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Career Advice
koconutmonkey
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I am stuck in a really crappy job that i hate. Its managing a take and bake pizza joint. I hate it. The problem is that it pays the bills, mostly the kids and ex wife bills. So I have come to realize that this is the best level of job I am going to get with my degree, Bachelors in Business Management. I have done my time in retail as well and I am looking for a change.
My main area of enjoyment is with computer hardware. I spent some time with Geek Squad which led me to a local mid sized business networking company. I was the Inventory manager, but got to help a lot with small to medium network lay outs. I liked that a lot. I quit the job because I was being set up by the sr engineers. It turns out they went through Inv managers one every six months because the sr engineers would steel shit and blame it on the inv manager. So the moral to this is that this put me off on the computers thing and I changed my major.
I now have a bachelors in Business management and I want to feel out the IT sector. I am not looking for a high class job, but something close to what I make now, about 30k. My main question is, do I need to go get a computer science degree to start down this road, or should I start working on certifications? Will my bachelors degree work for the degree requirement if I get the necessary certs?
I am not really sure what road I want to take in IT, but I want to start playing around with coding, HW and such. I know the market is complete crap, but I figure it will take me a year or two to get everything in line before I can get something more than GS or a help desk gig.
My main area of enjoyment is with computer hardware. I spent some time with Geek Squad which led me to a local mid sized business networking company. I was the Inventory manager, but got to help a lot with small to medium network lay outs. I liked that a lot. I quit the job because I was being set up by the sr engineers. It turns out they went through Inv managers one every six months because the sr engineers would steel shit and blame it on the inv manager. So the moral to this is that this put me off on the computers thing and I changed my major.
I now have a bachelors in Business management and I want to feel out the IT sector. I am not looking for a high class job, but something close to what I make now, about 30k. My main question is, do I need to go get a computer science degree to start down this road, or should I start working on certifications? Will my bachelors degree work for the degree requirement if I get the necessary certs?
I am not really sure what road I want to take in IT, but I want to start playing around with coding, HW and such. I know the market is complete crap, but I figure it will take me a year or two to get everything in line before I can get something more than GS or a help desk gig.
Time to roll the dice.
koconutmonkey on
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That said, I've heard that certifications (with the exception of Cisco) are mostly worthless - others may disagree. The best option is to get a 4 year degree from an accredited university. The cheapest option would be to hit Barnes and Noble, or other nerdbooks type store and pick up some books on topics you are interested in.
Based on what you've said, you sound more suited to general IT. I'd pick up some database learning books (MySQL or MS SQL Server), Windows / Linux Administration books, or Network Administration books.
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
The IT Helpdesk/Networking/Support sort of field is a saturated job market, meaning pay is low. You'd be lucky to make 30k at entry level doing basic IT.
I recommend investigating administrative assistant type jobs for tech companies. Your business management degree will allow you to function a dual role as phone jockey and help the actual business admin with tasks they wish to delegate to you. It's not glamorous, but your foot is in the door.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
TL;DR: Follow your path. If that path is down the IT industry lane, then go for it. Be prepared to put in your time, but it's worth it.
That is a pretty fucking stupid realization.
http://www2.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/pressroom/bios/parker.html
http://www.swamedia.com/swamedia/bios/gary_kelly.html
http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/about_who_mgmt_rwt.aspx
http://investors.walmartstores.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=112761&p=irol-govBio&ID=47019
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/exec/steve/?tab=biography
Maybe you have heard of these companies? They are kinda big corporations, each has a CEO without anything more than a bachelors degree.
The truth is you dont get anywhere sitting on your ass whining about your shitty job, and getting more degrees doesn't mean you are guaranteed a job. You want to move up and do something more you gotta have determination, drive, the ability to get results, make yourself known, network, and be constantly looking to move up. What have you done at this job to improve profits, improve quality, reduce employee turnover, and increase customer satisfaction? If I was a VP or director looking for a manager what are you able to bring to the table in order to convince me I should hire you? I want to see results. Projects you have completed. Costs you have reduced, profits you have increased. Saying you showed up every day and 'did your job' means nothing.
Unless you are physically shackled to the damn wall you most certainly are not stuck. Get your resume and go look for something else. You don't need an IT degree to work in IT. I knew plenty of IT guys with degrees in Math, Business, or Engineering.
Lastly, you won't ever make jack shit for money in hardware unless you are an engineer designing it. People who are 'hands on' are at the lower rungs of the IT world for the most part. Programming, project management, database management, and netsec are the real money makers. For you, program management may be something you can get yourself into pretty quick. Again, get your resume out and start hitting the pavement and finding that new job.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
See this thread over 3 years ago?
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=15430
That's me asking for help cause I needed/wanted to learn to program. Flash forward three years. I realized that I had no desire to do programming for a living. However, I loved database work and found it extremely interesting. I've stepped up from help desk/java application support to software administration and now to mostly database querying and reports.
You don't need to get another bachelors. You do need to get real motivation, an ability to take a risk to get that next job and some dumb luck in this economy.
edit: No certificates, just a ton of self study and making friends on the job to teach/guide you. You WILL be at a disadvantage. I had such huge gaps of knowledge (and still do), it was absorbing as much as I could from co-workers and doing a ton of reading that helped fill the gap.
I think its time to buckle down and just spend some time in the IT field as a side project for a while before I make the leap. Thanks again for the help here, honest and brutal feedback is what I needed and didnt get from the GF or friends. thanks again.
And while you definitely dont need an IT degree to get a job, you may find some use in taking some classes at a local community college. Try a basic programming and basic networking type courses. If you lack motivation a structured class may be what you need to force yourself to get started, plus it'll help you start making contacts in the industry.
Again, not sure if you'd be interested in this type of career but I thought I'd throw it out there.
There is SOME academic truth in this statement but I disagree generally that the chances are "slim" if you actually have the talent. If you ever get a C in front of your title, it's not because you have a Masters instead of a Bachelors. It's because you are a consummate professional with the willingness to work 120 hours a week.
But Wezoin is referring to what I have read in some publications as "academic inflation". It's two pronged.
1) There are way more people getting degrees now than in 1980
and
2) Our education system is, of course, always getting worse, little by little
The end result is that a Bachelors degree is no longer a guarantee of a career, just ask any graphic design major.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
Probably one of the best descriptions I have seen of these online diploma mills. I know people who have worked at UoP and people who have degrees from there and the general agreement is that the level of education is incredibly mediocre. That said, if you put in 110% there and graduate you'll be better off than someone who half-asses their way through a traditional program. I will say though, I have had two different HR directors at two different companies flat out say that resumes with UoP on them end up in their trash bin. And Intel a few years back started refusing to offer tuition reimbursements for classes offered there.
More and more traditional universities offer night, weekend, and online courses for working stiffs. One wya or another you have alternatives to UoP.