r/ITCareerQuestions

A common approach I hear people talk about is working help-desk while in college. I'm just wondering how people land these jobs and manage them.

Are you working full-time? Do they let you have a flexible schedule so you can go to your classes? Are you taking the degree online? Is it common to hire someone who can't work full-time? Was in an internship? So on and so forth.

In my final year in college, I'm only going to be taking 3 classes total, so when the time comes, I'll be looking to take advantage of that spare time.

So for some context, I only have ~2.5 YoE working helpdesk roles, and 1 at this particular company. I have my Net+ and Sec+, but anyone that has those knows they’re glorified vocab tests and don’t necessarily teach anything actionable.

That said, for those of you in more senior security positions, what would you like to see in a prospective team member?

My mother in law and her husband as well as my parents are in a cult where education is looked down on tremendously! My husband and I recently left the cult and we have set our minds to finish our degrees in computer science which has been on and off bc our parents have had the biggest problem with it. They think that education is satanic.

The other day my MIL sent me and my husband a text message to a link that talked about a certification alone in AI can help make 60k in 4 months. She wants us to stop going to college and she doesn’t want me getting my A+ or Net or Sec.

Is this some bullshit??

https://alignment.anthropic.com/2025/anthropic-fellows-program-2026/

I am struggling to get any interviews after 3-4 months of applying for remote IT support jobs, despite having over 10 years of experience and 2 relevant bachelor's degrees. The only thing it feels like I am missing is certifications, but my understanding is that real experience is more valued. I'd like to not waste my time (and money) on these cert exams if they won't even matter compared to my experience. Is this just the overcompetitive market, or do resumes with no certs just get auto-trashed?

Currently in It school for cybersecurity and i see people losing their jobs left n right should I pivot now or what?

I’m in my late 20s and wanting to get a fresh restart on my life, and I got a great scholarship opportunity from my state to get a IT certification. However after reading this sub I’m starting to get concerned…

I spoke with a school advisor who has some experience in the field and they assured me it’s a job in demand and the majority of the students have no problems getting a job. They had even mentioned the school works with industry partners to get students both in person and virtual interviews with potential employers after completion.

Plus I know my city is planning to build several data centers so maybe I have a good chance?

Hoping to get some reassurance….

I am wanting to get a certification in areas like IT or cyber security. I’ve been hearing a lot of people online say that Googles IT certificate is a good way to get a good foundation. I currently have the 7 day free trial, but all i’ve been doing is watching videos and occasionally writing 1-3 paragraphs. Is this cert really worth it???

A little background: I graduated with a BS in CS in 2022, immediately started working for a small company as a junior software developer, but then had to relocate and subsequently quit my job due to needing to take care of a family member in a different city after only working a year and a half. My first company straight out of college didn’t allow its employees to work remotely. I then ended up quickly finding an admin role for a small business while taking care of my family member for a little over two years.

Long story short, the situation changed and I’m no longer needing to stay in the small town to take care of family anymore. I’m wanting to re-enter the tech field, but I’m worried that my large gap is considered a red-flag in the majority of recruiters’ eyes. Since the market has shifted drastically in the past 4 years or so, I’m not sure what direction to go anymore.

I’ve had some friends in the industry suggest going for a Project Manager role. I’m all for getting any certifications that will boost my chances. Is that considered too lofty a goal? Feeling a bit lost at the moment, any advice would be appreciated. Thanks everyone.

Edit: PM to Project Manager for clarify

About to take part one of the A+ next week, (then eventually networking+ and sec+). Switching to IT from an unrelated industry so no practical experience yet. I’ve noticed a lot of people making their “I passed!” posts over on the CompTIA sub are already in IT related positions or just finishing IT degrees. Am I screwed? Taking a test is one thing, but does it actually translate to real-world benefits without other experience?

I already got a job and i can speak, communicate and do my job in english easily - which is not my first language so its already plus. Lately i am planning on learning another language as a hobby and i have no idea which language should i give a chance so i figured why not learn a language that would also help me in IT instead of just being just another way of communication. I dont know which languages might be useful and are ahead of others in terms of IT sector so thank you guys in advance if you could share your experience in this matter. I MEAN LANGUAGES LIKE CHINESE RUSSIAN ETC. NOT PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES.

I have three months to prepare and I understand this field is all about practicality

I will also be majoring in Cyber Security

What should I learn while I wait?

(ai is throwing a lot at me but I trust people more)

Any advice appreciated

I'm in college for Cybersecurity. Interview honestly went pretty solid, answered most questions right, tripped up on one answer a little but still got it.

I got lab experience and school stuff but this my first actual IT job.

Did labs in classes like Microcomputing Systems, Workstation, and Computer Network Security. Mostly used AI to help document and organize what I was learning while working through stuff like Group Policy, Microsoft cloud stuff, and Active Directory.

Built a VM home lab too with Active Directory, made users/groups, practiced password resets, account management stuff, and basic admin tasks.

Job starts June 8. Hybrid. 6 month contract. Got 2–3 weeks training.

Part of me excited cause I grinded for this fr. Been trying to get into IT since like 2025 and long term tryna move into Identity and Access Management in cybersecurity.

Other part of me feel like imma get exposed first week 😭

Questions:

How yall deal with imposter syndrome?

What should I expect during training?

How do I not panic when I don't know something?

How long till yall felt comfortable?

What separates people that level up fast vs people that stay stuck?

Trying not to sell my first shot cause it's $23/hr and I need da bread 😭

I hate layoffs in this sector so much. I hate how people are treated like disposable parts - hired to build something and then tossed aside the moment the job is done. For most of us, the idea of a long-term relationship with a company is gone; we’re brought in for a project, we deliver, and then we’re discarded.

What makes it even worse is how arbitrary and brutal it all is. Budgets get slashed mid-project, a client decides to cut costs, and suddenly 60% of a team is gone within a week. People who’ve poured time, skill, and pride into their work are left scrambling because someone decided to save a few bucks.

It’s humiliating and enraging to be forced to accept that this is normal.

The industry has turned into a humiliation ritual, where dignity and loyalty mean nothing, and the only way to survive is to accept being treated as disposable.

Long story short I met someone who said as soon I get Security+ they would offer me an entry cyber role position. If I get certified and have zero experience is the trifecta enough for me to have an understanding of a cyber role? I understand cyber is a ladder move but given the circumstance will I be walking in completely blind or are the certs a good foundation to where I won't look like an absolute moron

To my understanding you need a couple different resources but it is incredibly overwhelming as there’s infinite amount to choose from. Who and what helped you pass and what is a good study plan. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I have a bachelor's in Business Admin but decided to pivot to Cyber. Went back to school, got my Comptia N+, S+, and PT+ certs as well as an Associates in Information Assurance.

With that, I was able to land my first real IT Support Specialist role, and I’ve been learning a lot, especially when it comes to networking.

My current path is leading me toward pursuing a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity at WGU, but I’m worried that specializing too heavily in cybersecurity could make it harder to pivot into network administration or network engineering later on, should I choose to do so.

Would hands-on experience (plus years in the field) outweigh having a cybersecurity-focused Master’s degree if I eventually decide to move into networking? Or would it make more sense to pursue a more general IT degree to avoid getting too locked into cyber?

To me, it's high priority to maintain a competitive edge in this market and to stay employable. But I feel like people outside IT take for granted that a job will always be there, and there's this paradox where they certainly expect you to stay employed and have an income, but at the same time resent efforts you put toward that goal. Almost like a passive aggressive attitude that these study pursuits should be low priority.

Has anyone had success finding genuine weekend work recently?

I’m currently working as a Level 2 IT Service Desk professional in a law firm and have previous experience teaching PTE and IELTS. I have also taught Maths, and English to students from Grade 6–11.

I’ve been applying through LinkedIn, Seek, and Indeed for a while now but haven’t had much luck with weekend or casual opportunities. I have been have a real rough time financially. : (

For people who managed to find weekend work recently:

Where did you find the best opportunities?

Are there better platforms, agencies, or local groups I should be looking into?

I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions. Thank you.

Hey there,

Just finished my degree and expect to receive a first (non russel group uni) but didn’t manage to get an internship after my 2nd year due to personal issues. I have Azure fundamentals cert, security+ and CNNA: enterprise networks & security. I also have a few personal projects i’ve completed on the side.

I’m under a bit of pressure to find a job quickly as my long term partner needs me to have a consistent income by feb next year for her to apply for a visa here. Has anyone got any advice for someone in my position? Ideally i’d like to find work in Manchester but understand I can’t be picky in this market, what type of job roles should i be looking for? I can send over my CV too for anyone who would like to critique!

Thanks a lot :)