How to get an IT Job without experience

If you don’t have much experience, but you’re looking to join this thriving industry, don’t worry!  You’re not the first. Check out our 5 tips for getting your foot in the door of the IT industry.

Re-examine and Apply Your Past Experience to the IT Industry

When you first make the decision to pursue a new career in IT, it’s important to take a hard look at your prior experience. It might seem like you have none of the skills listed on job postings, but “soft skills” can be surprisingly important and many skills are transferable into IT roles.

For example, if you’re looking to start in a help desk position (a common entry-level IT role), things like communication, customer service, familiarity with Microsoft Office, and other common skills can be a huge boost to your resume. By carefully thinking about your past roles through the lens of the role you’d like to get, you may find a treasure trove of relevant experience.

You’ll need to create a new CV with relevant experience listed and tailored specifically for the kinds of roles you’re trying to land. Employers are highly likely to take a look at your LinkedIn page during the application process. Using your new CV, you should revise your profile to make sure the two match up.

Be Open to Starting at the Bottom

It’s important to note that you may have to “start over” in IT. You may have been a manager or an advanced professional in your old industry, but you’re leaving it for a reason! Be prepared to start with a lower level position and work your way up. The experience you get working at the bottom of the ladder will be valuable as you grow into a more challenging position.

Don’t worry too much though, the earning potential you will have in IT is only limited by the work you put in. On the low-end, you are looking at starting out right around 28k in an IT support position, within 5 years in the industry and a couple of cyber security certifications you could be looking at around 50k in a Cyber Security Analyst role. It really depends on your willingness to move forward and the extra learning time you put in to master your craft.

Teach Yourself Relevant Tech Skills

When it comes to technology, there are a million different things to learn that can improve your CV. Anything from understanding Salesforce to knowing how to post on WordPress might be useful to your next employer. Utilizing YouTube and learning from countless free videos is a great way to learn new skills and reinforce old ones.

Follow your interests and teach yourself about software and hardware in your free time. You’ll be able to add these skills to your CV once you’re competent at them, and they just might make the difference between getting employed and getting looked over.

Get Industry Certifications

Getting certified may be the fastest way to break into information technology. While a tech degree can take 1-4 years, certifications can be studied for and earned in just a few weeks. Entry level certifications like the CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+  found in our IT Security Library, can lay the foundation for roles in networking and cyber security later in your career.

By getting certified, you’ll show potential employers that you have the skills they need. This can go a long way towards making up for a lack of experience. For some roles, the right certifications will put you higher in the stack than applicants with limited experience and no certifications. Best of all, certifications can help open up more entry-level opportunities instead of just taking the first IT job that comes your way.

Get the right type of work experience

While studying, approach charities and companies with low budgets. Larger organisations often don't have the time to take on interns and manage them. Smaller organisations will be in need of your skills and will allow you to get involved in the full life cycle of the project, providing invaluable experience. Plus volunteering always makes a great impression with employers and it can be really rewarding to put your skills to use for a good cause.

When taking on work experience, however, make sure you choose the role and organisation carefully. There is no point taking on a role just to fill the work experience criteria. Employers will want to see the benefit of your placements and you need to be able to demonstrate the business rationale behind what you did.

And don’t forget, My Training Academy is there to help you along the way. Get the most up-to-date tech skills and IT certification training. Get hands-on practice with the numerous Practice labs offered, and take a stab at passing a certification exam with the practice exams available.