Restaurant to IT Industry – The Career Jump

What do you want to do when you grow up? Did you dream of becoming a professional baseball player, doctor, scientist, astronaut, or even President of the United States?

As we grow older, indecisiveness and reality sets in, finding your way to that dream job and rewarding career tends to haunt countless adults.

In this blog post, we (the collective voice of Phoenix TS) happily highlight one of our newcomers to the team. This is no ordinary arrival. Chris has a unique story to tell where he took a leap of faith and the initial investment paid off as he went to working in restaurants to becoming a System Administrator.

Listen to our new Systems Administrator’s story

See what Chris says about his journey from the restaurant to the IT industry…

At one point or more in life, we all get stuck in a job. Perhaps it served as the temporary job to earn cash and stay afloat until you stumbled upon a career worthy replacement. You’re either fortunate in landing a great new job or you float longer than expected. At times that “lingering job” evolves into a permanent or long term job. The three month job plan extends to two years. Searching for a new job, internship, or a type of ambitious opportunity takes time, discipline, a good amount of luck.

At least Chris possessed a strong inkling of where he wanted to end up. The IT industry isn’t for everyone. You hear more and more people saying they want to work with computers. The allure of billion dollar startup companies getting acquired by the likes of Facebook and Google tempt individuals with story book endings and large dollar signs. Yes, the technology is ever evolving and the demand for hungry, experienced, and budding new IT talent continues to rise. But not everyone is cut out for this industry.

Connect, network, make friends

Perhaps  a similar path to a rewarding employment and career is in store for you soon. Remember, if you paid attention to Chris’ words, his ability to make friends formed a strong impression on team members he met during training. The power of networking supersedes even a strong resume.

We all embark on different paths that lead to a fruitful career. In the tech world, diversity, in terms of background and education, is a common theme. Individuals come from restaurants, marketing careers, the financial industry, and other areas.

So instead of getting stuck floating by, ask yourself the question; What do I want to be when I grow up? If you don’t know how to get started, then use Chris’ example. A few fundamental certifications for jumping into IT, such as Net+, Security+, or A+ could solidify your resume or you could meet your next employer or work colleagues during this experience.

Above all, don’t let skeptics crush your ambitions.