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Which IT field to get into

I have completed my AS levels and awaiting results but I want to change my career path so I am looking to get into an IT apprenticeship with no experience or qualification in IT.However I don't know what field to get into. I know software engineering is the best field but I feel it is too hard and requires really good skills. Therefore is there any IT field which:
1. Is very easy and doesn't require such a skillful and smart person to do
2. Will provide a salary of at least £40k after 10 years of experience
3. In very high demand and provides an easy opportunity to get a job in that field.

Thing with software engineering is that it doesn't tick the first box. Also does digital marketing tick all 3 boxes

thanks

Reply 1

username1802765

Original post by nabid61

Life lesson - don't pursue a career just for the money otherwise you'll be truly miserable or quit . Do something you'd like to do when taking money out of the equation.

Reply 2

nabid61

Original post by Aidan.reed

Life lesson - don't pursue a career just for the money otherwise you'll be truly miserable or quit . Do something you'd like to do when taking money out of the equation.

OK, fine. Lets just say a job that will provide a decent salary after having maybe 10 years of experience. Clearly no one wants to be sitting on 20k after so much experience in any industry.

So, do you actually have advice for me? Because I am sure there are jobs which tick all the boxes and are not too specific or difficult to get into.

Reply 3

s4b3rt00th

For careers like software development, website development, game development... and all that, you don't need qualifications but it does help. If you have no experience, I would forget trying to get yourself into any of those careers.

You could try being one of them IT technicians.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 4

Blue_Cow

Original post by nabid61

IT apprenticeship with no experience or qualification in IT.

Good luck with that.

I know someone who dropped out of sixth form this April with exceptional JavaScript skills and an extensive portfolio and is still struggling to get an IT apprenticeship.

You seem to want everything handed over to you on a plate - "easy" this "easy" that.

Reply 5

nabid61

Original post by Blue_Cow

What should I do then? Because for level 3 apprenticeships, they are equivalent to A-levels, so basically for people who have just finished school. What, are they supposed to have 10 years of experience or something straight after coming out of school.

What sort of experience would I need. I don't even have an ICT GCSE to get into a level 3 apprenticeship. Can I just do an internship or something while applying and say that I am slowly gaining experience.

You are making it sound like it is too late to get into IT and climb up the career ladder in 10 years time.

Do you have any advice or are you gonna be a piece of **** and just criticise people.

Reply 6

Blue_Cow

Original post by nabid61

Calling people pieces of **** when they are making valid points is exactly why your attitude stinks.

Reply 7

nabid61

Original post by Blue_Cow

Calling people pieces of **** when they are making valid points is exactly why your attitude stinks.

I didn't say your wasn't valid, did I. Is it fun or something, just randomly answering peoples questions which has no benefit at all. If you don't have any proper advice what is the point of you even answering my question.

Reply 8

nabid61

Original post by Blue_Cow

Calling people pieces of **** when they are making valid points is exactly why your attitude stinks.

And again, that's all you took from my reply, what about all the other things I said before it. Again, you just unnecessarily comment on posts.

Reply 9

Blue_Cow

Original post by nabid61

You need to change your attitude and stop wanting things to be "easy". That's my point and is extremely beneficial actually.

1. Is very easy and doesn't require such a skillful and smart person to do:
The lowest rung - Technical support.
2. Will provide a salary of at least £40k after 10 years of experience:
Technical support probably won't offer that. The median wage for tech support is £17k p/a. You're going to have to learn another skill to be earning £40k after 10 years experience. When the average salary in this country is £27k, you're going to need to do something that is "hard". You can't possibly get an "easy" job that earns just under 1.5x the average national salary. That's the cold, hard truth.
3. In very high demand and provides an easy opportunity to get a job in that field.
I can't answer that

Reply 10

username1802765

Original post by nabid61

Right ok. Before you can get onto any decent apprenticeship you'll need to go back to college and complete a Level 2 qualification in ICT such as this http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/functional-skills-ict-level-2-09877/
and 5 GCSE's A-C. I'm going off a decent local college in North Yorkshire. The level 3 apprenticeship will provide you will worth experience opportunities or even better if you were to get one with a firm for example Sky offer apprenticeships for school leavers but you need to go out and find these yourself they won't come to you.

You can also look at taking some professional qualifications in the industry. Given that you don't have much knowledge or experience you will want to start off with Microsofts MTA exams (Microsoft Technology Associate)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/mta-certification.aspx
You can then move onto the MSCA exams which would provide you with decent levels of employability. You don't need to take any training courses just buy the book and do some of your own research on the topics.

You could also look at other platforms such as Linux certifications but from my knowledge these are more expensive. I'd recommend laying a good foundation and look to do some infrastructure (Server exams) and networking exams and then you can decide which direction you'd like to go.

Also just to widen your knowledge bit for free you could watch CS50 by David Malan. You don't need to watch all the programming concepts but getting a good idea of how machines work and the internet would help you out in deciding what area you want to go in. Best bit is it's all free and readily available.

People are probably reluctant to help you due to the impression you've given off in that you want something easy and the responses you've given. I'm by no means having a go as it's probably unintentional.

Anyway I hope this gives you some pointers and something to think about.