School and Certs

cliftond

Hi All,

I thought I would share a good experience, I started going to Western Governors U. a little ways back and I really like it for an online school. The reason I feel they are legit is that you have to take a cert to pass some classes and others have to be proctored, so no cheating like of other online schools. You get 9 certs with a B.S. Network Security degree and they give you 2 chances pass the cert no 225 out of pocket. I'm studying for my Security+ now.

Sorry to ramble just and its alsmost FRIDAYYYYYYY!!!!

Later!

cliftond

Actually I also had a question. I have an A.A.S in Network Security and some decent work background in admin and security. I've been sending my resume out and no calls. Does an A.A.S without certs not carry any weight? Thanks for any help!

sprkymrk

cliftond wrote:

Actually I also had a question. I have an A.A.S in Network Security and some decent work background in admin and security. I've been sending my resume out and no calls. Does an A.A.S without certs not carry any weight? Thanks for any help!

What do have for experience?
Unfortunately, an AAS seems to count little more than a High School diploma these days. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. The best thing to do would be to grab a couple of certs in your area of expertise as soon as possible, then plan on using your AAS transcripts towards a BS degree down the road.

Slowhand

cliftond wrote:

Actually I also had a question. I have an A.A.S in Network Security and some decent work background in admin and security. I've been sending my resume out and no calls. Does an A.A.S without certs not carry any weight? Thanks for any help!

It really depends on the situation and the location. As sprkymrk mentioned, some employers won't give you the time of day unless you have a Bachelor's degree. However, I've found that a lot of employers will accept an Associate's degree if you have some experience and possibly some certs. Basically, an A.A. or A.S. degree by itself won't get you very far in the industry. . . but you may be able to get into a job where they'd normally require a B.S. degree, if you have experience and certifications to back it up. It's not always the case, but an Associate's degree tends to be better than no degree at all.

Of course, don't expect to get into any senior positions, or any six-figure salaries with an Associate's degree, (or a Bachelor's, in a lot of places, for that matter). At best, it will get you into an entry-level position with slightly higher pay/responsibilities than you'd have if you only had certs or only had experience and no formal eductation.

cliftond

Thanks guys! Thats what I was afraid of, I do have 5 years of doing Admin and Security while in the Navy. I'll just have to bust my rump and get those certs knocked out!