How to jumpstart your IT Technical Career in Kerry - Pitman Training Career Plan Q & A Series

Starting off down the technical training route to an IT job in Kerry doesn’t need to be a daunting experience. In fact it is one of the careers which is easily the opposite and can be built up slowly and surely with practical step by step experience and qualification. The good news is that once you have your foot on the IT ladder you have employable skills straight away with a window of opportunity ahead depending on where you would like to go or which area you want to specialise in.

If you are someone who naturally has an interest in computers and technology, are a good problem solver with the ability to decipher technical jargon to a non IT literate person then this could be an ideal career for you.

Read on for some commonly asked questions and answers about this career and hopefully you will be armed with the knowledge you need to make your decision about venturing down this path!

Q What qualifications would you need?

A Certainly this is an area where on-the-job training plays a big part but industry certification is absolutely key. You would need a good level of general education and a working interest in computer software and hardware would help. An IT course in Computing or IT Support and one which covers communication skills would be a real advantage.

There are excellent Kerry IT courses available, in particular the Pitman Training IT Support Technician Diploma. This Diploma training course will help you learn how to install, repair, upgrade and maintain PCs and operating systems. Core courses you will train are the CompTIA A+ series, Communication Skills for IT Specialists and Project Management Fundamentals. There are two elective courses that can then be chosen from a selection such as MTA Database Administrator Fundamentals; MTA Networking Fundamentals or MTA Server Admin Fundamentals.

The Pitman Training Advanced IT Support Technician Diploma takes your training a step further and could be your entry route to a job as a network or system administrator. It is intended for anyone already in an IT role who has a responsibility for network maintenance and management. Many of our students use this Diploma as a stepping stone to promotion, having proved to employers the scope of their skill. Core courses with this training include the CompTIA A+ Series, CompTIA Network + and CompTIA Security + along with an elective course choice from a large selection such as CompTIA Cloud + or MTA Security Fundamentals.

Q What types of salaries are you look at?

A The average salary according to payscale.ie for an IT Support Technician is currently €26,483 annually. Salary range rises once years of experience rise and range from €23,056 to €41,460. With the addition of specialist skills such as software development you could be looking at earning up to €60,000 per year.

Q What does your average day look like?

A Working in IT Support as a starting point, you may work in a team supporting an organisations infrastructure staff and clients, or you could be in a help-desk setting answering tech support calls and addressing user problems.

Typical tasks of a desktop support technician include:
Format, install, set-up, maintain and troubleshoot desktop and laptop computers for end users.
Coordinate with vendors to resolve problems
Add or replace memory, new keyboards, motherboards and other components.
Set up and troubleshoot domains, user accounts and software accounts.
Configure, test and troubleshoot network connectivity and wireless access for local and remote computers or devices.

Q What is the Kerry jobs market currently like for IT and Technical roles?

A With employment continuing to rise across all sectors in 2018 according to latest CSO figures for June 2018, IT and technical roles are no different. With the most recent announcement in July that Fexco in Kerry will hire 175 new recruits in engineering, software and sales to the latest local Kerry jobs listings looking for qualified IT professionals such as this IT support engineer role in Tralee, demand for professional and certified IT staff will most certainly remain high.

Q What is the opportunity for Career Progression?

A Once you become well versed in key areas of IT such as handling computer maintenance, managing PCs, operating systems and networks, supporting LANS, internet access set-up and can communicate well with all types of users and project manage IT developments, you will have opened the door to many possible avenues in this field. From cloud computing, to security, programming and software development the choices are varied and the possibilities for career progression numerous.

Pitman Training offer over 400 flexible learning, full and part-time Kerry courses in a wide range of subjects from IT, Technical training courses, Programming to Web and Graphic Design, Management courses, Digital Marketing, Accounting, Event Management, Medical Secretarial and Legal Secretary training.