How To Get an Entry Level IT Job

Entry level IT jobs are the jobs that most IT professionals start at. They’re appealing to those who have just finished studying or those looking for a career change. If you’re looking for an entry level IT job or wondering how to get one, read on.

What Is An Entry Level IT Job?

An entry level IT job is one that is targeted at people with no experience in the IT industry.

It’s how people enter the IT industry, in most cases. Most of the people who take an entry level IT job are straight out of university or college, or have just been certified.

They don’t usually ask for experience – just the required knowledge. They usually have a low level of responsibility, involve you working under someone or in a team, and are quite technical.

Get Yourself Qualified

The best way to get an entry level IT job is to get qualified.

Almost all of these jobs require one of two things – a degree or a certification. A degree usually refers to a Bachelor in Information Systems/Computer Science/some other IT field. You could already have gotten this, or are on your way to getting the degree.

Certifications refer to the IT qualifications that are created and administered by several organisations on a specific topic. They come in all levels of experience.

Some of the most common entry-level IT certifications are those provided by CompTIA. It’s commonly suggested that three of their certifications are a good start for IT professionals looking to get into the network support or hardware fields – the A+, Network+ and Security+ certifications. Getting these will give you a better chance of getting a job than without them.

You can read more about the certification paths and which one may be for you in this article.

Get Experience If You Can

Now, entry-level positions are generally those that don’t require experience – as they’re targeted towards fresh graduates.

However, a little experience can be a great help during the job hunting and interview process. You could try to get a part-time job at a computer store, or any other IT related company, to gain experience about what it’s like to work in the industry.

This will give you an edge over other candidates when looking for a job – if recruitment teams see that you have a few months of experience working part time servicing computers in a computer sales store, or administering computers in a small business, it will work in your favour.

Look For Employer Graduate Programs

Many IT companies run graduate employee programs. These are essentially programs that the company sets up, where they hire more graduates than normal.

They could offer a kind of internship, have you on a rotation program within the company, or just get you started in a regular graduate role. The downside is that they only offer them a couple of times per year – usually just after the university courses finish.

In Australia, they’re usually offered in July (after the mid-year graduates finish in June) or in February (after the November graduates have completed and just after the holiday season).

It’s easier to get a graduate job during this period. They are most likely only offering entry-level jobs, but that’s OK, as that’s what you’re after.

Do a Google search for companies in your area that offer graduate programs. Find out when they are offered, how to apply, and if there are any currently open.

Start With A Common Entry Level IT Job

Many roles in the IT industry are common for entry-level staff. They often have a higher percentage of graduate staff than other roles. Many IT professionals would have started in these roles.

Two of the most common roles are help desk support and desktop support. These kinds of roles are often filled by graduates – they are a great place to start an IT career. They let you develop the skills you need to have a successful career, and let you put the knowledge to use that you learnt – either in your degree or in the certification.