Why Employers Hire ACI Learning Graduates for Entry-Level IT Positions

Despite the instability of the job market caused by the recent pandemic, graduates of our IT (Information Technology) programs are still finding exciting and high-paying positions with significant employers. While tech jobs have faced some of the same instability that the economy has experienced, IT roles are more critical than ever. Suddenly, even industries and job positions that didn’t rely on technology have become remote and require technical support. While the future seems uncertain for many industries, IT is creating jobs at an incredible rate. That’s part of why ACI Learning job placement is so high. Now is a great time to start or expand a career with IT training and certifications. It’s essential to keep in mind that these are not jobs where qualifications and recommendations are enough. IT can be highly visible and deeply integral to the functioning of an organization. This is the kind of work where proving your abilities on the job is paramount to your success. That’s why it’s vital to have strong enough training to be a top-performing professional. An education from ACI Learning prepares you to take the tests AND understand how and why to perform the tasks needed on the job. This makes you a versatile candidate that any company would be happy to add to their team. How do we know? We get fantastic feedback from employers. When investing in education, it’s important to get the most out of your time and money. And sure, we can tell you that we’re great at what we do. We are! But we’re not the only ones. Here’s what our employer partners think of our programs and the graduates that they hire:

‘Our Clients Love the Enthusiasm’ — Apex Systems

Kyndall Smith, a delivery lead at Apex Systems near our Colorado Springs Learning Hub, has hired 10-15 ACI Learning grads for information technology jobs just in the past year. Apex Systems services over 70 offices and client delivery centers across the U.S and Canada. She finds out graduates especially easy to work with and helps them build their IT careers. “I will usually reach out to ACI Learning when we have job openings that will allow their grads to get into the workforce to start gaining hands-on experience,” she says. “From there, I’ll reach out to the grads individually to go over the job details and tell them more about our company so we can start working together.” Kyndall says that many of Apex’s clients require certifications from candidates. She knows that ACI Learning helps with this and even coordinates with us on when exams are being taken to schedule interviews around them. “Collectively, the grads are all very excited to join the workforce,” she says. “I can tell they all have the drive to jump in and hit the ground running and that they want to do the best that they can in any role they get. Our clients love the enthusiasm, and it’s refreshing to work with people who are excited about all of the awesome opportunities we have.” According to Kyndall, most of the roles are entry-level IT jobs, such as desktop and service-desk positions, often with government clients. She says that working with ACI Learning on filling these roles has been “absolutely amazing.” She finds our staff “very quick to respond and easy to communicate with. I love working with people who have the same values; you can tell everyone at ACI Learning just wants what’s best for their graduates and wants to help them better their lives.”

‘They Are Open to New Challenges’ — TEKsystems

Hayden Eskridge, a technical recruiter with TEKsystems in Fort Worth near our Dallas Learning Hub, estimates that his company has placed at least 20 ACI Learning grads in new information technology careers. ACI is the first stop for his recruiting efforts. “[Employer Engagement Manager] Jesse DuBose always does a great job to ensure I have plenty of ACI students to speak to,” Hayden says. “Most often, we start with a simple phone call, but we also attend career fairs and have students come directly into our office for meetings.” Hayden appreciates how eager our graduates are to succeed. “ACI always has students hungry to break into the industry,” he says. “They are open to new challenges and are not afraid to start from the bottom.” He sees entry-level IT positions as a crucial starting point for high achievers. But from there, “the possibilities are endless.” In filling these information technology jobs, he calls ACI Learning his “go-to partner.” “ACI has people on their staff that match my intensity level and sense of urgency,” Hayden says. “The ACI staff truly has their student’s best interests in mind, making them the ideal placement partner.”

‘Motivation Is One of the Traits We Value Most’ — Valdez International

Ray Payne, a staffing coordinator at Valdez International in Colorado Springs, connected ACI with a site lead at Peterson Air Force Base, Corey Boston. Since then, Valdez has hired seven candidates from ACI Learning, including Jamie West, during the covid shutdown. “Integrity, motivation, and humility.” These are the traits Corey appreciates in ACI graduates. “Coming into the environment with the desire to learn and being humble enough to take it all in is key.” Attitude can make all the difference when it comes to finding the right person for an IT position. ACI Learning students have an excellent reputation when it comes to attitude. “Many are there because they decided to change their situation and improve themselves professionally,” Corey says. “Motivation is one of the traits we value most.” Like the best business relationships, the one between Valdez and ACI Learning Colorado Springs has benefited both sides. These relationships, in turn, help students find the jobs they’re looking for. “I have enjoyed working with ACI,” Rays says. “I have attended multiple hiring events where ACI was in attendance. We would team up at those events. Any candidate that Valdez spoke with needing certifications, we would direct them towards the ACI booth. And any candidates ACI spoke with that had the certifications and IT background, they sent to our booth.”

‘A Passion for Technology’ and ‘Customer Care’ — Concentrix

Near our Jacksonville Learning Hub, Concentrix has become a significant partner. Brooke Knighton, a senior recruiter, loves working together with ACI Learning on placement for information technology jobs. “Members of the talent acquisition team have attended classes just to go and speak about available positions with students,” she says. “We have also attended job fairs that are set up by the career counselors. Even when we are not able to get the ACI Learning office, Bridget Scrogham and Brian Morgan (the career services team) will send resumes and let me know once their students have applied.” Like ACI, Concentrix has committed to working with veterans and their family members. That, too, has solidified the partnership. “We find that many of the ACI Learning students have recently got into the field, or they are coming out of the military and working on a new skill,” Brooke says. “Our technical role, which is entry-level, is a great foot in the door to get some experience in the technical field.” That entry-level IT job could lead to big things — and fast. According to Brooke, 78% of management roles are hired from within the company. And upward mobility can begin as soon as 90 days after training. What are the characteristics that set candidates apart? “A passion for technology is one of the characteristics that we are looking for,” Brooke says. “Whether it’s an avid gamer, a tinkerer who likes to build computers, or just a person that just has to have the latest tech, that is the kind of person we are looking for. However, on the flip side, customer care is our focus at Concentrix. We are fanatical about our customers, clients, and staff. We want to make sure our staff has that same enthusiasm for taking care of the customers.”

‘ACI Learning is a Top-Notch School’ — EVO Payment Systems

A significant employer partner of our Dallas Learning Hub, EVO Payment Systems, has been working with ACI Learning since 2018. In that time, they’ve hired more than 25 of our graduates! Janice Carter, a talent acquisition associate, says job fairs play a big part in that. But even when there isn’t one, she directly contacts Employment Development Manager Michelle Slaughter about open positions. Janice appreciates the IT and professional skills that ACI graduates learn. Asked what makes them such appealing job candidates, she notes the “education, training and professional graduates that attend ACI Learning.” She adds that prior experience with technical support goes a long way with EVO Payment Systems. A big part of why EVO has hired so many of our graduates is the ACI’s excellent career services team. “The ACI staff that I have worked with are excellent, top-notch representatives,” Janice says. “I enjoy working with Michelle, Miranda Murphey, and Bob MacIntyre. The staff keeps me well informed, and their follow-through is excellent. Whenever I am networking, I always mention ACI Learning as a top-notch school.”

We Can Help You Get Hired Too

If you’re wondering how to find entry-level IT jobs or how to get an entry-level IT job, look no further. ACI Learning is here to help. At all six of our Learning Hubs, we have Career Services teams ready to connect you with prospective employers. The staff at these offices spend all their time helping grads find work. Whether it’s resume editing, interviewing practice, or even the all-important phone call to a hiring manager, they’ll do what it takes to secure that offer letter. At ACI Learning, we develop students from enrollment to employment. We measure our success in terms of your success in the job market. That’s why our Career Services team is just as crucial to our organization as our instructors are. To learn more about how we can help you get trained and ready to work in a new information technology career, request more information now.