The Pitfalls of Over Qualification and Entry Level IT Roles

By: Peter Webber
Submitted: 2007-01-17 15:36:24
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If you’ve looked into getting certified with the hope of landing your first IT job you will no doubt have come across some very tempting intensive fast track courses offering high level qualifications in a short space of time.

Some even promise well paid senior grade jobs on completion of the course – it all just seems too good to be true, and actually it is. Who in their right mind would let someone with no experience (but at least two years worth of qualifications crammed into a couple of months) anywhere near their servers or network?

As anyone who has worked in the industry will know, certifications are good to have but they do not substitute experience. This vital fact is what the training companies fail to mention when marketing their fast track courses. To get into high level IT roles you have to first get into low level one and work your way up.

There are no shortcuts in this industry just like there aren’t in any other industry and why should there be? With the sheer dependence modern business has on technology these days let’s hope that never changes either. One of the wonderful things about computing which I experienced first hand is that one can embark on a very rewarding career without need of a university degree or extensive experience in the field.

Getting that all important foot in the door does however seem to be a bit of a stumbling block for many hopeful candidates. Even the ones who have thought better of the ‘get certified quick’ fast track courses and invested time and resources into obtaining the correct and relevant qualifications for entry level work.

It would seem that competition for these positions is fairly high and the overqualified yet under experienced are not getting a look in either. If I were recruiting for an entry level role I’d choose the candidate with the skill set that is the closest match to the job – and fast tracked, high level certifications could not be further from entry level role requirements. I’d also be concerned about the loyalties of someone who has attempted to fast track their career.

If I were to set up a training company aimed at those wishing to start a career in or change career to IT I would concentrate on relevant technical certifications for entry level roles and more importantly – relevant non technical skills that account for a large part of the job.

When you’re on the front line the majority of your work involves customer focus, time management, prioritising, project management, written and oral communication, the ability to think on your feet and an understanding of the importance of business awareness and productivity.

These qualities are what you’ll get quizzed on in interviews - technical stuff can be picked up and learnt on the job. At this level your ability to get the job done as efficiently as possible is what will make all the difference.

There are fantastic opportunities in the IT industry, while training and certification can help you get ahead of your competition, the wrong certification can put you at a disadvantage. If you really want to stand out from the crowd and get that first IT job – choose qualifications that will benefit your employers and you.

Article source: Expert Articles