From Motherboards to Multimeters

Progress this week:

• Finished Chapter 6 - Motherboards

• Started Chapter 7 - Power Supplies (covering electricity concepts)

• Started learning Python

• Installed Git

• Configured System PATH to get git to work in Command Prompt, PowerShell, and Visual Studio Code

• Created, Cloned, Committed, and Pushed to my first GitHub Repository (a Python learning repo showcasing the things that I’m learning

• Updated my GitHub profile and linked to it from my blog, my LinkedIn, and my resume

• Started networking socially

Power Supplies, Ohms, and Multimeters…oh no…

This week, I finished out Chapter 6 which covered motherboard components and form factors, and started Chapter 7 - Power Supplies. The parts of Chapter 7 that I’ve read so far explain the basics of electricity (watts, voltage, current, ohms, and all of that fun stuff). I think this section is going to give me the most trouble. A suggested task in the text book is to use a multimeter to test an outlet in my home. Hot to Neutral should be ~115 V, hot to ground should be ~115 V, and Neutral to Ground should be 0 V. I’m going to take this opportunity to test all of the outlets in my home. I imaging that through repetition, I will be able to learn the functions of the multimeter just fine. I will say, sticking things into power outlets goes against everything that I have ever been taught, so I will be sure to check the manual, and the textbook before attempting this. I have since tested an outlet, and it went fine, 118 V where it should be and 0 V where it shouldn’t. I did notice that depending on where I put the probe, it would drop down to 50 V. My guess is that was just me not making proper contact, since readings were normal on subsequent attempts.

My First Foray Into Python and Why?

I took an evening to do a little side quest, setting up Python in Visual Studio Code, installing, setting up, and learning Git, and diving into a little bit of Python scripting. For background knowledge, I have fundamental knowledge of quite a few languages. In high school, I made a point to take every single computer class that was offered, while most were Microsoft Office and general computer usage related, there were a few introductory programming classes. The classes I took were Introduction to C++, Introduction to Java, and Introduction to Visual Studio .NET, and a web design class. The web design class I took in high school was a little different, we used Dreamweaver and it was all drag-and-drop. I took the opportunity to teach myself HTML and CSS and wrote my website from scratch, for fun. After my time in school, I experimented with C, more advanced C++ topics, C#, and GML (Game Maker Studio’s scripting language, my original plans after school were to become a video game developer). That being said, I already have a strong understanding of data types, functions, loops, classes, strings, etc. For me, this made learning Python a breeze, sort of. The biggest difference between Python and other languages that I’ve learned in the past, is that Python is almost written like a spoken language. The syntax is completely different from what I’m used to.

for(int i; i<10, i++) {
    std::printf(i);
}

for variable in sequence:
    print(f"{variable}")

I was going to try and recreate a snippet from my python-learning page in C++, but quickly learned that I lack the knowledge of vectors in C++, so I was unable to do so… But essentially, Python is easy to get things implemented, fast to get results, and much more readable.

What Podcasts Taught Me About Automation

I’ve spoken previously about listening to a lot of podcasts related to IT Careers, mentioning The Bearded I.T. Dad as being one of my favorites. Unfortunately…I’ve listened to his entire library of content. I found another podcast called The Art of Network Engineering which is similar, but focuses more on Networking, Cloud, Automation, and Cybersecurity. In basically every conversation that the host has with his guests (specifically in the automation space), they mention Python and Kubernetes and the power of using those together. I know what Python is, I don’t know a thing about Kubernetes not even enough to write about it confidently, but I am intrigued and understand that it is a very powerful tool. Python can also be run on any platform without the need of rewriting to support other platforms. Not to mention, while my programming skills aren’t fully developed, it’s something that I would consider myself to have an aptitude for.

The Pursuit of a Better Culture

One of the things driving my career transition is the desire for a workplace culture that better aligns with my values as a father and professional. I was told that if I left work during my partner’s labor, even just an hour before midnight, I could face disciplinary action up to and including termination. Why? Because the baby may not be officially born until after midnight, and their policy only allows paternity leave to begin on the day of birth.

That hits hard. It was a clear reminder of how rigid some workplaces can be, and how little space there is for the realities of life and family. I knew right then that I needed to build a future in a field where being a father, and a human being, isn’t treated like a liability to a company's bottom line.

That’s a huge part of why I’m making this leap into IT. I want a career that challenges me, grows with me, and most importantly, supports the life I’m working so hard to build, both professionally and for my family.

Making Studying a Family Affair

The only way I can make this work is if I keep up clear communication with my partner and with our children. When dealing with the kind of intensive study that certifications require, it can be challenging to describe how monumental the task is and how time consuming it can be. I was listening to a podcast, where one of the guests spoke about how he handled that with his family.

What I did, was print out a few copies of the exam objectives. Each week, I am going to highlight each section:

• Green: Exam Ready

• Blue: Needs Review

• Pink: Needs Work

This will allow my entire family to know at a glance what my overall progress is, with the understanding that once everything is green, I'm ready to take the exam, and can take a small break from all the studying. While they are still young, this could potentially pique their curiosity towards tech and possibly allow me to teach them some of this stuff as well. I brought them with me to print out the packets, sat down and highlighted everything based on my own knowledge. They seemed largely uninterested, for now.

I have a lot of guilt for giving up time with them over studying. That's been particularly challenging for me to deal with. Thankfully, I have an extremely supportive partner who encourages me each and every day to keep moving forward. I'm not entirely sure that I would be able to do this without her. The main advice I can give anyone trying to get into the field is, if you're single, go all in, you have nothing but time.

If you have a partner, or kids at home, be very mindful about their needs. If they need you to take a break for some family time, take a break. But also, communicate the why behind what you're doing. If you are open with your partner, and children, about why you are putting this work in, you may find that they will be supportive of you, even at a very young age.

Learning to Network (When You Know No One)

Networking, blogging, and social media do not come naturally to me. For instance, my facebook has a profile picture...but that's about it. From what I've been able to gather, listening to podcasts about other's experience in the field, your online presence is very important for landing roles. A phrase I hear all the time from all sorts of people in tech is, "Sometimes it isn't what you know, it's who you know." For me, I don't know anyone in the field personally, and I kept thinking to myself, “Well, even if I do reach out to someone in the field, I have nothing to offer.” Maybe that's imposter syndrome talking, or maybe that's just being realistic when trying to talk to someone who is many tiers up into their IT career while I am still at the bottom, or rather below the bottom. As it turns out, people in the IT industry are just people. Often people who have the same goals, or even started in the same place.

I’ve also stumbled across this wonderful place called Meetup. It’s essentially just a space where people with similar interests can schedule local meetups to get to know one another. To my surprise, there is a whole community of people in my hometown who meet very regularly. Some of these meeting events have guest speakers, and others are just coffee hangouts where people interested in tech can meet and talk to other people in tech. I recommend everyone check this out, regardless of your interests. There might just be something here for everyone.

Looking Ahead: Intense Study and Networking

In the previous weeks, I spent a lot of time on studying and did a few labs or lab set-ups on the side. The development of my home lab and planning how I want to lay it all out has been really fun, but I did notice something really crucial. The time I was spending on my book study was decreasing steadily. For the time being, I am going to focus almost entirely on my book study while also trying to land my first entry level position. Once I get to the networking and security chapters of the A+ textbook, I am going to start setting up my home lab network to get that hands on experience that I need. Any day now, our baby will arrive, and I will have 2 weeks off work. After communication with my partner, it came clear to me that these 2 weeks will be crucial for my studies.

I don't know exactly what to expect during these first 2 weeks, this is the first child of my own, but my overly optimistic goal is going to try and plan 8-10 hour blocks each day for study, simulations, labs, and networking with others in the field who seem to have similar stories as mine.

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Still all in! On the topic of networking, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Not only would I love to connect with people in the field, but I would love to connect with people making this transition themselves.