Education
In most instances, an associate or a bachelor's degree in Information technology is the minimum required to be considered for starting level information technology jobs. A bachelor's degree in information technology or computer science will usually take four years but could be less depending on the institution. But the degree is just the minimum. Certain IT fields will demand that you have additional professional or technical qualification. These may be vendor specific certifications such as Microsoft Certified Profession (MCP), Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Oracle Certified Professional (OCP); but they could also be non-vendor affiliated such as CompTIA's A+, N+ and Security+ or ISACA's Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). The professional certifications one goes for will often be determined by one's interests and innate skills.
Understand the industry
The information technology industry is diverse and complex. IT is effectively a business and process enabler. So other than the conventional sub divisions of IT such as networking, programming, system administration, database administration, website administration and IT security, there are specific IT fields that relate to specific industries. For instance, there are health management systems, financial management systems, fleet management systems etcetera. Due to this diversity, it is important that one identify the area that they find most suitable for them and then start to research and grow their competence in that field. This is bound to increase one's chances of qualifying for starting level information technology jobs in that IT sub sector.
Experience
The level of competition for starting level information technology jobs means that one has to find ways to stand out from the crowd of applicants for these positions. In non entry level jobs (IT or otherwise), experience plays a major part in determining whether someone gets the job or not. Fresh graduates should find ways to build on their experience too so as to gain the advantage. This is why it is important to actively look for internships when one is still is student and after graduation. Where paid internships are not available, volunteering one's expertise can also be equally effective. The main consideration should be to go for roles that give you a well rounded experience in as many aspects of the information technology industry as possible; whether it be maintaining networks, desktop application support or server administration. This experience often proves invaluable and employers stuck with two equally qualified candidates as far as academics and personal skills go will be inclined to settle for the person that has some industry experience.
The Resume
The resume represents the first contact between a job applicant and their potential employer and its criticality cannot be over emphasized in successfully applying for starting level information technology jobs. The resume should at the minimum cover all the core aspects such as education, work/internship history, interests, achievements and personal skills. But IT jobs being technical jobs demand slightly more information than the ordinary resume. It is important to bring out technical skills that one has acquired such as competence in specific programming languages, familiarity with particular types of network technologies and working knowledge in the administration of certain server operating systems. It is a good idea to use technical jargon but this should not be overdone.
Staying current
Few industries can boast the level of change that the IT industry experiences. Just when a certain technology seems to be entrenching itself in the market, there is always a new one appearing over the hills that makes the previous technology look ordinary. Persons that endeavour to stay current on emerging trends in the IT industry always stand a higher chance in securing starting level information technology jobs.
