Re: Working with Linux
Anders Holm <[email protected]> Fri, 2 Dec 2016 09:43:09 +0000
| Newsgroups | gmane.user-groups.linux.ilug.general |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
And for your evening reading pleasures, here's an opportunity to expand your library: https://www.humblebundle.com/books/unix-book-bundle?imm_mid=0eb37f&cmp=em-prog-books-videos-na-promo_humble_bundle_unix_20161201 //anders On 01/12/2016 09:40, bigbro wrote: > Hi, > > Looks like you've already got some good answers - and thanks for asking > your question here. Many of us have been using Linux for a long time, > but we're all still learning! > > In case it helps, you might want to consider certification just as a > method of ensuring you get a broad coverage of topics. While > certification does go out of date, many of the certifications require a > broad coverage of Linux and Systems Administration knowledge, and so the > manuals and course syllabus materials may be a great starting point. > > LPIC ( https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/lpic-1-overview ) and > RedHat ( https://www.redhat.com/en/services/certification ) are both > well established, and their training materials are mature and accessible. > > There are also many courses on EdX, Coursera and undoubtedly other > continuous learning communities. > > Best of luck, and enjoy learning about Linux. > > Best regards, > -->Gar > > > 2016-11-26 18:37 GMT+00:00 Wolfgang <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>>: > > Hi Mark! > > Thanks for taking the time to reply. Really appreciate it! > > Great advice regarding my profile. I have been considering this for > some time, hence my LinkedIn page has been a bit static of late. My > predicament has mainly been that I don't want to be seen as > overselling myself, as I don't have much to offer yet in the way of > technical expertise. I am a writer however, so that's not a very > good excuse: I suppose I need to find a way to frame it in the > context of my ambition to undertake further training and make a > transition into a new field. I will work on that in the coming week. > > Your advice about making sure you don't jump on an offer just to > fill a position is also very insightful, it's something that I may > have otherwise overlooked. Keeping an end goal in mind could make > the difference between finding satisfying career and just finding a > job in the short term. > > I have been looking into my choices for the coming year and it seems > there quite a number of options in Cork. UCC offers several > conversion courses, both as MAs and HDips: there's an Applied > Computing Technologies HDip <http://www.ucc.ie/en/cko08/> that seems > to cover quite a lot of bases, including programming (Python, I > believe), web development, databases and applications development. > There's also the Interactive Media MSc <http://www.ucc.ie/en/ckr05/> > that's open to graduates from other disciplines, though I feel that > degree may have less overlap with Linux than the HDip. I also know > several people involved in the nebulous field of Digital Humanities, > which is also represented by an MA at UCC > <http://www.ucc.ie/en/ckr05/>, though I'm not really sure how useful > it may be on the job-market. > > I just saw that CIT also offers a CompTIA Linux+ qualification. > Looking over the course outline, it does seem like I could probably > keep up with most of the content considering I run Linux at home on > my personal machines. Not entirely sure how CompTIA would hold up > against *nix certifications from www.linuxacademy.com > <http://www.linuxacademy.com>. I will certainly be checking their > offerings out though, it would be brilliant to get started ASAP. > > The Cork Education and Training Board also offers some introductory > ICT related courses, from Java Foundation training to web design and > virtualisation. I got my Microsoft Office Specialist Master cert > there (always though that bombastic title was pretty funny, > considering you basically learn how to use an office suite), so > that's always an option too. > > I've already bought a paper copy of 'The Linux Command Line: A > Complete Introduction' by William E. Shotts Jr. and have been > working my way through it. I also have been following tutorials on > Youtube covering basic commands and writing bash scripts, though > embarrassingly enough the only two I have written are: a basic > script that compliments my girlfriend if prompted (makes sure she > doesn't get cross at me working away with Linux) and a script that > outputs pacman warnings to a text file for file integrity reasons > (so I can monitor if anything like file sizes or contents have > changed without me knowing about it). Sometimes the problem with > tinkering alone like that is to figure out what to try and build. > Which explains my first script. > > > I'll be sure to pick up the Bundle, had been looking over it > yesterday. Perhaps I'll get myself a Kindle or similar to make it > easier on my eyes too, not sure how well I can read them on my mobile. > > > Once again, thanks for your help! It's given me a lot to think about. > > > > Best regards, > > -Wolfgang > > > > On Saturday, 26 November 2016 08:40:34 UTC, Mark Kenny wrote: > > Hi Wolfgang, > > First thing to do is get your LinkedIn updated. Within the > summary section you should project your passion and interest for > working with linux. Recruiters searching linkedin are doing so > with keywords so try and ram as much in there as possible. Just > be careful that when you do get approached about a job that > you're not getting sold a dud as recruiters are simply looking > to fill a position, whilst you're looking to follow a passion. > > The biggest challenge you face is persuading a company to take a > chance on you as opposed to somebody with relevant > certifications/degree/masters/experience. Springboard courses > are good and I know people who have come through them to get > employment, though they were not looking to work with linux. A > quick search on the springboard site for linux returns no > matching courses. A blank search of the IT conversion does show > up some courses for "cloud computing" (Cork IT has two Fetac > level 8 courses) and these could be a good gateway to working > with linux. > > There's a Humble Bundle on sale at the moment which should > provide a lot of valuable knowledge if you manage to work your > way through > them: https://www.humblebundle.com/books/unix-book-bundle > <https://www.humblebundle.com/books/unix-book-bundle> Some stuff > is possibly dated but there will be a good grounding on a lot of > *nix areas. > > What Padraig says about certification is true, they can become > irrelevant after a while. As you're coming from zero IT > background though, they could be an option if a 2 year > conversion course is too much of a time investment. They'll show > an employer that you have an interest and aptitude in a certain > area. I've done various certifications (Cisco, Juniper, Linux, > AWS - I've let some expire as they're not relevant to my current > interests/job) and while they won't make your career, they will > certainly help you along the way. I'd recommend > www.linuxacademy.com <http://www.linuxacademy.com> if you're > interested in *nix certification or other areas of cloud > computing like AWS/Azure, they've a free trial which is worth > exploring. > > Best of luck and if you've any questions, just shout. > > On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 2:03 AM, Pádraig Brady > <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 25/11/16 18:33, [email protected] wrote: > > Hey lads, > > > > > > Not sure if this kind of thing is allowed in the ILUG, but I'm a recent enough convert to GNU/Linux - currently running a community spin of Manjaro on two machines and Tahrpup on a netbook. I also have a Pi3 running Raspbian. > > I spend a lot of my free time tinkering with my installs or messing about on the terminal and so far I've really enjoyed the experience. Though there's way more to learn, I know more about my Linux system and my hardware now than I ever did as a Windows user. Not to go full Stallman; but it has felt liberating. > > > > I've been thinking of transitioning into IT for some time, possibly by returning to college to do a conversion course, BA or a Springboard course. > > > > > > I understand that for many of you, Linux is part of the every day at this stage, so I can also understand if you find yourself scoffing at my new-found infatuation with all things Linux: but I'm wondering if perhaps the 'grey-beards' of the group (not discriminating against the beardless) can offer me some advice or insight into working with Linux as a professional - as a systems admin or otherwise. > > > > One question I have is probably the most frequently asked one: how important is certification? Would being Linux certified give me a head start over somebody with a general CS/IT qualification? Or is a combination of both the best bet? > > > > How common are entry-level positions or internships in the Linux world? I haven't seen too many on the various job sites. > > > > What other IT related fields would you get to involve yourself in Linux, besides working as a sys admin? I'm thinking web design or applications development might have some overlap. > > > > > > How big of a barrier is it not coming from a tech background? > > > > Some context context on my work/education history: I have a MA in Writing and have worked for several years as a freelance writer, specifically writing about the arts and doing PR for various cultural institutions. I also have some teaching experience and more or less bilingual. Not sure how much of my experience would count as 'transferable' or if there's a niche in the IT world that somebody like myself would fit in better than others. Another obstacle is that besides having taken courses in Python and Java Script through websites like Code Academy, I am not well versed in any programming language - hence me wanting to return to education. > > > > > > And if I can ask a personal question, for those of you that started off dabbling in Linux as a hobby and later transitioned to working with Linux as professionals, how has your experience affected how you feel about Linux? Do you feel 'burnt out' at all, or have you been able to maintain some level of enthusiasm? > > > > > > > > > > I've done solo research into the topic, so I don't want the ILUG to feel like I'm using you instead of Google. It's just that it all still feels fairly vague to me and I think personal insights would help resolve that. > > > > Many online resources are also quite US centric. I will be Cork based for the next few years, so if anybody has an specific advice about working in IT in Cork, that would be brilliant. > > > > > > > > Thanks for your time and patience, > > > > -Wolfgang > > Hey Wolfgang, > > Thanks for documenting your enthusiasm. > It's great to see, and the secret sauce to success IMHO. > If you're enthusiastic about this field you'll do well. > It's just a matter of which route is the fastest. > > It's quite subjective how one best learns. > Some prefer study, while others are more practical. > Personally I don't have, nor was ever inclined to get, > any certifications, as I feel they go out of relevance > quite quickly, and can be too specific and commercial. > Some prefer formal education, while others getting > their hands dirty, like on some open source project for e.g. > I was lucky in that I had a technical degree before > I got interested in open source, but a conversion course > to an IT degree would both ease your progress in the field, > and also provide some broader info before you specialize. > > Specialization is necessary really for navigating this > now vast field. Having a particular area of expertise, > be it a language, or service, or whatever, will both > give better satisfaction that you're working at a level > that is really beneficial, and is a good focus point > in a CV or interview. > > An often overlooked aspect in a technical career is effective > communication, both personal and especially written. > Having an MA in writing is a huge advantage over the > common or garden software engineer, and combined with > enthusiasm in a particular technical area (which most > do not have), you can't go wrong. > > Good luck. > Pádraig. > > -- > Irish Linux Users Group > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > Google Groups "ILUG" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails > from it, send an email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at > https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/group/ilug/ > <https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/group/ilug/>. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/d/msgid/ilug/1205b03e-9e84-96fe-9d8a-943b57b79191%40draigBrady.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/d/msgid/ilug/1205b03e-9e84-96fe-9d8a-943b57b79191%40draigBrady.com>. > > > -- > Irish Linux Users Group > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "ILUG" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, > send an email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/group/ilug/ > <https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/group/ilug/>. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/d/msgid/ilug/d75b4360-de1b-4942-acf3-7060515775e9%40linux.ie > <https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/d/msgid/ilug/d75b4360-de1b-4942-acf3-7060515775e9%40linux.ie?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. > > > > > -- > Gareth 'bigbro' Eason > > -- > Irish Linux Users Group > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "ILUG" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/group/ilug/. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/d/msgid/ilug/CAD4VSdhYQ-1bByrEdfcTdnY5gU3mA2dFgwQ-OBidU%2Bq%2BVVm1JQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/linux.ie/d/msgid/ilug/CAD4VSdhYQ-1bByrEdfcTdnY5gU3mA2dFgwQ-OBidU%2Bq%2BVVm1JQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. -- Irish Linux Users Group --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ILUG" group. 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