How Old Is Too Old For A It Service Tech

The fundamental to success revealed.

Technical careers are for people with passion. If you honey information technology, y'all will be good at information technology. I give my recommendations for a career change. Spoiler: start by doing!

I'g writing regarding career advice. I'm 55 and recently unemployed. Nosotros recently installed a fiber optics net connexion and a very helpful AT&T employee provided an online phone assistance in setting upwardly our portable WiFi. My wife half jokingly said, "What don't you acquire that?" I also have a friend who was a systems engineer who was re-employed after a layoff with generous severance bundle, and he has all kinds of career opportunities. I'1000 probably an above-average calculator user, merely by no means a computer jock. My question for you lot is that at my age, with no prior experience, exercise you remember it would make sense for me to get some certification in some avant-garde Information technology discipline, or is it strictly a career with young people with long experience? Whatever information or guidance that you would provide would be greatly appreciated.

It may seem like IT — it — is a career simply for the young, but I'm here to tell yous it'due south not. Besides, nigh by definition, "young people" don't have "long feel".

The kids may make the news, only those of us of a certain historic period (hint: I'grand 62 as I write this) should not be counted out.

More than specifically, we shouldn't count ourselves out.

TL;DR:

Likewise former for an Information technology career?

No! You're not too one-time!
It's never too late.
Passion and logical, methodical thinking are key elements.
Certifications may be of import in the job market, but the best fashion to learn is past doing; focus on or make those opportunities first.
Don't let your preconceived notions around age hold you dorsum.

Information technology's never as well late…

In my opinion it'southward never, ever too late.

It'due south not just a young person's career, and information technology's non just a career for someone with lots of experience. It is a career for people with passion, interest, and specifically with interest in learning new things.

LOTS of new things.

Honestly, i of the reasons I dearest my career is that it'll forcefulness me to keep learning and stay mentally active until the day I die.

Passion

When I was hiring people for Microsoft, and when I talk to people today, my focus is mostly about passion.

If you lot love doing something, then you'll probably enjoy doing it, spend more than time doing it, and get amend at doing it. You'll eat it up.

I'd never say "No, don't bother," considering a career modify can come at any fourth dimension in life — Colonel Sanders' showtime Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC) opened when he was 62!

Passions tin alter or be discovered at any time in life.

The Information technology skill set

Obviously, I don't know your full skill set.

IT, calculating, or "coding", as they like to call some aspects at present, really boils down to logical, methodical thinking. There are a ton of details along the way, of course, just my have is that anyone who tin can follow directions — or peradventure anyone that tin can write directions others can follow — has an opportunity.

Virtually of IT is, after all, supplying directions for the computer to follow.

I don't dominion whatever of it out based on age. I believe there'southward always time, and there's always the ability to modify careers and acquire new things as long every bit:

Y'all believe y'all can.
You have that passion to follow through.

Certifications

I'grand not big on certifications in general. I know some jobs crave sure certifications, and peradventure after you've adamant what appeals to y'all — what lights upwards your passion — you tin can investigate what certifications, if whatever, might be required to get a task doing what you lot've called. But it'due south not where I'd start.

I'one thousand much more than of a easily-on-learn-by-experience kind of person. I find certifications to be more than a class of volume learning, which, when you become downwards to information technology, isn't really equally helpful as having done the actual piece of work.

So I would look for opportunities to start doing what you recollect you desire to do. Start learning by doing and take it from there. Have some introductory courses, perchance — online or at a local community college — and see what sparks your interest.

Then swoop deeper past doing: make up your own projects to do in your ain time, volunteer your skills if they're something that non-profits might do good from; basically, find or create opportunities to starting time doing what interests you right abroad. Doing so builds your skill set and adds to your credentials.

As far equally I'm concerned, you and I, we're young! Nosotros've got lots of opportunities ahead of us, and there'south no reason to recollect whatsoever other way.