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Gary
06-03-2012, 07:10 AM
To make a very long story short, I was recently laid off from a small company where I was working as the general manager. I am taking a serious look at changing career paths to IT. A couple of my close friends are network admins and got me interested in the field. I know there are several members here that are in the IT field and am looking for your advice. If you were going to get into the IT field now, how would you go about it (what schooling would you take, what would you specialize in, & what certs would you have to obtain)? I live in an IT poor job market(SW Florida), but my wife and I have been considering moving out of this area anyway.

Rasputin
06-03-2012, 07:20 AM
Can you feel it ,see it, hear it today?
If you can't, then it doesn't matter anyway
You will never understand it cuz it happens too fast
And it feels so good, it's like walking on glass
It's so cool, it's so hip, it's alright
It's so groovy, it's outta sight
You can touch it, smell it, taste it so sweet
But it makes no difference cuz it knocks you off your feet
You want it all but you can't have it
It's cryin', bleedin', lying on the floor
So you lay down on it and you do it some more
You've got to share it, so you dare it
Then you bare it and you tear it
You want it all but you can't have it
It's in your face but you can't grab it
It's alive, afraid, a lie, a sin
It's magit, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win
It's dark, it's moist, it's a bitter pain
It's sad it happened and it's a shame
You want it all but you can't have it
It's in your face but you can't grab it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?...

loochy
06-03-2012, 07:38 AM
This thread is almost Q

loochy
06-03-2012, 07:38 AM
Go to ITT Technical Institute.

Gary
06-03-2012, 07:40 AM
Go to ITT Technical Institute.

Wow! Might as well just given me a pooptaco.

Hydrae
06-03-2012, 07:43 AM
I am currently going to University of Phoenix for IT. When done I will have a BSIT with a Database Administration emphasis. There are a lot of people working on Networking related emphasis degrees.

Networking is definitely a field that is still growing and you can make some decent money. I would recommend checking local community colleges first for a school. It will be less expensive and you can be pretty sure the credits will transfer if you want or need to change schools later.

Some good information in this thread also:

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=259953

Hog's Gone Fishin
06-03-2012, 07:50 AM
If you'd rather do livestock I can help you out. To get started you need a quart thermos and a rubber glove.

oldandslow
06-03-2012, 07:51 AM
If you are willing to move, every state school in South Dakota has a tuition rate 3/4 times less that Univ of Phoenix. School of mines in the Black Hills as well as SDSU have good IT programs.

You can finish in four years, and not have a mountain of debt, if you are willing to really work.

How do I know????I teach at a State University in SD and have 3 sons who graduated from there. They do not give professor's kids a break on tuition.

All of them, however, graduated with no debt. (They did live at home tho.)

Tytanium
06-03-2012, 07:53 AM
Go to a community college and see if you can at least get a two year degree in information systems or information technology. This is by far the biggest bonus you can get to a potential job, unless you can get a DBA certificate or a high level Cisco cert (very expensive). I've been in the field for about five years and I've gotten A+ and Network+ certificates that have netted me about an extra $2/hr at my current job ($1/hr raise per each), but they don't actually do much in the way of teaching you how to troubleshoot well for helpdesk style jobs.

Even an associates will get you a large bonus (Probably at least $5-10k a year) over not having one, even if you have no experience. Then you can find a four year school to transfer to and get a bachelor's for an even bigger return on investment. I plan on attending JCCC in the fall to do this, and when I discussed it with my boss and CFO, they agreed for a fairly significant salary increase if I do get it.

In short, I would only go after the basic certs if they're needed by a job you're interested in. The tests are $170 each (A+ has 2 tests you need to pay for, each $170) and there is an amazing video study guide I found before taking my Network+ test for free at http://www.professormesser.com/

On a side note, if you're going into government contracting sector (or private defense sector), get a Security+ cert.

Hydrae
06-03-2012, 07:55 AM
If you are willing to move, every state school in South Dakota has a tuition rate 3/4 times less that Univ of Phoenix. School of mines in the Black Hills as well as SDSU have good IT programs.

You can finish in four years, and not have a mountain of debt, if you are willing to really work.

How do I know????I teach at a State University in SD and have 3 sons who graduated from there. They do not give professor's kids a break on tuition.

All of them, however, graduated with no debt. (They did live at home tho.)

Much cheaper than UoP but much harder schedule-wise when trying to support a family working full time. That is the advantage with UoP, ground classes are 4 hours/1 day a week. Online courses are mostly self-paced although you have to post in the discussion forums 4 days a week to maintain participation points.

Gary
06-03-2012, 08:04 AM
One of my closest friends that has been in the field for a long time said that there is an increasing market for network security. Are there a lot of companies that are looking for network intrusion prevention/security IT services?

Phobia
06-03-2012, 08:10 AM
If you'd rather do livestock I can help you out. To get started you need a quart thermos and a rubber glove.

11,000 posts about jacking off hogs... at least it was almost funny the first 20 times.

Tytanium
06-03-2012, 08:17 AM
One of my closest friends that has been in the field for a long time said that there is an increasing market for network security. Are there a lot of companies that are looking for network intrusion prevention/security IT services?

Crossposting from SA


Which Came first the Cert, The Degree, or The Experience

This is a tough one as I have found a good amount of people in IT don't actually have a college degree or certs. Yes believe it or not you can get a decent paying job just based off experience! It may take you a little longer to get there and you may have to work in the shit mill that is Help Desk, but after 2-3years and some Server/Network knowledge there isn't much keeping you from a Jr. Systems Admin.

So how should YOU do it?
School
AVOID SCHOOLS LIKE ITT TECH, ECPI, Pheonix, or any other online or not state school. Seriously these places are in it for one thing only, your money. I myself know people who have gone there and people who worked there, They will pass you regardless whatever, rack up a nice 80K loan, and then pop you into some Help Desk position at 30k/yr. You are better going off to a Comunity College or State 4yr college getting at least a AAS and a cert or 2 then getting a Bachelors in IT at a pro profit school . This doesn't mean you won't learn anything it just means employers won't laugh you out of an interview, and you will have saved a load of time and money.


What degree to get?
This depends on the school, Some smaller colleges may only have you run through Programming Languages, others may space you out in what you do. You'll have to look at your course outline and really nit pick it to find out what is best for you. I went with an AAS as I didn't really want to do a 4yr and picked up a few certs(Working on VCAP-DCA/CCNA/S+) and am well off. You just need to find what part of IT interests you most and research it.

:qqsay: I am incapable of research, What degree is right for me?

It really depends on what you want to do, and how fast you want to get there.

Associate Degree If you are unsure about the IT field, but you know you want to go into it, check out you local Community College. Great part about a Community College is that there is a very good chance you will get to meet people in the field, deal with teachers that work into the field, costs loads less, and transfer your credits to a big name college later. While it may not see the most prestigious you will get out faster, and spend ~1/3rd the cost, and still be able able to transfer most all the credits. If you want to be a Technician-Jr. Systems/Net Admin this is probably the most practical degree for you.

Bachelors Great degree to avoid the tier 1 BS, also opens up a world of opportunities and will probably get you making a bit more cash at the end of the day. Great thing about a 4yr Degree is most state colleges offer some decent internships which will give you about 4yrs EXP + a degree which will get you a job most places. If you want to go into EE, or CE this is a minimum. If you are wanting to go into Engineering, Management, Teaching(below college level), or Administration, this is more practical than a AAS

Masters If you are going for this you more than likely know what you want to do. If you plan to go into IT you'll probably get thrown into a management spot, CE/EE's will really like the pay boost and how fast they get a job in this as long as they can keep a >3.5

That said, Schooling is great to inject you in the field it opens up internship opportunities, most employers will sub a degree for X years of EXP, gain the ability to work hands on with things, and will make you more comfortable with many different pieces of equipment.

Certs See this thread for more details (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3117356)
Certs are wonderful way to get a much better job if you already have EXP in the field or want to get noticed by more people for proving you know something! There are many kinds of certs
Vendor Specific Certs from MS, Cisco, Vmware, Red Hat; These tend to focus on Specific Products release by each company, ie getting an MS cert would not help you much in a Linux environment.
non-vendor specificCompTIA (www.comptia.org/) hold this spot, offering things like A+, Net+, S+ which basically give you a general understanding of concepts in each area, these are geared more toward entry level but don't think you shouldn't look into these, especially if you want to work for the Government where an A+/N+/S+ is pretty much needed for a spot.

Certs can land you a job faster, if you lack a degree or EXP, but you will want to look into CompTIA's offerings first, then follow up with a vendor specific. You also may want to consider grouping certs, A+ is a nice cert to have but it it is almost useless if you are going for a MCSE; on the other hand getting an A+ on a Microsoft Certified: Desktop Admin/Support may look a little more appealing to an HR/recruiter.

DoD standard (http://www.giac.org/certifications/dodd-8570)
What does that have to do with anything? Basically if you want to work for a Government Org you'll need a S+, and a MS cert won't help


Entry level work
Now if you have been fooling with a computer for any given length of time, and you know the basics something like HellDesk, or Bench Tech may be right up your ally! These probably aren't the most fun jobs out their but at least they are jobs with exp.

Other things you may want to consider
1. Do some Labs, fire up a virtual machine and build a Server/client network, play with a linux distro learn some commands, fiddle with your router some.
2. Talk to some people in the field, I don't know to many people who will turn you down for asking them to gloat about themselves
3. Buy a book, it won't bite you and worst case is you get a cure for your insomnia
4. Just because you have a degree/cert/EXP doesn't mean you will get the job instantly
xperience).

I WANT TO MAKE A SHITLOAD OF MONEY AND FAST! War For Profit thread has what you need, Clean Criminal Record? Got a Security+? Got time to fly around the world and live for 12 months sometimes making low to mid 6 figures? You may want to look into it. I plan to move out to Germany for 4 years, I got quoted 130k/yr+signing+completion living on base food free(or some very cheap plan, doing what looks like Network tech in Germany. in reference to your last question.

dirk digler
06-03-2012, 08:18 AM
I have been working in IT for 11 years and my advice is don't. If you want to change careers go into the healthcare field.

Hog's Gone Fishin
06-03-2012, 08:19 AM
11,000 posts about jacking off hogs... at least it was almost funny the first 20 times.

Aha ! You finally admit it. You laughed !

Gary
06-03-2012, 08:38 AM
Crossposting from SA


Which Came first the Cert, The Degree, or The Experience

This is a tough one as I have found a good amount of people in IT don't actually have a college degree or certs. Yes believe it or not you can get a decent paying job just based off experience! It may take you a little longer to get there and you may have to work in the shit mill that is Help Desk, but after 2-3years and some Server/Network knowledge there isn't much keeping you from a Jr. Systems Admin.

So how should YOU do it?
School
AVOID SCHOOLS LIKE ITT TECH, ECPI, Pheonix, or any other online or not state school. Seriously these places are in it for one thing only, your money. I myself know people who have gone there and people who worked there, They will pass you regardless whatever, rack up a nice 80K loan, and then pop you into some Help Desk position at 30k/yr. You are better going off to a Comunity College or State 4yr college getting at least a AAS and a cert or 2 then getting a Bachelors in IT at a pro profit school . This doesn't mean you won't learn anything it just means employers won't laugh you out of an interview, and you will have saved a load of time and money.


What degree to get?
This depends on the school, Some smaller colleges may only have you run through Programming Languages, others may space you out in what you do. You'll have to look at your course outline and really nit pick it to find out what is best for you. I went with an AAS as I didn't really want to do a 4yr and picked up a few certs(Working on VCAP-DCA/CCNA/S+) and am well off. You just need to find what part of IT interests you most and research it.

:qqsay: I am incapable of research, What degree is right for me?

It really depends on what you want to do, and how fast you want to get there.

Associate Degree If you are unsure about the IT field, but you know you want to go into it, check out you local Community College. Great part about a Community College is that there is a very good chance you will get to meet people in the field, deal with teachers that work into the field, costs loads less, and transfer your credits to a big name college later. While it may not see the most prestigious you will get out faster, and spend ~1/3rd the cost, and still be able able to transfer most all the credits. If you want to be a Technician-Jr. Systems/Net Admin this is probably the most practical degree for you.

Bachelors Great degree to avoid the tier 1 BS, also opens up a world of opportunities and will probably get you making a bit more cash at the end of the day. Great thing about a 4yr Degree is most state colleges offer some decent internships which will give you about 4yrs EXP + a degree which will get you a job most places. If you want to go into EE, or CE this is a minimum. If you are wanting to go into Engineering, Management, Teaching(below college level), or Administration, this is more practical than a AAS

Masters If you are going for this you more than likely know what you want to do. If you plan to go into IT you'll probably get thrown into a management spot, CE/EE's will really like the pay boost and how fast they get a job in this as long as they can keep a >3.5

That said, Schooling is great to inject you in the field it opens up internship opportunities, most employers will sub a degree for X years of EXP, gain the ability to work hands on with things, and will make you more comfortable with many different pieces of equipment.

Certs See this thread for more details (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3117356)
Certs are wonderful way to get a much better job if you already have EXP in the field or want to get noticed by more people for proving you know something! There are many kinds of certs
Vendor Specific Certs from MS, Cisco, Vmware, Red Hat; These tend to focus on Specific Products release by each company, ie getting an MS cert would not help you much in a Linux environment.
non-vendor specificCompTIA (www.comptia.org/) hold this spot, offering things like A+, Net+, S+ which basically give you a general understanding of concepts in each area, these are geared more toward entry level but don't think you shouldn't look into these, especially if you want to work for the Government where an A+/N+/S+ is pretty much needed for a spot.

Certs can land you a job faster, if you lack a degree or EXP, but you will want to look into CompTIA's offerings first, then follow up with a vendor specific. You also may want to consider grouping certs, A+ is a nice cert to have but it it is almost useless if you are going for a MCSE; on the other hand getting an A+ on a Microsoft Certified: Desktop Admin/Support may look a little more appealing to an HR/recruiter.

DoD standard (http://www.giac.org/certifications/dodd-8570)
What does that have to do with anything? Basically if you want to work for a Government Org you'll need a S+, and a MS cert won't help


Entry level work
Now if you have been fooling with a computer for any given length of time, and you know the basics something like HellDesk, or Bench Tech may be right up your ally! These probably aren't the most fun jobs out their but at least they are jobs with exp.

Other things you may want to consider
1. Do some Labs, fire up a virtual machine and build a Server/client network, play with a linux distro learn some commands, fiddle with your router some.
2. Talk to some people in the field, I don't know to many people who will turn you down for asking them to gloat about themselves
3. Buy a book, it won't bite you and worst case is you get a cure for your insomnia
4. Just because you have a degree/cert/EXP doesn't mean you will get the job instantly
xperience).

I WANT TO MAKE A SHITLOAD OF MONEY AND FAST! War For Profit thread has what you need, Clean Criminal Record? Got a Security+? Got time to fly around the world and live for 12 months sometimes making low to mid 6 figures? You may want to look into it. I plan to move out to Germany for 4 years, I got quoted 130k/yr+signing+completion living on base food free(or some very cheap plan, doing what looks like Network tech in Germany. in reference to your last question.

Thanks for all of this. Thankfully, I have a couple of friends that have provided me with a lot of study material already. One friend gave me 2gb worth of pdf study materials for Cisco certs. Another friend gave me a MCSA/MCSE and two Cisco books. I also have a bunch of CBT nuggets that I have been watching.

Pasta Little Brioni
06-03-2012, 08:40 AM
Guard your stapler.

Bob Dole
06-03-2012, 08:42 AM
I have been working in IT for 11 years and my advice is don't. If you want to change careers go into the healthcare field.

Healthcare has IT... Bob Dole has switched back and forth between higher ed IT and healthcare IT.

FWIW, the Network Security advice is pretty spot on. At this point, you can't really go wrong with anything that has ITIL attached.

Braincase
06-03-2012, 08:46 AM
If you decide to move to the Kansas City area, shoot me a line. I work for one of the best IT training companies in the Midwest. We have a proven track record of success training people, getting them certified (IT Pro, Dev, Web) and then placing them in jobs.

Yeah... I know. How good can they be if they hired me, right?

But seriously, we've down a pretty good job. Yes, you will probably have to take out a loan to pay for the program, but you'll see results.

Braincase
06-03-2012, 08:47 AM
Healthcare has IT... Bob Dole has switched back and forth between higher ed IT and healthcare IT.

FWIW, the Network Security advice is pretty spot on. At this point, you can't really go wrong with anything that has ITIL attached.

Not to mention Kansas City is becoming a hot bed, if not just a downright battlefield for the big IT companies.

ReynardMuldrake
06-03-2012, 08:49 AM
In my experience having your A+ certification is a good place to start to get into IT. A 2-year degree is helpful, after that figure out what you want to do and specialize. Obviously work experience is more valuable than most certs but it is a chicken-and-the-egg problem.

Also I would avoid diploma mills like University of Phoenix, waste of money.

dirk digler
06-03-2012, 08:58 AM
Healthcare has IT... Bob Dole has switched back and forth between higher ed IT and healthcare IT.

FWIW, the Network Security advice is pretty spot on. At this point, you can't really go wrong with anything that has ITIL attached.

I know I work in healthcare IT. :D

Maybe I am wrong but it is my perception that it is tough field to get into anymore especially if you don't have experience.

Valiant
06-03-2012, 09:20 AM
I know I work in healthcare IT. :D

Maybe I am wrong but it is my perception that it is tough field to get into anymore especially if you don't have experience.

From my understanding Cerner will be going on a hiring push later this year..

loochy
06-03-2012, 09:32 AM
I was serious about the REPOSQ...wasn't there a thread almost exactly like this about a month ago? It should have some good info for Gary.

Edit: This is the thread I was thinking of: http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=258767&highlight=IT+career+change+certification

It's about changing careers to be a web developer.

I'm sure this thread is full of info too: http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=205874&highlight=IT+career+change+certification

dirk digler
06-03-2012, 09:49 AM
From my understanding Cerner will be going on a hiring push later this year..

I think they have already started. I was looking around on CareerBuilder the other day and saw they had quite of few job openings. I have heard though they work you to death and it isn't a good place to work. Don't know if that is true or not.

Gary
06-03-2012, 10:41 AM
This is one of the reasons I love this place so much. There is a ton of knowledge that members can draw upon from each other. Thank you guys for all the input, and thanks for the offer Braincase. A buddy of mine I used to work with just moved to the KC area because of a job opportunity. The wife & I have thought about moving back to Kansas and living somewhere around KC. If I head your direction, I'll definitely get in touch. Thanks again!

58-4ever
06-03-2012, 10:47 AM
I work for a Microsoft Partner company and it all depends on what kind of job you want. If you're willing to sit in a cube and code, then there is a ton of opportunity out there if you have the aptitude and patience for that kind of work.

My advice from a development perspective: Open source coding is more fun, but the money is in the Microsoft languages (C#, .NET) Centriq has a good specialized course plan, but they churn out A LOT of graduates, so it's like finding a needle in a haystack as far as talent goes. Good luck. If you need anything or connections, PM me and I'll hook you up to my LinkedIn and get you introduced to the right people. And if Centriq is what you want to end up doing, I have some incredible coupons to get you started at a cheap price.

Predarat
06-03-2012, 10:56 AM
If you want a job that can be automated, outsourced, replaced by foreign imports willing to do your job for half the $$$ and no benefits then a career in IT is for you!

-King-
06-03-2012, 11:13 AM
If you want a job that can be automated, outsourced, replaced by foreign imports willing to do your job for half the $$$ and no benefits then a career in IT is for you!

How many jobs out there CAN'T be automated or outsourced?
Posted via Mobile Device

Simply Red
06-03-2012, 11:36 AM
This is one of the reasons I love this place so much. There is a ton of knowledge that members can draw upon from each other.



Not really - more like a bunch of folks that know a little about a lot, trying to convince others they know a lot about a little. But really CP'ers are basically Home Depot employees.

wutamess
06-03-2012, 09:49 PM
I have been working in IT for 11 years and my advice is don't. If you want to change careers go into the healthcare field.

This! In IT you start off at entry level $30k as help desk.
Programmer's make more but you don't have the experience which puts you back at the $30k level.

Your call.

wutamess
06-03-2012, 09:52 PM
If you decide to move to the Kansas City area, shoot me a line. I work for one of the best IT training companies in the Midwest. We have a proven track record of success training people, getting them certified (IT Pro, Dev, Web) and then placing them in jobs.

Yeah... I know. How good can they be if they hired me, right?

But seriously, we've down a pretty good job. Yes, you will probably have to take out a loan to pay for the program, but you'll see results.

I second Braincase... have took one of his courses and several at the learning center he's employed at and they are quite impressive.

Reerun_KC
06-04-2012, 08:07 AM
I have been in the IT industry since 1995. At this point in time I would look more in to project management training and certifications over strictly IT based work.

IT is way to saturated with over priced inexperienced people right now. But companies are always looking for PM's. I know a couple that are here in the OKC metro area. I can put in touch with some solid companies.

And if you are still considering IT, I have serveral contacts in OKC and could get you a job pretty easily...

qabbaan
06-04-2012, 08:37 AM
When the economy is bad IT is a tough place to get into. People from career paths that are lower earning or considered more expendable by companies such as marketing often want to "get into IT", so the market is full of inexperienced people who will have a hard time finding work over the experienced ones who are in the market.

If you go to a place like ITT or Phoenix you may encounter a stigma associated with that. My advice would be instead of going to one of these places, go to a regular university if there is any way possible. Otherwise, get certifications on top of the degree or some experience and references in a relevant job

What you really want is experience with a specific type of work or a software package that is in demand. Identify one by talking to people in the industry you want to work in.

Fish
06-04-2012, 08:54 AM
Seems like everybody and their cousin has the same idea at the moment. "I'll just switch over to IT. That field seems to be in demand, and should be in the future."

I'm afraid it's not really that easy. Like others have said, the ITT Tech type schools are going to charge you a bunch of money for a bunch of stuff you'll likely never use in an actual IT career. About all that will get you in the end is a basic Tier1 helpdesk type job. If you have zero IT experience, you'll have to expect to work that helpdesk job for several years for peanuts. Those A+, Network+ certs are not going to vault you past the horde of other people lined up for a helpdesk job. Those certs are too easy to get, and too broad in scope to be the deciding factor for getting a good IT job.

The key to getting into the IT field is experience, experience, experience. If you don't have it, you're going to have to get 3-4 years of it before you'll ever get above the low level helpdesk position. That's the thing that most people don't understand when deciding to "switch" to an IT field. You're not going to jump in and start making money. Yes there's a demand for the IT field, but there's also an overpopulated field of workers applying for those jobs. The hiring entities hold all the cards right now. They're not going to give good money to someone without insane qualifications, because they don't have to.

If you don't have the means to get a good bachelors degree in IT, then focus on experience. Look at some really useful certs like Microsoft MCTS, MCPD, MCITP, MCSA, MCSE, etc. Those certs will jump off a resume. Or consider Apple certs, which do a very good job of preparing you for all sorts of Apple based tech support. Apple is on the rise right now, and it's a good time to jump on the Apple support bandwagon, as that field isn't nearly as saturated as Windows based IT support.

If considering networking fields, remember that networking has changed a great deal over the last decade. Networking jobs aren't really just networking jobs anymore. They're expecting somewhat of a hodgepodge of different support responsibilities these days. Look up a bunch of networking job listings, and take note of what they're looking for.

Also, don't forget to branch out to any of your peers in the IT field. Ask them for recommendations on what to pursue, and where to look. Generally those already in the field have the best leads on who's hiring, and what they're looking for.

Good luck!

qabbaan
06-04-2012, 09:30 AM
KC Fish, you make a good point. These degrees are very expensive if you look at the likely job/salary when you start paying it off. You could find yourself in a tough financial situation. From a tech support/help desk kind of job there really isn't anywhere to go. You might find it very hard to move up from there into a desirable IT job. Hold out for something better and don't get stuck in a support role. Be flexible on salary or relocation if you need to.

durtyrute
06-04-2012, 09:30 AM
If you decide to move to the Kansas City area, shoot me a line. I work for one of the best IT training companies in the Midwest. We have a proven track record of success training people, getting them certified (IT Pro, Dev, Web) and then placing them in jobs.

Yeah... I know. How good can they be if they hired me, right?

But seriously, we've down a pretty good job. Yes, you will probably have to take out a loan to pay for the program, but you'll see results.

Hey, who do you work for?

Reerun_KC
06-04-2012, 10:37 AM
KC Fish, you make a good point. These degrees are very expensive if you look at the likely job/salary when you start paying it off. You could find yourself in a tough financial situation. From a tech support/help desk kind of job there really isn't anywhere to go. You might find it very hard to move up from there into a desirable IT job. Hold out for something better and don't get stuck in a support role. Be flexible on salary or relocation if you need to.

But the biggest issue with the oversaturated field is $$$$.... Why hire a guy with 1 year experience when I can hire the same guy with 4 years experience at the same price.