New Career Field?

The Collection

Hello everyone, I'm seeking advice from all you to help me decide if i should take advantage of my post/911 Gibill Educational Benefits and seek a new career field which is Network system administration through Devry. It is an expensive yet in High demand field.
My Background is Recording Arts and Bartending, I recently turn 33 and need a career change and i do not know a single thing about IT, but I know if i put my mind to something i can achieve what ever i desire.

Any feedback will be apprecieated.

Thank you

dynamik

I'd pick up a Cisco ICND1 book and a few cheap pieces of equipment on ebay and start with that to see how you like it. You'll end up wasting a lot of time and money if it turns out to not be your thing (it certainly isn't for everyone -- and there's nothing wrong with that).

You may want to research other institutions as well. I've seen a lot of negative feedback surrounding Devry.

Welcome to the forums!

veritas_libertas

dynamik wrote: »

I'd pick up a Cisco ICND1 book and a few cheap pieces of equipment on ebay and start with that to see how you like it. You'll end up wasting a lot of time and money if it turns out to not be your thing (it certainly isn't for everyone -- and there's nothing wrong with that).

You may want to research other institutions as well. I've seen a lot of negative feedback surrounding Devry.

Welcome to the forums!

+1 I graduated with a number of people that are never going to move into Networking. It just ended up not being their thing.

You might also check out WGU and Capella. They both seem have a good reputation.

The Collection

I also forgot to mention, that through out my Recording Engineer degree we had the privilege to work with Mac Computers, are there any Degrees out there that involve working with mac's, Servers, Security and so forth that you guys know about?

Also for someone that is interested in the IT field like myself but does not have a clue where to begin searching , because there are many way to many fields in the IT industry from Wireless to security to Telecommunications.....where is a good starting point?

Thanks again, your feedback is very much appreciated

veritas_libertas

The Collection wrote: »

Recording Engineer degree

So you already have a Bachelor degree? If so are considering a Master degree?

The Collection

I don't have a bachelors degree, i do have an associates degree from Full Sail.

I'm considering Computer Information Systems

veritas_libertas

The Collection wrote: »

I don't have a bachelors degree, i do have an associates degree from Full Sail.

I'm considering Computer Information Systems

Ok, just curious. I was going to say if you had a Bachelor degree than go for Masters.

If you have any questions about online colleges there are many members from different online colleges that I am sure can give you input on any particular college.

mamono

You can read study guides for both the CompTIA Network+ and Cisco CCENT 640-822 at the same time or in that respective order. CompTIA Network+ is more of a book study and CCENT you will need some hands-on, but is a good step up after. Should let you get into an entry level networking position. If you plan on getting into a government position that covers security, CompTIA Security+ is a good start. There are IT positions here in Los Angeles that are Veteran Interships that don't require any experience and will teach on the job. That's also a great start while studying for certifications. The interships are paid at about $2k per month. Quite nice, IMHO to make that career shift.

The Collection

Well this feedback it sure makes a lot of difference and it opens up to many possibilities,,,if you guys are ever in the Naples,Fl. area i'll buy you all a round of drinks....shoot make it 2 rounds.

I searched through a website called careercast.com and it states that software engineers and computer system analyst are the top jobs for the future, what are you intake on that......

Thanks again guys

RouteThisWay

You need to be realistic.

First, a degree is good. Highly recommended. However, you do not need to wait to get a degree to get into IT. Experience > Degree in the IT field. However, having a Degree + Experience is always the best bet. You need experience.

Second, don't get sold on any program. You are not going to go and get a degree, and then get offered a network admin position making 85k to start. Councilors, school reps etc, will tell you otherwise. That is their job. To convince you that you need them, and you will make the big bucks when you graduate. It's a sales pitch, and you should recognize that.

I would say unless you have fantastic IT contacts, your first IT job will not be glamorous. It doesn't matter that you finished a "networking degree". You have no experience. You will be in a call center, or doing desktop support, general helpdesk, etc. A vast majority of IT professionals start in this role. Consider it paying your dues.

I encourage you to read some books as recommended above, do some research, see if this is what you really want to do. IT is not easy. It is not an instant paycheck.

I don't mean to come off rude, but... your post sounds like many I have heard here before "hey, heard IT was in demand. Heard it pays good. Thx guys". It is highly competitive, and it isn't a money tree like alot of people think. I am not saying that is you at all, just saying... you may want to do some soul searching. As you yourself pointed out... it gets expensive.

And btw, prepare for a lifetime of studying. You will have to constantly keep your skills updated, and spend quite a bit of your own time labbing, studying, etc.

The most important thing I noticed about your post though... is that you didn't even mention why you wanted to get into IT. Only that you have generated the idea that "networkin admin" is a hot job right now. That's all great and dandy but, why do YOU want to get into IT? If it is nothing more than your perception of it being a wide open job market with no competition, you will be disappointed. If it is because you heard/saw that it "pays good", you will be disappointed. If it is because you think you can go grab a degree, and then get a high paying job out of the gate, you will be disappointed.

The best IT people, as with *any* profession, are the ones who enjoy and are truly interested in the work. You want to make a career change... what are you truly interested in? I promise you if you get into IT just because of the selling points any school has given you... you will not last.

EDIT: Saw your last post while I was typing this one up. I am now convinced you are letting the job boards steer your direction. You first say Network admin, now software engineer or system analyst all based on job boards. Don't let that determine what you spend your money on. You need to choose a direction that you truly want to pursue. And then worry about the job boards. You will be mediocre at best if you are doing something you are not truly interested in, are are just following speculations of job growth.

oh and btw, you mentioned GI bill. Thank you for your service

mikej412

The Collection wrote: »

what are you intake on that......

It doesn't matter what's hot or popular if it turns out you don't like it or have an aptitude for it. Keep researching and asking questions and pondering to make sure you find something you'd like to do -- and don't commit to an expensive program until you're reasonably sure it's something you'll like.

veritas_libertas

RouteThisWay wrote: »

First, a degree is good. Highly recommended. However, you do not need to wait to get a degree to get into IT. Experience > Degree in the IT field. However, having a Degree + Experience is always the best bet. You need experience.

+1 I should have mentioned this in my reply to the OP.

NetworkingStudent

The Collection wrote: »

Hello everyone, I'm seeking advice from all you to help me decide if i should take advantage of my post/911 Gibill Educational Benefits and seek a new career field which is Network system administration through Devry. It is an expensive yet in High demand field.
My Background is Recording Arts and Bartending, I recently turn 33 and need a career change and i do not know a single thing about IT, but I know if i put my mind to something i can achieve what ever i desire.

Any feedback will be apprecieated.

Thank you

I think it’s great that you want to make a career change, but like others have said it will not be an easy battle to achieve your degree in IT. If you want to work in IT then I suggest maybe taking a hardware maintenance class or an IT class at a local community college, and then see if you like it or not. After doing this you can then decide if you want to further pursue this field. In the long run this will save you a lot time and money. I would avoid Devry if you can, because it’s a “career”, or for Profit College, so the tuition is going to be higher than your state sponsored colleges and universities. Most if not all states pay some portion of the tuition for their residents; however, private colleges charge full tuition. For example, Devry tuition is somewhere around $400per credit, while I’m sure a local state college might be around 139-160 per credit. Also, before you decide on a school, you should find out if your A.A.S degree will transfer, each school has different accreditation levels.
As far as what to major in I would say it’s best to find a degree that has a good mix of Web design, programming, networking, security, and databases classes. After taking a few classes in each discipline you will have a better understanding of what you want to do.

Good Luck

The Collection

Thank you for your feedback, thank you all. You guys have help me realize what it takes to be in the IT industry, and i respect you all for it. Im 33 years old and i am making a career change but i think It would take me another 10 years to master it and more studying to do.