Switching careers and looking for some advice...
proprioceptive
Member Posts: 10 ■□□□□□□□□□
I'm new to the community here and I plan on learning a lot from these forums. I am thinking about getting an IT degree through WGU and starting a new career. First off, some basic info on myself:
I'm 30 years old. I started College when I was 20 and attended the University of Missouri for almost 8 years on and off. I never finished but I have about 62 credits to my name, mostly general education classes and a bunch of Geography classes since I eventually settled on GIS as a field I was interested in. I won't go into why I didn't finish, but life happened. Since then I've been working in the restaurant business, starting off as server and moving my way up into management. I'm good at what I do and I don't hate it, but it's definitely not what I want to settle in. I won't be happy pursuing this long-term. My father is a Principal Analyst for a large agribusiness company and does very well in the programming field. I've been around computers my whole life as a result and have enough experience with and knowledge about the field that I'm confident this is a career I could really be happy with. On to my plans and goals:
I don't know exactly what sector I want to pursue yet, but I'm leaning heavily towards networking. I'm a hands on guy and love to troubleshoot. I build computers for myself and my friends, but I won't pretend to have a lot of technical experience beyond this. I would be going into this with a very basic understanding of IT. I'm fully expecting not to make a lot of money starting off, but I have a good work ethic, drive to succeed, and a desire to learn new things and stay on top of changing trends. I know these attributes can get me where I'd like to be.
Why am I choosing WGU? It's affordable and I have to pay for this out of pocket. It's flexible enough for me to get things done on my schedule and accelerate my progress as I see fit. The accreditation looks like it's respected in the field and I can get a lot of certifications at the same time without having to pay extra. The question still remains, "which degree do I want to pursue?" Like I mentioned before, I'm leaning towards Network Administration, but my father tells me that he believes Security is where it's at right now and there's more potential for jobs and better pay. I'd like to see what everyone here has to say about that. Even though I'm learning towards Network Administration, I think my best route right now would be to pursue the basic B.S. in Information Technology and get a feel for things before I decide where to branch out. It looks like specializing in either NA or Sec would just be a matter of a couple classes and/or certs. FYI, I'm not considering Software as an option because I know it's not something I'd enjoy.
Seeing as I don't have any work/academic experience in IT, I would have to get a certification before applying and I'm seeing that CompTIA A+ would be an easy way in for me. I plan on studying for and getting this certification and then applying to get into the IT degree program. Are there any suggestions otherwise? Is there something out there cheaper and easier simply for the sake of being eligible for the Bachelors program?
Wild Card: I was looking into the Health Informatics degree and I really don't know much about the field and/or if there is much potential out there for it. I know the health industry is pushing towards digital records and this could be a boom area, but I'm open to suggestions on this as well.
I'm open to any and all advice here. I'm really in the infancy of this decision and if I decide to do this, I'm probably going to seek my A+ cert by year's end and apply for the degree program in January. Thanks!
I'm 30 years old. I started College when I was 20 and attended the University of Missouri for almost 8 years on and off. I never finished but I have about 62 credits to my name, mostly general education classes and a bunch of Geography classes since I eventually settled on GIS as a field I was interested in. I won't go into why I didn't finish, but life happened. Since then I've been working in the restaurant business, starting off as server and moving my way up into management. I'm good at what I do and I don't hate it, but it's definitely not what I want to settle in. I won't be happy pursuing this long-term. My father is a Principal Analyst for a large agribusiness company and does very well in the programming field. I've been around computers my whole life as a result and have enough experience with and knowledge about the field that I'm confident this is a career I could really be happy with. On to my plans and goals:
I don't know exactly what sector I want to pursue yet, but I'm leaning heavily towards networking. I'm a hands on guy and love to troubleshoot. I build computers for myself and my friends, but I won't pretend to have a lot of technical experience beyond this. I would be going into this with a very basic understanding of IT. I'm fully expecting not to make a lot of money starting off, but I have a good work ethic, drive to succeed, and a desire to learn new things and stay on top of changing trends. I know these attributes can get me where I'd like to be.
Why am I choosing WGU? It's affordable and I have to pay for this out of pocket. It's flexible enough for me to get things done on my schedule and accelerate my progress as I see fit. The accreditation looks like it's respected in the field and I can get a lot of certifications at the same time without having to pay extra. The question still remains, "which degree do I want to pursue?" Like I mentioned before, I'm leaning towards Network Administration, but my father tells me that he believes Security is where it's at right now and there's more potential for jobs and better pay. I'd like to see what everyone here has to say about that. Even though I'm learning towards Network Administration, I think my best route right now would be to pursue the basic B.S. in Information Technology and get a feel for things before I decide where to branch out. It looks like specializing in either NA or Sec would just be a matter of a couple classes and/or certs. FYI, I'm not considering Software as an option because I know it's not something I'd enjoy.
Seeing as I don't have any work/academic experience in IT, I would have to get a certification before applying and I'm seeing that CompTIA A+ would be an easy way in for me. I plan on studying for and getting this certification and then applying to get into the IT degree program. Are there any suggestions otherwise? Is there something out there cheaper and easier simply for the sake of being eligible for the Bachelors program?
Wild Card: I was looking into the Health Informatics degree and I really don't know much about the field and/or if there is much potential out there for it. I know the health industry is pushing towards digital records and this could be a boom area, but I'm open to suggestions on this as well.
I'm open to any and all advice here. I'm really in the infancy of this decision and if I decide to do this, I'm probably going to seek my A+ cert by year's end and apply for the degree program in January. Thanks!
Comments
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Jon_Cisco
Member Posts: 1,772 ■■■■■■■■□□
Welcome to the forum! It's a great resource so I hope you stick around.
A few things to note.
30 is not old so don't be afraid of a career change!
Security is big now and not going away but opportunities exist everywhere if you are good at what you do.
A+ is a great entry level cert to expose you to the process and give you the basics. I wouldn't look for anything easier for the requirements as you want to get a feel for how well you self study.
As for the degree you pick I can't really help you. At some point you need to find what motivates and excites you. One possible idea is to spend a couple days reading the job sites and see what employers are requesting for jobs that interest you.
Good Luck! -
proprioceptive
Member Posts: 10 ■□□□□□□□□□
You know, another question I've got regarding job prospects... considering my lack of experience, what prospective jobs and pay can I reasonably expect with the certs and degree I'll have when I finish?
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aspiringsoul
Member Posts: 314
proprioceptive,
Good luck to you at WGU. I think you're making a good choice. I also think that the basic IT track is a solid choice if you're undecided. If you think you might want to manage servers, I would focus on the Network Admin track and get the MCSA: Server 2012 while you're at it. If you think you would like to manage network equipment (Switches, routers) then I would go for the Security track and get the CCNA:R&S.
You may have some difficulty getting your foot in the door for some positions without a BS degree, but they will not be an issue after you earn it from WGU. I would apply for Helpdesk/Desktop support positions if I were you. The salary can vary widely depending on your location, the company, and your experience/qualifications.
$30,000- $35,000 would be a good starting point in my opinion.Education: MS-Information Security and Assurance from Western Governors University, BS-Business Information Systems from Indiana Wesleyan University, AAS-Computer Network Systems - ITT Tech, -
aspiringsoul
Member Posts: 314
I recommend studying Professor messer's free training videos for the CompTIA exams:
Professor Messer, CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux, Microsoft Certification Training
If you don't do well self studying for the A+, then WGU is not for you.
The A+ is a great first step, and one of the easiest IT certifications you can obtain.Education: MS-Information Security and Assurance from Western Governors University, BS-Business Information Systems from Indiana Wesleyan University, AAS-Computer Network Systems - ITT Tech, -
proprioceptive
Member Posts: 10 ■□□□□□□□□□
Thanks, guys, for the information. Aspiringsoul, those online training courses were recommended by my father as well. I'm definitely going to give them a go. I also took the practice A+ tests here on the site and scored just below passing so I think the cert shouldn't be a big deal for me. Also, in regards to potential salary I'd be looking at after graduation, I'm in the St Louis area and don't plan on moving so if you or anyone else out there sees this, any insight is greatly appreciated. Right now I just plan on continuing with my current job until I graduate, but I'm considering finding an entry level position somewhere after my first term. I figure I'll have a few certs to my name by then and I can get my foot in the door somewhere while I'm finishing the degree. Ultimately, this is a huge change for me and I'm nervous as all get out... but I have faith in my desire to grow and push through the hard work. The restaurant business can be challenging, but in a much more monotonous fashion. I need something that will challenge me with new information as I grow and with how fast this field grows and advances, I think it's a perfect fit for me.
Keep the advice and recommendations coming, though! The more the merrier!