Should I stop with university after my HND and start my route towards certifications

thomas130

Hi guys I just about approaching my three year mark in my IT career during my time, I have completed my HNC and nearly finish my HND at Open University. I currently unsure whether or not to take a year or two to gain my certifications and start my projects, or to carry on with University to gain my degree. At the moment I'm doing a full time job and University which is eating a lot of my time, and just do not have the time to study for certifications as well.

So I was looking for some advice should I now take a break and study towards my MCSE and MCITP and CCNA (already study this at university so already have a very good understanding).Both jobs I have been in I have a had a very good reputation for being skill at IT as I understand how things work etc. However I believe there is still a lot I do not know which certifications would cover.

The other thing is to complete my degree I would be studying the CCNP program. However I do not have much to do with networking at the moment which I do enjoy, I'm just wondering to have CCNP knowledge without experience is over kill.

So out of these two options which one would be the best

Option 1

Carry on studying to complete my degree which would be around 2013 mark and I would complete the CCNP program with this.

Option 2

Leave it at HND I can always go back in a couple of years and carry on with the CCNP program. But gain my Microsoft Exams and start my projects with Linux and programming skills such as PHP, Shell scripting etc.

Any advice would be brilliant thanks sorry for any poor grammar and spelling.

puckstopperga

It's a tough one to consider. On the one hand, a degree is the universal standard. HR loves to throw out resumes simply on the basis of lack of a degree. And later in your career, if you end up never getting one, you will probably run into lower pay and positions you're otherwise qualified for but can't get.

On the other hand, a degree typically doesn't qualify one's work in the same way certs do. The degree proves you know *how* to learn. The certs prove you know a certain technology backwards and forward. So, many places will overlook the missing degree, and will go with the person with experience & certs, if they really need the job done.

I can't help but think of a friend of mine who recently graduated from UGA in MIS. He has virtually no IT experience but got a job in software development at a fortune 100 right after graduating. Just like that, 50k/yr. And from what I understand, they expect him to have very little in the way of IT skills - they're spending the first year on the job basically training him to do Java! They just trust that his degree proves he knows 'how to learn'.

Since it sounds like you're looking to get into the network engineering end of things, if I were you I'd seriously try to do certs AND school at the same time, even if it's a slower process.

If you leave school, it gets exponentially harder to return and finish with each passing year. It's a good idea to keep the big picture in mind. Going for certs would be a shortcut to a better paying and more challenging job, but the expense may end up being the degree altogether.

Maybe consider taking a semester off every year. You'd be going really slowly, but you could get tons of certs in a 6-month period with dedicated study. Potential employers will see "In progress" instead of "incomplete" on your resume as well, which shows dedication and initiative. Perhaps after the first round of certs you'd be picked up by a company that has tuition reimbursement as well.

thomas130

puckstopperga wrote: »

If you leave school, it gets exponentially harder to return and finish with each passing year. It's a good idea to keep the big picture in mind. Going for certs would be a shortcut to a better paying and more challenging job, but the expense may end up being the degree altogether.

Just note at Open University you do the work at home you don't need to go a campus to study. It's a well respect University in the Uk. So they would'nt be any issues about taking it back up.

wd40

thomas130 wrote: »

Just note at Open University you do the work at home you don't need to go a campus to study. It's a well respect University in the Uk. So they would'nt be any issues about taking it back up.

But when you decide that you need to complete your BSc it would be 3 years too late.

and you will have to study for final exams and prepare projects etc.

I am currently studying for BSC in Arab Open University, which is a partner of the Open University in UK, I believe we take the same subjects and when we graduate we get a degree from the Open University - UK

earweed

wd40 wrote: »

But when you decide that you need to complete your BSc it would be 3 years too late.

and you will have to study for final exams and prepare projects etc.

I am currently studying for BSC in Arab Open University, which is a partner of the Open University in UK, I believe we take the same subjects and when we graduate we get a degree from the Open University - UK

If I were you I would complete my degree now. And while you're studying the material pertaining to the cert take the cert exam. Even if you don't obtain the certs the knowledge you've gained will be beneficial to you in the future.
Since you're already working in IT once the degree is obtained you will be in a very good situation for advancing your career. The degree plus experience will far outweigh any certs you may obtain if you were to leave school.

I can't help but think of a friend of mine who recently graduated from UGA in MIS. He has virtually no IT experience but got a job in software development at a fortune 100 right after graduating. Just like that, 50k/yr. And from what I understand, they expect him to have very little in the way of IT skills - they're spending the first year on the job basically training him to do Java! They just trust that his degree proves he knows 'how to learn'.

The degree is definitely looked upon highly. If you feel you need to get certs you may even consider going part-time school one semester to concentrate on a few certs. Make sure these are certs that are going to benefit you for what you want to do in the long run, say 5 years down the road. If your passion is networking do Cisco if it's admin do MS and/or Linux.
If you take a complete "break" in your education it is going to make it harder for you to get back into that rhythm you currently have plus your new classes will be dealing with newer technologies which you'll have to catch up with.

N2IT

I would complete your degree. You have already started down that path, might as well complete it. Like another poster said, it could keep you from a job because of HR and or keep your pay scale down. I know a lot of very successful IT professionals who only have a 4 years degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Economic, CIS, or MIS. None of which have any certs and make good coin. I would stick with it, you will really feel good once it has been completed.

sidsanders

from my own take doing interviews, i will say that: "The certs prove you know a certain technology backwards and forward."

is not always the case. more cases it shows folks passed a test then actually know something that can help. from my view... others may differ.

otherwise i agree with most, get the degree. many have done the job+school+certs so you wouldnt be alone in the struggle.

N2IT

sidsanders wrote: »

from my own take doing interviews, i will say that: "The certs prove you know a certain technology backwards and forward."

is not always the case. more cases it shows folks passed a test then actually know something that can help. from my view... others may differ.

otherwise i agree with most, get the degree. many have done the job+school+certs so you wouldnt be alone in the struggle.

I agree a lot of people pass these test with braindumps or pure memorization and then when it's over they literally **** the knowledge. Don't get me wrong we have some awesome network admins who have CCNA CCNP etc and they know their stuff. However we have few help desk employees with A+ Net+ etc and they ask the most bizarre questions. I am thinking dood you have more certs than I do and you don't know this basic knowledge?!

I suppose experience is king, heck one of our system archtitects has a CIS degree from Virginia Tech, but doesn't have one cert and he knows his stuff. I mean really really know his stuff. He reads the books and all that jazz, but doesn't take the time to pass a test.

thenjduke

I would complete your degree. I regret that I never completed mine. I did luck out and get into many decent positions but my degree is holding me back now because I have been overlooked for management twice because of it.

blargoe

Complete the degree. It will be much easier to just finish what you started now than to try to start back later. As much as I hate to say it, just the process of getting older can make things harder... heck I just turned 31 and I'm already losing my ability to retain and learn. Enter wife and any kids into the picture and it becomes EXPONENTIALLY harder to go back.

Six years ago I had as a goal to get my Master's. I started to enroll but had other things going on and just put it off. Six years later, I'm no closer to getting it done and now I have no time and little energy to work on it.

So, as others have said, better to complete your degree now, if you can.

b

nel

Complete your degree to at least Bsc Hons level. Ive found this is pretty much becoming the de facto of education standards - in the UK at least. To put yourself ahead of the pack, in terms of higher education, look towards a masters! i have just completed my honours with a 1st and have found that im going to have to do my masters by the looks of it.

Regarding your options it also seems like they lead to 2 very different IT area's - one networking, another programming. Decide which path you want to take as there are many many software engineer degree's aswell as networking!

Good luck mate

curtisdaley

Whats the employment oppurtunities like in Edinburgh nel?

nel

curtisdaley wrote: »

Whats the employment oppurtunities like in Edinburgh nel?

Hi mate,

In which field are you talking about? if networking, then pretty sh1te to be fair lol, you see an odd post here and there but not too many. Although there seems to be more networking contract jobs available in the finance sector than perm jobs. stick to London for networking imo - i think thats where i'll end up! but there seems to be quite a few programming/developers jobs in and around the area. Usual places to look are cwjobs, jobserve and s1jobs.

Nice city to live in but usually pretty quiet except for the edinburgh festival and new year. apart from that, not much happens! quite alot of students with there being 3 big uni's in the city too.