Value of an AA in CIS w/ Basic Certs and Experience?

y_man86

I was hoping some of you wouldn't mind giving me an idea of how marketable I might be if I were to enter this market with a resume that looks something like this: |AA in Computer Information Systems| - |A+, Net+, Sec+ Certs| - |5yrs. Experience as an IT in the U.S. Navy| - |1yr. Experience Tech Support for FedEx.com|
I'm currently living in San Diego so I'll be looking for a job here. My plan is to try to break into the help desk side of things, and work my way into something else from there - preferably networking or routers. Money isn't the biggest driving factor for me at this point, but I would hope to be able to bring in around $25k-$30k starting. As an IT in the Navy I mainly worked help desk related issues with a little server, network, and admin work mixed in here and there. My main concern is that because I've been out of the Navy for over two years now, the experience I have may be valued a little less by prospective employers. Any help, advice, or insight from anybody would be greatly appreciated.

the_Grinch

I don't believe you'll have an issue finding a job. I assume that after the Navy you looked for a job for a year and then started at Fedex? Given your creds, experience, and clearance (should have a Secret right?) you should find a job fairly easily. Also, I think you should make more then $30k starting given what you currently have. Good luck!

y_man86

Hey, thank you for the insight. I actually worked the FedEx job in '03 prior to joining the Navy. I know it's pretty insignificant, but seeing as how I'm shooting for a help desk job I wanted to show I have some experience in customer support and service. I've been in school for the past two years and living off the G.I. Bill so I haven't had to hit the job market yet. I held a top secret clearance while in the Navy and am looking to get that renewed very soon through the Navy Reserves. Thanks again for helping out!

the_Grinch

A TS? Even better, you could write your ticket with that alone. You should be able to get a job as a contractor for the military or government and bring home a pretty penny. My buddy got hired as a contractor for the military doing information assurance related stuff. No clearance (he now has a Secret), a couple years on a helpdesk, and a 4 year degree. He started at $55k and they are paying for his Masters, you should do just fine I suspect.

N2IT

Leverage that TS.

On the coast you have a lot of government contracting positions. I would try to get in with one of those. You have security + and a TS. You might want to look at going into security. The door is open all you have to do is walk through it.