Looking for new career/ pc repair tech really need advise

[rlemmon]

Hi guys. First off a little about me. Im 28 years old and haven't really done much of anything career wise. When i was in high school i took 3 years of culinary arts at a votech school. After a few crappy jobsI got a job at a college cafeteria and worked my way up to an assistent chef.


Things went really well and after a few years i decided to go to culinary school to be a pro chef.  In the beging of 2001 I began to feel tired all the time. After a few weeks i went do a doctor who sent me stright to the ER because my pulse was 160.  I was sent to a bigger hospital to be admitted and was diagnosed with cardiomyopthay ( heart disease that weekens heart)a week lator. This opened a ungodly pandoras box. I was told There was a fifty percent chance i would need a heart transplant and that If i got it my body may reject it.    It took over three years to get partly recovered.

I got to the point were were my heart functions sixty percent. ( below normal but not life threatning st this point) Then I came down with a stomach illness that made me have crippling pains when i would eat and wound up loosing 90 pounds and going nuts from pain andf ended up horribly depressed and suicidal. That was never officialy diagnosed ( lots of opinons nothing official) but has mostly cleared up over the last two years.

I am at the point were I have to find a real career or end up working minimum wage jobs forever.  The whole chef thing is out because the heart disease causes me to be intolernt to excessive heat and too much phisical labor.

I am considering a few things but one that seems feasible is going to schoole for pc repair theres a schole 45 miles from me and it would be great to live at home and commute to save money. The thing is iv'e heard that theres to many people in pc repair and its hard to find work. I have also heard the oppiset. I'm not looking to get ritch here. Im looking to make a decent living. What do you guys think. Sorry if i rambled.

[Zero_Hour]

I guess it all depends on what you are willing to do when you start out. Entry-level PC tech's in my area start out in the $10-$15 hour range. I've seen a few posted for less, and almost none posted for more without experience. I'd check out boards like Dice.com, punch in your zip, and troll the listings in your area to get at least a little feel for what skills are in demand. Look at other job boards too, as well as traditional want-ads and Job placement centers (if there are any in your area) The more research you do, the better idea you'll have about what your expectations career wise will be.

A lot of people will tell you that the field is saturated, but in my experience, if you actually are good as a tech, you can parlay those entry level jobs into career advances rapidly if you have the skills and the drive.

Best of luck in whatever path you take.

[shmokes]

If you're looking for a computer job, maybe look into GIS (Geographic Information System).  I think there's a lot of demand for it and very little supply.  It pays well, and you just sit at a computer working on maps for the most part.  Maybe see if you can find a tutorial for ArcGIS (a popular GIS program) and see if it's something you'd be interested in.

Here's a Wikipedia link for more info

[ChadTower]

Odd.  One of the platforms I have to manage is GIS - but it is Gentran Integration Suite.  This field is way too acronym heavy.

I recommend considering software engineering.  Similar to shmokes' suggestion, there are tons of entry level positions for people willing to get 6 month certs to start and just keep going with them.  Or find a decent professional tech school in your area.    If you need to get into the field quickly, while still being in school to advance, IS/IT or entry development is a decent place to be, especially with your physical considerations.

Just make sure that you keep training and keep progressing in your education.  For quite a while.  Many people get into the field with the minimal training and then decide that is enough - and then they are the first laid off when there is a downturn or when stuff gets outsourced.

[BradC]

I think you're missing out on something. Computer repair is not necessarily a sit-there-and-do-nothing kind of job. Think about moving computers and monitors around. It can be quite physically demanding for someone with a heart condition. You might be more suited for something more along the software line rather than hardware.

Just something to think about.

[ChadTower]

Depends on the company.  The desktop maintenance folks around here have carts, use the elevators, hell they practically never lift anything much heavier than a 15" CRT.  Even those are going away as we all move to LCDs.

[hyiu]

if you're doing hardware... or support hardware... physical labor will be needed....
I mean... there're desktops, monitors, connections, servers....

there will be a certain level of physical labor...

unless you're on something like software support.... software support most likely will not have physical labor... but depends on the application... the stress level might go up....

[knave]

I would first see if there is a onestop in your area.  If you're not familiar it's a job search resource center.  Ours is run by the county and I work there.  I swear by it.  I was a client before I found my job.

The bigest benifit is that they offer workshops dedicated to self assesment and career research.  There's also resume workshops and counselors to help.

All this is free.

Barring that don't pick IT brcause you think it'll do.  You need to love working with computers...or it will be unsatisfying. 

I also second going to community college and getting some certificates.  I'm getting them nonstop to set myself up for future advancement. (Even though I love my current job) There are lots to choose from both in IT and in other fields.

Take your time on this and see if you can't see a counselor of some sort, either from a onestop/joblink or from a college.

Good luck

Oh, If you want to do some research try O-Net it has some Good research info.

[ark_ader]

I would work in telecommunications.  Help desk or something simple like phone support.  Be careful of entering domains like collections (a favourite at the moment) or crisis hotlines, as it could put undue stress on to your already weak heart.

Tech support is cool by phone.  Sometimes you get to dial into someones PC and resolve a fault, or have to use your imagination and virtual fix someones computer or system from afar.

Yes it takes effort and time to find the right job, but at 28 you should be enjoying life and not having to worry about something that usually takes us when we are much older.  Try and get something local.  Even driving today makes gives you high blood pressure.

You could try temping.  Temping gives you experience and can help you work out a schedule that will fit your new lifestyle.

Whatever you choose let us know how you get on.