Need advice in my life

sendalot · February 2013

So I got a B.S in business. Now I want to do IT. I am accepted to a "M.S in Network Management/Engineering."

Now I asked this before whether certs are worth more than a degree. Mixed replies folks said.

If I want to progress into Network Admin + Support + Expert in the future, does a combination of M.S in Network and Certs look prospective?
I don't want to do security because it will worsen my already paranoid life style.

I so far have Net+ and CCENT. On ICND-2 now before grad school starts this fall.

On a side note, how do you all stay positive in life?

Essendon · February 2013

I reckon you need an IT job and a CCNA more than you need that MS. Without real-world experience an MS wont hold much weight. No one would want their systems in the hand of someone who has never been in IT before. I experienced this first hand.

How do I stay positive? I want the money and I want to own a Maserati. Helps me sustain the motivation and positivism.

sendalot · February 2013

So experience than to MS? I'm glad I asked here before putting money down for a degree.

Essendon · February 2013

Hands down experience trumps an MS. I'll tell you my story in a few sentences. I completed an MS in Engineering from a top-10 ranked school and though I did NOT have grandiose dreams of landing a six figure salary right off the bat, I was confident I'd land some entry-level role in some kind of IT company. Wrong, I looked for jobs for 8 months before I found this ISP tech support job about 2 hours away from my home. Most recruiters/companies wouldnt call me as I had no IT experience and if I called them to follow up they'd say - It's great you have an MS, but without any experience how are you going to be able to administer a system, sorry we cant offer you an interview at this stage but once you have some experience, feel free to reapply. Go figure!

An MS helps later in your career, IMO. I've been in IT about 7 years and only for the last year or so have employers been looking favourably at my MS.

sendalot · February 2013

How did you land on the very first job?

Essendon · February 2013

Just got lucky I guess! The ISP was hiring a new team of 6 and the recruiter said they'd ask me questions about this and that. I looked up Wikipedia and stayed up half the night memorizing the stuff. I blew their socks off at the interview, well maybe not but I answered every question they had. It also helped that I had setup modems for a few mates and they also looked at that favourably. Got the job an hour or two after the interview.

Gotta keep applying, spread the net far and wide and something will eventually come. NEVER give up. Especially in IT, NEVER give up. Google before asking questions is another bit of advice I always hand out.