Re: Working with Linux

Hi Gareth!

Thanks for taking the time to add your 2 cents. It's been brilliant getting 
all your advice and support.

I will be making a list of all the online learning possibilities and 
certificates for the next time that I have funds. I will probably use 
self-learning as a primer for a return to education. In the meantime I'm 
experimenting with bash scripts and automating tasks on my desktop. Nothing 
big, but keeps me learning.

Could I ask if you have any particular certification? Just trying to gauge 
what type of training people have out there in the wild.



Best regards,

-Wolfgang





On Thursday, 1 December 2016 09:41:39 UTC, Gareth 'bigbro' Eason 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 does go out of date, many of the certifications require a broad coverage of 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 
> <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lpi.org%2Four-certifications%2Flpic-1-overview&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFqjejYVbNHC6Hkt8D5Bb6AERWwog> 
> ) and RedHat ( https://www.redhat.com/en/services/certification 
> <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redhat.com%2Fen%2Fservices%2Fcertification&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEshVKXmFqo7tiVy_w-LTJk_2F2LQ> 
> ) 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] <javascript:>>:
>
>> 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. 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 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 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.
>>>>
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>>>> Irish Linux Users Group
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>>>> .
>>>>
>>>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> Gareth 'bigbro' Eason
>

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