how many of you are college drop outs?

im curious to know if the majority of IT people finish their college or just a 2 year course like mine. it' sad to know that majority of IT jobs requires a college degree.

im looking forward to get some certs to supplement job marketability and to that i want to ask you guys out here "How does certs helped you get a job?"

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Netstudent

Why is it sad that most IT jobs require an education? Welcome to the modern world. No drop out here. I think most people who have high level jobs that do not have a formal education, have grown with the IT industry since its start in the early 80's and 90's. Which means they have mucho experience. If you you don't have experience, you probably won't do very well without a degree.

networker050184

I have zero college. Been meaning to start for about seven years now, just never got around to it as it doesn't interest me at all.

Most positions in IT (that I have come across) ask for a degree or equivalent work experience. I have the equivalent experience part, but I think I might get a degree eventually. Need to do it before my GI Bill runs out anyway.

Arvean

Netstudent wrote:

Welcome to the modern world. No drop out here.

I tend to agree, it's not only the knowledge that you get from college, but it's also a proof for future employer that you are persistent, reliable, and you can finish what you've started ...

silentc1015

ladiesman217 wrote:

im curious to know if the majority of IT people finish their college or just a 2 year course like mine. it' sad to know that majority of IT jobs requires a college degree.

im looking forward to get some certs to supplement job marketability and to that i want to ask you guys out here "How does certs helped you get a job?"

I dropped out of college after 3 years and have no degree. I never found it to be a problem and have a relatively high paying job that I enjoy. I think I will find it hard to get into management, my long-term goal, without a degree. But I guess I'll find out when I get there. I'm also considering going back to school for economics/business, as I've become very interested in investing and other related topics. I'm not sure if I will.

Arvean

[quote= I'm also considering going back to school for economics/business, as I've become very interested in investing and other related topics. I'm not sure if I will.[/quote]

I believe that Economics/business is a great choice. I mentioned that subject recently in one of my post and from the feedback I think that IT and business can create a great value. It's like having double the chances of getting job. It widens your outlook and definitely allows you to get higher.

GT-Rob

College dropout here. Went to about a week before I stopped going.

I am sure there are some jobs out there that I can't get without a degree, but if they would rather a degree than my knowledge, experience and certifications, than I would rather not work there in the first place.

That being said I have never had a problem finding a job that pays well and I love.

c0d3_w0lf

I'm a highschool dropout. *GASP!*

However, I did get my GED. I'm also planning on going to college as soon as my schedule allows. In fact, you might even consider the school I'm going to right now for my certifications a college, even though no degree is involved. (I'm spending enough for it to be considered college! >.<)

But yeah, once I'm done with my year at Techskills, I'm going to attend a community college to get my generals out of the way, and then transfer to a four-year university to get a double major in Computer Science and Physics, with a possible minor either in mathematics or Music.

All this while working a full time job. x.x It's going to take me FOREVER to get that degree. *cries*

dynamik

I had two years of college done when I graduated from high school. I'm 25 now and have three more courses to take before I get my degree. They're sequential, so I'm not going to graduate until May, 2009. There's not a doubt in my mind that my career would be much further along had I gotten my degree earlier. The last five years have been pretty rough. It's not like I just spent the time partying, but I probably could have taken things a bit more seriously.

I don't think a college degree will necessarily trump experience, but if two candidates have comparable experience and only one has a degree, guess who's the most likely to get the job offer. I'd recommend that everyone check out JD's Comprehensive Employment Equation to see how all the factors relate to one another.

I have absolutely hated college. I've only enjoyed a handful of my classes. However, it's definitely going be worth the effort. Many places won't even inspect your resume if you don't have a degree. That's not to say you'll never get a decent job without a degree, but you'll have to work harder and have some luck on your side. Even if you start now and just take a class a semester/term, it'll be over before you know it. Taking one class at a time is not that big of commitment, either financially or temporally.

ajs1976

I dropped out of college and was able to get an IT job with after only completing couple of CS classes and an internship. The job was not that good, but after completing my MCSE and getting some experience, I was able to get a better job.

I have been at my second job for about 6 1/2 years now. I went back to school and completed an Associates in Computer Information Technology a few years ago. It was mainly for my own piece of mind. I justed started back to school to comlete a Bachelors in Business Management.

I haven't been in the job market for a while and don't know when I will be next, but I feel that having the degree will help, but I could probably do without it because of my experience.

AlanJames

I know lots of people working in I.T without a degree.

In UK and Aus, the mijority of I.T job's require experience and Certification

Even though i have a degree, agencies never asked about it

Mishra

What comes first, the chicken or the egg? It all depends on where you are and what employers you are dealing with.

I never dropped out of college because I made a really solid choice to stay and get an associates. However, I didn't learn hardly anything at all or developed any skills I didn't already have.

nel

this is quite an interesting topic as im thinkin of finishing my degree after this year to try and go for the ccna and progress into networking hopefully. i will attain my bsc degree in july. then i also want my mcse.

Which level of degree do most of you find you have to have in order to do most things this post has mentioned?

And lastely, do most think an mcse ccna and a bsc (in network computing) will be enough to get me a step towards a network engineer or another high level job? i also have 5 1/2 yrs FT IT experiance ranging from 1-3 line support?

BeaverC32

Graduated a few years ago with a Bachelors in CS. Landed a great job right out of school, and I definitely would not be making as much as am now had I not went to school. I feel I have a more secure future having a degree, and ultimately more opportunities.

An older friend of mine had 13+ years of experience, but no college education. He went back to school to get that degree because his company was unstable and he was scared that if he lost his job, it would be difficult finding a new one without a degree. I don't ever want to be in that situation. I have put the effort up front to get that degree and haven't looked back.

College was fun, and personally thought it was money well spent (with the exception of a few classes).

phantasm

Did my A.S. in CIS and now working on my B.S. in Network and Communcations Managment. Best of both worlds. Management courses and tech courses. I saw a poster once that said "Success comes in degress; A.S. B.S. M.S. PhD." lol.

I'm planning on an M.S. in CE; the school i'm looking at has a network track under the CE dept.

networker050184

Degrees are like anything else. Some people think they need them some people think they do not. Same can be said about certifications or almost anything else.

Having a degree wonn't hurt your chances of being successful thats for sure.

girt81

It all really depends, as every set of job requirements are different. It also depends on who is the initial filter of the resumes. A non-technical HR person will be more likely to not interview people without college education just because it is an easy filter.

That's all just leading to getting the initial callback and interview of course. If you can sell yourself well and ace a technical interview, lack of formal education doesn't hurt you as much. You'll just have a harder time getting past that first step.

networker050184

Not having a degree has never hurt me getting the first step. I've never even been asked about a degree....

ladiesman217

nel wrote:

this is quite an interesting topic as im thinkin of finishing my degree after this year to try and go for the ccna and progress into networking hopefully. i will attain my bsc degree in july. then i also want my mcse.

Which level of degree do most of you find you have to have in order to do most things this post has mentioned?

And lastely, do most think an mcse ccna and a bsc (in network computing) will be enough to get me a step towards a network engineer or another high level job? i also have 5 1/2 yrs FT IT experiance ranging from 1-3 line support?

good question nel and let me add some to your question.

regarding the level of degree, were a two year course considered a college degree? for what i know it's just a vocational course or an associate and bachelors degree is about 4 to 5 yrs to pursue. im asking this because im confused with level of degree youre asking.

guess we should make a poll, threshold level should start at high school, 2 year vocational, 3 years associate, and a Bachelors.

go ahead nel, make the poll.

Pash

I am not sure about other countries but I know that here in the UK a university degree counts for nothing currently. Many of my old school friends who have degrees havent found a proper job at 24/25. Real smart guys and gals working in supermarkets/shops/malls......The UK government see this as a huge concern and realise the choice of degree for a young adult does not mean they will get a job remotely close to what they have studied. I know there is talk of offering apprentiship schemes for school leavers/college leavers with a wide variety and choice...sparkies/carpenters/construction/IT/ (the list is endless which is the best part). The main reason for the trends above is of course the average employer does not wan't to waste money on extensive training for the average new recruit because he/she lacks the skill/general knowledge/real world experience in that field. Of course, an IT related degree with maybe one or two cert's is a massive foot in the door though...even over here, but it's worth is not as much as you would think.....

I still plan to go back to uni's in the evening and do a degree at some point, but thats later in the future when I have achieved my cert goals.

Daniel333

Picked up a AA in computer science and then dropped out of a state...

A+ got me my job at Geek Squad, Net+ got me my job at a help desk and CCNA didn't help much to get my current job but has helped here and there with my troubleshooting.

147

Do you count as a dropout if you quit then went back to finish? I started majoring in physics when I left H.S. (hated everything but the calculus- only detested that). Almost 10 years later I went back and finally finished an A.S. in Environmental Science (don't ask) and my B.S. in Business Administration before I turned 30 last year. I'm seeking the IT certs now because I'm trying to turn the degree, management experience, and side-jobs in IT into a career I actually LIKE!

I know that in my current field I was topped out without the A.S., and a year later I was peaked out without the B.S.

enrious

College drop-out here, 2 years in History. Even if I had my degree, it wouldn't have helped in the IT field.

Started as a bench tech for a retail store, eventually moved up to networking, then got certifications (which probably got me interviews only).

I'm happy where I am, working for a software company and doing some management. I think a lot of people expect to start off mid-level instead of at the bottom regardless of certs or non-IT experience and that's the killer.

Oh and I do plan to go back to college...to study anthropology.

TechJunky

Took 1 cisco course at college. Dropped out, passed my CCNA and never looked back.

Aquabat [banned]

I AM!

just kidding tools

mgeorge

Ya know its funny how like 82% of the worlds billionares were college drop outs.
Read that in people's magizine LOL!!! but of course they went back to college and got
a degree after they made their millions/billions.

Megadeth4168

I wouldn't call myself a college drop out, since I am taking 1 class per year lol!

Right now, I've deiced that I wanted to concentrate on certifications first. I do plan on going back to school on a more full time basis in a year or 2. I have to enjoy being a newly wed for a little while first.

Anyway, for me, I've found that not having a degree has not hurt me any. Most job's I've looked at have been 4 year degree OR comparable experience. I know that my chances of getting into management are much lower without a degree though.

Aquabat [banned]

like for me i would LOVE to go get an electrical engineer degree under my belt. but on the other hand i would rather work full-time in my field.

I spent time looking at degrees at penn state , which is the university near me. They are all a JOKE.

there's 2 programs at psu computer science. and Information Sciences and Technology (IST)

well, lets take a look here at what kinds of classes future network experts at penn state will be taking:

CMPSC http://bulletins.psu.edu/bulletins/bluebook/university_course_descriptions.cfm?letter=C&dept=CMPSC

CMPSC 097 Special Topics (1-9) Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest.
Effective: Spring 2008

CMPSC 199 (IL) Foreign Studies (1-12) Courses offered in foreign countries by individual or group instruction.
Effective: Summer 2005

CMPSC 202 (GQ) Programming for Engineers with FORTRAN (3) Development and implementation of algorithms in a procedure-oriented language,with emphasis on numerical methods for engineering problems. A student may receive credit for only one of the following courses: CMPSC 101, 102, 200, 201, or 202.
Effective: Spring 2008

CMPSC 397B Intermediate Programming with PHP (3) Covers forms, databases, email, cookies, oft-used libraries. Prerequisite: CSE 297 Intro to Prog and CSE 297 Intro to Database Management
Effective: Spring 2008 Ending: Spring 2008

etc. etc. etc.

IST http://bulletins.psu.edu/bulletins/bluebook/college_campus_details.cfm?id=35&program=ist.htm

INFORMATION CONTEXT: PEOPLE, ORGANIZATIONS, AND SOCIETY OPTION: This option focuses on how information technology affects social change and the delivery of information to the consumer. This includes the human-machine interface; organization and retrieval of information; digital libraries; information and telecommunications services; information and media industry structures; software services and intermediaries; telecommunications and information law and policy; sociological aspects of technology change; multimedia; and art, design, and aesthetics.

CMPSC 409 Advanced Data Processing with COBOL (3) Introduction to advanced COBOL features, file structures, and programming techniques and information processing.
Effective: Spring 2008
Prerequisite: CMPSC 109

CMPSC 452 Numerical Analysis I (3) Algorithm efficiency and accuracy, function interpolation and polynomial approximation, numerical differentiation and integration, initial-value problems, and approximation of eigenvalues.
Effective: Spring 2008

CMPSC 466 Combinatorics and Graph Theory (3) An introduction to combinatorics and graph theory, with emphasis on applications and their organization for solution on digital computers.
Effective: Spring 2008

Ok, well i searched both pages for the word 'cisco' and obviously came up with nothing.

OOOOO wait i found ONE, ONE class

CMPSC 436 Communications and Networking (3) Data transmission, basic signaling, data encoding, error control, communication protocols, security, network topologies, routing, switching, internetworking, emerging high speed networks.
Effective: Spring 2008

wow~!

give me a break, this is such a joke. i met a student that said he was doing "IST" and i was like, um what is that?

Would i trade in working in the field right now, installing pixs, asa's, routers, switches, call-managers for taking a 4 year undergraduate degree in computer science or IST??

NEVER

i can't stand this crap. look at this. This is a WASTE of time. Now, if instead of going to a 2 year school then working in my field, i sintead went to a 4 year university, didn't work in the field and took IST or Computer Science. I would get out with my diploma and ready to hit the job market. Not knowing how to configure the cisco IOS, knowing what a PIX is, knowing how a PRI works,

more like...KNOWING ANYTHING.

if i suddenly had to swap brains with one of these idiots that when to a university like this and took 4 years of cpmsci or ist.

I WOULD KILL MYSELF. I would jump out of a window and cut my throut while flying through the air

this stuff means NOTHING at all. it makes me sick

Sepiraph

Not a dropout ... Physics graduate here. Realized I like computer networking a lot more. If I ever go back to school I'd do a M.Sc. in computer networking, specifying networking with Brain-Computer interface but I don't think I can get a job with that ... yet.

Aquabat [banned]

Sepiraph wrote:

Not a dropout ... Physics graduate here. Realized I like computer networking a lot more. If I ever go back to school I'd do a M.Sc. in computer networking, specifying networking with Brain-Computer interface but I don't think I can get a job with that ... yet.

physics is cool.

when i read cisco press books frmo people who are ccie's and all that, i always read their bio first you know. and what i've noticed is:

alot of these experts that write these books, they don't have computer science degrees.

they either have like electronics, or elctrical engineering, or even physcics degrees. but i rarely see one with computer or mis degrees

shednik

Aquabat wrote:

Sepiraph wrote:

Not a dropout ... Physics graduate here. Realized I like computer networking a lot more. If I ever go back to school I'd do a M.Sc. in computer networking, specifying networking with Brain-Computer interface but I don't think I can get a job with that ... yet.

physics is cool.

when i read cisco press books frmo people who are ccie's and all that, i always read their bio first you know. and what i've noticed is:

alot of these experts that write these books, they don't have computer science degrees.

they either have like electronics, or elctrical engineering, or even physcics degrees. but i rarely see one with computer or mis degrees

That may be true and so what if it is, you can make many different degree's work for you for whatever you would like to do in your career. I do not agree with you at all just because I went to a 4 year school doesn't mean I came out not knowing how to do anything. Look at jobs these days they are looking for experience and a degree. Most degree's teach the theory aspect of IT which was 85% of my degree but you know what I wanted to do more so I taught myself and worked jobs in my field. Now I have a great job doing what I love and you know what I'm going back for my masters because it will only better myself in the long run. I've had this argument with all kinds of people who went to a technical school rather then getting a BS. They all say the same thing I don't feel like taking the boring core courses, well I went through those courses and left behind the people at my last job who went to the tech school. Now I am making atleast 16k more then them with a lot more room to grow. So back to my point a 4 year degree is NOT a WASTE OF TIME, it's only a waste time if you don't take advanatge of the time you have to learn all that you can.