Need Advice on certs, degree, and BA

Axeblack84

I'm currently going to school for a bachelors degree in Network Specialist which I plan to take my CCNA.

I'm receiving this summer my certification in Information Security.
I've been studying for the A+ examination. I already know how to build Pcs and setup basic networks.

With a certification in Information Security, where are some places I can work with this degree?

My school is giving me two intern ships , one over the summer, and one in the fall.

Thanks

Bl8ckr0uter

Welcome.


You really need to A: Search the boards and B: Tell us more about your background. It would be very helpful to have more facts to give you a better answer.

Axeblack84

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Welcome.


You really need to A: Search the boards and B: Tell us more about your background. It would be very helpful to have more facts to give you a better answer.

I searched a few threads, and got a lot of information.

I recently got my certification in Information Security at college. I would like to know where I stand as far as possible employment with certification, or an associates in Information Security.

I'm going to be taking the A+ exam over the summer.
I have experience with building PCs. I've built some for friends, family, and my self of course.
I'm getting my Bachelors as a Network Specialist, and I plan to possibly take the CCNA examination afterwards.

Thanks for the help

Bl8ckr0uter

Axeblack84 wrote: »

I searched a few threads, and got a lot of information.

I recently got my certification in Information Security at college.

Education is a good thing.

Axeblack84 wrote: »

I would like to know where I stand as far as possible employment with certification, or an associates in Information Security.

All other things being equal, you have a 50% percent chance of getting hired for any job you apply for. Entry level positions are hard to get and competition is fierce. Some people will suggest interning but I don't believe in working for free. Ever. Certs will only take you so far. My "IT" career actually started off doing phone/remote based support for verizon dsl. Basically anyone who could spell tcp/ip was hired. Anyone who knew the slash between tcp and ip meant that they were two different protocols were made premium support. I made premium support. I changed jobs and worked for a large company's helpdesk. Then I kept making moves from there.

The are plenty of people in your class who will be wondering how they will make their first move. I think basically the most important thing is to just out hustle your opponents, I mean classmates.

Axeblack84 wrote: »

I'm going to be taking the A+ exam over the summer.
I have experience with building PCs. I've built some for friends, family, and my self of course.
I'm getting my Bachelors as a Network Specialist, and I plan to possibly take the CCNA examination afterwards.

Thanks for the help

The "worth" of the A+ is suspect. I suggest you pick up an MCTS (for free if you are a student Student Home) and get more bang for your buck and time. CCNA can be tough but it is doable.

Axeblack84

Thanks for the help. I'm just starting down the road so I'd like to get sound advice from experienced IT professionals.

powerfool

Those internships will be a good start. If you make a good impression, you never know what could happen.

veritas_libertas

powerfool wrote: »

Those internships will be a good start. If you make a good impression, you never know what could happen.

Agreed. My internship opened doors for me.

Bl8ckr0uter

Axeblack84 wrote: »

Thanks for the help. I'm just starting down the road so I'd like to get sound advice from experienced IT professionals.

Here is an example of the type of mindset you need to have and the actions you need to take to get a job.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/64236-adventures-new-grad-s.html

You really need to decide what you want to do. Many people go from helpdesk to admin to speciality. What's the job market for IT in your neck of the woods look like? Are you willing to move? If so where to? Do your professors have any contacts they would be willing to share with you? What's your gpa? There is no magic bullet.

powerfool wrote: »

Those internships will be a good start. If you make a good impression, you never know what could happen.

We will have to agree to disagree. In my neck of the woods, interns are used for cheap labor and are rarely hired on. Unless you are in a profession that has a true journeyman status, I think that most internships are a waste of time IMO.

DigitalZeroOne

I am not trying to offend the OP, but I think one barrier you may face in IT is communicating. From your post - I know I should not assume, but it appears that your primary language may not be English. I interact with people all the time that don't speak English very well, but they are usually not in IT; which is a career that involves heavy communication in email, on the phone and face-to-face. It may be very frustrating for a hiring manager to interview you if they have a problem understanding you.

My criticism is only to help you, so please, don't take offense.

Axeblack84

DigitalZeroOne wrote: »

I am not trying to offend the OP, but I think one barrier you may face in IT is communicating. From your post - I know I should not assume, but it appears that your primary language may not be English. I interact with people all the time that don't speak English very well, but they are usually not in IT; which is a career that involves heavy communication in email, on the phone and face-to-face. It may be very frustrating for a hiring manager to interview you if they have a problem understanding you.

My criticism is only to help you, so please, don't take offense.

Haha,

None taken man. When I made the first few posting I didn’t know what type of people I was dealing with. So I posted very straight forward generic statements, and questions. Sorry if I through you off. I’ve had very detailed interviews before so I already know what to expect in that aspect, and I’ve already been looking into interning at places that I know a few family members work at, and I’m always asking around, and asking my teachers for advice.

DigitalZeroOne

Axeblack84 wrote: »

Haha,

None taken man.

Great, that's a good quality to have. As for your career, I see you are going to earn your A+ and CCNA, on top of that you plan on having knowledge in IA. You should first find out if you plan on going the route of strictly networking, or some type of system administration, which can encompass many different types of systems, i.e., Windows, Linux, DBA. Of course there is also SAN administration and virtualization, but you probably will have to work your way up to those types of positions.

I also recommend that you learn some powershell, especially if you plan on being some type of system administrator. I took a powershell class years ago, and I kick myself constantly for not diving deep into it when I took the class. It's very easy to get into, and it is a very powershell scripting language and interactive tool.

As far as your degree, every company cares about computer security (at least they should), so you can take that degree anywhere. The important thing is gaining experience and taking the time daily to expand your knowledge on your personal time.