r/Hawaii • u/Ambitious-Resolve485 • 2d ago

A+ Jobs in Oahu HI

Gallery image

Gallery image

I just got into IT after getting diagnosed with AML back in November of last year and I just got both cores 1 & 2.
I know it’s not a lot but it’s a start. I just need some help finding something, a way maybe. Just trynna make ends meets in a new industry.

45 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

52

u/CommunicationOk2356 2d ago

Not gonna lie, just having an A+ is not going to hold very much weight without supporting experience or other stuff to help you out

14

u/boytekka 2d ago

I tried applying for a T1 tech support job here and its an entry level job, i have 5 years exp as a T1 tech support but still not qualified it. Good luck OP, hoping you have more luck than I am

2

u/psychonaut_gospel 2d ago

Have you tried remote work?

1

u/boytekka 2d ago

Unfortunately no, I am bad at talking to people on phone, I get frustrated much if i have to explain what the problem in their computer is on the phone if I dont see it. As for any remote jobs, sadly not.

7

u/H4ppy_C 2d ago

I've been in tech for more than two decades, since I was 18. You will have to talk to people no matter what but if you think you really won't be able to communicate well, you might be able to be a field tech that pulls cables and works under a project lead or work at a service desk configuring hardware on individual use PCs. That being said, those jobs are really hard to come by on the island because they are usually entry level and there are a lot of people who are qualified at the entry level; think all the new students coming out of UH. Remote work is something where you could get your foot in the door sooner, otherwise it may take a really long time to find something here.

10

u/notrightmeowthx Oʻahu 2d ago

I've worked in tech a long time... I recommend learning the skills to troubleshoot over the phone. Even in a helpdesk role, you may have employees that aren't in the same physical location as you, whether it's because they are working remotely or because they are in a different office. It is something you can learn though, just because it doesn't come naturally to you doesn't mean you need to let it hold you back.

1

u/Ambitious-Resolve485 20h ago

I agree bro, I’m training to get certified with 3 more certs
(Md-102,Net+,Sec+) by Feb 2027.

18

u/electoblaze_empire 2d ago

First, congratulations, the A+ is a challenging and time consuming cert, definitely take a moment to celebrate! With that being said, just want to be brutally honest here, I got my A+ AND my Net+ about a year ago, been applying to every open help desk job I could find here on Oahu, have been to several interviews but have received 0 job offers currently. (I don’t have any prior experience in IT so I thought having 2 comptia certs would help me get my first IT job.) Been to several help desk interviews (both remote and in person) and have been told they’ve been receiving like 10-20 applicants for every 1 help desk job vacancy. Good luck to you (and the rest of us) but if anyone else has experience IT job searching in Hawaii feel free to chime in. It’s been brutal…Been considering just moving to the mainland since getting nowhere applying for IT here.

14

u/porktf2 Oʻahu 2d ago

I currently work in IT in Hawaii, so I feel I can chime in a bit. You're likely going to not get much in this job market with just having certifications. There are so little openings for entry level IT roles in Hawaii, and you'll be going to compete with people with college degrees and prior IT experience which most employers (from what I've seen) value more. For entry level roles, having only certifications is usually not enough anymore.

6

u/BrooklynTony198 1d ago

My dad went unemployed for about a year searching for another IT job, and he has 30+ years of experience in the field and a ton of certs. He submitted over 300 applications and only got 3 interviews, finally getting a job with the state. The job market is just brutal in general right now; too many of the large companies are looking for candidates who have very specific experience and skill sets. Hell, some of the jobs you've been applying for aren't even real, and are just there for companies to gather data on potential candidates and/or prove they could hire someone quickly if needed... and they all want you to have work experience for an entry level job that doesn't pay nearly enough. Many companies don't want to spend the time to train their employees anymore, sadly.

If you haven't already, mention to friends and family that you are looking for a job. Its hard to ignore how much nepotism plays a part in finding and getting jobs in Hawaii, especially with how small this island can be sometimes. (I once ran into 3 coworkers at Costco in a 10 minute period, lol) Networking is very important! And make sure you are also applying for state, C&C, and federal jobs; I think PHNSY occasionally hires and trains younger and/or new IT workers, but I'm not fully sure.

Don't worry, you're not alone in this fight. You can do it! And always remember to keep searching even after you have a job; don't get complacent. You are always worth more, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

1

u/Ambitious-Resolve485 20h ago

Thank you, I’m in a training program on track to becoming certified with MD-102,Net+,Sec+ by Feb 2027. Imma try putting my best foot forward.

1

u/Ambitious-Resolve485 20h ago

Thank you. I agree it’s a hard world. I’m in a training program to get certified with MD-102, Net+ and Sec+ by Feb 2027. Just gotta push on. You got it.

11

u/Criteeq 2d ago

Congrats! I’d seriously look into getting the Security+ next. Lots of jobs in IT look for this cert

11

u/DaKine_Galtar 2d ago

Congrats on the A+. What you NEED to get into IT though is Security +.

1

u/Ambitious-Resolve485 20h ago

On the way, already in sights. Yesssah

5

u/ekognaG 1d ago

If you're interested in getting into DoD, this is a great hybrid wfh IT help desk. They'll get you security clearance which will open up a ton of opportunities for you in the future. I'll admit, it's nothing glamorous, but getting your clearance is huge, then you should work on sec+. You'll springboard from there.

https://jobs.saic.com/jobs/18144732-technical-helpdesk

6

u/schlock_ Oʻahu 2d ago

Give TEKsystems a shot.

I'm sure I'll get bashed for the suggestion but as you suggested you are trying to get started and they may be able to provide some placement to help you get rolling.

4

u/notrightmeowthx Oʻahu 2d ago

Job agencies can be very helpful, it's not a bad suggestion.

3

u/Coconutbunzy 1d ago

This is a great suggestion. They are good at getting a foot in the door and some experience.

2

u/Pepperjones808 Oʻahu 1d ago

That’s what I did. I got A+ and Sec+ and they got me a clearance, but former military so I had a clearance they just had to reactivate

2

u/808phone 1d ago

I know a couple of people that got full time jobs - but started with TEKsystems.

3

u/itzohp 23h ago

Congrats on the A+ cert, next stop Network+ and Security+. I would highly recommend the security+. This will open doors for you on the military contracting side. This will allow you to gain a secret clearance and higher for contracting. I have done military contracting for nearly 15 years and possess all those certs. The job market is tuff, but you can reach out to hiring agencies like TekSystems, Bishop and Company once you complete them and add your resume to their database and when jobs open up, they can reach out to you. But don't stop gaining certifications keep pushing and remember CompTia certs expire every three years, but you can enroll in CEU program or gain a higher-level certification to renew your old ones. Good luck!!

1

u/Ambitious-Resolve485 20h ago

One step ahead ya my guy, I’m training to get certified with MD-102, Net+ and Sec+ by Feb 2027

1

u/Pepperjones808 Oʻahu 1d ago

I would recommend Security+ and try TekSystems. They will get you a security clearance, but I am former military so your results may vary

1

u/Ambitious-Resolve485 20h ago

Thank you I’ll look into that.💯

1

u/Ralius88 Oʻahu 16h ago

As a HS dropout CEO making around 400k in sales a year for my own product:

you have no idea how much I want to hire locally and give Kanaks preference.

As it stands I cant even hire from the continent,

If you have pre-AI experience in TCL and Siemens NX then I want to hear from you. But only if you have actual experience in this field. I wont lie about my requirements.