Comment

Comment by David on February 8, 2009 at 6:19am

I would encourage you to at least get an associates degree. That, along with some certifications, would set you up a solid candidate in a job search.

Comment by kracker on February 7, 2009 at 8:35am

well my school is paid for...P.A.C.T.....so money isn't a problem. i just want to get a good foundation to build on.

Comment by Michael Farinha on February 7, 2009 at 7:09am

Oh, and I'd skip the 2 year degree. I have one and it was never very useful. It was my 4 year degree that opened up doors for me.

Comment by Michael Farinha on February 7, 2009 at 7:07am

If you want future job security you need to get a four year degree. That is the bottom line.

If you're interested in networking then get a degree in MIS (Management Information Systems).

You can 'work your way up' with out a degree but it is hard, takes a lot of time, and you probably won't have the ability to switch careers easily if you get tired of networking.

People that tend to disparage college are either people that had it paid for them or people that never went. I put myself through college and can tell you without a doubt that, between me and my friends, I have the best position in life... job wise.

Comment by YonK on February 7, 2009 at 5:13am

I am disagreeing with most of you. . .

#1 He is talking about a 2 year Associates Degree in Applied Science - "Networking" (at least I think he is)
-So there is not a lot of money spent on this degree, certainly not 100k.

#2 I have always been told that (all experience aside, after all we are talking about an entry level position right out of college) the degree gets you an interview, but the certifications get you the job. Don't sell yourself short on the certs.

#3 As far as Cisco certs go, you better have a deep pocket to buy the equipment that you will need for hands on training for CCNA CCNP. Yes, they expire in 3 or 4 years, but if you can pass it once you can pass it again, the only major change will be 802.11n, security, and IPv6

So my recommendation is this. Go to school, get your degree. Apply for all scholarships! File for Federal Student Aid! Take the certs right after you finish the classes (for CompTIA and MS exams) And my final advice is "know your stuff". There are a lot of guys our there that can pass a class, maybe even a cert or two, and not know a darn thing. . . make sure you are not one of those guys!

The best of luck to you!
YonK

Comment by Ryan R. Soudelier on February 7, 2009 at 2:48am

I've done, and highly recommend doing ... both.

Get the degree in networking, you can never go wrong with a degree...ever.
Then the certifications are the icing on the cake. 100% change to impress an employer.

Comment by Richard Arblaster on February 7, 2009 at 2:36am

Hi there,

I'm not trying to discourage you with this response, just to give you a reality check.

If you are still at school, forget any of the Cisco network qualifications, you need at least 3 years experience working with Cisco kit. If you do that qualification now, you will have wasted your money and time, as you have to re-certify every 3 years.

Also any Sysadmin worth their salt wouldn't trust a rookie with their most sensitive IT equipment.

Look at the A+ first then the N+, get an entry level job with those 2 qualifications and build on them.

Don't BS your way into a job, you will soon get found out. So talking a good game isn't necessarily going to get you the job you want. In the current job climate, employers won't take the risk and will see through it.

Degrees may help you get a job, nowadays employers will look at your real world experience not a piece of paper saying you have a degree, sure it may give you a better chance to be shortlisted.

Forget about the 80k that Devlano is stating, they could have been in the job a few years to get that salary.

Look for a job because you have the passion to do it, not just because of a fat pay check you think you are going to get, if you do get that fat pay check it's an added bonus.