IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[MalikX]

I'm not sure what to do.

I want to go into programming. So far, I've been teaching myself Python for the past 2 months. I've finished one book (Think Python) and one video course. I'm currently reading another book (Byte of Python), going through Codecademy and I just started this humongous tutorial package I purchased on discount. shyt has 92 hours worth of lessons Everything from Python, Ruby, PHP to Javascript and Angular.

My question though....I hear of people getting programming jobs within a year of learning. I'm wondering if I should try to pursue an A+ or Network+ cert to do something tech related in the meantime while I'm waiting to break into web development or is that a waste of time? Maybe I should do it just to hedge my bet. I don't know.

 

[Apollo Creed]

I'm not sure what to do.

I want to go into programming. So far, I've been teaching myself Python for the past 2 months. I've finished one book (Think Python) and one video course. I'm currently reading another book (Byte of Python), going through Codecademy and I just started this humongous tutorial package I purchased on discount. shyt has 92 hours worth of lessons Everything from Python, Ruby, PHP to Javascript and Angular.

My question though....I hear of people getting programming jobs within a year of learning. I'm wondering if I should try to pursue an A+ or Network+ cert to do something tech related in the meantime while I'm waiting to break into web development or is that a waste of time? Maybe I should do it just to hedge my bet. I don't know.

Infrastructure and Web/Software Development are 2 polar opposites, unless you are trying to get into DevOps and even then that coding is more so related to automation of task.

 

[kevm3]

I'm not sure what to do.

I want to go into programming. So far, I've been teaching myself Python for the past 2 months. I've finished one book (Think Python) and one video course. I'm currently reading another book (Byte of Python), going through Codecademy and I just started this humongous tutorial package I purchased on discount. shyt has 92 hours worth of lessons Everything from Python, Ruby, PHP to Javascript and Angular.

My question though....I hear of people getting programming jobs within a year of learning. I'm wondering if I should try to pursue an A+ or Network+ cert to do something tech related in the meantime while I'm waiting to break into web development or is that a waste of time? Maybe I should do it just to hedge my bet. I don't know.

If you're trying to break into web development, you need to learn HTML/CSS and some Javascript for the front-end and use Django, a python framework, for the back end since you've already started learning with Python. HTML/CSS are a must though, as well as a bit of JS.

 

[MalikX]

Infrastructure and Web/Software Development are 2 polar opposites, unless you are trying to get into DevOps and even then that coding is more so related to automation of task.

Yea, I know.

I want to get into web development. I'm just not feeling my current employment status and I want to make sure Im driving down the right track. I don't want another 11 months to go by and I'm still not in web development when I could have gotten 2 or 3 certs by then.

But yea.....even if I get the certs and start on the IT track, the entire time I'll be waiting to hop over into programming first chance I get.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Yea, I know.

I want to get into web development. I'm just not feeling my current employment status and I want to make sure Im driving down the right track. I don't want another 11 months to go by and I'm still not in web development when I could have gotten 2 or 3 certs by then.

But yea.....even if I get the certs and start on the IT track, the entire time I'll be waiting to hop over into programming first chance I get.

When people say "IT" they are usually referring to Infrastructure. Web Development is cool as a side hustle but now the industry is being flooded because everyone thinks they are a developer now after taking a few free tutorials. You say you have experience in management right? Why start from scratch? Try to become a Project Manager or Business Analyst.

 

[MalikX]

If you're trying to break into web development, you need to learn HTML/CSS and some Javascript for the front-end and use Django, a python framework, for the back end since you've already started learning with Python. HTML/CSS are a must though, as well as a bit of JS.

I know......but Python is so fun though

I perused through the Javascript and HTML & CSS books (the ones by Jon Duckett). Great books. Very visual. I didn't throw myself into it the same way I'm doing with Python so I'll have to double back and make sure I have a concrete understanding of those three too. I want to pick up Python, PHP, HTML, CSS, Javascript and Mobile before the fall. It's so bad I bring my laptop to work to code during breaks.

 

[kevm3]

I know......but Python is so fun though

I perused through the Javascript and HTML & CSS books (the ones by Jon Duckett). Great books. Very visual. I didn't throw myself into it the same way I'm doing with Python so I'll have to double back and make sure I have a concrete understanding of those three too. I want to pick up Python, PHP, HTML, CSS, Javascript and Mobile before the fall. It's so bad I bring my laptop to work to code during breaks.

Yeah, I really enjoy Ruby, Java, etc. more than just plain JS and I really dislike CSS, but if you want a web development job, you can't escape JS/CSS/HTML. You can get a job where you will be more focused on the backend and primarily do Python, but you will still have to deal with the aforementioned 3 to some extent. Also, knowing more than one language will make you a better programmer and will give you more flexibility in case you have lulls in your particular preferred language.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Anyone got any good meterial for subnetting? I've read the subnetting chapter of my net+ book over and over and I still cant quite grasp it.

Why are you having trouble with?

Here's a site that asks random subnetting questions. I used it a lot to verify I knew my shyt.

subnettingquestions.com - Free Subnetting Questions and Answers Randomly Generated Online

Here's a sample question:

Question: What is the first valid host on the subnetwork that the node 192.168.92.137/25 belongs to?

​

Here's the process I go through in my head when subnetting:

Determine the network mask
/25

Use the network mask to determine the subnet of the host
1. Convert the subnet mask (/25) to binary - 11111111 11111111 11111111 10000000
2. Separate the network portion (1's) from the host (0's)
Network - 11111111 11111111 11111111 1
Host - 0000000
3. Since the first 3 octets are all 1's, you know the subnet starts with 192.168.92
4. Convert the last octet from binary to decimal to determine the subnet
10000000 in decimal is 128, so the subnet for this address 192.168.92.128 (If you don't know how to go from binary to decimal, look it up).
192.168.92.128 is the subnet for the IP address

5. To determine the number of valid hosts use the formula 2^n -2 where "n" is the number of host bits
2^7 = 128
128 - 2 = 126
There are a max of 126 available hosts in the 192.168.92.128 subnet

6. To determine the first available host, add 1 to the last octet in the subnet
subnet = 192.168.92.128
add 1 to last octect = 192.168.92.129
192.168.92.129 is the 1st valid host on the subnet

7. To determine the last valid host add the number of valid hosts to the last octect in the subnet
number of valid hosts = 126
Last octect in subnet 192.168.92.128 = 128
126+128 = 254
The last valid host in the subnet is 254 or 192.168.92.254

8. To determine the broadcast address, add 1 to the last valid host in the subnet
Last valid host is 192.168.92.254
Add 1 to last valid host = 192.168.92.255
The broadcast address is 192.168.92.255

Summary:
Host: 192.168.92.137/25
Subnet: 192.168.92.128
First valid host: 192.168.92.129
Last valid host: 192.168.92.254
Broadcast address 192.168.92.255
Available hosts: 126

It's a bit confusing at first, but if you practice for about an hour or so, you should get the idea. For the exam you should be able to subnet in your head, so practice it before you take the exam.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

@bdizzle Breh , so what the next step after acquiring my COMPTIA A+ ? Thanks in advance breh

The next step is to get a job

 

[DMGAINGREEN]

The next step is to get a job

How do I make my resume more appealing to employers to acquire a Help Desk Technician Job

 

[kevm3]

This might be an interesting course for network guys who want to dip into programming
Python Tutorial: Python Network Programming - Build 7 Apps

 

[↓R↑LYB]

How do I make my resume more appealing to employers to acquire a Help Desk Technician Job

How many hours have you spent working on your resume this weekend?

 

[acri1]

How do I make my resume more appealing to employers to acquire a Help Desk Technician Job

You have any experience? And I don't necessarily even mean just job experience....college classes or projects related to IT, volunteering, fixing your cousin's computer, etc. Anything would help.

That said you might have to do what I did and start out in a call center. My first IT job was a tech support rep making $10/hr basically just resetting passwords and telling people to reboot their modems and I was able to get a helpdesk technician job after that. Once you have your first job it gets easier to find the next one. I would say hit up Comcast/AT&T/Verizon/etc or whatever ISPs are in your area to see if they're hiring. Their tech support departments usually have high turnover, so they take people with no experience as long as they're reasonably tech saavy and can be polite on the phone.

 

[Silkk]

How do I make my resume more appealing to employers to acquire a Help Desk Technician Job

Copy somebody else's shyt

 

[Silkk]

Why are you having trouble with?

Here's a site that asks random subnetting questions. I used it a lot to verify I knew my shyt.

subnettingquestions.com - Free Subnetting Questions and Answers Randomly Generated Online

Here's a sample question:

​

Here's the process I go through in my head when subnetting:

Determine the network mask
/25

Use the network mask to determine the subnet of the host
1. Convert the subnet mask (/25) to binary - 11111111 11111111 11111111 10000000
2. Separate the network portion (1's) from the host (0's)
Network - 11111111 11111111 11111111 1
Host - 0000000
3. Since the first 3 octets are all 1's, you know the subnet starts with 192.168.92
4. Convert the last octet from binary to decimal to determine the subnet
10000000 in decimal is 128, so the subnet for this address 192.168.92.128 (If you don't know how to go from binary to decimal, look it up).
192.168.92.128 is the subnet for the IP address

5. To determine the number of valid hosts use the formula 2^n -2 where "n" is the number of host bits
2^7 = 128
128 - 2 = 126
There are a max of 126 available hosts in the 192.168.92.128 subnet

6. To determine the first available host, add 1 to the last octet in the subnet
subnet = 192.168.92.128
add 1 to last octect = 192.168.92.129
192.168.92.129 is the 1st valid host on the subnet

7. To determine the last valid host add the number of valid hosts to the last octect in the subnet
number of valid hosts = 126
Last octect in subnet 192.168.92.128 = 128
126+128 = 254
The last valid host in the subnet is 254 or 192.168.92.254

8. To determine the broadcast address, add 1 to the last valid host in the subnet
Last valid host is 192.168.92.254
Add 1 to last valid host = 192.168.92.255
The broadcast address is 192.168.92.255

Summary:
Host: 192.168.92.137/25
Subnet: 192.168.92.128
First valid host: 192.168.92.129
Last valid host: 192.168.92.254
Broadcast address 192.168.92.255
Available hosts: 126

It's a bit confusing at first, but if you practice for about an hour or so, you should get the idea. For the exam you should be able to subnet in your head, so practice it before you take the exam.

fukking hate this shyt, but i'm gonna look at it tomorrow. If i can't get it, just gonna say fukk the CCNA cause i skipped clean over this shyt on my Net+ exam