IT Careers

[Rolando]

Looking to get into IT. Going to school for Networking, but unsure of what the end goal is. Any advice for someone trying to break into the field?

[Misto]

going to school is a waste of time and money.

[Extunarian]

Depends a lot on whether you're looking at a 2 year or 4 year program. A two year certificate or associates degree is nice to get because you can get a decent paying job to help finance the remaining 2 years, and I highly recommend focusing on getting that bachelors degree.

With a 2 year degree in Networking you could get something like (~40k salary):
http://jobview.monster.com/Network-S...102549734.aspx

A 4 year degree would probably land you something along these lines (~60-70k)
http://jobview.monster.com/Network-T...103201102.aspx

Note that getting that 2nd job requires some experience. If you're in your junior year of a 4-year IT program you need need need to get a job in the field, even if it seems low paying. At my company we turn down folks who went to great schools and had great GPA's because they worked at taco bell (or worse, never had a job!) for there entire tenure in college. Real world experience means an easier time finding a job, a higher base salary, and of course, knowing what the hell you're doing on your first day.

If you are successful and enjoy the networking/infrastructure side and want to work for a company with a big hardware budget (like 50 million dollar data centers) you could look into Infrastructure Planning and Architecture (120k+)
http://jobview.monster.com/Infrastru...101136064.aspx


One other thing, getting Cisco and Microsoft certified will help you get those early jobs before you have your degree. I don't recommend renewing them after you graduate unless your job wants you to, but they are a nice leg up in the beginning.

[Kelven]

Try going for a data center job, and learn about the different types.

Desktop support gets annoying as you're usually dealing with people who don't understand how to update a web browser, but it's somewhere to start..

for the love of god, don't do remote support ( over the phone or remote desktop )

Learn every little thing you can about networking.

and yes, school is incredibly over priced for what they teach you. Schools are just in the business of making money

[Honest]

Originally Posted by Misto [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

going to school is a waste of time and money.

^This

Ive been a computer junkie all my life. A year before i got married i decided i would go to some trade school for tech (Specifically Kaplan), it was a huge waste of time and money. Right after i finished i got a job at a law office so the whole thing was a wash. Now im gonna be paying off student loans for pretty much nothing. I could have past the certification tests without the stupid school. Networking is a good field. If you already have knowledge on it, then i would suggest just getting the test prep book for whatever test you want to pass and study that. save you a shit load of time and money.

[Extunarian]

To the people saying that school is a waste of time and money, I agree that it can be if you're not going for a degree. If you are just trying to get a certificate, stay away from for-profit schools like Kaplan, University of Phoenix, DeVry that just want you to pay exorbitant amounts for what is essentially test prep. Do what Honest said and buy the book and teach yourself.

However I would also say that your career prospects are not nearly as bright if you just amass certificates. I don't know what your plans are, but I would strongly suggest putting in the time for a four year degree. It is over before you know it, and if you pick an in-state school and apply for financial aid you can keep costs down. I got out with 12k in student loans at 2% interest after 4.5 years.

So yes, school can be a waste of time and money, but so can any investment. If you're willing to commit the time and are smart about choosing the school/program the return in earning potential more than makes up for the cost.

[Klendathu]

What everyone has said here rings true, so i won't rehash it. But I will offer this: don't get into IT unless you really like doing it. The people that I know that are good at it are people that are passionate about it. They have extensive home networks, their spouses bitch at them for always having some "project" laying around in some sordid state of disarray.

Also, don't go to school thinking that you will immediately jump into being a Network Administrator somewhere, although your school might lead you to believe otherwise. No company in their right mind would trust their IT infrastructure to a newb fresh outta school. Get ready for an entry level job, tech support, answering the phone type thing. If you're lucky, you might get on with a smaller company if you're a bit flexible. Some of them need someone to do IT and data entry, or payroll clerk, etc. They cant train you on the IT stuff, but they can train you for what they need. Jobs like that tend to let you have a bit more leeway on the IT side.

[Asher]

From my experience Microsoft and Cisco Certifications are what will get you employed. The industry will expect you have these. If cash is limited I would recommend investing your money here instead of some random community college.

A+ and Net+ are pretty worthless IMO.

If you show up with just an associates or bachelors it will get your foot in the door but be prepared to start taking Microsoft and/or Cisco certs.



Asher

[Rogean]

Originally Posted by Klendathu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

What everyone has said here rings true, so i won't rehash it. But I will offer this: don't get into IT unless you really like doing it. The people that I know that are good at it are people that are passionate about it. They have extensive home networks, their spouses bitch at them for always having some "project" laying around in some sordid state of disarray.

Truth.

Best example is right in front of you.. Project 1999 is entirely a side project XD

[naez]

going to school is realistically the best way to get anybody to hire you at a decent salary, you need shiny pieces of paper that show you aren't lazy and somewhat know what you are doing.

I got comp sci degree no certs but landed cozy position offhandedly literally transferring files along the ftp and patching machines, and Im even late for work atm cuz i can wutdo a lil.

in reality I just google everything; learned nothing rly from skool so ya time+money waste in that sense.