May 29, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Hello,
I am new to this website and I'm not sure if I am even posting this topic in the right section so pardon me for my ignorance.
I am 19 years old and I recently graduated from film school with a bachelors degree and I am having a hard time finding jobs in the film industry so I am planning on switching careers and move into IT. I have about 4 years of previous IT experience but I never went to school for it. I am planning on taking some classes on Oracle SQL and SSRS so that I can take the Oracle SQL certification exam and apply to jobs as an SSRS report developer. My main concern is that Interviewers will think of me as too young and for that reason won't want to hire me.
Does anybody have any suggestions or input on whether my age will be a problem or not? Again, I have previous IT experience so it's not like I'm jumping into this field from scratch.
Thanks.
May 29, 2014 at 2:54 pm
Too young? No such thing, I think.
Too inexperienced? That's another question entirely.
If you really want to be an SSRS expert, you need to learn T-SQL (Microsoft's version of SQL). Why Oracle? You can use Oracle and SSRS together, but you can buy SQL Developer and it comes with SQL Server and SSRS...
May 29, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Thank you for your response.
How do you suggest I go about getting experience? I did some job searches and most of them want around 2-3 years of experience, but I can't gain experience if I can't even get a job. You know, the whole chicken and egg riddle.
May 29, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Also, I am going to take a class on T-SQL. I was just thinking about doing Oracle as well so that I can put that on my resume to make up for my lack of experience.
May 29, 2014 at 3:03 pm
So you have a 4yr degree and 4 yrs of IT experience at the age of 19?
Here in the states, that would be questioned quite a bit.
Kudos to you if you have both. But claiming something that is not entirely true would be a cardinal sin.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
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May 29, 2014 at 3:07 pm
temisola1 (5/29/2014)
Thank you for your response.How do you suggest I go about getting experience?
Volunteer with a non-profit organization.
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
May 29, 2014 at 3:10 pm
temisola1 (5/29/2014)
Also, I am going to take a class on T-SQL. I was just thinking about doing Oracle as well so that I can put that on my resume to make up for my lack of experience.
That won't be much use. Having a class does not equal experience.
Wayne made a great recommendation, volunteer with an NPO and get some experience.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events
May 29, 2014 at 3:27 pm
I appreciate all of your responses,
I will go ahead and take the classes and try to find an NPO I can hopefully work for.
May 30, 2014 at 1:32 am
Age has nothing to do with it. It's down to knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, that's usually accumulated with age. So, it's not that you're too young, it's that you may be too inexperienced. I agree with Wayne, volunteer to do work for the local church, scout troop, anything. Experience is not time in a classroom. It's time working with real people on real problems.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
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May 30, 2014 at 6:01 am
To be fair he hasn't claimed to have completed a 4 year degree. My Bsc(Hons) was 4 years but I could have graduated at 19 with an ordinary BSc degree after 3 years. There is a small but significant number of people starting university at 16 which is as young as you will get going through the education system in most counties normally without skipping years and a few exceptions starting earlier than that. It would also be possible that he did some part time work whilst studying but I would expect to see something on his CV to support that claim.
I'd suggest assuming he hasn't got access to SQL already he gets hold of the learning version which will have a 180 day licence and produces some reports using that. - If he can install it on a laptop or an internet facing PC he could even show off what he can do in an interview.
Most jobs he would be applying for at that age would be very junior positions and so a great deal of experience should not be expected.
Remember also that experience is not just that obtained in employment - its just a lot easier to show that. If the final year of his course included a practical project this could count towards experience gained if SQL reporting was a significant aspect. If he has done any for hobby purposes again that may count. In short if he has done anything related to designing SQL reports - whether work related or not then it may be appropriate to include.
May 30, 2014 at 9:13 am
Thank you for your response,
I got into college at 17 and did a 2 year accelerated program. I worked for my church as well as a friend's IT company 2 years prior to getting into film school where I continued doing minor IT work. I did some database work for my church using nothing but excel. I'm not sure if this counts as experience. Any thoughts?
May 30, 2014 at 9:20 am
Excel work would not be database work. If the experience is with using excel (or word, photoshop, powerpoint etc), I wouldn't call it IT related.
Part time IT work really depends on what you were doing. If you did something once every 2 weeks or you had an occasional 5hrs of work here or there, I wouldn't call it two years of experience (or the 4 years you said initially). You can put it on the resume but associating part time experience to years of experience wouldn't serve you well. Just put it as part time occasional IT support.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events
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