what do you guys think of highschool dropouts working in i.t?

jakecitrix

what you guys think of highschool dropouts working in i.t

There was a article about this by comptia

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drkat

?? Not sure if I should be offended or not.

I dropped out when I was 16 and never looked back.

I got a job with an ISP being a programmer (Perl) worked for a little bit and left.

I did however take some community college courses non-IT related in a failed attempt to get a GED/Certificate in Automotive Tech.

I've been in IT for 6yrs now and do pretty well. I'm currently a Network Engineer for an MSP

Armymanis

anyone who has enough drive can work in IT.

the_Grinch

Might make it tougher to find a job, but shouldn't effect the work. I had a college professor who said they did a study and found most of the kids who dropped out were the smart ones. If you aren't challenged then obviously work output will be less. I had the chance to graduate by the end of my sophomore year (full diploma, would just have to double up on my English classes and Gym), but my parents put a end to that dream. Fact of the matter is there are a ton of reasons people would leave high school and I'd say most a valid reasons. I don't feel it would make anyone less qualified to do a job in IT. Looking back, I couldn't really say any course I took in high school would prepare me to work in IT. College and some natural talent is what really did it. I know I reference to Kill A Mockingbird at least three times a week when I need to fix an issue with a server....

NetworkingStudent

jakecitrix wrote: »

what you guys think of highschool dropouts working in i.t

There was a article about this by comptia

A little off topic, but I have heard that Bobby Flay dropped out of high school to become a Bus Boy, and then later on became a chef. Yes it’s very possible, but you really have to have a passion, and I think you need to have more connections than you would when you have a degree. Also, I think you would have to eventually be an expert in the field.
In this day and age I wouldn’t dismiss the power degree. A degree won’t guarantee you a job, but it will certainly help you get one.

Q. How did you get your start at such a young age?

A. I dropped out of high school. I really had no interest in doing any school work whatsoever. My father, who is very much a scholarly guy, said: "Well, you're going to have to get a job then." Two days later, he called and said the bus boy at a restaurant where he was a partner [Joe Allen, in New York's Theatre District] needed two weeks off to visit his sick grandmother. I was told to fill in.

Bobby Flay Interview: How a Famous Foodie Got His Start - WSJ.com

drkat

Let me also add that when I dropped out I went to work. I figured why the hell am i gonna chill here in school when reducing fractions and English class arent doing me any good. I'd have rather gone out and done something.

jakecitrix

drkat wrote: »

Let me also add that when I dropped out I went to work. I figured why the hell am i gonna chill here in school when reducing fractions and English class arent doing me any good. I'd have rather gone out and done something.

yeah i guess, i mean highschool wont teach you much about i.t,

it does not relate closely to i.t

or the real world.

highschool wont help much in i.t

i guess highschool qual is not needed for i.t

ehnde

I'd rather have my foot cut off than have my high school education taken away from me. I took advanced Math, English, and Science courses in high school and still find that foundational information useful to this day. For those of you maybe still in high school thinking about dropping out, don't. The claims of success above from the other posters in this thread are NOT typical for high school dropouts. You need an education and probably certs, and beyond that you will need work experience in I.T. to make it in this field.

College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2010 High School Graduates

The jobless rate for recent high school dropouts was 42.7 percent, compared with 33.4 percent for recent high school graduates not enrolled in college.

powerfool

I dropped out of high school because I was bored.... I had enough credits and I had met all of my requirements to graduate and they wouldn't let me graduate a year early. I was in the advanced classes, too; so, I got my GED. I began working professionally in IT just after my 18th birthday. When I was 23, I started going to school full-time in the evenings after work because I wished I already had college done; four years later, BS in Information Systems.

You can do it, but it would be a lot easier if you had college under your belt. People can jump to conclusions.... and if you can make the best impression by showing that you take yourself seriously, then others will too.

Everyone

jakecitrix wrote: »

yeah i guess, i mean highschool wont teach you much about i.t,

it does not relate closely to i.t

or the real world.

highschool wont help much in i.t

i guess highschool qual is not needed for i.t

It probably would have taught you how to write better.

I technically never even went to high school. I don't have a diploma or a GED. I am however decently educated, and have a high IQ. So I'm not your typical high school dropout. I have a well established career, and make a great salary.

Having said that, I'll have to agree with ehnde. I am nowhere near typical. I worked very hard to get where I'm at.

Your "average" dropout certainly wouldn't make it. No kid sending in a cover letter saying "eh man, comps r kewl, i r gud wit dem, i can haz job?" is going to get anywhere.

jmritenour

As someone who used to work in public education, I have no problem with it - public education in the US is definitely not a barometer or intelligence or aptitude. No Child Left Behind and SOL testing has watered it down to the point that kids are taught to the test, and that's it. Very little in the way of critical thinking, reasoning, or problem solving are taught. It scares me to think of what it will be like when today's high school grads are running the workforce.

MrRyte

You can be a high school/college dropout and still become a big success. You can graduate with a PhD in quauntum mechanics and still struggle to make ends meet.

The key isn't your level of intellect (which should NEVER be measured strictly by diplomas and degrees), but your passion to master whatever is it that you're trying to do. And it doesn't matter how young or old you are either.

Devilry

MrRyte wrote: »

You can be a high school/college dropout and still become a big success. You can graduate with a PhD in quauntum mechanics and still struggle to make ends meet.

The key isn't your level of intellect (which should NEVER be measured strictly by diplomas and degrees), but your passion to master whatever is it that you're trying to do. And it doesn't matter how young or old you are either.

Dead on with what I was going to post.

javip

<--High School drop out.

Primarily because I got tired and bored of highschool. Teachers would only pay attention to those students that where trouble makers. I myself had an A/A+ average on everything except math (to this day I can't stand mathematics.)

So I left the first day of my senior year and enrolled to take my GED test, less than a week later I had my 'Good Enough Degree'

Currently I've been employed (ironically in the public school system) for the last six years as I.T. Personnel. A proper title would be Systems Analyst, but I do everything from the bottom of the grunt work (under tables pulling power strips, though I'll admit it's been about four years since I've done that), to the top of the ladder configuring policy and making decisions that affect our network and resources.

One truth I've come to know is this - most directors don't care about your degrees or certs as long as you can do the work and prove you can do the work. The hard part is getting past the HR Hiring Squad. They will always ask you for Degrees and Certs for a particular position. This is both a good and bad thing. Good thing because now you can get paid for what those Certs / Degrees are worth; bad thing because even if you can do the work - without a paper stating as much, the HHS won't look at your resume twice.

A fresh young face out of College with a degree and no experience is no match against someone with at least 3-5 years in a certain field.

This might seem a bit of a rant but I think it illustrates the point correctly about the "High School Diploma" thing.
You don't need the paper to be successful (diploma, cert, degree).......but it helps.

WillTech105

I feel like the IT field is a unique field. You can pretty much take your "IT destiny" into your own hands for the most part by self-learning, taking classes, mentorship, and getting new certifications. Alot of it has to do with your own motivation and drive. I am 25 years old and I've blown by people where we both started out as Help Desk guys, and I am now at the same level of some old co-workers which took them 12 years to get, I did in half the time.

Its a rewarding field if you are self-motivated and you love what you do.

That being said, INITIALLY a degree/HS DOES help get in. Once you got 5,6 years of experience under your belt -- no one cares really what school you went to or what your grades were. Hell, I was NEVER asked during any job/interview what my grades were in school. The only thing I've been asked has been "so you have a bachelors? yes, OK, next question..."

Now I am not discrediting a degree. Its great way to go to a college to met new people, network, but I feel if I had a chose of being in an apretenceship with a expereinced Network Engineer versus a college professor, I would **** college in a heartbeat. Just my opinion.

elphrank0

As long as you have a solid foundation, are organized and can Google, you're pretty much setup for IT.

MrRyte

And let's not forget-IT is a constantly evolving field. Even if a person does hold a degree/diploma/cert it's only a foot in the door. A lot of certs need to be renewed every so often for a IT person to keep up or get left out in the cold. That alone separates the weak from the willing.

RobertKaucher

drkat wrote: »

Let me also add that when I dropped out I went to work. I figured why the hell am i gonna chill here in school when reducing fractions and English class arent doing me any good. I'd have rather gone out and done something.

What I find ironic here is that with the small exception of the improper case for "I" and the completely acceptable informal form "gonna'" your grammar is better than many of the "better educated" members of this forum.

WillTech105

MrRyte wrote: »

And let's not forget-IT is a constantly evolving field. Even if a person does hold a degree/diploma/cert it's only a foot in the door. A lot of certs need to be renewed every so often for a IT person to keep up or get left out in the cold. That alone separates the weak from the willing.

Very True, which is why I mentioned its a good way to get your foot in the door, but once you got some experience the degree can pretty much go out the window and becomes almost to the point of "worthless" in OUR industry. I know others like say a doctor or a lawyer its for the most part a static world whereas our world is constantly changing.

SteveLord

RobertKaucher wrote: »

What I find ironic here is that with the small exception of the improper case for "I" and the completely acceptable informal form "gonna'" your grammar is better than many of the "better educated" members of this forum.

So? You're talking about a forum on the internet here.

blargoe

Is a HS diploma or GED a prerequisite for doing IT work? No. With enough ambition, interest, and personal investment of time and energy, you can perform many IT jobs as well as a more highly educated person.

Is it a prerequisite to getting hired (or at least, interviewed)? Eight or nine times out of ten, I would say yes. If there are management/leadership aspects to the position, chances are likely even worse.

crazychrono100

I think HS/college teach you a lot more than just the things you learn in textbooks. It also teaches you people skills. There is a reason why many classes incorporate some sort of group projects into the course. You don't need college to teach you how to write a computer program, you can learn that by reading a book. What it does teach you though is how to write a computer program that other people would want to buy and use. College is an experience you just can't replicate with anything else. Its like that summer camp you go to when you're 10. You don't need it to know how to pitch a tent but the whole experience is invaluable. So my point is HS/college is not necessary to work in IT or any field for that matters, but it will give you a bigger perspective on how to approach things in life.

chrisone

I got my GED, but graduated from a university so I don't know if my GED even applies anymore to employers. Add my certs and experience to the mix and I don't employers care about my high school days.

How about a high school drop out with a CCIE or multiple CCIE's? or high end Microsoft Certs? Add 5 to 10+ yrs experience, does it even matter at that point? With spell check and all these grammatical correcting software (templates, etc) a high school drop out can type and seem very educated.

erpadmin

chrisone wrote: »

With spell check and all these grammatical correcting software (templates, etc) a high school drop out can type and seem very educated.

There isn't any software that will differentiate between "there" and "their." Mind you, a lot of people (myself included) f' that up all the time (usually by typing too fast...I do know which one is the pronoun... lol) I can only imagine the high school dropout would have more trouble with homophones than a high school graduate. (Even one who just skated by...)

College is one thing thing, but my father (who is a high school dropout, himself) would have beat the ---- out of me if I dropped out of high school. My father did all right, but he worked way harder than he needed to.

MrRyte

crazychrono100 wrote: »

I think HS/college teach you a lot more than just the things you learn in textbooks. It also teaches you people skills. There is a reason why many classes incorporate some sort of group projects into the course. You don't need college to teach you how to write a computer program, you can learn that by reading a book. What it does teach you though is how to write a computer program that other people would want to buy and use. College is an experience you just can't replicate with anything else. Its like that summer camp you go to when you're 10. You don't need it to know how to pitch a tent but the whole experience is invaluable. So my point is HS/college is not necessary to work in IT or any field for that matters, but it will give you a bigger perspective on how to approach things in life.

Well; yes and no.
"People skills" is a relative term. Everyone has them to a different degree. The people skills I learned in high school seemed to be more about "hope for the best but prepare for the worst" in others (I don't even bother with the "golden rule" anymore). And when it comes to group projects; that when you find out a person's true colors. In every group project there's a leader/thinker and then there are those that just go along to some degree to get credit for the work and a passing grade. And I dare say that the educational system doesn't give you a realistic view of life as an adult. It amazes me to no end that with all the subjects HS/higher learning offers to its students, they teach so very little about personal finances. Not sure if it's changed in anyway but I don't remember seeing any classes on financial intelligence and responsibility.

Your identity as a young person is the main thing that you'll get out of HS/college rather than the educational/vocational skills to get through life.

RobertKaucher

SteveLord wrote: »

So? You're talking about a forum on the internet here.

We are what we habitually do... No mater where we are doing it.

swild

I have to say that I dropped out half way through my Senior year due to bordom. (Although my grades were good enough that they still mailed me my diploma, even with a full semester of F's)

I almost dropped out in 10th grade and got my GED so that I start college early. The biggest mistake I ever made was not dropping out in the 10th grade. I lost my desire to learn and drive to succeed. I wound up dropping out of college as well. Now I am happily employed as an IT support specialist making $45k. My desire to learn started back up a little over a year ago and now I have 4 certs, before which I was only making $19k.

My wife was "home schooled" for 2 years and then passed her GED when she was 15.

I'm not saying drop out and start bussing tables. I'm saying drop out and start your real education in college. No one cares, as long as you have a GED.

Psoasman

I think it's important to finish high-school. If you applied for a job and your employer asks why you didn't fill out your high school graduation info and you say" I dropped out" they may think you won't finish things.
That being said, if it isn't an issue with the employer, then I wouldn't worry about it.

blargoe

I agree with the point about later completing some kind of degree or vocational education would render the dropout/GED concern a moot point.

WiseWun

Not having a degree will hurt you in the long run when you try to move into senior roles or gov jobs.

Devilsbane

I don't think there is any excuse not to at least pursue your GED. Pretty basic stuff there. I know a lot of intelligent people who end up dropping out for one reason or another. I don't condone it, but to each their own. But I don't know anyone that would want to hire someone who dropped out and never bothered to get a sheet of paper.

As far as the "drop out to start your real learning" comment, why can't you stay in school and do that? Going to class only takes up a small amount of your time. I went to high school, was involved in athletics, read books about Java, and still graduated highschool already having more than a half a year of college completed. The one thing I kick myself a little bit about is that I didn't know about certifications. I could have studied A+ and some desktop support things while still in school with no problem. No harm in getting started early but you don't need to drop out to do it.