Career Decision....im kinda stuck. 1

[teknoguy]

I need advice about my schooling. Two years ago i took a computer information systems program. I now have my diploma in that area. I also currently work for a retail computer store, as a computer tech. I have been working there for about 5-6 months now and I feel the need to move on with my training or whatever because im only making $10 an hour. right now im investigating certificate programs at a training institution. one is the MCSE which is $10000. another is a networking course which gives the MCP, Citrix certified, and Cisco certified which will cost about $7000 I just don't know what is in high demand right now. what is best for me? If I do take my training it will be about 9 hours from where i live so I need to make a wise and benefical decision.


I live in british columbia, planning on moving to alberta

i don't know how im going to break it to my boss that i'll be leaving this fall. oh well.

thanx for your help

 

[butchrecon]

Well first off these certification courses that promise MSCE are ok. BUT what you need is experiance. I too worked in retail for 2 years as a tech. When I MAXED out at $11 an hour I decided it was time to move on. before I did I had my boss pay for one of those cert schools (I did not tell him I was leaving). As soon as it was over (without taking the tests) I left for the first networking job I was offered. (BIG mistake) I was never able to take the tests (I would have had to pay for the tests my self and my new employer would not let me take time off). Now 2 years later I have experience but no MCSE. Before I get too far off course, my point was if you get certified via MCSE schools make sure you land a job that will get you experience. Even if it means you are under paid for a year or 2. When you get the experience you will be MUCH more likely to land a high salary position ($40,000 - $60,000 a year). An MCSE will get your resume looked at and get you an interview, but the more experience you have the more likely it is you will land the job.

Hope this helps. ;-)

 

[Smack]

I would suggest taking the time to search through alot of the threads in this forum. I spent quite a bit of time doing it, and learned alot from what other peoples questions and subsequent answers were. Your questions pertaining to MCSE and certs is a common one, if you go through the first 20-30 in here you will see it many times.
-Smack

 

[teknoguy]

My plan is to take a certification course. Im actually interested in the MCP,Cisco,Citrix course. only because it's in demand right now. I have an interest in networking so maybe this would be the best for me at this time. I do not know what is involved in cisco and citrix certifications. Is it really worth getting A+ certified???

 

[butchrecon]

It is very much worht getting the A+. With the A+ you show show that you know Computer hardware diagnostics and troubleshooting. Other certifications are specific to that title. A+ is not. Also I would suggest the Network+ certification as well.

Jim

Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

 

[monkeylizard]

Teknoguy...Trust me when I tell you this...you will not make $80K on your first job in IT. I don't care what the magazines say, it doesn't happen (maybe 1 in 1,000+). You need to get a feel for what you want to do in IT. It kind of breaks down into three areas...

HelpDesk/Desktop Support
This is an excellent entry point, but it's not the job for everyone. As a staff tech on a HelpDesk in a large firm, you will become a jack of all trades and a master of none. HelpDesk positions are relatively low paying (20-28K starting), but are easy to get. After a few months (6-9) you will understand the org. pretty well and may have an oportunity to move to Tier2 support. If you are not a people person, and I don't mean faking it, then a HelpDesk is not right for you. You need to want to help users for this to be a good choice or you'll hate your job.
These jobs lead to the following types of jobs:
HelpDesk Manager
CallCenter Manager
Network Administrator
Lead Engineer

Programming
Again, salary will be in the low to mid 20's with a solid company. Sure you can find some bozo willing to pay you 40K to make some web-sites, but you'll be lost, he'll be unhappy, and the product will suck because you don't have anyone to turn to for help. I'm a big believer that large firms (or contracting firms with contracts with big firms) are an excellent place to start. Entry-Level programmers will probably not be involved in spec meetings, but will instead take their queues from more experienced staff members. A great place to learn from others.
This will lead you to other programming positions.

NOC/Computer Room
You will ONLY find this position in a large company. Small fries don't have the reasources to make a NOC (Network Operations Center), much less pay a full-time person to watch for errors. NOCs are tasked with monitoring a company's (or campanies') network(s) and basically giving management a warm-fuzzy feeling. You have to be self-motivated or you'll waste your time surfing the web since 90% of your time is idle. The other 10% is spent running diags or working on outage issues. Most NOCs are 24x7 operations and have night/weekend shifts available. Since these shifts are notoriously hard to fill, the new people get stuck on them. There aren't a lot of these positions available in most cities, but they're easy to get if you can find them. NOCs and Computer Rooms are excellent places to learn in-depth telecom/wirecloset/WAN technologies (Frame Relay, Switches, Hubs, Routers, Firewalls, etc...)
Life after a NOC:
Network/WAN Engineer
Telecom Engineer
Security Technician/Engineer

----

Hoping this finds you, and finds you well.

Monkeylizard
-Isaiah 35-

 

[monkeylizard]

I guess I should qualify that last post....

I'm assuming you want something stable where you can learn a lot in a short period of time and leverage that for the long-term career.

IF you are going after the big $, then you can always free-lance and B.S. your way into a consulting position. It'll be a few months before your client catches on and by then you'll have milked them for quite a bit of cash and experience.

Personaly I find this to be un-ethical, but it's quite common place in IT. Anyone who's been at this for very long can tell you they've had at least one incompetent, overpaid, underworked consultant in their organization at some point. :0

If you're serious about an IT career and not just an IT job for a few months/years, then take a good look at my earlier post. Take the time now to be underpaid in an entry-level position and it will pay off big in the long run once you have the experience and maybe a few certs.

If you have your eyes set on management, then you'll need your 4-year degree, if not a masters. Don't worry...at 26 you've got plenty of time to work on that before you'll have the experience to get a well paying mgmt slot. In the meantime, get the experience. Monkeylizard
-Isaiah 35-

 

[SRFlanigan]

I have to agree that B.S’ing your way into a position is un-ethical; it is also suicidal, occupationally wise. If your name starts getting spread in a negative way, you may never land a true position; at least not in the town you live in.

I have to admit, I.T. people talk, even to their competitors, (at least where I live.) I am always up front with my clients. If I don’t know the answer, I am honest about it, but I do my darnest to find them the answer that they need.

 

[uphill]

CIW Certification (

http://www.CIWCertified.com)

offers vendor-neutral training worldwide. Good luck!

 

[teknoguy]

Ok. heres an update on what I am doing in the near future.
I am going to be quitting my current job at the computer store in 2 months. Starting Sept 4 i will be taking a Net Specialist course. which consists of MCP,CCNA, and CCA. I hope this is a wise choice. I have working with cisco equipment before and worked with windows 2000 pro and server. so i have a general idea of what i'll be doing (i think). I do understand that i'll be lacky for my first job after i get my certs. I am 23 years old, so i beleive if i screw up on this decision it won't effect my far future.

Thanks everyone for your excellent input.
this is the greatest site!!!!

 

[butchrecon]

You are young enough that your "career" is still way in front of you. Over the course of your working life you will probably change professions several times (on average). So look forward to change. Being a lacky for a year or two to get experience is OK. Especially when you are young. So enjoy what you will learn and NEVER say you know everything and ALWAYS assume you do not know enough. That way the learning never stops.

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.


James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[fuller]

Hey tehnoguy,

Why don't you think about going to a college to get a degree in the computer field.
an Associate or a Bachlor degree in Applied Science in Computers is something great to have if you really want to make the dollars. I an getting my degree is Applied Science in Computers in the field of Computer Network operations.

fuller543