Jumpstart your IT or cybersecurity career by applying in 5 minutes or less
We are excited to share with our NexGenT students and graduates a new employment program designed to help facilitate immersive experiential learning. This opportunity includes working full-time on-site as a member of a consulting team dedicated to supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Information Technology (IT) Operations and Network Engineering challenges. NexGenT is able to offer this employment opportunity in partnership with LeoRose Consulting and Booz Allen Hamilton, both prominent IT service providers to our national defense, civil and intelligence agencies.
With COVID-19, the ChooseVA reorganization effort, and the ever-present challenges associated with serving those who have served – now is a great time to be at the VA.
Quick Look at the IT and Cybersecurity Employment Opportunities
Employment type: Full-time W2; 40 hours expected
Length: 6-12 months with possible full-time employment offer with a company on the VA contract
Location: One of the 2000+ VA facilities (no long-distance travel or relocation)
When: On a rolling basis, the VA will be opening different job titles at different times. That being said, it is best to submit your application NOW to be considered first for any existing or potential job title that matches your desires and qualifications!
Predicted open job titles: Cyber Security Engineer, Program Analyst, Junior Program Analyst, Security Analyst, Security Technician, System Administrator, Senior System Administrator, Systems Engineer, and Junior Systems Engineer
Number of open positions: Unsure at this time, it could be up to hundreds if we have the qualifying students to fill the positions!
Throughout the program, candidates will work full-time (40 hours expected) with members of the 15 servicing companies as well as VA military & civilian staff to solve real-world challenges in all areas of IT, including:
Enterprise Network Management
Cloud Computing
Enterprise Application Services
Test & Evaluation (T&E)
Cyber Security
Strategy and Planning
Requirements Development & Analysis
System and Data Migration
This opportunity has the potential of resulting in a full-time position with a company on the VA contract. It is also available for taking at any one of their 2000+ VA facilities around the US.
And one of the best parts: No relocation required thanks to their many facilities!
Ready to take the leap? Click here to apply now and to be considered for any of the potential job openings they will have now and in the future.
A Special Message for Veterans
Although this opportunity isn’t only for veterans, we’ve strategically partnered with LeoRose Consulting and Booz Allen Hamilton to honor our veterans. Both are prominent IT service providers to our national defense, civil, and intelligence communities. With COVID-19, the ChooseVA reorganization effort, and the ever-present challenges associated with serving those who have served – now is a great time to be at the VA.
Though we believe anyone can succeed in IT if they have the grit and passion for it, veterans are particularly apt to excel in such an opportunity as this.
IT and cybersecurity are natural next steps if you’re looking to change course out of the military or looking for a stable career you’ll be happy in. Take a moment to listen to what former marine Marcus Mapes had to say about his NexGenT decision.
NexGenT was founded by two Air Force veterans who trained thousands of personnel to be job-ready in only a couple of months. We bring that same military-style training philosophy and get our students job-ready in an expedited fashion without any B.S.
We believe that veterans are some of the best kinds of people for IT work: they know the importance of diligence, teamwork, and the weight of responsibility. They have experience in all three of those areas and then some.
How to Apply
Positions are OPEN NOW for 2000+ VA facilities across the US!
If you are not a NexGenT student or alumni, you may still apply for this opportunity if you have at least a few years of IT work experience or education. Candidates interested in being considered for any existing and future opportunities are encouraged to apply for the program by submitting a simple application and updated resume using this application link.
Note – please tailor your resume to an IT or cybersecurity role. Please include any relevant certifications you possess and include the month and year that you began and departed each position in the work experience section of the resume. If you are a student and need quick pointers or IT resume templates to help revise your resume, then please use NexGenT’s Career Service website here.
If you have any specific questions or if you would like to learn more about the program, you may reach out to Samantha Stuber, NexGenT Head of Career Services at careerservices@nexgent.com.
It’s another shift on the night crew. The last time they saw the sun, it was setting; the next time will be when it’s rising. Their muscles complain as they do their work, the strain across their shoulders is a familiar companion.
They’ve gotten accustomed to this schedule. Heavy lifting, operating machinery, the cold echo of the stone floors, the fluorescent lighting. A nocturnal life. When was the last time they kissed their partner goodbye over breakfast?
Sound familiar?
A lifestyle and taxing job on the body can only sustain so long. We can hear your inner thoughts begging for something new. But we get it–career changes can be daunting! It’s hard to figure out where to turn, where to look for an opportunity that will challenge you in new ways and provide a more sustainable future.
I.T. is a field that is always changing and adapting, and I like to think a little of that rubs off on those who take on the trade.
Adaptability will take you far. Let’s take a look at 6 game-changers who decided it was time to end their warehouse careers and learn how to break into I.T.
#1
From a Chemical Operator constantly exposed to danger to an Operations Engineer at Google
Keron Taylor was working as a Chemicals Operator at BASF, one of the world’s largest chemical companies. His job included driving forklifts, unloading tankers, and running multiple chemical reactions, which regularly exposed him to danger. When Keron cracked his wrist in a non-work-related accident, it set him on a new path.
He was scrolling across Facebook, was caught by Terry’s webinar, and enrolled in the Zero to Engineer program right there. By Module 4, he gained the confidence to apply for entry-level I.T. jobs and landed a contract position with Modis as an Operations Engineer at Google. What he learned in Zero To Engineer was right at the front of his mind though all his interviews.
“My job duties went from putting my body in harm’s way to adding devices onto networks and porting fiber into racks. My routine is incredibly flexible now, and I’m constantly collaborating and working with employees across various teams.”
#2
From Forklift Operator to Junior Network Administrator in 16 months
Daniel Adams came from a position as a forklift operator for a chain manufacturing company. About a year and a half into his warehouse career, he was thinking about a change. “This isn’t what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
After deciding to get back into I.T. (he had studied it in high school), he came across a CompTIA Network+ ad online from NexGenT. A good deal for a new world of opportunity. After flying through the course, he knew he wanted to join the ZTE program and lean into his passion.
NexGenT is designed to get you I.T. experience without a degree.
“You can go into this having no experience whatsoever, and they [Zero to Engineer] lay it out so perfectly for you, it’s easy to understand.”
He was able to make the switch and land his first I.T. role in under 3 months!
At $17.50 an hour to start, (an improvement from his warehouse wages) Daniel was set to grow in his first role at Rutter’s as an IT Support Technician, and work his way up doing what he loves. Below is our interview with him after his first day on the job (about one year ago). Since the interview, Daniel has been promoted to Junior Network Administrator with Rutter’s Dairy Farms!
#3
From grueling night shifts to System Administrator – Goodbye, on-the-job injuries!
Logan Brindley was tired of lifting 5-gallon buckets of chains every day and working late nights away from home. Uneven sleeping schedules, physically harmful work—the whole nine yards.
He knew it was time for a change. He had sustained an on-the-job injury that accumulated into an apple-sized hematoma on his knee, leaving him out of work for a month.
Logan’s wife stumbled upon a way for him to get I.T. training and experience without a degree: NexGenT!
Logan had been making $19 an hour, but after an engaging interview process with Efusion Programming (in which he was able to show off what he learned from his online IT training), Logan would be accepting an offer for $21 an hour as a System Administrator.
#4
From Injured Assembly Technician to Inventory Technician at Microsoft
Jason Benson is currently an Inventory Technician at Microsoft. It was a challenging road to get there. After suffering a back injury–and reinjuring himself multiple times–as an assembly technician, he knew it was time to move on to greener pastures.
Jason was introduced to NexGenT and decided to take the leap an sign up – after all, his body was in no condition to continue the taxing warehouse work he had been doing. This newly opened door and job position created a better environment for supporting his wife and children. With a special needs child, his health and flexible schedule were becoming more important as he wanted to be present in the raising of his kids.
NexGenT has helped him design solid career goals that “brighten his quality of life.”
#5
From a disheartened warehouse worker to a Senior Network Engineer making 6 figures
When Kwame Ohemeng landed in the United States from Ghana, he expected to pick up his technology career right where he left off. But it wasn’t as simple as he thought it would be. In the U.S., companies required certifications to validate a person’s knowledge.
Even with all his experience, he ended up working in a warehouse for a company that manufactured air conditioners.
While he was searching for resources online, he came across one of the Zero to Engineer ads. The program was offering mentorship from world-class I.T. industry professionals.
Once he completed the Zero to Engineer program and had his certifications, he was better equipped at selling himself during job interviews.
After being deemed overqualified for the first position he interviewed for ($70,000 a year salary), he landed a job at PCM, a company with over 20,000 employees. Kwame stayed with PCM for 3 years before making the move to another company. He became the go-to person in the IT department—and even a valued mentor in the NexGenT advisor network.
#6
From hauling chains at a lumber mill to Network Technician
Before discovering the CompTIA Network+, Jake Stephens was working in a lumber mill hauling green chain with pieces of lumber that were up to 300 pounds. The Network+ course confirmed he wanted to take his training further and he joined the Zero To Engineer program.
Jake started at $13 an hour, but after just 31-days, once he had gotten his CCNA and proven his skillset without having any previous I.T. experience, he asked for $18 an hour and was offered $20 an hour instead (Moral of the story: never be afraid to ask!)
Jake is no longer required to put a strain on his body to make ends meet. He uses what he learned in the Zero to Engineer program as the fundamentals in his work.
By making this career switch, Jake feels more secure in what he’s doing—no more temp jobs— and has confidence in his children’s futures and the opportunities he can provide for them, and himself.
What can we learn from these 6 move makers?
Each of these stories included either a major life event or injury striking before they finally made a career change. But what we can all learn from these hard workers, is you don’t have to wait to go after a dream. You don’t have to put it off until you have no other choice. You can make that choice right away. Your success is waiting for you to decide you are ready to go all in and change your career. And we know the snowball affect: change your career, change your happiness, your income, your life. If these students of Zero To Engineer were able to do it, so can you.
If you’re ready to make a change, reframe your life, start a new career, or dare to strive for security and fulfillment, NexGenT is here to help make that happen.
Ready to make the next move in your career by learning how to become a network engineer or cyber engineer? Reach out via our support chat and we’d be more than happy to discuss your options.
NexGenT started back in 2016 with a mission to change lives through our Zero To EngineerTM programs. Back then, we only offered self-paced Zero To EngineerTM (ZTE) programs to our students. Although our job placement percentages were great for those who completed our training programs, the percentage of completion was not. We wanted to change that. In late 2019, NexGenT decided to offer live instructor-led programs with our first cohort which started in late February 2020. In addition, to be true to our mission, we also offered our live instructor-led program with our no money down (pay only when you get a job) Income Share Agreement (ISA) to help anyone who is committed to changing her life.
Things were off to a great start, but then COVID-19 hit.
As uncertainty increased, we at NexGenT strategized and projected different scenarios on how our ISA program will be impacted by COVID-19. With the determination and the will to stay committed to helping our students through our ISA program, we had an idea to partner up with our ISA Program Manager, Leif, to find a solution.
After roughly two months of brainstorming and deal making, in May 2020 we were able to roll out$6 million in financing to scale up access to our Zero To EngineerTM programs. With this $6 million in place, we have been doubling our cohort sizes. At the time of writing, our June 2020 cohort is the largest and most selective cohort to date.
For additional information about what NexGenT has to offer and how you can apply for zero upfront tuition, select one of the buttons below.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the U.S. job market, but not every industry has been impacted in the same way. While other sectors such as hospitality and tourism have seen a substantial downturn, the software and tech industries have remained relatively unaffected—thanks in no small part to most employees’ ability to work from home.
According to the career website Dice.com, tech job postings in the first quarter of 2020 actually increased compared to Q1 2019, even accounting for the early effects of the pandemic. That’s good news for IT professionals who are looking for a new position right now, but worried about the potentially shaky job market.
The Dice Q1 2020 report also reveals some highly interesting trends about the U.S. tech job market right now. For example, states such as Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia have had surges in tech job posts in the last year—but the annual growth rates are even higher in some states that you wouldn’t think of as tech hubs, such as New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The full report is well worth your time to read, so check it out at the link above.
But with all that said, which companies are hiring IT professionals right now? In this article, we’ll discuss some of the top companies hiring IT professionals, along with some of the perks and benefits of working for each one.
1. ManTech
ManTech is an IT defense contractor and consulting firm that helps U.S. federal government clients in the domains of cyber security, big data analytics, enterprise IT and systems engineering. According to Glassdoor.com, ManTech is going through a “hiring surge” right now, which is excellent news for IT professionals currently on the market.
In 2019, ManTech was named by Washingtonian Magazine as one of the “50 Great Places to Work” in the Washington D.C. area. In particular, the survey listed ManTech as a “Great Workplace for Veterans”—no surprise, given that almost 50 percent of the company’s workforce served in the military.
2. Nokia
Like ManTech, Glassdoor has Nokia listed under its “hiring surge” for employees right now. As a major player in the telecommunications industry, Nokia is well-positioned to profit as 5G networks continue to roll out across the globe.
The good news is that Nokia is also a nice place to work: 84 percent of reviewers say they would recommend working at the company to a friend, and 87 percent approve of CEO Rajeev Suri. Particular highlights in Glassdoor reviews of Nokia include the friendly working culture and flexible working hours.
3. RingCentral
RingCentral calls itself “the leading provider of global enterprise cloud communications and collaboration solutions.” The company offers a cloud-based phone system for organizations to help boost users’ efficiency and productivity.
San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal have recently named RingCentral one of the “2020 Bay Area Best Places to Work,” based on traits such as work culture, management practices, and employee practices. The company also offers perks such as free breakfast and lunch, a company gym, and team-building exercises through athletics and volunteering.
4. TEKsystems
TEKsystems is an IT service management company that offers a wide variety of IT specialties. The company supplies IT staff to clients, helping them resolve their most pressing and challenging problems. The suite of TEKsystems services includes:
Data analytics & insights
Enterprise software applications
Cyber risk & security
DevOps & automation
Cloud enablement
The benefits for TEKsystem employees are highly competitive, including:
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, including 100 percent coverage for wellness visits
Parental and military leave
20 days of vacation and 6 company holidays
Financial perks such as 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, and tuition reimbursement
5. Citi
Citi is one of the world’s largest providers of consumer financial services, including bank accounts, credit cards, and mortgages. With millions of customers and offices in 160 countries, Citi’s IT infrastructure is mission-critical—now more than ever, as so much of the business world has migrated online.
Along with healthcare and 401(k) plans, Citi has been supportive of its workforce in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the company announced that it would be giving $1,000 bonuses to employees who made less than $60,000, as well as letting workers take sick leave without needing to use their paid time off.
6. FedEx
FedEx is one of the world’s biggest delivery services companies. The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up FedEx’s business in a good way: the company has hired thousands of drivers as online orders surge, and announced a new technology partnership with Microsoft in May to help get better business analytics and insights.
IT jobs are an essential part of FedEx’s worldwide logistics chain. Fortune magazine ranked FedEx as one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2019, citing the company’s extensive charitable work and help delivering food, supplies, and medicine to communities affected by natural disasters.
7. Costco
Costco is a wholesale retailer that operates hundreds of members-only warehouses across the U.S. and the world. As of 2020, Costco is the world’s second-largest retailer, behind only Walmart, and the 14th-largest U.S. corporation by revenue.
The company’s IT jobs are located at the corporate headquarters of Issaquah, Washington. Employee benefits include free membership to Costco stores and much more: in 2018, Indeed.com ranked Costco #1 on the list of best companies for compensation and benefits.
8. Amazon
Amazon is a multinational technology company that focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It is included in the Big Four technology companies, along with Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
Amazon is on a major hiring spree right now as their business has shot up during shelter in place. Benefits depend on both role and location but typically include a retirement plan, health insurance, employee assistance program, paid time off, and discounted products. They also encourage growth for all employees and even have a program called Career Choice which will pre-pay up to 95% of tuition fees for schooling in high demand fields for employees looking to level up.
9. Walmart
Walmart is another company giant that is on a hiring spree. Although the majority of their positions are retail and warehousing, they also have many IT positions available. At the time of this writing, the listings for information technology related positions exceed 5000! Since the pandemic began, they have added over 150,000 people to their workforce and positions continue to be open and added.
Walmart does offer the common 401k, health insurance, employee discount, educational grants, stock, PTO, advancement and more. Benefits are dependent upon role and location but it is clear that Walmart cares for their employees.
The companies listed above are all great places to work for—and even better, they’re currently searching for new IT employees. Think you can make the cut? Check out their career websites and start sending those resumes.
If you’re looking to kickstart your career as an IT professional, we can help with that too. NexGenT offers hands-on, military-grade education programs in network engineering and cyber security, without the need for previous IT experience or degree. We’ll prepare you for the IT job market with our real-world skills training curriculum, during which you’ll gain industry certifications and benefit from mentorship from industry professionals.
Whether we are in a 1:1 appointment or covering resumes in our career course, NexGenT’s Career Service team is consistently talking about adapting to the twenty-first century of IT hiring trends and the way you are being viewed as an applicant.
Resumes are no longer a 1-2 page document that shows what job you had and what you were tasked to do. Nowadays, and especially in a digital era, you are required to show what job you had and demonstrate through your resume how well you did in your job through your bulleted list of experiences. An IT recruiter should be able to envision you in your role with the bulleted experiences you provide.
What are IT recruiters looking for in your resume? Recruiters look for goal-driven, result-oriented information that has technical and IT industry-specific terminology embedded throughout your resume that is directly related to the job description.
No former IT experience?
Not a problem at all! Soft skills such as teamwork, time management, and customer service skills go a long way. These transferable skills coupled with your NexGenT program experience through IT projects and earned IT certifications will make you an ideal candidate for many opportunities in the IT job market.
“I love working with students that have different backgrounds, especially non-IT related. Most of the time, students do not realize how much of their previous experience has to offer a future employer. It is all about putting things into perspective, gaining confidence in yourself and stop all the worrying about how IT hiring managers are going to view you before you even apply to the job.” – Michael LaMarche, NexGenT Career Success Coach
Google’s IT Resume Recommendations
While in a constant search of the best Career Service resources for our NexGenT students to gain employment to highly coveted IT positions at technology companies like Google, we found a fantastic video from Google recruiters. The video gives tips and advice about what IT recruiters look for in your resume.
Did you realize that companies like Google created resources to help candidates apply? It is more common than you think! It is actually to a company’s advantage to give candidates a leg up in the race in applying for IT opportunities. Good recruiters and other IT recruiters at top technology companies know there are talented individuals like yourself out there, and they want to be able to find you. At the end of the day, IT recruiters want to do everything they can to strengthen their IT job applicant pools, so it is to your advantage to utilize these company application tips and resources!
The Google recruiters cover the same information and advice that we teach you here at NexGenT. Our career services team has worked with top-level companies and know what companies like Google look for in IT job applicants. This is why we designed NexGenT’s career course and coaching methodologies the way we have. In order for you to be successful in gaining a job in IT, it is important for you to understand how you are being viewed by an employer.
Instead of going through mental gymnastics and the process of worrying about how you are being viewed by an IT recruiter, take a moment and learn about what IT recruiters are actually looking for.
Top Technology Companies IT Resume Tips
Don’t have time to watch the video? Below are some of the tips and advice to help a resume stand out for any IT job or internship at Google.
The IT Google recruiters emphasize the importance of using simple and consistent design, font, sizing, and spacing. Your presentation is everything! Most importantly, have strong bullet points and always avoid paragraphs.
Anatomy of a Resume from NexGenT’s Career Services Guide
Regarding the essential “need to know” information, it is important that your education and technology summary is at the top of your IT resume and your experience should take up the majority of your resume. Google has a specific bullet point framework that they look for. Here is a quick example “Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]”
If you are interested in seeing what other top technology companies, like Amazon, look for in their IT job applicants, you can take a look at an interview we did with Anthony Nguyen, a Cybersecurity Solutions Architect at Amazon. In that video interview and blog, he shares his tips to break into cybersecurity as well as Amazon’s top tips for IT job applicants.
In conclusion, it is important to always do your research to understand exactly what companies look for in IT job applicants. Do not just be another IT applicant. Going the extra mile always gets noticed!
When NexGenT launched, we had it in our sights to do two things: 1.) to help 1 million people change their careers and lives by teaching them how to become IT and Cybersecurity professionals regardless of their past work experience and 2.) to disrupt our broken education system by making education more affordable and accessible.
Scenic photo of the countryside of Ntcheu
It is through that second part of our mission that drove us to partner with Charity: Water, a nonprofit that provides drinking water to developing nations. Clean drinking water keeps communities healthy, keeps children in school, and saves time from women and girls that spend 40 billion hours, in Africa alone, walking to get clean water.
We are excited to share that through our work with Charity Water we were able to fund a now completed school water pipe system, giving clean drinking water for 434 people in a community in Ntcheu, Malawi. Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries that also face natural disasters, with a recent El Niño drought that has dried out its crops. As a district that is recognized for its produce, access to water has the potential of enriching the lives of its farmers, workers, and community.
The school water pipe system was developed at the Kasinje school. With safe water now at their school, students can stay healthy and in class instead of making a long journey to bring back water to their families. At NexGenT we champion students being able to focus on their studies and their future. We see future engineers and innovators at Kasinje and are excited to see what happens next for these students.
When our Co-Founder, Terry Kim, first heard of Charity: Water and their founder, Scott Harrison, it was 2010 and Terry was working at Cisco. After learning about Charity: Water’s mission he told himself that one day when he owned his own company that he would be sure that altruism was a core pillar in the company’s values and that one day his company would be able to support causes that make a positive impact in our world. Also prior to launching, Terry made it a personal goal to be able to provide the funding for a well for Charity: Water.
Scott Harrison, Founder of Charity Water, with Terry Kim, NexGenT Founder and CEO
Fast forward to 2017, just one year after launching NexGenT, Terry Kim and Jacob Hess (Co-Founders of NexGenT) went to a conference and had a full-circle moment by getting a chance to meet Scott Harrison in person. After their meeting, Terry decided to start a fundraising campaign to go towards a Charity: Water project. For our fundraiser, anyone who donated $5 or more received free access to our popular CompTIA Network+ program. It wasn’t easy, but within 3 months, NexGenT was able to raise $10k, with over 1300 donations.
“We launched the campaign when we were a brand new company because I believe that before a business becomes profitable there can still be an element of giving back. When companies are serious about philanthropy, it changes lives; I wanted NexGenT to serve as an example as to how companies could give at any size.” Terry explained. “I’m really passionate about helping people get out of poverty and making education more accessible and I feel like those go hand in hand.”
Not only was the fundraiser successful enough to get a water pipe system for the Ntcheu district in Malawi, but it also was a part of a $1.2 million dollar commitment from other partners to fund 182 other projects bringing clean water to 66,265 people. Being able to be a part of this important initiative gives us hope and shows us what is possible when we stay focused on doing our part as an organization.
NexGenT commitment to charity has continued with our new scholarship program, giving 5,000 full scholarships for the CompTIA+ Network+ training program to IT students who were not able to attend school and for workers who were impacted by Covid19. From people struggling with employment in our own backyard to students 10,000 miles away grappling with a water crisis, we aim to stay committed to help embolden lives through education.
Images provided by Charity:Water and the Kasinje project
It’s another shift on the night crew. The last time they saw the sun, it was setting; the next time will be when it’s rising. Their muscles complain as they do their work, the strain across their shoulders is a familiar companion.
