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I wish to change careers from construction, commercial and residential, to a more tech oriented job. What are the best options for me finding a decent job.
I have been in the construction industry for about 25 years, mostly in the realm of finish carpentry or refitting kitchens and bathrooms. I have built many a computer, for myself and friends, over the years and have enjoied the process immensely. I am looking for a career doing something like it, and growing the skills needed while I am at it. #computer-hardware #jobs
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5 answers
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Linda’s Answer
The switch from non-tech to tech is more common than you might think. I recommend you acquire a few foundational certifications that enable you to get an entry level tech support or network operations position at a local company. A few certifications to consider are...
1. Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)
2. Cisco Certified Technician (CCT)
3. Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
Once you're working in a tech job, you can acquire more advanced certifications so you can apply for positions that offer more complex work.
While there are professional certification prep courses that offer a quick start, they can be quite expensive. If you have some time, consider the local community college system. As a local resident, you will...
1. qualify for lower tuition rates
2. be able to interact with instructors who can offer practical assignments based on real world scenarios
3. apply for internships at local companies who either hire you or at least enable you to start your resume
A good goal is to complete a technical Associate of Science program that offers real professional certifications without the high cost. You can remain working in construction, attending classes as a non-traditional student until you land an internship or entry level position in a tech company.
Be sure to establish a LinkedIn profile so you can use it to connect with groups, professionals, and companies. Use the Jobs function to find entry level tech positions.
I wish you all the best in your career jump!
Establish a LinkedIn profile to connect with groups, people, and companies
Check out your local community college system for an Associates program that yields a few real certifications
Got cash? Check out publicly offered certification prep courses in your area
1. Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)
2. Cisco Certified Technician (CCT)
3. Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
Once you're working in a tech job, you can acquire more advanced certifications so you can apply for positions that offer more complex work.
While there are professional certification prep courses that offer a quick start, they can be quite expensive. If you have some time, consider the local community college system. As a local resident, you will...
1. qualify for lower tuition rates
2. be able to interact with instructors who can offer practical assignments based on real world scenarios
3. apply for internships at local companies who either hire you or at least enable you to start your resume
A good goal is to complete a technical Associate of Science program that offers real professional certifications without the high cost. You can remain working in construction, attending classes as a non-traditional student until you land an internship or entry level position in a tech company.
Be sure to establish a LinkedIn profile so you can use it to connect with groups, professionals, and companies. Use the Jobs function to find entry level tech positions.
I wish you all the best in your career jump!
Linda recommends the following next steps:
Thank for the input.
aaron
Updated
Tanmay’s Answer
Transitioning to tech industry can feel very intimidating especially when making a choice that is has a specific goal of getting a full time job with the skills you pick up.
For a lot of options, it is very resource intensive in terms of money and tends to become a limiting factor. Very recently I learned about the freecodecamp platform founded by Quincy Larson that has the very focus of helping people pick up skills and get a job. If you visit the site https://www.freecodecamp.org/ you shall be greeted by a message that says that more than 40000 graduates of this free program have got full time jobs in multiple reputed companies. This curriculum helps you to structure your learning schedule. There are multiple people who have posted on the forums of their freecodecamp success stories. I would recommend you go through and read a few just to get a sense what it took them to make the transition happen.
For a lot of options, it is very resource intensive in terms of money and tends to become a limiting factor. Very recently I learned about the freecodecamp platform founded by Quincy Larson that has the very focus of helping people pick up skills and get a job. If you visit the site https://www.freecodecamp.org/ you shall be greeted by a message that says that more than 40000 graduates of this free program have got full time jobs in multiple reputed companies. This curriculum helps you to structure your learning schedule. There are multiple people who have posted on the forums of their freecodecamp success stories. I would recommend you go through and read a few just to get a sense what it took them to make the transition happen.
Thanks for that info.
aaron
Updated
Judi’s Answer
To transition from construction to something technical is actually a really great idea. You need to think about how you can leverage your construction experience to your advantage.
You could work on a technology team that creates devices or tools used by the construction industry - like desk top support that goes on site to help construction team leads who have computers, Computer Automated Design (CAD) software troubleshooting, manufacturing control panels for heavy equipment, or the firmware that drives power tools! No matter if you decide you want to be hardware support, developer, data analyst, business analyst, support role, product manager or tester your subject matter expertise from your personal experience will be invaluable. The construction industry has lots of technology companies where you can leverage your construction experience to get in the door.
Think about what technology role you want to move into for the companies that produce the technology you like. Then look at job boards for those roles to understand the required skills and certifications they are looking for. From there you can map out your plan.
Good luck!
You could work on a technology team that creates devices or tools used by the construction industry - like desk top support that goes on site to help construction team leads who have computers, Computer Automated Design (CAD) software troubleshooting, manufacturing control panels for heavy equipment, or the firmware that drives power tools! No matter if you decide you want to be hardware support, developer, data analyst, business analyst, support role, product manager or tester your subject matter expertise from your personal experience will be invaluable. The construction industry has lots of technology companies where you can leverage your construction experience to get in the door.
Think about what technology role you want to move into for the companies that produce the technology you like. Then look at job boards for those roles to understand the required skills and certifications they are looking for. From there you can map out your plan.
Good luck!
Updated
Jonathan’s Answer
Given your background in finish carpentry (and I assume cabinetry based on kitchen work), one thing you might consider would be creating bespoke computer cases for high-end clientele builds. In which case studying and understanding the airflow and heat displacement requirements of the internal air volume, along with other focus in sound dampening, cable management. It's not enough just to build them though, people will need to know about it, so advertising your builds and services on reddit, instagram, etc. will be necessary, study what's out there and tailor your photograph and marketing to the potential audience. Best of luck!
investigate the potential market for custom computer cases
create custom cases and gaming PC builds
start documenting the build process (potentially with video on youtube) and advertise to the interested communities
Jonathan recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Firoz’s Answer
You can take a few approaches: Tech guru or support at Best Buy. You can start in desktop or laptop support at most companies of any industry. You can also join a company where you actually do tech support for other client companies.
Higher up the career line you can look into entry level opportunities at companies such as DELL or HP.
Programming in languages such as C, Python, and Java may be something that might interest you.
Entry level data scientist using SQL , Tableau, SAS, or R may be something of interest to you.
Thanks for the info.
aaron