IT Training in New Jersey

Edison, Iselin, Metuchen and surrounding areas have several information technology (IT) training centers established by Indian entrepreneurs.

These centers provide training in SAP, Java, Linux, Python, Business Analysis and other technologies.

There's good money in IT with pay starting at $35,000-$40,000 per year.

With just a few years of experience under their belt, IT professionals move up into the $75,000-$85,000 salary bracket.

There are half a million job openings in software development, network administration and cybersecurity (Source: White House statement, March 9, 2015).

So if you're working for low wages in a non-IT field, why not take advantage of the better prospects offered by information technology.

Opportunities in Linux

One of the biggest opportunities in the IT sector now lies in Linux.

A recent report from the Linux Foundation and Dice is very bullish on job opportunities for Linux professionals.

Key findings of Linux Foundation-Dice report:

Most hiring managers plan to recruit Linux professionals in the next six months. With new Linux-based systems, projects and products constantly emerging, hiring the right talent to support the growth remains a priority with employers. Nine out of 10 hiring managers intend to hire Linux talent relative to other skills areas in the next six months.
Open cloud platforms are increasing demand for Linux professionals with the right expertise. 42% of hiring managers say experience in OpenStack and CloudStack will have a major impact on their hiring decisions, while 23% report security is a sought-after area of expertise and 19% are looking for Linux talent with Software-Defined Networking (SDN) skills.
Linux-certified professionals will be especially well positioned in the job market this year, with 44% of hiring managers saying they are more likely to hire a candidate with Linux certification, and 54% expecting either certification or formal training of their SysAdmin candidates.
More developers and SysAdmins are learning Linux as companies are getting even more aggressive about rolling out Linux-based systems and devices to support cloud, mobile and embedded, and emerging areas such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN).

Gaining Linux Skills

To start your Linux journey, pick up command line skills first.

If you're determined and willing to work hard enough, you can gain Linux skills on your own without having to attend expensive coding bootcamps.

I recommend you get a cheap Dell Optiplex 780 SFF PC on eBay for $70 or $80 and install Linux on it.

If you're a complete newbie to Linux, my recommendation would be to start with Linux Mint or Ubuntu. You can download LinuxMint here, and burn it to an USB drive using the free unetbootin software.

Once you have Linux Mint or Ubuntu on the USB drive, you can then boot with it and run it off the USB drive (it will of course run a little slow). For faster performance, I suggest you install Linux in a partition on your laptop or desktop or as a full install on an old PC that you can get off Craigslist or eBay.

Ideally, I suggest you set up the free VirtualBox software on your computer and then install one of the Linux distributions as a virtual machine. Since VirtualBox runs on Windows and Mac too, you can use your existing Windows or Mac laptop or desktop.