Advice on a Career Change

[Spano]

Hi all - I am 45 years old, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa, and have been working in the food service industry since graduating from high school. About three years ago I was bitten by the computer bug and began teaching myself Windows, both 98 and XP. In August of '05, looking for something new to tackle, I began experimenting with Linux. Nowadays I have two machines, triple booting one with Ubuntu, Debian and XP, the other set up as a backup server. I'm no guru, more of a "confident user" or "advanced hobbyist" and have found I have a real passion for Linux.
What I'm curious about is how does one go about getting into the IT industry? I would like to attempt one of those mid-life career changes and need advice on a course of action. I am unencumbered by family or financial obligations so at this point learning and pursuing my passion are more important than monetary gain.
Are there jobs in the field that don't require formal education? Entry level positions with on the job training? If school is the way to go what courses and degrees should I be looking into? My primary interests would be systems administration image processing/graphics.
This is a long post with many questions so I appreciate your time and considered opinions.

[utabintarbo]

Hi all - I am 45 years old, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa, and have been working in the food service industry since graduating from high school. About three years ago I was bitten by the computer bug and began teaching myself Windows, both 98 and XP. In August of '05, looking for something new to tackle, I began experimenting with Linux. Nowadays I have two machines, triple booting one with Ubuntu, Debian and XP, the other set up as a backup server. I'm no guru, more of a "confident user" or "advanced hobbyist" and have found I have a real passion for Linux.
What I'm curious about is how does one go about getting into the IT industry? I would like to attempt one of those mid-life career changes and need advice on a course of action. I am unencumbered by family or financial obligations so at this point learning and pursuing my passion are more important than monetary gain.
Are there jobs in the field that don't require formal education? Entry level positions with on the job training? If school is the way to go what courses and degrees should I be looking into?
This is a long post with many questions so I appreciate your time and considered opinions.

I accomplished this @ 41, though the industry I came from was somewhat computer oriented (CAD/CAM) At the time, I hadn't finished my CS degree, but I did have an MCSE and was in College. The fact that I stayed within the auto industry, and am now supporting and researching the same stuff I did before helped a lot.

I would suggest looking for something in the food service industry to leverage what you already know. Designations are nice, but not as nice as experience or College classes.

Being in a position to take a pay cut is helpful as well. My move was lateral - I was lucky.

[OffHand]

I graduated as a video artist - Bachelor of Fine Arts - but I have an IT job nowadays. It really depends on what you would like to do. Software testing, quality assurance, programming, support, sys admin etc etc Each has his own set of requirements/certs.

[Hendrixski]

I think you should go for it! Computer classes are always helpful because you will fill in the gaps in what you've been learning in the past few years. They may also pad your resume (especially if you get a certification). :)

The best way to learn is to actually do stuff on the job. I went to one of the top ten schools for computer science in the country but when I started a job as a software developer I found out that there's so much more to learn. I learn more every day on the job, stuff I could never have learned on a course or by doodling on my own, and I love every second of it. I'm sure you'd love it as well.

As for pay, a computer job will most likely pay more than a food service job, and have better benefits.

So my advice: get a newspaper, or go to Monster.com and start applying ASAP, apply to any old computer-related job. You'll learn stuff on the job, and the employer may even pay for you to take some classes. After a year, tell them "Thank you for the education" and move to a higher paying job that does more in depth stuff with computers, and keep doing this. It may take you a few months to land this first job, so don't be afraid to take a class or two in those few months, but you won't regret it.

Good luck!

[Tomosaur]

The great thing about computers is that you can teach yourself. It's very different from say, plumbing, where you essentially need to learn the ins and outs. Most of the tools you'd use in a college or university are available to a 'hobbyist', or at least, there are viable alternatives to such tools. The only encumberance you're likely to have is hardware and/or money, but these can be overcome.

However, it all depends on what you want to do. The 'IT Industry' is very, very broad, and doesn't really mean anything in itself. A software developer is in the IT industry, but his/her job is completely different from a system's administrator (although a systems administrator may well need to be able to write software). You need to know what it is about computers you enjoy doing. Many positions may require some formal qualification, but very often these are just certifications, rather than requiring an actual educational course, and you can find out about these via a simple web search. The probability is that you'll pay for an exam/test of your skills/knowledge, and then that'll be it. The great thing is that you can learn at your own pace and then make the jump whenever you're ready. You don't need to quit your current career while you're learning :)

[esaym]

Yea I am having to do the same thing:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?t=492463
http://www.techimo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176010

The sky is the limit in the IT world. You should start off by finding a local Linux Users Group and getting onto their mailing list. Lots of interesting topics going on them. I would definitely recommend getting at least a four year degree at a traditional college. I finally decided on Texas State University here right above San Antonio.


Good Luck!:mrgreen:

[Hendrixski]

The great thing is that you can learn at your own pace and then make the jump whenever you're ready. You don't need to quit your current career while you're learning :)

I'd listen to that advice. It can take a few months to find a new job, especially if you're switching fields. So start applying and keep learning, but also keep working, you don't want to be jobless for 6 months.

Hopefully we'll see a post on Ubuntu forums in a little while where you tell us about your new IT job and questions about things you're learning on the job. :D

[Spano]

Thank you all for the advice.
And I truly appreciate the encouragement.
A fine, fine group of people here.