| Many newcomers to Information Technology get | | | | got to get out and meet people. Check the |
| an overly-optimistic picture of the field from tech | | | | business section of your local newspaper. There |
| school ads that continually make note that "an | | | | will be dozens of networking meetings listed in |
| average MCSE salary is $80.000 a year!".And if | | | | there. It doesn't matter that you aren't in the field |
| someone's thinking of getting into IT and goes on | | | | yet go to these meetings and meet people. |
| the internet to do some research, they're met | | | | Initiative is never a bad thing.And once you get |
| with the opposite end of the spectrum - | | | | that first job, make it count. Show up on time |
| complaint after complaint about how much IT is a | | | | and do what you say you'll do. If you don't know |
| terrible field, you can't break in, there's no room | | | | something, dig into Google and find the answer or |
| for newcomers, etc.As usual, the truth lies in the | | | | ask a more knowledgeable colleague. (Just doing |
| middle. As much as I love the IT field, I'll be the | | | | these few basic things will put you way ahead of |
| first to say that it's often hard to get that first | | | | the pack.)Getting started in IT is as tough as |
| job. Many tech schools have a job placement | | | | breaking into any other field. Having worked in a |
| department, and that can be one big plus in their | | | | few different jobs in my life, though, I can tell |
| favor.What if you don't have that resource | | | | you this: No other field in the world rewards |
| working for you? When you're breaking into any | | | | individual drive, initiative, and achievement like |
| field, IT or not, you must not make the classic | | | | Information Technology. The fact that you have |
| mistake of sending a ton of resumes and waiting | | | | to work so hard to get in will make your eventual |
| for the phone to ring. The odds are that it | | | | and unstoppable success just that much |
| won't.You must get out and talk to people. The | | | | sweeter.Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner |
| term "networking" doesn't just refer to allowing | | | | of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA |
| computers to talk to each other it also refers to | | | | and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study |
| people talking to each other. In your case, you've | | | | Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. |