Is the Academy of Learning a good school?

Hello, I posted here before asking for advice.

Basically my story is:

I am 26.
accountant with a degree in finance.
want to work in IT (networking specifically) since it's something I love.
can't quit my job and go to school, because I have a family.
Only jobs I can find or get interviews for are PC tech(on the bench) at 11-14$ an hour. I can't take that wage.

I looked into maybe going to school part time. I completed my A+ which is a start but I don't know what to do next. Do I need a degree/diploma? Can I just get my CCNA and maybe some Microsoft ones? I looked into Academy of Learning and they offer a Network Admin diploma. I can take it part time but I don't know if it's a good school or not...

I want to enroll in WGU but I want to get a job in IT before I enroll.

I just need some advice from you guys. Has anyone been in a similar situation? I do not want to give up. This is my dream.

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Comments

kgb

Why do you want to get a job in IT before enrolling in WGU? That doesn't make sense to me if getting a 4yr degree from WGU is your end goal.

Krones

Hello, never give up. I am older, and trying to repurpose my career as well. I recently interviewed with a telecom for an internship as a network engineer. 2 years ago, I would have never even been called back for any type of IT interview so even making it as far as an interview felt really good. Since you already have a degree, I would honestly self-study for the CCNA. I would not worry about an IT degree right now but instead focus on a few certifications and work on your knowledge base. If you want to be a network engineer looks at the Cisco path. Here is a great thread to help you get started on the Cisco path. Keep in mind there are several paths but the CCNA is a great start and will at least help with being called backed for an interview. If you want to really start out with a basic entry level certification for networking CompTIA's Network+ is also a good place to start. Some forum members have stated that there is a lot of overlap between the CCENT and Network+ but I think the CCENT/CCNA path will help you land a role quicker.