Wondering how to start a career in IT? Here’s our guide.

A career in IT is more accessible than it has ever been. It’s not surprising that interest in the information technology industry has seen an uptick over the last several years. The industry pays competitively, the skills are in demand, and in many instances, you can work remotely. 

To help, in this guide we sit down with Scott Boddye, our IT Manager at Vendr We talk with Scott about the ins and outs of working in the industry as well as his personal journey into a growing technical field.

But first—

Why choose a career in IT?

There’s a slew of reasons why anyone might decide to break into the IT industry. One of them might be that you can acquire the right skills on your own and land your preferred role. 

This means you don’t have to go the traditional college route. It’s possible to acquire a well-paying career through other means, such as skill-specific training or shadowing other professionals.

One of the upsides of IT is that it is constantly evolving. So if you enjoy tackling ongoing challenges then it’ll be a satisfying field to dive into.

Plus, the IT sector is only seeing more demand as the job market evolves. According to the US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, IT occupations are projected to grow faster than the average industry by 13 percent from 2020 to 2030. 

Here’s the breakdown of the pay range for some popular IT specializations:

• Information Security Analyst: $67,803 - $81,535
• Computer Programmer: $83,389 - $107,180
• Web Developer: $77,200 - $82390
• Computer Support Specialist: $61,752 - $87,160

Sometimes, you simply want to dive into a new career. or you’re looking to increase your earnings. In this case, after having originally studied graphic design, our very own IT Manager, Scott Boddye, stumbled into IT by accident as he began his journey in a completely unrelated role. As head of the IT team, he now gets to exercise some of his core skills. 

“I like to be in a position to help my employees further their work and make it easier for them,” Scott says. “With IT, you then enable the overall company to work faster, work better, and be more productive.”

Scott’s affinity for puzzle-like processes as well as designing highly efficient workflows was put to good use once he was tapped for an IT position at his company. 

Scott says, “I like puzzles in the way of streamlining processes. In my last company, I designed a really nice process to take new hire data from our talent platform, put it into our HR platform, and then put it into our other technologies. So designing systems and processes like that has been super cool.”

If Scott’s experience sounds appealing to you, you’ll want to learn what steps you can take to make it your reality. 

How to start a career in IT with no experience

The beauty of building a career in IT is that there is no cookie-cutter path to breaking into the industry and finding fulfilling work. That is to say, there are multiple ways to land IT positions. 

As a beginner, Scott stepped into the IT industry about seven years ago through Robert Half, a job placement company. From there, his career was a matter of being proactive and taking advantage of opportunities where his skills crossed over and became an asset to the company’s IT initiatives. 

“I started out being placed as an office manager. Talking with the leadership of that startup, they wanted to become compliant and they were growing really quickly. So I did basic research and made basic recommendations from an IT perspective and they said ‘oh, okay well are you interested in being our IT person?’”

Showing interest with a curious mindset is one way to get your IT department manager’s attention. However, before approaching leadership, you need to do some background work first. 

Know what your IT career options are

Information technology is an umbrella term for several different branches in which you can specialize. For instance, some IT job titles you’ll come across are:

• Network Systems Administrator
• Chief Technology Officer
• Customer Support Specialist 
• Web Designer
• Senior Applications Engineer
• Systems Analyst
• Java Developer
• Telecommunications Specialist
• Web Administrator
• Database Programmer
• Software Engineer
• IT Project Manager
• Help Desk Specialist
• Information Technology Coordinator
• Software Quality Assurance Management
• Certified Ethical Hacker

While some of these IT positions do require technical knowledge rooted in a computer science degree, others are attainable through on-the-job experience, networking, and certifications. 

Take the time to do your research and read through the job descriptions you’re interested in before making a plan to apply. That way, you’re more aware of the general tasks each position you’re interested in requires and you can start to develop competencies in that specific field.

Take stock of your current skills

As you consider the IT industry, it’s easy to think that you need to know coding languages like Ruby, Javascript, Python, or that you need cybersecurity know-how. Technical skills are relevant, but a lot of them can be learned on the job.

There’s something to be said about soft skills in IT and how useful they can be. This means skills like: 

• Communication 
• Project management
• Customer service 
• Problem-solving 
• Resourcefulness

These soft skills can help you step into the field, but being proactive about your technical education will keep you there. Think about previous work experience. Do you have call center customer support experience that can translate over to IT? Are you a veteran with entry-level experience in tech? 

Taking stock of your existing skills will help you gauge where you need to compensate with additional coursework, certifications, or adjacent work experience that you can add to your resume. 

Take IT courses and complete relevant certifications

IT courses help round you out in areas that might be more technical or complex. It only takes one Google search to find a ton of courses in the IT industry that both traditional institutions and experts offer online. 

In terms of certification, Scott explains, “there are lots of certificates that could help you further your career – not only just starting, but also after you have the position.”

“There are lots of different segments of IT that you could get into,” Scott says. “Networking, infrastructure, security, business, and vendor management. You can always further one side more if you’re not getting the job invites that you’re looking for. ” 

There's no shortage of accessible resources to help you learn the fundamentals. Here are a few more worth researching:

• CompTIA: a great resource for IT certifications that can help you win that entry-level position. Through CompTIA, certification exams can be taken from home and you can take advantage of monthly payment options in case you’re on a budget. 
• Google IT Certificates: Google offers an IT certification through Coursera that teaches the basics of networking, operating systems, and problem solving with code. You can take the course online and spend less than 10 hours a week to complete it. It also comes with plenty of career support resources. 
• Online IT Certification Programs: Accredited Schools Online is a great place to find the universities with the top IT certification courses that you can sort through by specialization.   
• Udemy IT Certifications Courses: Udemy gives you access to some of the bestselling courses in IT created by professionals with real experience in the field. You can sort courses by rating, reviews, or level of difficulty. 

There’s no shortage of ways to learn the fundamentals and even advanced know-how necessary to thrive in an IT role. Once you have the knowledge down, it’s a matter of putting the work in. 

Gain entry-level experience

How exactly can you get entry-level positions in IT beyond the traditional job hunt on LinkedIn? Much like Scott’s journey into the world of IT, keeping your eye out for opportunities in your current company can take you a long way. 

Looking for freelancing opportunities is an alternative route to gaining provable IT field experience that can eventually lead to a full-time position. Gathering experience with freelance clients shows you know your stuff and can apply your skills to get results. 

If you want a more direct approach, try to go out of your way to talk to hiring managers about their current IT openings. As you aspire to build an IT career, you are your biggest advocate. Know what you bring to the table and don’t be afraid to speak up about your current set of skills. Beyond college degrees, hiring managers want to see that you take initiative and that you’re proactive about learning and creating results. 

Consider job placement opportunities

Job placement through a temporary agency is a solid way to break into the industry if other methods aren’t working for you.

If you don’t have an IT background or any relevant skills, get in touch with general recruiters and look to be placed. While they might not directly place you in an IT position, it could lead to a role that can be a stepping stone for a future IT job.   

Tips For Getting Into IT from Vendr

A career in IT is an opportunity for you to exercise both your soft and hard skills, as well as make a difference in the processes teams use to be more efficient and productive. 

In Scott’s own words, “Relax and don’t let things push you around too much. Take a deep breath and just get through it.” 

How to start a career in Information Technology FAQ

Do I need a college degree to work in IT?

Not necessarily. Though a bachelor’s degree or even a Master’s degree in the field does help, so can a degree in an adjacent field. Relevant on-the-job experience is also key. 

How can I start a career in IT with no experience? 

The best way to start a career in IT with no experience is to leverage your existing network, take online courses and certifications in the IT specialization you’re interested in, and find opportunities to add value and cross-over your existing skills into the IT department. 

What are the best entry-level IT jobs you can get with no experience? 

Consider becoming a Web Designer or Technical Support Specialist. As you gain more skills by learning on the job and supplement those with certifications or online courses, you can start working your way into your preferred specialization as your IT knowledge compounds. 

How Vendr can help you level-up your company’s IT

IT managers are critical to the success of any technical organization. Their time should be spent solving technical and operational problems, not managing an unwieldy software stack or negotiating contract prices. Vendr works closely with IT professionals to handle SaaS negotiations, giving IT managers time back in their dayss to work on compliance strategy and security priorities. Vendr helps IT void SaaS purchasing surprises, looping in IT departments at the relevant times.

Learn more about how Vendr works with IT teams to help your company follow the right process to buy software.