Insight Needed from IT Guru's

[mikeytd]

Hi, I come bearing no gifts, but begging for advice. I have a simple question I’ll list first to get out of the way, and for those of you kind enough to stick around for the rest of my story, I will pose the real questions I am seeking answers for.

I am looking for reputable and knowledgeable IT sites to do my own research in an attempt to set basic guidelines or goals for a future career in IT. Places with excellent forums that have active and informative users are a bonus. I don’t need links to any of the major companies like Cisco or others; please assume I can navigate the web and read up on course requirements, certification paths and the like on my own… I am more interested in sites that provide (as much as possible) an un-biased commentary on both general and specific IT topics, career planning, and the future of IT; the sites visited by IT professionals.

That said, like many others here, I am interested in starting a career in IT. I am enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in IT program through the University of Phoenix Online, which I hope will serve as a foundation upon which to build with experience and certifications. (Any comments on this program are welcome, I chose it because it would allow me to complete the degree in a timely manner and still work full-time, but I don’t know how much respect it would command from future employers.) My motivations for entering IT are dissatisfaction with everything else I have done, and a life-long fascination with computers and new technology. I am looking for a relatively secure career with good compensation, but I don’t have any delusions of making the kind of money IT professionals commanded in the late 90’s. I’m in my late twenties, so I am less than enthused about professions that that have a max 5% raise every year for twenty years. I learn very quickly, and being able to speed up my advancement through education and extra-secular effort appeals to me greatly. I understand that breaking in is going to be difficult, and I recognize that I may have to take anything I can get (even non-IT work) at first while I moonlight for free to build some initial experience. I’m not scared of this or building my own lab to learn what I need to on my own.

That all said, I need to know several things. Does this career path have such a glut of unemployed IT pros and is it in such danger from outsourcing that I haven’t a decent chance to survive? This is a big question with many answers I’m sure. It is probably easier to focus on the actual area of IT I am interested in. From what I have read, I think I would be most interested in network design. Woohoo, sounds like an echo in here? I’ve seen the hundreds (thousands?) of posts around where people are like, “What me do to get CCIE and $$$?” I’m not looking for the easy path, but I do need to have a goal, and at this stage network design seems like something I would enjoy. I would greatly welcome insight into other IT professions though.

But that is the end of the road I am on now, I need to know how to get there, and how to get there in such a way that maximizes my opportunities. I want to position myself to be able to take advantage of emerging technologies and be the guru every company seeks.

So for starters, I have the BS in IT from UoP that I anticipate completing in early 2005. I’ve been building my own computers for about 5 years so I thought the A+ certification would be easy and worth the test fee to add. With this career track in mind, the next certification steps seem obvious. CCNA, CCDA, etc etc. What isn’t so obvious to me is the other material. I want to focus on really knowing what needs to be known to handle all facets of network design. Which certs or skill sets best complement the Cisco Certifications? I have seen people on these boards lamenting people who cert. hunt without mastering the skills to be the type of IT professionals companies most want to hire. I want to know what these skills are, and which would make me stand out in the IT profession. While looking to the future of IT, can y’all help me design the perfect education/certification path to this end? What are the emerging technologies that are going to go crazy in the next several years? Are there any other hot areas, even perhaps outside of networking, I should explore that I might have overlooked?

Thanks in advance for any and all responses; all information is valuable to me,

Mike

 

[jdel]

Wow. heckuva post Mike

First, emerging technologies to look into. MPLS. Long-haul ethernet. Gigabit and beyond. The CCNA and CCDA will give you an excellent base for understanding these topics in detail with further training. Every good network designer should understand how the network works to properly design it.

Second. Just from your post it sounds as if you may have some of the necessary skills to advance well. Humility. Too many "gurus" [hate that word] have insanely huge egos and have 0 ability to admit fault. Along with that often they have no ability to relate on a 'normal' level to other people! Employers are more and more looking for Engineers and IT people that have soft skills as well as technical ability. Gone are the days of the overpaid IT professional, and soon to be gone are the days of the It professional that is condescending and demeaning.

Third. Outsourcing is certainly the path many businesses are turning towards, even the large ones that can afford their own IT world. So become one of the people (or part of a business) that they are outsourcing to. Yes there are thousands of IT professionals out there looking for work, but for some of the reasons stated above, they are not finding it. They aren't willing to start at the bottom. You are, this isa major advantage to you.

Fourth. Use each and every resource available to you. Always keep learning. Always keep your ears open and ask questions. If someone makes you feel foolish for asking a question, who cares? You'er learning is what matters. You can laugh about the fact that you will eventually pass them up!

Fifth. Check out the IT publications. Weekly magazines (many you can get a free suvscription or just view online). They often talk about the emerging and hot new technologies. Wonderful sources of information.

Good luck to you, your attitude sounds like it is the absolutely correct start.