Certifications and University degree.

dwen

Hi all ,


I like to hear your opinion about this because I do have a discrepancy in my education.


Ok i graduated in Economy, but i work as a network engineer and I'm really good at it. I have some industrial certifications, like juniper, cisco and linux.


I just want your opinion guys should i go and get master degree in computer science or should i continue with industrial certifications more exactly should i go for CCIE/JNCIE or Master Degree in computer science ?


I'm confused right right now , because most of the guys that do have a degree in computer science they are... hmm somehow they are mad at me for working as a network engineer(or i just misunderstood them), although I'm better than them.


If I chose one road the other must go on halt, and btw I already made my choice, which is -going with industrial certifications. For one obvious reason, they are more likely to give u a job because you are a professional and you really know what you're doing if you posses a certification, and for my master degree i can get it when I'm 33 or 35 years old .


But i just wanna hear your opinion, what do you guys think ?

veritas_libertas

It appears that you are in Europe? I would check the local job postings and see if you would receive any kind of pay increase or job hiring preference if you had a master degree. I don't know about Europe, but here in the US having a degree is simply a check box, unless of course the hiring manager happens to like you because you are fellow alumnist

NetworkVeteran

dwen wrote: »

Ok i graduated in Economy, but i work as a network engineer and I'm really good at it. I have some industrial certifications, like juniper, cisco and linux.

Naming those might help in this discussion.

I just want your opinion guys should i go and get master degree in computer science or should i continue with industrial certifications

There are middle grounds, such as a B.S. in Computer Science or a lesser degree.

I'm confused right right now , because most of the guys that do have a degree in computer science they are... hmm somehow they are mad at me for working as a network engineer(or i just misunderstood them), although I'm better than them.

Perhaps they're rather upset you're working as a network engineer with them, given your belief that your attitude that you're better than others? I know I would find that attitude repulsive in a co-worker. That seems more logical than multiple people being upset that a random person chose to work in networking rather than auto repair.

If I chose one road the other must go on halt,

Plenty here worked and earned certifications while pursuing their degrees. It's not an either/or path, and my colleagues tend to have both types of assets.

I already made my choice,

There isn't much to say then. Good luck with your approach.

dwen

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

There are middle grounds, such as a B.S. in Computer Science or a lesser degree.

No i already have a B.S, i could go direct master, and It's easier because I have almost 4 years work experience.

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

Perhaps they're rather upset you're working as a network engineer with them, given your belief that your attitude that you're better than others? I know I would find that attitude repulsive in a co-worker. That seems more logical than multiple people being upset that a random person chose to work in networking rather than auto repair.

You are wrong! I don't do such things, but I think you misunderstood me, they are upset HOW can a guy which graduated in economy work as a network engineer, i just said "I'm better than them" to let ALL of you know that it really doesn't matter what B.S degree you have if you love your job you can the best at anything.

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

Plenty here worked and earned certifications while pursuing their degrees. It's not an either/or path, and my colleagues tend to have both types of assets.

I don't know about others but if you attempt CCIE/JNCIE and a master degree, i just need to give up my job, which in this case I need it to fiance myself

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

There isn't much to say then. Good luck with your approach.

Thanks

NetworkVeteran

dwen wrote: »

No i already have a B.S, i could go direct master, and It's easier because I have almost 4 years work experience. I don't know about others but if you attempt CCIE/JNCIE and a master degree, i just need to give up my job, which in this case I need it to fiance myself

LoL! Fair enough.

If your choices are BS+CCIE or MS+CCNP, I agree with your choice!

I do wonder why your co-workers would be upset.

dwen

haha ,


Yes you are correct, but I'm already CCNP , i could go MS+CCIE but then again that would be too much.

VAHokie56

Most of the Net engineers I have worked with ether have no degree or an Associates. All the senior guys respect certs,experience and the ability to prove your not a moron. I have never ran across people who where "upset" at my lack of a B.S in an IT related field ( I have a Associates in agriculture ). I guess there are haters everywhere dude just sit back and let them do what they do best, hate.

IlikeIT

I Would choose CCIE, more $

ptilsen

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

I do wonder why your co-workers would be upset.

I'm not surprised actually. Old-school mentality on college degrees is even more prevalent in Europe. They are more likely to be dismissive of people without the correct degree or any degree, from what I've seen.

Even here, people can be resentful or dismissive for far more trivial reasons than education. I still get lots of resentment over age, as do most of us in our 20s in "senior" or managerial positions. I've experienced some over my lack of a four-year degree as well, and I see this sort of thing among acquaintances and TE members too often. People have a hard time evaluating co-workers over how good they are at their jobs instead of their background, and are often resentful towards others who have achieved relatively more success with relatively less education and/or experience.

But, that being said, none of this has ever seriously hindered me, nor should it hinder any of us, including OP. Education and certifications are both nice, but ultimately your ability to do the job well and show you can do it well is what matters.

Regarding the specifics of OP's question, a CCIE vs. a graduate degree is really to me a big choice between what you want to do day-to-day. CCIE is kind of an all-in on networking. If that's what you want to keep doing, it's the right choice. Regardless of everything else, CCIE has a certain market value on its own, and you won't hear of many CCIEs not making lots of money. Graduate degrees help a lot too, but I think CCIE is a better call if you're sticking with truly 100% network engineering jobs or if you want a more likely guarantee of that income. A master's doesn't magically translate into higher income, while a CCIE really can because it has clear value to Cisco partners. If you are doing more combined or generalist jobs or want to branch into other areas, I think the graduate degree is a better call. You can always do both, of course. I just couldn't see myself getting both.

BMO

My two cents...

Go with certification. Since you already have a few years experience you aren't a total newb. You can use your certs as a way to demonstrate mastery of the material. And start moving up.

Here's why. This might be different in Europe because your degrees might be structured differently but here a Computer Science degree prepares you for one thing, software engineering. Everything else in IT is not really covered under your typical computer science curriculum. Software engineering skills are not very important to network engineers but CCIE skills are.

Unless you are trying to move into management, then I think a masters would help more in that case. You might would have a problem even getting into a CS masters program without the required CS undergrad work. I know of one program in my area that requires 4 semesters of calculus before they will even consider you, even if you have a BS in CS. But you might could get into a masters in I.T. with a networking focus or information assurance. This would enable you to start moving into management.

You just need to be able to show that you have the skills they need to do the job well. A CCIE will help you master specific skills that network engineers need.

But that's just like my opinion, man.

UnixGuy

Your co-workers are mad because they thought that the only path to a network engineering job is by going to uni (I thought so too).


Anyway, this is my opinion:

A degree in Computer Science (specially an MSc in Computer Science) is an education not a training. It will teach you about Computer Algorithms, Distributed systems (algorithms as well), perhaps some Software Engineering courses, and some significant programming courses,..etc. It depends on the curriculum but this is Computer Science. Granted, a proper CS degree is much more challenging than any certification; but that doesn't mean the things you learn on the degree are relevant to your job!

This type of degree will not teach you how to configure a Cisco gear, nor is it supposed to. It will not teach you anything remotely related to Network or server's troubleshooting.

The MSc in Computer can help you in:

1) Getting an interview with companies that does research (Google, Microsoft, Research centers..etc).

2) Getting you an entry level programming job (if you want to switch careers).

3) network and meet new people? there are other ways of networking by the way, and this is not the most effective one.

4) Pass some dumb HR requirements in some companies.

5) Advance to PhD if you want that. But a PhD is training for research jobs. You are doing a lot better now.




If you want a degree that can advance your career, look for something specialized and professional that will help you get a job that you want. Maybe an MBA or something of that sort if you want.


Certifications is a training. CCIE will train you VERY well on Cisco gear. RHCE will teach you how to manage Linux servers. The skills you learn by doing certifications will help you directly with your job. They will make you a more resourceful engineer.

Lastly, don't worry about your colleagues. After few years of experience people will not even ask you whether you went to college or not; this is the nature of IT.

NetworkVeteran

BMO wrote: »

but here a Computer Science degree prepares you for one thing, software engineering.

This is untrue of most Computer Science programs I'm familiar with, and I know quite a few. Computer Science programs often include courses covering programming, networking, security, computer architecture, public speaking, writing, research, higher math, cultural literacy, etc. It's a broad technical education that gives you a leg-up in most technical roles. This is one reason so many technical job postings state a CS or EE is required or preferred, in addition to certification, even when little to no programming is involved.

I have multiple CCIEs on my team and they each have CS or EE degrees. I also remember a survey showing that the majority of CCIEs have degrees. What you learn from both degrees and certifications can help you to excel in network engineering.