Starting An IT Career In Nigeria– Abdul Rashid

From whichever country you are reading from, I am about to show you the basic steps to start a career in information technology as a beginner or someone without experience.

Information technology rules the world now, and it is one of the most exciting fields to start your career.

It is quite complex for beginners without the basic skills and understanding of how the sector works.

This post is aimed at educating both beginners with the skills, and those who wish to start a career in technology without skills.

Here are basic steps to take if you intend to start a career in information technology as a beginner

Know the Sub-Sectors in Information Technology

This is the first thing you have to do if you wish to start a career in information technology. There are several subsectors in Information Technology such as;

-Programming

-Software Development

-Web Design/Development

-Mobile Application Development

-Networking/Server Administration

-Big Data

-Multimedia (Designs and Graphics)

-Cloud

-Hardware Engineering

-Security and several others that abound.

If you think you are proficient in any of the above sub-sectors, then you go ahead to identify how to harness your skills and put it into work.

For beginners without any skill set to function in any of the above sub-sectors, you should find which sub-sector interests you to make a career out of it.

Identify where you fit it

This is the hardest part of the whole steps. Figuring out where you would fit it might be one hell of a task. Most people dive into Information Technology as beginners due to several reasons which include but not limited to; Passion Getting a job, Making a fortune out of the career.

Whichever of the above might be your reason, then you should make some basic research to identify which sub-sector would help you achieve your purpose.

You should also understand that making a mistake while choosing your best-fit career in IT might ruin your plans. So it is best to find out where your strength lies.

These few tips would help you identify your strength;

1) Are you good with visuals and colours (You can deal with Multimedia, Graphics, and Designs)

2) Are you mathematically sound and can deal with codes, numbers? Do you pay attention to slightest details? (Programming, software development and mobile application development might suit you)

3) Are you good with your hands? Can you handle tools? Are you comfortable working with machines, hardware, and systems? (You can consider a career in networking, robotics, system Engineering, hardware Engineering, etc)

There are several other questions to consider, but I recommend you speak to an expert who will guide you while making such decisions. You can ask me via the comment section on the blog, and I will guide you through the right steps to take.

Go get the Skill

Knowing where to fit in isn’t enough if you intend to start a career in information technology with no experience. I assumed you’ve identified the right sector, now is the time to go learn the right skill that would put thousands of dollars in your pocket.

For people with no computer science background in college, you have an alternative means of learning any of these skills.

I suggest you locate any good information technology training institute in your city, register and start your studies. For those in Nigeria, I have given a sincere review of the best and cheapest training institute; you can do well to check it out.

The factors below should help you in choosing the right training school;

Infrastructure used in delivering training Quality of facilitators

Pricing (You shouldn’t break the bank to gain ICT knowledge)

Reviews from past students (I already wrote about the best school I attended for those in Nigeria)

Go for your Certifications

Getting the skill is basic while getting certified helps you become a master at your career. If you intend to work for someone or freelance, you would need to convince your clients easily with your certifications.

A certification adds basically nothing to your skills, but it presents you as a professional to either the hiring manager or your client. I would be writing about the various certifications that come with different information technology courses, so do well to get subscribe and receive it directly to your mailbox.

Getting certifications should be part of your plans if you intend to start a career in information technology as a beginner. There are free and paid certifications, but the paid ones speak volume most times.

Perfect your skills

Now you’ve gotten the necessary skill you need as an information technologist, you need to build up your portfolio and become perfect.

Most times I do recommend you work as an intern (whether paid or not) to gain the experience needed as a novice.

There are several firms who are willing to give you a chance to work for them as an intern – paid or not.

Some training school like this one would give you the necessary links to firms who are willing to sign you up as an intern.

After the above steps, you can then decide to either work for a firm or become a freelance agent. To start a career in information technology as a novice might be quite difficult without guidance, and I will be willing to help answer any complex question you have.