I graduate in 3 days from Texas A&M Corpus Christi - what now?

evarney

So I am graduating with a bastardized Applied Science IT degree from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. To be honest, I wish I was graduating w/ a Degree in CS: cyber security track. After 8 long bitter years of essentially going to class, piecing together a degree with classes I could barely get because of my schedule and ofcourse -working full time to pay for the whole thing (after transfering from a community college w/ a networking administrtion associates, I can honestly say I wish there had been another way.

I am not saying I didn't learn, but I am saying that I felt alienated from the entire program because of the length of my time in school. The whole thing is paid for, but honestly I wish I felt smarter and I could give my employer more than I do.

There is not subsititute for experience. A degree or cert doesn't do it. I wish there was somewhere I could go to really learn to break into stuff, build amazing network architectures and support my customers at a superior level.

This kind of blows....


Any ideas guys?

colemic

Well, firstly, a huge congrats to you for your perseverance in completing your degree, and especially since it is paid for. That speaks volumes about your determination and attitude, and you should consider telling that story (in the right circumstances) in an interview. I have found that employers often value such qualities and characteristics far more than technical abilities (which can be learned, in most scenarios.)

It's hard to say based on the info you provided, but I would suggest building a home lab where you can get familiar with a lot of tools and break stuff, take all the free training you can (like qualys) and keep plugging away...

jdancer

Just think your your bachelor's degree as a gateway to getting a master's degree 100% online. So many accredited options to get a master's degree these days.

the_Grinch

Allow me to echo colemic as what you have accomplished (working full time, completing two degrees, and not having student loans) is amazing! Personally I would say you are in an excellent position to find the job you want. Employers typically are only going to ask do you have a degree and when did you finish the length is not factored in there. Texas' tech sector is booming and if you are willing to work in Houston or Austin you will find a job very quickly. Congrats on a job well done!

rcsoar4fun

I would suggest taking a break and getting a ham radio license or pilot's license.

N2IT

Well congrats! A&M is a good school that's something to be proud of don't short sell yourself!

evarney

the_Grinch wrote: »

Allow me to echo colemic as what you have accomplished (working full time, completing two degrees, and not having student loans) is amazing! Personally I would say you are in an excellent position to find the job you want. Employers typically are only going to ask do you have a degree and when did you finish the length is not factored in there. Texas' tech sector is booming and if you are willing to work in Houston or Austin you will find a job very quickly. Congrats on a job well done!

very funny; boss.