Getting into IT with no degree

windycity84

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if its possible to start a career in IT without an IT degree? I have a BA in Communications, MPA in public administration, and my PMP. I plan on going for certification to get started.

Thanks!

Aveni

NEVER DO IT..NEVER LEAVE YOUR DEGREE BEHIND ....Its the ROOT of every IT jobs

Psoasman

I am going to disagree with the above post. I know a lot of very qualified experienced IT people with no degree or certs, for that matter.

I was in IT for over a year before I decided to get my degrees.

Your degrees and the PMP will help you get into IT. How much IT experience do you have? If not much, you might consider getting an A+ or CCENT to get some foundational skills.

Iristheangel

You have A degree. Just not an IT degree. I've seen a LOT of successful people in IT with music or history degrees. You're still good to go. Start studying for certifications and try to get your foot in the door. After enough experience, it won't matter what your major was

kurosaki00

Aveni wrote: »

NEVER DO IT..NEVER LEAVE YOUR DEGREE BEHIND ....Its the ROOT of every IT jobs

wut?

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To OP, its more than possible!
Also you do have a degree, just not IT related.
Just get your certs, train hard, work hard and you will do good.
Maybe at some point an employer will tell you to get a degree in IT related, maybe a MIS or MS.

But its pretty normal to have a career in IT even if your degree is not IT related.
Go for it!

JacksonVD

Many years ago when IT workers were in short supply or when IT first took off, not sure which, large companies hired workers with any degrees, even people with degrees in physics. My father has a degree that barely encompasses any IT information yet he's been working in the industry for years and years.

pert

10-15 years ago you could go far without a degree. You still can, IF youre one of those people who got in beforehand and have a a good start already. However, if youre new youll need a degree nowdays to get past helpdesk, or a lot of luck and twice as much time as someone without a degree. I dont think your choice of major is overly important except for the first few positions.

MrAgent

I didnt have any certifications, or a degree when I got into IT. I didnt have any certs until about 2 years ago, and I finished by BSIT in June 2010. Ive been in IT since 95. I was 18 when I first got into it.

It can definitely be done.

lsud00d

The answer is yes but you have a very interesting route considering you have an MPA and PMP which suggests a management/project management role yet there is currently no IT experience...

What do you want to do in IT? Do you want to do technical stuff? Do you have any areas of IT that interest you? I think knowing more about your situation would be helpful to give you a non-boolean answer.

Somnipotent

A degree is a degree. An old manager told me that a degree just represents you put in your time where a certification says you put effort into understanding the technology. Doesn't explicitly say that you're an expert in it but just says you've put an extra degree of effort towards a specialization. Most of my peers are degree-less and some don't even have certs behind them. That does not mean they don't know how to perform their job function though. Some are vastly more experienced and knowledgeable than I am, even with my certs. So to answer your question, yes, you can get into IT without a degree in IT. It's the amount of effort you apply towards becoming IT literate that will matter more than what you have your degree in.

GoodBishop

windycity84 wrote: »

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if its possible to start a career in IT without an IT degree? I have a BA in Communications, MPA in public administration, and my PMP. I plan on going for certification to get started.

Thanks!

Very much so. With a degree in communications, a masters degree in PA, and a PMP, you would meet many of the requirements for a technical position, however what you would need to do is demonstrate your technical knowledge via certifications. It's a bit tricky because many positions require x amount of years of experience doing x technical skill, but how do you get those jobs if you can't get in the field to begin with. So the way around that is to show that you have many of the key skills that are necessary in a job, such as communicating, critical thinking, etc, and then enhance that with certifications that show you know your IT skills.