Is it financially worth me getting a degree?

dazl1212

I have been considering doing a degree part time, Network and security BSC. Which would take me roughly 4 years.
I'm under the assumption that the tuition fees are per year so total cost would around £12,000
I already have my CCENT and will be pursuing the CCNA which is part of the degree I want to do.

My plan so far is to try and get into Network design or abecome a self employed IT consultant.
Would I be better off just continuing with certs, likely the MCSA/E next?

zrockstar

If you want to go into design and consulting, then yes, you should get your degree. If consulting, especially self-employed, is really what you want to do, I would even recommend a business degree over a networking degree. Consulting is not installing a system that an organization cannot do on their own, that is contracting. Consulting is recommending a solution whether it be hardware or process-based off of business impact, return on investment, regulation compliance, or a variety of other generally non-technical needs. If you cannot speak the director/CXO language, then you will not go far in consulting unless you have a very niche expertise that will allow you to exist solely in a siloed IT departments.

dazl1212

zrockstar wrote: »

If you want to go into design and consulting, then yes, you should get your degree. If consulting, especially self-employed, is really what you want to do, I would even recommend a business degree over a networking degree. Consulting is not installing a system that an organization cannot do on their own, that is contracting. Consulting is recommending a solution whether it be hardware or process-based off of business impact, return on investment, regulation compliance, or a variety of other generally non-technical needs. If you cannot speak the director/CXO language, then you will not go far in consulting unless you have a very niche expertise that will allow you to exist solely in a siloed IT departments.

Ahhh I must have got consulting confused with contracting the.
So a degree would likely be worth it to get into design or contracting?

zrockstar

I don't think you got consulting and contracting confused. Contracting can really be anything from help desk to those niche specialists. What I am saying is that if you just want to be a good technician with lots of certs and know-how, then that wouldn't really be a consultant per-say. A consultant is somebody who can uncover business needs or deficiencies and recommend or design solutions based off of those needs. What you have to consider is that if you just want to be good at IT and want to work for yourself, you are limited to selling your skills only to companies who do not already employ or have access to the same skill set. For example, if you have your CCNA, you aren't likely to get any consulting work from a company that already employs a CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE. I would say every successful self-employed consultant that I know has a great business sense and great communication, that is why I would recommend getting a degree, especially a business one.

Read this: IT consultant: Job description | Prospects.ac.uk and you will see it has nothing to do with CCNA, MCSE, or any other technical certification.

dazl1212

Ahhh thank you for your advice. I think I am just looking to find a career where i can work to my own schedule and networks have always interested me. So I figured that may have been an option.

Zorodzai

Which university where you intending to get a degree with ? If you intend to study part time University of London should be cheaper i believe: Home | University of London International Programmes

For me it's imperative I complete my degree as I can only progress so far (careerwise) without one and I'm not growing any younger................

dazl1212

I was thinking of Bolton university as its only around the corner from my house

Zorodzai

hehehhe nice, if you get to attend lessons great coz 100% self study is painful...............

dazl1212

I think I would need to. Its just the timing could be an issue as I work full time.
I understand my reasoning behind the type of jobs I want to do isn't the best but I don't like working to on other peoples schedule.
Don't mid deadlines but having to work set ours is bad when you have sleeping difficulties