From Food Service to IT: 4 Tips to Get into IT Fast Without a Degree

True or false: It takes several years to make a career change and get into IT, and you need a degree to do it.

The correct answer is “false.” In fact, new technologist Ian Clark went from food service to IT in just 6 months without a degree. He believes that if he can do it, so can anyone who is coachable, passionate about IT, hungry for a career change and willing to work hard for what they want. This sounds like a simple formula, but it worked for Clark and can work for you, as well.

From Food Service to IT in 6 Months

Ian Clark recently accepted an IT job with a Fortune 500 company, which he described as his dream job. But working for a Fortune 500 company is not what Clark saw for himself 3 years ago when he was living in a hotel.

Although he had a passion for cybersecurity and IT in general, he didn’t think he had the aptitude or the resources to get into IT. He soon stumbled across some books about leadership written by Mark Miller, vice president of high-performance leadership at Chick-Fil-A, and knew his next step was to work for the company Miller helped lead.

“I applied to every Chick-Fil-A in Texas, which is where I was living at the time, but no store was hiring,” Clark said. “Finally, I was offered a position at a mall unit in Iowa that offered a leadership program to high-achieving employees. I jumped on that opportunity, and it changed my life.”

Working for Chick-Fil-A, Clark began learning the lessons that would eventually help him get into IT and make a lasting career change, although that wasn’t on his radar at the time. He was assigned a mentor who taught him that if he was coachable, hungry for what he wanted and had a whatever-it-takes attitude, he could achieve anything. He thrived at the Iowa store and was accepted into the leadership program in just 3 weeks – a feat which usually takes 3 to 6 months.

“I thought I was just going to be a kitchen manager, but I couldn’t get cybersecurity off of my mind,” Clark explained. “I didn’t have a degree in computer science, so I thought IT wasn't an option for me. Nevertheless, I went to my mentor and admitted my strong desire to work in IT. He encouraged me to go for it.”

Clark genuinely loved working for Chick-Fil-A and set his sights on an IT position at the company’s corporate headquarters in December 2019. The requirements were either a bachelor's degree or 2 years of Chick-Fil-A leadership experience along with 1 year of IT troubleshooting experience.

“I had zero knowledge of IT at that point. I knew I needed to get an IT certification to make myself a viable candidate for the job, so I decided to pursue the CompTIA A+ certification,” Clark said. “My lack of IT experience intimidated me somewhat. However, since I was coachable, hungry to earn the certification and had a whatever-it-takes attitude, I knew I had a shot at passing the exam.”

He let the hiring manager know that he planned to earn CompTIA A+ before the start of the job, and he was offered an interview.

One IT Certification Away from a Career Change

While he began interviewing in February 2020, Clark threw himself into studying for CompTIA A+ certification exam, using the exam objectives, The Official CompTIA A+ Study Guides and online courses by people like Professor Messer. 

In the week leading up to the exam, he completed practice exams and also studied the exam objectives, highlighting items he knew and re-studying items he didn't. 

“I was scoring up in the 90s, which increased my confidence,” Clark said. “I then reached out to a local IT recruiter to begin building my network, as I was absolutely sure I wanted to make a career change and go from food service to IT permanently.”

After studying 30-plus hours per week, he passed both of the CompTIA A+ exams in just 4 weeks.

“This blows my mind when I remember thinking I wasn’t intelligent enough to get into IT,” Clark said. “The things my mentor taught me were truly invaluable to my letting go of that destructive belief, getting out of my own way and reaching my goals.” 

Getting into IT with CompTIA A+

In March 2020, just after Clark earned CompTIA A+, COVID-19 hit and he cancelled his interview for the IT position with Chick-Fil-A.

“It wasn’t a good time for a cross-country move,” he explained. But in a twist of fate, the recruiter he’d contacted while he was in the process of earning his certification told him about an IT analyst/help desk position with a government agency in Michigan. He applied for and landed the job, proving that it’s possible to get into IT without a degree.

“I went from having no IT experience in February 2020 to earning the CompTIA A+ certification and getting a competitive IT job by the beginning of April that same year,” Clark said. “Earning CompTIA A+ gave me the advantage I needed to get that job.”

Getting to the Next Level with IT Certifications and a Degree

After earning CompTIA A+, Clark knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted to specialize in cybersecurity. Although he was able to get into IT without a degree, he decided to start working toward a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity engineering at Western Governor’s University in June 2020.

“I want to be an executive leader in cybersecurity someday,” Clark said. “I know a degree along with a variety of IT certifications will help make that possible.”

Because he was committed to reaching his goal of becoming a cybersecurity specialist and had seen firsthand how much weight IT certifications added to his resume, he earned CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Network+ in August 2020.

Earning several CompTIA certifications and securing a government IT job so quickly gave Clark a newfound sense of confidence that led him to interview for a new IT job with a Fortune 500 company. While working toward his bachelor’s degree, he secured this once-in-a-lifetime job in August, having just a few months’ worth of IT experience and three CompTIA certifications under his belt.

“I had no idea 6 months ago that I would go from food service to IT at breakneck speed. I had no idea I’d be a competitive candidate for a Fortune 500 IT job and would be offered that job,” he said. “I strongly believe that I got my dream job as a result of my drive and my CompTIA certifications.”

4 Tips for Breaking Into the IT Field in Months, Not Years

It takes most IT pros a considerable amount of time to get into IT, but Ian Clark proved that it’s possible to make a career change in just a few short months. He offered the following tips to those who are set on starting a career in IT as quickly as possible.

1. Define Your Why

Clark believes knowing why you are pursuing IT is critical to getting on the fast track to a tech career.

“The first thing I did when I set out on my path from food service to IT was to define why I wanted to get into IT. This helped me see that I was in hot pursuit of an IT career because I was passionate about the industry and wanted to be fulfilled by my job.”

This also helped Clark understand that the reason he was earning CompTIA certifications was to become a competitive job candidate as soon as possible.

Your why might be related to making a certain amount of money, helping businesses solve technical problems that impede their progress or, like Clark, simply doing what you love. Once you get crystal clear about why you’ve decided to make a career change, you’ll likely find that you are more motivated to study for your IT certification exams and set career goals for your future. 

2. Avoid Comparisons

Something that held Clark back was comparing himself to others. That’s why he urged future IT pros to put their blinders on.

“You know those blinders horses wear that keep them looking straight ahead at their own path? Those seeking a career in IT have to put imaginary blinders on to avoid comparing themselves to others, which will inevitably make their journey to IT longer,” he said.

He also stressed that potential IT pros should not compare themselves to him. Yes, he went from food service to IT in a matter of months without a degree, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be your story.

“I don’t want anyone to be distracted by what I did, but to be inspired by it,” Clark explained. “Instead of comparing yourself to me or anyone else, strive to understand that you are capable of anything you want to achieve.”

3. Get Certified

Clark attributes a huge aspect of his success in IT to earning various CompTIA certifications early on in the game. Once he started learning more about the IT industry, he realized that IT positions sometimes have hundreds of applicants. He was aware that certifications would make him stand out, which is why he pursued CompTIA A+, and later CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Network+.

“There are some seasoned IT pros who aren’t certified,” he said. “I realized that in order to compete with them, especially before I earned my bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity engineering, I had to get several respected, professional IT certifications.”

Those interested in making a career change must understand that some employers value certifications over a college degree, so they should make earning IT certifications one of their top priorities.

4. Study Harder Than You Think You Need To

According to Clark, a key to getting into IT in a matter of months is studying harder for your IT certification exams than you think you need to. He found that studying 30 or more hours per week was necessary if he wanted to pass his exams on the first try.

He attributes his earning three CompTIA certifications rapidly to his willingness to study, as well as to his belief that he was capable of reaching his goals.

Believe in Yourself: Clark’s Key to Career Change Success

Getting relevant IT certifications by logging a lot of study hours, defining your motivation behind making a career change to IT and avoiding comparisons isn’t enough to get you into IT quickly – although these steps will certainly help get you to your desired destination sooner.

Clark explained that without a strong belief in yourself and your ability to guide your own destiny and achieve your goals, changing careers in a matter of months would be tough, if not impossible.

“If my mentor at Chick-Fil-A had not taught me that being coachable, hungry for what I want and having a whatever-it-takes attitude would get me to where I wanted to go, I would not be where I am today,” he said. “Do whatever you need to do to adopt this mindset for yourself if you want to rapidly launch an IT career that will last.” 

Wondering if IT is the right career choice for you? Take our quiz to find out.