Would an Associates degree and CCNA help my job prospects much?

I'm feeling very down right now. The question I have is if I had my Associate's degree (computers) and a CCNA would that really make a difference in getting job? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I don't work in the field and have no idea. It's why I'm feeling less motivated. I currently have my A+,Network+, and Security+ and looking for work has been terrible, that's mainly why I feel less confident about my path.

The good news is that I'll be done with my AS degree in computer networking technology in June and my goal is to have my CCNA by then as well. What makes it hard is I don't want to feel like all this work is pointless and that it will lead me to getting an IT job.

And and if you asked me why I'm working on my degree and the CCNA it's because I'm interested in the subject. I just hope my job prospects go up after I graduate, I'm starting to worry.

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Comments

Essendon

If L.A. means Los Angeles, then your going to have a tough time landing a gig there from what I've read on the forums. There are so many folks out there apparently with the certs you have. I know it sounds discouraging, but that's not my intention. The CCNA definitely would bump you up the list of potential candidates and you can easily self-study for it. How does your resume look like? Do you think it could do with some critique, if yes then post it up here and we can take it to the butcher's. Are you targeting the right jobs? Tried on all of your job sites? Craigslist? Call up mom-pop shops to see if they need an IT person. The degree wouldnt hurt either. In the end you need to be just that much better than the next candidate and have luck on your side. Good luck bud, I really hope you land something soon. If it makes you feel any better, it took me 7 months to find a ISP tech support position after I finished my Master's, so hang in there and thou shalt find something!

WiseWun

I don't see why not. There are many factors involved such as your locality. CCNA should help you get interviews but you gotta know your stuff. Since you don't have any experience in IT, start applying for entry level positions such as helpdesk and if your lucky, you might get a NOC position with your certs. It can seem hopeless at times but keep on job searching. When I got laid off a few years ago, I decided to go back to school and get my masters degree. This helped me stay busy and motivated and during the second week of school, I got a few job offers. Hang in there.

draught

Essendon wrote: »

If L.A. means Los Angeles, then your going to have a tough time landing a gig there from what I've read on the forums. There are so many folks out there apparently with the certs you have. I know it sounds discouraging, but that's not my intention. The CCNA definitely would bump you up the list of potential candidates and you can easily self-study for it. How does your resume look like? Do you think it could do with some critique, if yes then post it up here and we can take it to the butcher's. Are you targeting the right jobs? Tried on all of your job sites? Craigslist? Call up mom-pop shops to see if they need an IT person. The degree wouldnt hurt either. In the end you need to be just that much better than the next candidate and have luck on your side. Good luck bud, I really hope you land something soon. If it makes you feel any better, it took me 7 months to find a ISP tech support position after I finished my Master's, so hang in there and thou shalt find something!

I've tried Dice.com, Indeed.com, and careerbuilder.com. I've not tried craigslist I've had only 1 callback from a dice recruiter a month or two ago. He basically told me get an active directory cert. Which I want anyway but I'm working on the CCNA right now!

Anyway here's my resume and I'll note that I had professional go over it. I'm seeing some flaws though for one I could include:

-TCP/IP configuration and network troubleshooting.
hard to think of what else though

also I did take a class on setting up servers and clustering but... it went so fast I didn't learn anything. Is something like that worth placing at the bottom?

OBJECTIVE
To gain an Entry Level Information Technology (IT) position

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

v Comptia Security +
v Comptia Network +
v Comptia A+
v Experience troubleshooting and maintaining SOHO networks
v Proficient with Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
v Ability to configure Windows 7, XP,2000, Fedora ,and any common Linux distribution
v Familiar with virtual machine software such as VMware and virtual box
v Proven troubleshooter of , malware, and anything else that damages a system

CAREER HISTORY

X company, Y city, CA 2010 - 2011
Dispatcher
- Provided excellent over the phone customer support
- Took orders from customers
- Ensured drivers received correct orders and destination
- Created new customer accounts
- Changed and modifying accounts as requested
- Ensured trucks coming into the plant were weighed in and correctly recorded

X company, Y city, CA 2008 - 2010
Field Manager

- Handled customers and staff issues or complaints
- Ensured that all employees carried out assigned responsibilities and company policies
- Ensured all toll booths were always running which included the need for constant troubleshooting of the hardware in the tollbooths.

EDUCATION
A.S., Computer and Networking Technology,
Expected Completion June 2013

Legacy User

With that combo depending on whats in your area you can readily apply to verizon for noc positions the min requirement is a.s. and ccna is a plus. Just keep applying and dress up your cover letter and resume.

pert

Popular internet websites are filled with mostly nonjobs. Youre going to do WAY better on Craigslist than Dice. Dice is all 3rd party recruits posting copies of other 3rd party recruiters for a job that no longer exists and gets bumped every day for the next 4 years. Seriously, Dice is worthless.

CodeBlox

I found my current gig on Craigslist and it's great! Started off doing helpdesk and was promoted to systems admin after about 6 months.

ptilsen

Associate, no. CCNA, yes. Very few jobs will hire on the basis of a two-year degree in this field. The degree generally won't make you appear any more qualified.

A bachelor's degree can be worth pursuing, but I would recommend against any kind of two-year degree.

About7Narwhal

The jobs are slim pickings in Knoxville as well. Everyone wants way more experience than is reasonable for the position. EX: 5 years experience for a Help Desk position. HA! Anyone with 5 years experience has already been to the Help Desk, bashed their skull against a desk for a few years, then moved on to bigger and better things.

I also agree with pert in regards to Dice and the like. Sometimes you do find a job, most of the time you dont. I still see my position posted from my last job. The position was filled over a month ago but it still shows up as "New" almost every week. I thought craigslist was kinda shady at first, but it can provide opportunity. More so, I found that most city websites have a list of major job providers for the area. Most of them might not post the position, but they are still there if you go to their websites.

Lastly, @ptilsen

I hope very much that you are wrong as my networking A.S. path has been the first time in a long time that I have enjoyed going to school. I would like to think it will mean something to someone when I am done. That said, I had not planned on stopping at a 2 year anyway.

Mrkali

I'm assuming LA means Los Angeles(where in LA do you live?)? Last year my wife put in for a job transfer that took us from Fresno to Orange County. I wanted to get out of the lodging industry and into IT, this move seemed the perfect time to do so. I grabbed the A+ and N+ real quick and started applying with no direct IT experience (6 years customer service, no degree).

I landed a job at an ISP 7 weeks later. I found their job posting on craigslist. I also landed two other interviews from craigslist postings as well. I highly recommend checking craigslist every hour at a minimum. Tailor your resume to their job posting and throw in a cover letter as well.

I must of put in over a hundred applications on Dice/Indeed etc with almost no call backs. I believe you can find a job with your current credentials.

goldenlight

CCNA plus Networking degree is a plus in my book. You will be fine.

Unfortunately I 'm new to this career change my self. Trying to transition over into networking world. I'm actually considering relocating once I get my CCNA. I have 2 Associates, and 1 Bachelors degree and there is no way on earth I'm going back to school unless I'm doing research that will change the world.

After you complete your cert start applying everywhere. Even recruiters like Teksystems or Robert Half. If your working Full time only accept direct hire positions.

setup Job alerts: include keywords like CCNA, router, networking, etc.. May not be entry level , but gives you an opportunity to visit company website to see if other opportunities exist.

Inspirational Quote: "You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can't do something themselves they're gonna tell you that you can't do it. You want something go get it. Period." Will Smith The pursuit of Happiness

Node Man

i am also career changing (and middle age), it can be very emotionally draining to change paths. it almost feels like admitting defeat in your prior path. At least to me.

Be strong, you are not alone, and if you do put the energy into this, as if you loved it, then i think you will do fine. I am hoping for the same for me. I dont know why i didnt start the IT/networking path in the early 1990's. . . .

boredgamelad

draught wrote: »

Anyway here's my resume and I'll note that I had professional go over it.

I'd ask for your money back, if you actually paid for that. Maybe put up the full resume and let people here critique it, TE tends to be quite good at it.

W Stewart

Things to consider.

1. Be prepared to take the crappiest jobs starting out and work your way up. That includes pay and responsibilities.
2. Don't waste time getting your resume done by a professional. Start off looking at examples and then have people on this forum critique it for you.
3. Be prepared to relocate if the job prospects aren't great in your area.
4. If your willing to be flexible about career path, see what's in demand in your area and start studying for that.
5. Try cragslist for jobs. I've seen jobs and careerbuilder and monster but never had any luck with dice. craigslist has always been a good source of jobs for me.

pert

People who write resumes for a living are usually quite bad at it, they don't know different fields, and theyre not hiring people either.

You're resume conveys some basic facts, but it does nothing to make a person want to hire you. The objective is bad, like saying "I'm unqualified and need help getting experience". Your resume is your pitch, a sales document. It needs to contain the truth, but you need to make people want to read it and then want to call you after reading, your resume does neither.

Instead of an objective which tells people what you want, have a summary that is a 1-2line sales pitch on why they want you.

For your jobs, instead of just a list of what you did you need to convey more:
What you did: I should be able to know exactly what your job was and what you did day to day after reading
How you did it and how you excelled doing: Provide some narrative on scenarios where you accomplished some goal in an exceptional way or at least demonstrate expertise.
How this relates to the job youre applying for: This is the hardest to do in my opinion, but each job description also needs to convey to the hiring manager that this makes you an ideal candidate for the job youre actually applying for.
Be short enough that a person actually reads everything you wrote: If people lose interest halfway and go down to the next job then whatever you wrote in-between was completely irrelevant.

I'd move your certs down with education, and I'd take the rest of the qualifications and really work on making them more exciting.

v Experience troubleshooting and maintaining SOHO networks - This is just neutral
v Familiar with virtual machine software such as VMware and virtual box - This is negative, why would anyone want someone who is just familiar with something?
v Proven troubleshooter of , malware, and anything else that damages a system - This is positive, the wording is a little awkward at the end, but this conveys mastery, confidence, and experience. The previous one conveyed a neophyte with minimal experience.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but I am trying to shock you a bit. There is so much BS with resumes that gets drilled into people from others who have no idea what theyre talking about, havent applied to a job in a decade, and arent hiring managers. Even those who do it don't really understand what theyre looking for or why. I'm not saying I do, but I do know that the point of your resume isnt a list of what you done, or some ritual where the objective is to make it look like a resume, its a sales pitch for them to buy your product. If you were a salesman selling a towel you wouldn't have an objective of "Please wrap me around your body". Skills: Probably can be used to absorb liquids. Your resume shouldnt be different.

PurpleIT

About7Narwhal wrote: »

I hope very much that you are wrong as my networking A.S. path has been the first time in a long time that I have enjoyed going to school. I would like to think it will mean something to someone when I am done. That said, I had not planned on stopping at a 2 year anyway.

I think (hope) ptilsen meant the AS should not be the ultimate goal, but it's a good stop on the way to a BS.

Legacy User

ptilsen wrote: »

Associate, no. CCNA, yes. Very few jobs will hire on the basis of a two-year degree in this field. The degree generally won't make you appear any more qualified.

A bachelor's degree can be worth pursuing, but I would recommend against any kind of two-year degree.

Well the OP mentioned he will be done in June so why stop if so close to finish? It would be beneficial to get the BS in comparison to the AS but many positions I've seen in NJ/NY area list AS as the minimum no exceptions. The CCNA and the knowledge acquired would definitely have him sitting in some interviews. The A.S. would show that he at least has some smarts to do college level work wouldn't hurt to have it then not have it.

ptilsen

An AAS or AS is fine on the way to a bachelor's degree. It is not fine as an end. You should not expect it to get you interviews and jobs.

If the program is good and you learn skills you can take to jobs, then that has value. It's the credential that has very little value. It certainly doesn't hurt to have it, but my point is that it should not be your goal.

Admittedly, I did not thoroughly read OP and see that you're almost done, which means I didn't understand the intent of the the question. Since you're almost done, finish it, of course, and get a CCNA. You will certainly get interviews once you're resume is in good shape.

draught

Wow, thanks for all the feedback in this thread! As several keep asking I'm from Los Angeles, about 30 minutes away on a good day.

pert wrote: »

People who write resumes for a living are usually quite bad at it, they don't know different fields, and theyre not hiring people either.

I really appreciate your critique on the resume. The person that helped me with it was a Job Developer (career councilor) at my college so I at least I got it done for free. She was really obsessed with the format of the resume and much less so about the content of the resume itself. It needed an OBJECTIVE, SKILLS, all in the order seen. I disliked parts of it but I figured she was the "expert". I'm going to try to a rewrite as if I was an ideal candidate for the job.

I've been trying craiglist's since yesterday I'll see how that goes but I'm going to be starting my classes in a month so I'm really limited on what jobs I can take for the next few months due to schedule. The real point of that AS degree isn't so much for hiring but more that I really should have some level of education beyond high school.

The reason I'm just stopping at an AS and not getting a BS is that I'm 29 and too close to 30. Long story. Having an AS opens the door to getting a BS so there is that. The reason I don't is both time and money. If I could work and go college I'd consider it. In the middle of a college semester everything else basically stops but at least I've taken that time to work on certs.

Thanks, I feel much better about my prospects what I'm working at will have good results I just need to keep at it.

Bokeh

I took a quick glance, didnt see it mentioned, if it was Im sorry. But take a look at indeed.com as well. I know several folks who have had luck there as well. Big pluses for Craigslist. I got my last 3 jobs from there!

ptilsen

Indeed is my go-to after my last job search. I'd still look at other sites, because their ads don't get to indeed instantaneously, but Indeed is always the start. I've personally had little luck with Craigslist. I'd occasionally see some jobs, but it would typically only be one or two a week that were really relevant to me. Monster, Dice, and Indeed would have new jobs worth applying to almost every day.

Iristheangel

Hello Draught,

I'm actually in Los Angeles and I can tell you that your list of certifications should be enough to get you an entry-level job if you have a decent enough resume and some charm. I got my first IT job over 5 years ago without a certifications or a degree. I had a few certifications by the time I got my second job a year later and doubled my income. It's very very very very possible. You might have to deal with recruiters, contracting positions, etc at first but that's just a way to get your foot in the door. Cost of living is high in Los Angeles but the job prospects are as great as you let them be. You might have to take a crappy help desk job to start but that's how most of us start

olaHalo

An AS got me into multiple interviews for entry level tech jobs. Then the experience gained from an entry level tech job plus my AS got into a mid 40k a year job. All within 1 year with no certs.
I'm sure there are plenty of other factors, but the AS seemed to help me a lot, make sure you finish it.

draught

No replies from 4 craigslist jobs I applied to yesterday I feel betrayed!

There is one I was really interested due to the part time nature. Question though it says on the ad do not call their company it's a helpdesk type thing. Would it bad to call anyway or not? That this my problem, I think way too much!

Yes Iristheangel,

That is my real weakness. I'm not a social guy at all and I'm really very shy. That said if it's do or die and I don't start making calls and doing more else I'll end up in the same place I'd can force myself to be more aggressive. I've only spoken to a recruiter once for example. Other times I've never tried calling.

I do wonder if the resume was a problem on my part. I never even thought about it for a while because you just assume a "professional" knows what they are doing. I'm working on submitting a revised resume later and hopefully nail that issue down.

Iristheangel

4 craigslist jobs is nothing. Apply for about 50-100 jobs and create a profile on Dice, Monster, Hotjobs, etc with your profile searchable. You'll get hit with TONS of calls then. A lot will be recruiters but that doesn't matter. They still pay USD cash and get you experience/foot in the door

pert

I applied to 150 or so jobs trying to get my first networking related role. At least 30 phone interviews. Granted, my resume and interview skills were horrific, so it took someone to actually give me a tech interview to prove I was competent, but either way it takes a lot of effort.

Somnipotent

Iristheangel wrote: »

4 craigslist jobs are nothing. Apply for about 50-100 jobs and create a profile on Dice, Monster, Hotjobs, etc with your profile searchable. You'll get hit with TONS of calls then. A lot will be recruiters but that doesn't matter. They still pay USD cash and get you experience/foot in the door

^ this. I still get calls... and I deactivated all my accounts or made them private.

Dakinggamer87

Iristheangel wrote: »

4 craigslist jobs is nothing. Apply for about 50-100 jobs and create a profile on Dice, Monster, Hotjobs, etc with your profile searchable. You'll get hit with TONS of calls then. A lot will be recruiters but that doesn't matter. They still pay USD cash and get you experience/foot in the door

An associate's degree and a CCNA would definitely help your porspects but definitely spread out your search to other areas. Good luck I'm sure you'll find something soon!!

martaw

I would say that a CCNA and 2 year degree is great! Of course, it does depend on your local job market. I also have a two year degree and a CCNA from a local technical college. This is I.T. You don't *HAVE TO* have a 4 year degree or any degree usually for most non-management positions and certainly not an entry level position like a NOC.

I actually got my first gig because the company I worked for back then was in sort of a partnership with my college. While I was still in school and not even finished with my CCNA yet, two reps from the company came on site for a job fair. The job fair was way smaller than many job fairs since it was limited to the tech college students. They placed an asterisk on my crappy resume and the rest is history. In my case, it was more the personality they were looking for an eagerness to learn for a NOC position. I can't remember if you said you were still in school... but definitely check out any campus job fairs they may have.

I have also seen a good share of people wanting an associates for NOC jobs sometimes, so again 2 yr degree is good. If you want to go higher... it's up to you. I honestly have not seen that big of a difference at places between those with four year degrees and those who don't have one. Many times those that do have a four year degree, actually got it in something else that didn't work out at some point and they decided to do IT instead.

draught

I was joking about not getting job offer on craigslist after 4 applications (I expect it will be 50 or 100). Sometimes it's hard to convey meanings in writing.

I redid my resume and I think it looks MUCH better. I'm not sure how much I should cut out for the job descriptions. Apologies if I missed any grammar errors.

Draught
Internet street
Internet, CA
(555) 555-5555
myemail

Summary

I am person that is passionate about the IT field and I will put all my energy in the job. I'm the kind of person you would want working for your company because IT is my hobby and I will give you 100%.
SKILLS

v Proven troubleshooter of viruses, malware, and any common problem that occurs on a PC.
v Experienced and skilled at the diagnosis and repair of common hardware problems such as a failed hard drive, or power supply.
v Expert in TCP/IP configuration and basic network troubleshooting.
v Experienced in setting up, troubleshooting, and maintaining SOHO networks for individual clients.
v Proficient with Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
v Ability to quickly configure, and install Windows 8, Windows 7, XP,2000, Fedora and any common Linux distribution.

CAREER HISTORY

XYZ, somewhere, CA 2010 - 2011
Dispatcher

As a dispatcher I had to quickly provide outstanding customer phone support while at the same time ensure that drivers received the correct orders and directions. I also had to weigh in each truck that came through while taking calls or creating new proposals. This job would really tie in with a help desk/call center experience due to the volume of calls and demand for multitasking.

major airport, airport, CA 2008 - 2010
Field Manager

This position required that I managed all tollbooths at major Airport. That would be 12 booths, with a total employee count of about 20 per shift.(too detailed? trying to convey size) My primary job was to ensure the smooth operation of the entire parking area in Major Airport. It would be up to me to resolve all customer disputes, and ensure that all tollbooths functioned correctly. Any hardware issue fell to me solve for example if the credit reader failed to work or the registers had any issues.
While job duties may sound very simple, imagine a situation where you have hundreds of cars an hour going through the entire Major airport parking lot. All customer issues and employee problems fell directly on you. If you do not act fast and quickly resolve the problems you'll end up with a closed parking lot costing the airport tens of thousands. I ensured that everything ran at peak efficiency and diffused situations others could not handle by remaining logical and calm. Too long trying to decide where to cut this in half.

Certifications
· Comptia Security +
· Comptia Network +
· Comptia A+

EDUCATION
A.S., Computer and Networking Technology, x College, x, CA
Expected Completion June 2013

N2IT

CCNA alone should help out tremendously.