Need help getting started in the IT world
steven4570
Registered Users Posts: 1 ■□□□□□□□□□
hello, i am a 3rd year college student at the University of Houston, i recently switch majors but haven't official started my computer information systems degree yet, it will be at least another 3.5 years before i graduate but it is what it is. I want to work with servers, upgrading and updating computers to the latest and greatest for some company. It doesn't really seem like the degree would teach me any of these things but from what i understand most employers wont even look at you without a bachelors. If someone wants to become a system or network admin, or maybe working for an IT firm and working on different projects, which route as far as education and training should one get. any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Steven
Thanks
Steven
Comments
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michaelcox
Member Posts: 105
you are 1 year away from graduating... I'd stay with your current degree and get your BA in one year over speeding another 3 1/2 years to get an IT degree. After you graduate in 1 year, get some certs and if you really want an IT college degree, you can go to WGU and/or work on a masters...
Courses Completed at WGU ( 8 ):
Term 1 (April 2011): EWB2, WSV1, BRV1, BSV1 | Term 2 (October 2011): LET1, ORC1 | Term 3 (April 2012): MGC1, TPV1
Courses Required Graduate WGU with BS - IT: SEC ( 8 ):
BOV1, KET1, WDV1, KFT1, ABV1, TWA1, BLV1, CPW4 -
tech5621
Registered Users Posts: 6 ■□□□□□□□□□
From everything that I have experienced in my short career so far you are correct in assuming that a degree won't necessarily teach you all that you need to know. It does show one thing that an employer looks for though, dedication. My suggestion would be to start with the basics if you want to "break" into the IT world. Try to work towards a basic certification on your downtime from your traditional studies like A+/Network+. If you were to obtain both of these certifications you would fulfill the elective needed for the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) AND gain a fantastic baseline for studies after that.
The other benefit of taking the basic certs like A+/Net+/Sec+ is that it will allow you to truly figure out what part of the IT world you are interested in. I knew as soon as I read through half of my Security+ material that Infosec is where I wanted to focus my studies.
Finally, I would suggest to volunteer at your school for anything related to IT if possible. Not only will you gain valuable knowledge but you will be able to reinforce your resume with the experience.