Career Change: Degree vs. Certs?

Clem25

Hi all, I'm in the process of changing up my career from doing outside sales and getting into IT with an interest in networking/ security. I've been 2 months w/o a job now, and I'm about to take my A+. I've been applying to a good bit of Help Desk, junior networking analyst, junior security analyst. I've had a few interviews for a couple of HD jobs, and they keep telling me I'm doing good and to not give up but they want more experience. I've actually got an interview tomorrow for a junior security analyst position that I'm even surprised I got a reply back, I even stated in my cover letter that I'm looking for a career change. My question to you all is should I keep working on certifications, or should I go back and get an Associates or Bachelors degree towards something in IT? I can't make up my mind, I kind of feel like if I go back to school then companies might look at me more seriously. No matter what, I need to get a job soon. I've made up my mind that I'm sticking with this change, because I feel that it will pay off in the long run and I really enjoy learning something new everyday in this field. I'm currently 29, turning 30 in a few weeks. I appreciate all advice given, thanks.

10Linefigure

You are doing the right thing by chosing to persue something that you enjoy. Getting A+ is a good start and from there can go down whatever track you like. Certs vs College is a big one. However it may come down to time. 'No matter what, I need to get a job soon' well friend certs are faster then a degree to start with so you may want to get a few of those and start working. Then you will have an idea of what you like and the direction you want your career to take and you can go to college with a focus in that field. In the end just make sure your happy doing what you do.

aderon

You might want to look into Western Governors University. It allows you to pursue certifications and a B.S. at the same time. As you pass certifications, you pass classes. Fully accredited and pretty cheap (Plus the certification vouchers/attempts are covered by tuition).

I was in a pretty similar situation a few months ago and decided this would probably be the best option.

Clem25

Thanks for the advice, I have looked at WGU but don't you need professional experience before you can enroll for a BS? I have thought about just trying to work on getting the Net+, and Sec+ done then try to go back to school. I went to Clemson University, and have a BS that is not related to IT. Would it be better to pursue a masters rather than another Bachelors? I'm just having a hard time making my mind up, if I do go back to school it's probably going to have to be an online program.

aspiringsoul

My recommendation would be to pursue a masters degree instead of a bachelor degree in IT since you already have a bachelor degree. My opinion is that if you're going to invest any more of your time pursuing a degree, you should pick a degree that specializes in something (like networking/security) and take a step up instead of a step sideways. I just think that having a bachelor and a masters degree would look better on a resume than two bachelor degrees (not to devalue the worth of two bachelor degrees which would still look very impressive on a resume).

WGU is a very affordable option and I have heard wonderful things about their programs on these forums. If you're interested in security, you may consider the MS:Information Security and Assurance. You would earn the CCENT and CEH certifications as part of that program. Dakota state also has an online Information Assurance program, as well as an Information Systems program (although you may have to take some additional courses since you have an unrelated major). You might also consider some public universities in your area.

Keep in mind though, most graduate programs in IT are geared for management positions, so you will probably get more "technical" knowledge from pursuing certifications. If you can afford the money and time for both, I recommend both. It really depends what your career goals are. Having a masters degree would definitely help you get into management.

Good luck!

aspiringsoul

Check out this list of affordable online programs:

Online Masters in Computer Science | Affordable Online Degrees | Best Online Colleges | Best Online Universities | GetEducated.com

stryder144

Since you have a degree, I'd suggest pursuing certs first. A lot of employers are interested in a BS being on the resume, whether or not it is directly applicable to IT. Naturally, some prefer a business, CS, MIS, IT degree. As stated above, the cert is going to be quicker to attain and may have the best short-term ROI for you. The A+/Net+/Sec+ trio might be the best foundational set of certs to pursue. I'd also add one OS specific cert, too, as that will increase your opportunities (maybe MCSA: Windows 7). Then, you will have a primarily hardware repair, a basic network, a basic security, and an OS foundation to build upon.

After you've had some training and attained some certs, you will have a better idea of the direction you want to travel in. This will drive your decision to pursue either another BS or an MS.

fredrikjj

If you are in the US and already have one degree I can't possibly see it being worth the opportunity cost of 3 years of lost income + tuition fees + living expenses in order to get some general IT degree, assuming that's what you would be going for. If you make an honest calculation of what this would cost, it's insane numbers.

I'm actually starting a program myself this fall in order to complete my unfinished degree, but it's online, free (because it's Sweden), and I know roughly 50% of the material already. I'm doing it because there is signaling value in having a degree vs. no degree, and it's just something I want to get done, even if there were no real point to it. There's much less value in having one degree vs. another degree unless it's a "real" degree like a hardcore engineering program or medical school.

Clem25

Thank you, just to let you all know my B.S. is Agricultural/ Business based.

Clem25

stryder144 wrote: »

Since you have a degree, I'd suggest pursuing certs first. A lot of employers are interested in a BS being on the resume, whether or not it is directly applicable to IT. Naturally, some prefer a business, CS, MIS, IT degree. As stated above, the cert is going to be quicker to attain and may have the best short-term ROI for you. The A+/Net+/Sec+ trio might be the best foundational set of certs to pursue. I'd also add one OS specific cert, too, as that will increase your opportunities (maybe MCSA: Windows 7). Then, you will have a primarily hardware repair, a basic network, a basic security, and an OS foundation to build upon.

After you've had some training and attained some certs, you will have a better idea of the direction you want to travel in. This will drive your decision to pursue either another BS or an MS.

I'm very interested in the IA/Security route, this is what got me wanting to change in IT in the first place. Also, there are more jobs available than there are people qualified in my area for this field. A couple years ago, government contract companies were just pulling people from different departments and off the streets to train them and put them into a IA analyst role. Not so much anymore after the budget cuts, but there is still a huge demand for security professionals in my area.

aspiringsoul

I wanted to mention, that I personally know someone who had a Bachelor degree in Business and decided to try to break into IT. He completed a Bachelor degree in IT at WGU in less than a year thanks to all the credits he transferred in. He now has the A+, Network+, Security+, and Project+ and he spent less than $6,000 for the degree. You might consider applying and sending your transcript and seeing how many CUs transfer.

If you have the time to invest outside your full time job, and want to focus on both, it's something to consider. If you can get tuition reimbursement, I definitely recommend doing both. If not, then you will save a lot of money just focusing on certifications.

Clem25

Thanks for the info aspiringsoul.

TomkoTech

I would do the WGU Masters in Security. Get your foot in the door by completing your Network+ and Security+ certs first.

As far as your current degree. I have a friend who works for a company that is consistently in the top 100 places to work. He has a Bachelor's in English. He got into IT shortly after college and is currently a Senior Security Analyst there with no formal education in IT.

if you have an aptitude for all things technical, your degree isn't going to hurt you. Just get a few certs and keep pushing to find the career you want.

Clem25

TomkoTech wrote: »

I would do the WGU Masters in Security. Get your foot in the door by completing your Network+ and Security+ certs first.

As far as your current degree. I have a friend who works for a company that is consistently in the top 100 places to work. He has a Bachelor's in English. He got into IT shortly after college and is currently a Senior Security Analyst there with no formal education in IT.

if you have an aptitude for all things technical, your degree isn't going to hurt you. Just get a few certs and keep pushing to find the career you want.

With online universities such as WGU, do you get actual hands on experience through the program?

bryguy

Clem25 wrote: »

Thank you, just to let you all know my B.S. is Agricultural/ Business based.

Don't let that stop you... My B.A. was in Psychology. I studied 3 months for my CISSP certification, and passing that was enough to get me admitted into WGU's MSISA program without having a B.S. in an IT related field.

TomkoTech

I can't say what's included with any online courses. However I would assume that most of them have labs and simulators.

GarudaMin

To Clem25:

Hands-on is what you make of it. WGU's MSISA has CCENT, but if you want to take it further, you can do CCNA and get some hands-on there. There are also CEH and CHFI accompanied by labs. Once again, it depends on you on how much hands-on you want to get out of it.

Clem25

By hands on, I meant labs or sims for different classes. Getting experience with windows server, and active directory and so on. Using different security tools.

TomkoTech

Honestly I'd suggest building a machine for home that you can set up a virtual lab on. Newegg frequently has deals on HP Proliant N54L type servers. They are small, and don't use a lot of power. I got mine for ~$225 on special. Used the 250gb drive it came with as an OS drive, and added 4 1TB drives in a raid 10 to use for storage/VMs. I also got 8 gigs of RAM for it. People have had success with 16gigs but I didn't see the need for a test lab. The whole thing was around $400 for everything excluding the different OS licensing. But I have access for that through work, and if you are in school through MSDN Academic Alliance.

bamahonky

Just to give you a little hope, I went through the same career change 4 years ago today and I was about the same age. I left a sales position that paid well but was horrible stress. I knew I wanted to get into the IT field. The Internet has a wealth of information on all areas of IT. I would recommend getting a couple of Comptia certs then move on to CCENT if you enjoy the network side of the house. Then build your resume to display our skills. No you do not IT experience but you have sales experience while does count for something along with the "skills" you have learned for your career change.

Clem25

Thanks for all the information, I have so many questions floating around in my head. I have some different recruiters the same questions, but they really didn't have any good answers. I just want to make sure I'm making the right decisions when picking a school and degree path, or just working on more certifications. This board since I have joined it has been very helpful, it's nice to be able to get advice from so many different professionals around the country.

TomkoTech

Well you are going to need experience on top of whatever degrees/certs you decide on getting. I don't really know what your current expertise looks like, but you could do some volunteer work, or maybe a support.com type helpdesk job while you continue looking for a real opportunity.

daviddws

I was in the same boat at 29. I had a BA in business and no certs, but was able to find high tech work with no issues. The economy is now rougher than it was 10 years ago, so you really have to step it up if you want decent employment. The Masters at WGU sounds like a good option as it will give you both, which really is what employers are looking for these days (they want it all). It may seem like overkill, but once you obtain the masters your resume is going to be at the top of the pile, and interviews should be ALOT easier to obtain.

Clem25

Thanks for all of the advice, I think I'm going to look heavily at the BS of IT Security at WGU instead of a Masters mostly because of all the certifications that I can earn during the process.

Clem25

What are some good IT websites that you all frequent? Looking for some good reading material while internet surfing.

TomkoTech

Professor Messor has a lot of free videos that would be helpful.

Clem25

I use PM videos already for studying, I was talking mostly about different publications about what's going on in the IT world.

TomkoTech

Technology News & Computers, Mobile, Internet and Trends in Innovation - Wsj.com

ZDNet | Technology News, Analysis, Comments and Product Reviews for IT Professionals

WIRED

PCWorld - News, tips and reviews from the experts on PCs, Windows, and more

Tech News, Reviews & Tips | Geek.com

Product reviews and prices, software downloads, and tech news - CNET

Lifehacker - Tips and downloads for getting things done

Mashable

TechRepublic - A Resource for IT Professionals

Those are some of the general ones. Of course there are niche ones. Specifically for Cloud/Virtualization, Networking, Security and so on.