain a management job in the IT field eventually, possibly with an emphasis in security and move on to higher levels of management from there.

Would it be a good move for me to obtain an A+ certification and try to enter the field as a remote desktop support associate or can you suggest other ways to enter the field that would lead me to my management objectives?

What about trying to enter as a business analyst or another position?

Looking forward to hearing back from you soon.

How To Become An Information Technology Professional

Let me start by making sure we’re on the same page since the Information Security (INFOSEC) Career is a relatively new career path in the Information Technology (IT) Industry.

In today’s digital economy, we leave a good deal of digital footprint as we utilize the services offered by our hospitals, financial institutions, government agencies, internet service providers (ISPs), web hosting firms, telecommunications providers (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) and other corporate and non-profit organizations.

Some of the digital data created by using services in banking or medical institutions are extremely sensitive, valuable or important to us. So, if they were accessed by un-authorized individuals, stolen, altered or lost, the damage to our lives could be incalculable, devastating or almost irreparable.

From another standpoint, Information Security Auditors, Professionals, Consultants or Analysts are valuable because they help assure the stability and peace of mind of the society considering the therat posed by Hackers or the real possibility of Cyber Warfare.

How To Become An Information Security Analyst

I have established the role or importance of Information Security Analysts, Auditors or Consultants. Next I would like to discuss how you can become an Information Technology professional.

I’m not going to suggest that you do ten (10) things but that you do just one thing in order for you to become an INFOSEC Professional!

I suggest that you do everything in your power to become a Network Administrator or a Systems Administrator on the way to specializing in Information Technology.

The Network or Systems Administrator is traditionally responsible for the integrity, availability, confidentiality, access control, intrusion detection or prevention and security of the computer or networking infrastructure of an organization.

From that standpoint, becoming an Information Technology professional is a logical extension of your career path.

Would An A+ Certification Help Your Career?

Yes, starting out with an A+ Certification may be good for you because it would help you land an desktop or technical support job from which you can rise to become Network or Systems Administrator job.

Keep in mind that what you really want to be is, a Network or Systems Administrator. So, you have to make sure that getting an A+ certification does not stand in your way of getting there.

How To Become An IT Manager or IT Director

Getting into a Network Administrator role can also help you get an IT Management job because in some organizations, the top Network Administrator is also the IT Director because of the scope or responsibilities traditionally assigned to the position.

Just know that this would be on a company by company basis. Some companies may prefer business analysts or MBA degree holders or Network Administrators.

Setting on the Systems Administrator career path could work well for you because that would help keep the door to IT management or IT security doors open for you.

Information Technology Career Advice Column

In this post, I answered the question of how to get into an Information Technology (IT) or an IT Management career path.

If you have any question about this, be sure to post it as a comment on this page and I would answer it for you.

What Is The Toughest Challenge Facing Your Career?

Visit the Shopping Cart, Click Here

ABOUT TRAINING & COACHING COURSES

• Business Analyst Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Business Analyst Video Training


• SQL Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, SQL + RDBMS Video Training


• Software Developer Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Software Developer Video Training


• Data Analysts Boot Camp - Online, Web Based, Instructor Led, Hands On, Data Analyst Video Training


• Get Hired Fast - Online, Web Based, Resume + Job Search + Interview Video Training


• Become A Leader Coaching - Develop hands-on experience, gain domain expertise, solve industry problems, Stand Up and Be Noticed, market your career using PULL instead of PUSH techniques!

Visit our Shopping Cart