IT hopefuls struggle to find entry-level jobs without experience

“"I'm hoping to not waste a lot of time working in help desk." You are going to have a hard time then... Help desk is where you learn your foundation [re: I have a bachelor's degree. Can I get a sys admin job in Atlanta, Georgia in US, if I get more certifications and learn everything? I have a homelab, and can learn everything as senior SA. Should I get CompTIA Security+, "Microsoft Certified Windows Server Administrator Associate"? Do I need CCNA?]”

“Based solely on the post title I'm going to assume you're less than 25 years old and have never had a corporate job before. Based on those assumptions, I'll say you need certs only if the job you're applying for requires them. As a prior hiring manager, I've never hired based on someone's certs. That just proves that they can take a test. What do you think separates an entry level admin from a senior admin? Why do you think you have the same skills as a senior admin? Why”

“Entry level I.T. is probably nearly dead, I'm sorry to say. [re: Quickest way to get a job in IT with 2.5 years of experience in USA]”

“Hey everyone, I'm from Chicago and really want to get into cybersecurity, but I'm struggling to figure out how to actually get started without going broke. I reached out to City Colleges of Chicago a while ago, and they told me there might be a fully funded program I could start in January. I was so excited about it, but after a few conversations and follow-ups, they just stopped responding. I still don't know if the opportunity is actually happening. I'm also looking into Merit”

“Join and become the first joiner where you get tech, education and career info. Let's grow together submitted by /u/Dense-Signature-2000 [link] [comments]”

“I really want to start career in IT. Which direction do I go to? Cybersecurity? Data science? Something related to AI? Looking forward go get some feedback submitted by /u/V3ISO [link] [comments]”

“You like computers and everyone tells you that you can make six figures in IT. So easy! So how do you do it? Is your degree the right path? Can you just YouTube it? How do you get the experience when every job wants experience? So many questions and this is the weekly post for them! WIKI : /r/ITCareerQuestions Wiki /r/CSCareerQuestions Wiki /r/Sysadmin Wiki /r/Networking Wiki /r/NetSec Wiki /r/NetSecStudents Wiki /r/SecurityCareerAdvice/ /r/CompTIA Wiki /r/Linux4Noobs Wiki Essential Blogs for Ea”

“They say "build experience" and what-not, but where and how can I do that? What programs, internships or websites are there, where I can partake in to get the required cred? And please don't hesitate to tell me of the hardest, most mentally challenging tasks that I might take up to accelerate my chances, I am all game for it. Really. submitted by /u/exorionus [link] [comments]”

“I have a cs degree with 7 years of experience. When I first started I was a buffoon, total idiot, etc. But WHO ISN'T when they are 23 right out of college? If I was graduating right now, I would be absolutely cooked. Now, am I all doom and gloom like this sub usually is? No, I do think CS will stay and you can make a lot of money working in CS. But the bar to even get an entry level job is so high its INSANE. I have been in hiring committees the past 3 years. Mind you I have zero say in the”

“I wanna start going into IT for my career but need/want some help and advice for starting, I want to start at help desk and learn exactly what I want to do from there after getting my foot in the door CONTEXT: I’m 20 and have worked retail at Walmart for 3 years and doing customer service with a TPA insurance company for a couple months on contract but it’s now ending and I want to think of an actual career. Ive just got the interest in IT since I’m already around my computer playing games or on”

“Hey everyone! I’m looking for advice on breaking into the IT field and figuring out which positions I should be targeting based on my background. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and spent the last four years working in an administrative role at a school. Since it was a relatively new school, I had the opportunity to take on several responsibilities outside my original role, including becoming the primary person managing and supporting our student information system (PowerSchool) and poi”

“Hi everyone, I'm an MCA graduate from the 2024 batch. I've been searching for an IT job for the past two years. I know Java and SQL, and my long-term goal is to build a high-paying career in IT. I got two job opportunities through recommendations, and I'm confused about which one to choose. I'd appreciate advice from people who have experience in these fields. Opportunity 1: Cybersecurity role at Equitas A person contacted me and told me about a one-year management programme at E”

“Hi everybody. I’m currently pursuing dual bachelors in both Computer Science, major Information Assurance and Business, major Management Information Systems. I have been told this is not a common educational background. My advisor has not been much help. What career paths should I look at considering both of my degrees? Are there any other certifications or skills I should seek outside of my degree, other than coding languages , Microsoft office and Power BI ? Currently in Houston, TX attending”

“Hi everyone, I hold a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Mechatronics Engineering. I graduated a year ago and have been working in my field, but my plan has always been to eventually transition into IT I've been learning the basics of programming since high school. However, given current market trends and the rise of AI, junior-level development roles seem to be tougher to land, with fewer entry-level positions available and companies primarily hiring CS gr”

“I have an associates degree in network engineering, but by the time I graduated from college, I realized it wasn't something I wanted to do. I used my degree to get various jobs that had internet and networking related elements, but never actually utilized much of the skills or knowledge I gained from college. My last job was installing networking equipment and running networking lines at various businesses and while I enjoyed it, it was too physically demanding for the heart condition I hav”

“Hey folks, I’m at the college level for Computer Science, IT focused. I know I’m late to this discussion and a lot of folks have select feelings about this, but here it goes. At the college level I’ve accumulated 7 months of direct IT experience. I will probably have 10 by the time I graduate. But that doesn’t begin to touch the 2 year minimum I see job posts asking for. I’m not thrilled about the idea of help-desk, and will do it if I have to, but how are folks coming up with this 2-year minimu”

“Just wondering. Trying to assess the connection between getting certs and getting jobs in today’s job market, with no previous background in tech and no degree related to tech. submitted by /u/justcurious3287 [link] [comments]”

submitted by /u/Akilleez1 [link] [comments]

“Hello, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2024, but I haven’t been able to land a role in the field since then. It has been discouraging, and it has made me think carefully about my next step. I’m open to continuing my education, but I don’t want to invest more time and money in another degree without understanding what the opportunities look like afterward. I’ve been considering a master’s in Cybersecurity because I still want to pursue something related to CS. At the s”

“Preferably online that actually helps you. I know YouTube and UDEMY have some stuff. Any info on reputable courses would be super helpful. submitted by /u/Sea_Bed_4226 [link] [comments]”

I'm looking to get my A+ certification to get a Help Desk role or similar. My friend who works in IT says it is the standard certification for breaking into this type…

“THE PROBLEM : In CS you learn a little about a lot, but you leave not really knowing how to do anything. Every junior job listing I'm looking at wants a CS or similar degree, but also skills as though you've been working for years. MY PLAN : Note what tech/skills are being required on listings that interest me and spend the next several months learning those and making some projects to prove I have a decent understanding. MY QUESTION TO YOU : Is my plan reasonable? Or is there a differen”

“Don’t listen to stupidity. Continue with CS. [re: How to start from scratch?]”

“Why? [re: How cooked would someone be if they graduated from WGU with a BS in CS nowadays? Are they pretty much screwed? Assuming they don’t have connections and/or experience?]”

“Making this post because I'm seeking advice on where to start in the IT field. I got my Comptia A+ and I did Cisco Networking Academy 2019-2021 but I have no job experience for this field. The closest experience I have is that I've competed in a bunch of CTFs like Hack4Troops/CyberPatriots/RUSecure and did a job shadow with an IT professional at carmax for a day. I would really like to start a career in IT. I live in the Richmond VA area and I'm 23 years old if that's important.”

“What are some hands on cs/it jobs you can find? submitted by /u/Appropriate-Baker755 [link] [comments]”

“I have recently graduated with bachelors in IT where I completed an internship at my local ISP. From there I have a tier 1 NOC tech role lined up and a part time tier 2 tech role, for my city, on the fence. The role for my city is better all around by a mile and pays more for barely half the time. My future goal is to get into SRE. I have a strong interest in system administration and automation, as well as software development. My bachelors was a full ride so I am left with absolutely zero debt”

“Hey im 30 year old who has a degree in chemistry and worked in pharma labs for 5 years. I want to get into cybersecurity and my community college is offering a 8 class program 24 units to gain a certificate of achievement in cybersecurity. Is this worthwhile to learn and get my foot in the door into a cybersecurity job? My long term goal is to have a remote job that pays decent. submitted by /u/callcollecter [link] [comments]”

“I want to know how I can get started in tech skills like that I'm learning Linux and Python. Is there a roadmap people in tech should follow. Like I want to do everything programming , electrical , raspberry pis , Everything but don't know where to start or who to watch submitted by /u/Late_Way_4758 [link] [comments]”

“My experience is in customer service, a lot of call centres. So I'm comfortable engaging with customers. But for IT stuff, I have no qualifications, I know people say there's entry level IT jobs, but every time I look at help desk on seek, they're always asking for previous experience. Is there anywhere I can go to learn the basics? so at least I can put it on my resume or mention it during my interview or on my cover letter? submitted by /u/MoojiJooji [link] [comme”

“Even though I do not have a completed degree, I have an in-progress associates that I am about 75% done with. And I may or may not pursue a bachelor's, depending on whether I can get hired without a bachelor's. I've been daily driving with Linux and experimenting with other open source software since at least 2022 and since 2024 I have been running an infrastructure project from my living room where I have clustered together three low-power devices as a Kubernetes application server.”

“I just graduated last summer with a degree in technology and information management and I’m still working retail. I’ve applied for entry level IT systems specialist positions but I keep getting rejected. If my degree and customer service experience isn’t enough, what else do I need to do to get an interview and land a job? I really want to find a job where I can use my degree. If not that, then what other entry level jobs should I apply to that will lead me to IT specialist? submitted by &”

“I have a bachelor's in computer science and was debating on a master's in cybersecurity, but I am closing in on apprenticeship in plumbing instead because I can't find any cs work anywhere, and everyone is being laid off By some dumb stroke of luck is there any niche that I can fulfill with both a plumbing license and cs degree? I'm not expecting anything but I might as well ask. US based submitted by /u/FeelingBarber2859 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, I've just graduated in computer engineriing and now idk what to do. I have no prior experience in the field yet (I've already work esperiences but elsewhere) and Job market feels terrible: out of 200+ application only 5 called back and I'm struggling to get a job. So I thought I might start the master degree, maybe a curriculum in AI field to help me have better chances in the future. But if job market is terrible now, I don't know what to expect when I will be 31yo”

“I have a bachelor's in computer science and was debating on a master's in cybersecurity, but I am closing in on apprenticeship in plumbing instead because I can't find any cs work anywhere, and everyone is being laid off By some dumb stroke of luck is there any niche that I can fulfill with both a plumbing license and cs degree? I'm not expecting anything but I might as well ask submitted by /u/FeelingBarber2859 [link] [comments]”

“I recently graduated with an associates degree in computer science, but I have no certs or experience and have a hard time finding even a help desk job. I was wondering will going for the a+ be worth it? submitted by /u/ConnorMcgarret [link] [comments]”

“That person doesn't know what they're talking about.”

“Useless. Anyone telling you otherwise hasn’t actually tried to use it. In modern society a CS degree for a non CS role just makes you look overqualified, and a flight risk.”

“You like computers and everyone tells you that you can make six figures in IT. So easy! So how do you do it? Is your degree the right path? Can you just YouTube it? How do you get the experience when every job wants experience? So many questions and this is the weekly post for them! WIKI : /r/ITCareerQuestions Wiki /r/CSCareerQuestions Wiki /r/Sysadmin Wiki /r/Networking Wiki /r/NetSec Wiki /r/NetSecStudents Wiki /r/SecurityCareerAdvice/ /r/CompTIA Wiki /r/Linux4Noobs Wiki Essential Blogs for Ea”

“Is it a good career could i get into cybersecurity and cloud engineering with it? submitted by /u/idkfornowwhattoname [link] [comments]”

“I'm not talking about the idea that if you get the CompTIA trifecta you'll be making 6 figures like some people will have you believe on YouTube. Forget that. What if you skip A+ and Network+ and go straight to CCNA and Security+, then start doing home labs and projects, get comfortable with Linux command line, learn IaC and Kubernetes, python and AI automation. If you grind all of this out in a year, can you actually get to a good paying IT job within a year or so? (EDIT: All of this as”

“I'm almost done with college and while looking around for the last few months it seems the job market for IT, or at least the field I studied in (networking) isn't turning up much. As such I was thinking about going back to college to enter some sort of trade and it's come down to 3 options; Mechanic, which my father does but he doesn't want me working in it because he wants me in a better paying field. Electrician, mostly because from the outside looking in it seems fairly strai”

Yesh that’s definitely safe from AI….

“No one has ever looked at an applicants github... this myth needs to die already”

“Look at job postings and see what type of experience they ask for. Talk to the career center for your program and workforce center for your city. You may be able to get a scholarship to finish your degree and get more targeted support. I do still see people being hired, but its worth looking into a specialization or finding a position that you will be qualified for after your degree and go from there”

“Hopefully more than just help desk. I really don't have professional experience at this point (outside of fine dining server assistant if that counts). submitted by /u/jlenagha1984 [link] [comments]”

“I have recently had some enormous personal life struggles and had to take a semester off of my CS degree. I have a full tuition scholarship that I will lose if I take another semester off, but I hate CS. I've signed up for assembly programming classes and computer architecture classes that I was previously passionate about, but simply cannot keep up with the pace of anymore. I love the idea of eventually becoming a sysadmin or something like that, and honestly that is most of what I've b”

“I want to go to Purdue for cybersecurity or IU for Informatics. I still need to find a safety school since I don't know if I have a shot at either of those schools since I still don't have any ECs and a very low gpa in junior year(3.50UW and 3.55W). I've heard people say it's not worth getting a technology degree at all anymore and to just go to trade school to become something like a plumber or a roofer. submitted by /u/glanit [link] [comments]”

“Are they worth getting into these days? I know everyone says AI will be replacing most of the jobs but is it true? Would I have to get into a specialty? No college experience. Thanks in advance. submitted by /u/NorthThink8637 [link] [comments]”

“Hello I am in 3rd sem from India And till now i never did a single code But I wanna build my future now But I am confused should I do cyber security or software To get an easy entry level job and a better future My goal is to earn decent money after college And if possible i wanna do a job in abroad nations. submitted by /u/Simple-Calendar3172 [link] [comments]”

“I recently graduated from high school and am looking to major in CS. Here’s my situation, I never wrote a line of code in my life, I honestly don’t know anything that has to do with computers other than the very general stuff, i live in a third world country going to a non target university, and since my uni is in a town far from the big city, i won’t be able to get internships, atleast not during the fall or spring semesters. Yet I still think that i can make it in this field, my goal is to lea”

“Got a degree in Computer Science in 2025 at the ripe old age of 29, have had zero luck finding relevant employment. I don't really know what to do anymore and am wondering what other people with degrees with less than stellar job opportunities are doing. I am in retail and want out and there doesn't seem to be anything I can get into that is any better. submitted by /u/throwaway10015982 [link] [comments]”

“Hi, i'm wondering if anyone knows how likely it is to get a decent job in IT with a non IT bachelors degree plus Net+ and Sec+ certification. I don't have those certifications yet but i'm thinking about getting them as long as there's a good path towards a decent job. Any guidance or suggestions would be appreciated and i'm in the Los Angeles area by the way, thanks. submitted by /u/thafoolonthehill [link] [comments]”

“I've gotten a bachelors degree in cybersecurity although it came with a whole stack of CompTIA certs since it was from WGU. I've only ever managed to get results from applying to restaurants and I hoped that would change once I finished the degree, but it's more or less the same so far. I've had recruiters and HR people ask for proof I know certain things in the form of projects on my GitHub. However, my degree was a papers and certifications based degree not particularly focused”

“What if my degree says "Information Systems and Technologies" as opposed to "Software Engineering" or "Informatics and Computing Technologies"? Will i have more chances of becoming a sysadmin or a software dev?”

“I’ve read all the things people are saying over and over and I just keep going back and forth on this. I really want to do Computer Science and getting into a job that involves coding as I really love doing it. I’m between this and accounting. Accounting seems like the safe option, I don’t necessarily have any interest in it, but it pays good and would be a steady desk job. There’s just not the earning potential of Computer Science there, nor the interest that I have in Computer Science. I’ve be”

“I'm kinda nervous, I don't know what my future will be and also nervous for work. I really want to break into Cybersecurity, it's like a calling I can't explain. I really want that. submitted by /u/Iuno_- [link] [comments]”

“Cybersecurity and network security. There is little space in the entry level area though — cyber and network security requires years of experience in networking, systems, and actual professional communications”

“Just turned 20 recently and kinda feel like a failure. Promised myself by the start of junior year I'd have a (valuable) internship and a cert. Well shit ends up happening (terrible breakup, more home issues, health concerns, yada yada) now I'm starting my third year with no cert, one internship that isn't very meaningful, and my only actual work experience is retail and being a substitute teacher. I'm graduating a semester early so I feel like time is running out. The plan was t”