Posted on 02/04/2015 10:56:21 AM PST by LouAvul
Some time ago I consulted the FR IT experts on how to best enter into the IT field. Here's my situation. I have dual degrees in theology and spent my prime earning years in that field. I got out of the ministry and went back to school and received yet a third degree, this one in business with an accounting major.
But I don't think I want to do that. I majored in computer information systems at California State U and think I like IT work better.
Here's the advice I got from FR previously:
Begin quote:
"Get your CCNA cert and you can write your own job description and salary.
the ccna cert is so 10 years ago they are simple to get now. Go get the CCNP or CCIE and you have a resume which instantly goes to the top of a pile..
Get your CCNA cert and you can write your own job description and salary.
You're kidding, right? Cisco's CCNA is just above entry level in the industry. A local highschool VOTEC has graduates who leave with CCNA, MCSA, and a number of CompTIA certs as well. CCIE is another thing...
Project Management with a specialty in the IT field. Programmers are a dime a dozen around the world, and outsourcing from India, for example, is cheap. What is needed are Project Managers to oversee IT projects and manage these outsourced workers.
Networking is lucrative if you are good at what you do. Companies will pay $100 or more per hour for a qualified network consultant. In my area, I did this for four years and charged $90 per hour and had a lot of steady, repeat business from very loyal customers.
Data security, data forensics, protection from spyware/malware - these are fields that are in demand as our networks come under attack from all over the world and from data thieves /terrorists within our own country. And if you think the hack attempt came from overseas, you’re not going to outsource your protection. It also pays VERY well.
If you don’t want to do programming after all, the CCNA suggestion above isn’t a bad idea. Networking guys will always be in demand, and it’s a job that is outsource-proof. You won’t get rich doing that, but it’s a very good living and it’s certainly more financially secure than software development.
I'm seeing at the moment that most matches your start is Oracle DB programmer, Networking analyst, and (especially) Security analyst. Heavy Unix if you're going to do the latter.
Because I already had a BA, I only needed to concentrate on the major courses and not the core ones since I had already completed those. After that I got my CompTIA A+ and my first computing job. What got me in the door was the AAS and my attitude. Too many computer professionals are unable to communicate well with others, so they liked the fact that I could verbalize thoughts in a way they could understand.
The money is in software development, or high layer networking. You can still make decent money as sys admin. I would suggest boning up on linux/unix and your layer 3 networking skills.
Get your BS in Computer Science and get a few Cisco Certs Under your belt. The degree because it demonstrates that you have the wherewithall to stick it out and it demonstrates you are trainable. The Cisco Certs (CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP) as they demonstrate a measurable mastery of a pretty difficult field. Get your CCNA first then the Degree, then other Cisco Certs. Also, (and this helped me a great deal in fixing network problems) get your MCSA or MCSE. Understanding the Microsoft environment is a good thing.
"Get your CCNA cert and you can write your own job description and salary." That hasn't been my experience as a CCNA. I do have a great job, but I think you were overstating things just a bit. lol Now CCIEs on the other hand, what you said applies.
1) Learn both Windows and Unix-ish stuff. Letting one camp dissuade you from the other is only limiting yourself. 2) Learn C or Assembly language, so you'll understand how computers actually work. 3) Read Steven's network programming books, so you'll really understand networking. 4) Avoid web programming like the plague that it is.
Security...intercept and protection. Do it well and you can write your own ticket."
End quote.
The above advice is a couple of years old. Current suggestions?
Can you read Sanskrit?
Our “shiny object” of the moment is ITIL certification. (I work for a government agency, in IT support.) PMP (Project Management Professional) certification is also an “ooh, ahh” on the curriculum vitae.
Whatever you do, pick an area that is difficult to outsource overseas or in country to foreign workers.
- Read and write and speak with expert fluency in the English language.
- Get very good at Microsoft Excel - it's the default business software tool in America and it's always worth studying in depth.
- Understand databases and SQL.
- Take college classes in statistics/business analysis if necessary.
- Try to get a job that uses Excel and other IT tools but does not come with an IT-specific job title.
Otherwise, you will be outsourced/replaced within a decade. Don't listen to people who say their specific IT speciality is untouchable. They are wrong, but FR's history indicates they will not be told otherwise. :)
“IT” is a pretty broad brush. What exactly do you want to be doing? Tech support? Programming? Systems administration? Management?
Narrow your focus, then it’s easier to get advice tailored to that focus.
I would get an accounting degree.you’re gonna need it to figure out how much you wasted on college...: )
It’s not so much what you do but that you enjoy doing it and that you become the best at it or one of the best. You have to practice every day long hours every day to become good.
If you have a great service or product (even if it’s you) the world will beat a path to your door
I retired a couple years ago from the ministry so my question has no help for your change of vocation, but as I have observed in 40 years the church as a whole and my denomination in particular seemed to move more an more to the left politically and more into social gospel than the Gospel of Jesus. So if you wanted to give me some input as your reasons for leaving I would be curious. You can Freep mail me if you dont want to post it in here.
My sense is the church as a whole is full of hurting people who are getting fed stuff to make them feel better but lack of solid Bible teaching and maybe dealing with some of the hard stuff has gone out of vogue.
Blessings on you as you make this move
Freegards from a retire and peaceful saint. Man,its great to not get a call at three in the morning and i have to go inform Mr and Mrs Jones that Johnny is not coming home becuase he warped his car around a pole!
Lex
Get a Clearance. CLEARED jobs cannot be outsourced to India.
Easiest way to get a clearance ? Join the Reserve or Guard. . .
What are you looking for in the IT field? satisfying work? better income? steady work?
My first instinct it to advise you not to do it. Since I’m sure you won’t listen to that, a CCNA/MCSE is a good combo; with a VMware Cert. VMware knowledge/experience will increase your value, and will allow you to heavily emphasize “The Cloud” on your resume which will impress the stupid HR people, given how it’s such a popular corporate ‘buzz term’. A working knowledge of Linux, and a certification there would be great too. A ‘Security +’ cert is also fairly easy to get, and can put you over the top if you’re up against other candidates with similar skill sets.
Certifications and experience is where it’s at. Degrees are nearly useless, but the HR types and some managers like to see them on the resume, so they have their place, but do nothing for you in the real world. (that’s the worst kept secret that no one likes to speak of out loud)
hard core honesty there 1775. Sad, real sad.
Yeah, get a job where you get to outsource your underlings...
Sadly, I must agree. I sit here right now while my upper management makes plans to outsource my job.
Keep on the path but lower your expectations.
The outsourcing of IT jobs has now moved to hardware design so contract $$$ is no longer in the price range you are looking.
Who can say where the future lies.
lol
The broad direction of the industry looks weighted on cloud-based apps and virtual servers, which puts an emphasis on network infrastructure and security, but the other jobs (systems administration, apps programming) aren't going away anytime soon. Database programming/management jobs - Oracle/SQL mostly - are going to be around long after the servers running them are being managed by some guy in Calcutta who calls himself "Bob" anyway.
Me, I'm retiring this year from a 35-year career in IT that didn't even exist when I started out, so you can't really hope for a crystal ball for guidance. I have found that the broader the skillset, the more likely you are to find work where and when you want it, but YMMV. Best of luck!
What you've referenced is in the network world and the certificates that go with that.
There is also the CPU world, where either you develop faster CPUs, develop multi CPU chips or gang computers to work together for sheer processing power and/or redundancy.
There is the Storage world, where Discs and solid state Drives are being ganged together and shared between systems and users (the latest term is Cloud). Various Certificates are helpful in this arena.
Then there's the software world, including web software, business software, operating systems and the like. There are certificates to be had as well.
Beyond that, there are folks who support all this. Much support has gone to places like India, but specialized applications still need support. Someone is needed when things don't work out properly.
So the real question is where do you wish to focus and what functions or businesses do you want to work for. Making contacts in these functions and/or business is crucial these days (they generally do not come looking any more). You will need to get on the hiring managers mind with skills they may need in the future so the next time around they will think of you.
IT generally hires within, so getting on the hiring manager's mind is crucial for when they think of expanding and handling changes.
And did I say changes? Staying abreast of the lastest changes is a must in this industry, not only to get hired but also to stay in the business.
The best of luck to you.
Knowing the business is huge.
The new outsourcing place is the Philippines.
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