How to land your first IT job with A+ certification
This is a true story that actually happened to someone that we’ll call Jim here to protect his identity.
About a month ago, Jim started hunting for entry-level IT gigs after snagging an A+ certification. Loads of applications later, he landed just one interview, and yep, it tanked. Nerves took over, and he fumbled through the tough questions, even dropping an “I don’t know” at the worst possible moment. He was so nervous he was inanimate coming across like he has no personality and had a hard time staying in control.
Shaken up, he turned to an online community for some real talk on nailing interviews. There was a clear consensus on what the advice should be, 1) never ever say idk, 2) make the interviewer understand that is any challenging situations you have both the eagerness and ability to find out the answer. The advice was gold—it totally flipped his script. Armed with a fresh vibe and a killer eagerness to learn, he dove into another shot at an IT Technician Level 1 gig. Jim came across as enthusiastic to work in the IT field and communicated a strong desire to learn. he asked many questions. For example, what does the job look like on a day-to-day basis. What does the company exactly expect / want out of him if he was hired etc. This was a phone interview and he totally smashed it. The interviewer couldn’t get over their zest, especially compared to the other lukewarm candidates, and loved the on-point questions about what the job really entailed and what the company expected.
That great first impression scored Jim a second interview, where the interviewer pretty much told him, “Forget the tech tests—I’m hiring you for your kickass attitude and eagerness to learn.” Props to his dad, an IT vet of over 30 years, who always said, “Hire for attitude, train for skill.” Looks like the company was on the same page, just wanting someone pumped to learn.
Pumped himself, he is about to drop his two-week notice and jump into the new gig ASAP. Jim thanks the community for the game-changing advice—it really did the trick!
The advice stands for all rookies, no interviewer expects a newbie to know it all by they do expect you to demonstrate your willingness, ability, and eagerness to learn on the job, fast. That’s what problem solver do and that’s who employer wants.
