Would it be better for me to earn certifications or to earn another degree?

Here's some background:

I received my Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. I have about 6 years of IT experience, but it's mostly with Apple stuff, working as an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician and On-Site technician for Apple computers and other devices.

I'm thinking about the pros and cons of either going back to school or just pursuing certifications. I have experience with customer service, troubleshooting, hardware repair, that sort of thing, but what I'm really interested in is Networking and Network administration, and potentially Server administration.

Soo.. At this point I'm trying to decide if I should go back for something like an AAS in Network Administration, or if I should just take things like the Network+ and CCNA certifications to try and get my foot in the door as a junior level admin. What do you all think would be a good path?

Thanks for any and all advice.

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Comments

erpadmin

I will never understand why people with a BS in a non-technical field would want to go back to school to earn an AAS (of all things....)

With a degree in philosophy, you can pretty much handle any MS program, if you're gonna go back to school at all. In my opinion, a Masters will pretty much carry more weight than certs. If you don't want a Masters, than a second Bachelor's would pretty much be a better choice than a AAS. Since philosophy is pretty much math [logic] with words, you can probably handle calc [even if you hate math...you'd be surprised.] If you can handle calc, you are probably better off getting a CS degree, if you're gonna bother with anything at all.

Otherwise, I would leverage your experience and try to see if you can gain a foothold as a junior admin somewhere. Or even try to get a jack-of-all-trades (JOAT) position somewhere at a small shop. The pay will probably be minimal, but the experience will be gold.

wellnowwhat

I just figure it would give me a good starting point since I'm trying to get into a different career "trajectory" than the one I'm currently on. My thinking is that I'd have to start at ground zero, essentially.

However, I would be highly interested in getting an MS, if I could find one that were suitable. Honestly, I would prefer a higher degree over taking a step back. I live in Oregon, and the schools offering MS degrees in things like Network Administration or Information Systems are sparse, so I've had trouble tracking places down that offer them..

I did well in Pre-Calc, so math isn't really an issue. The main issue is my current Apple-based career and lack of Microsoft, Cisco, etc experience. I'd be happy to start lower on the rung if it meant moving up into something more interesting than iPad setups and replacing hard drives on faulty iMacs.

ptilsen

I'm actually going to disagree with Erp here. I don't think a Master's degree is going to get you anything in particular. You have soft skills and industry work history. What you don't have is any proof of real hard skills. Certs are going to help you with that.

That being said, I think you should get a Master's. I just think you should get it in addition to certs, either after getting a few or concurrently while working on them. A couple low-level certs and your existing experience should easily get you into a different position providing more valuable experience and possibly better pay. From there, you can start working on your Master's. Changing employers should come first.

Don't get a two-year degree or another four-year degree. They will really not add substantial market value. If you wanted to get a CS degree and become a programmer, maybe finishing a 2nd Bachelor's in CS would be smart. To work in infrastructure, a degree + skills + experience + certification + presenting all of it well is what you need.

wellnowwhat

I'm glad to get a couple of different viewpoints on this. It definitely adds to my uncertainty, though.

My main goal right now is to change employers. And maybe this is a different thread, but my main problem is getting prospective employers to realize that, even though my experience is almost entirely Apple stuff, I do have SOME Windows and Linux experience from my own personal projects/home environments, and I could start off at a lower position. It's tough to see "3-5 years experience with what seems like 90 different technologies" and none of my skills are there.. So I'm just unsure where to start, I guess.

erpadmin

Having certs without real-world knowledge isn't going to get anyone anywhere either. You, Mr. Tilsen, might be surprised at the number of shops where the guys running infrastructure shops are unimpressed with certs. In fact, I've probably worked in more shops that were more impressed with a degree in philosophy than a guy who can "pass a test" to get a cert. I don't necessarily disagree with the importance of certs (or else, why am I here), but I understand the logic that some management has in relation to empty certs. I am of the school of thought that certifications means experience is certified. Otherwise, it is akin to those IT cert schools you hear on the radio promising a million dollar career with a whole bunch of certs.

In the case of the OP, getting MS (or even showing that he's working on one) would show employers that he has a level of committment to education and furthering himself to a higher goal. With the experience the OP has, he has industry experience that could be leveraged to another part of IT if an employer is smart enough to recognize that. The philosophy degree can even be leveraged in showing that he can apply logic to a myriad of problems he can face in IT, when coupled with the knowledge gained (and that IT knowledge won't be gained by certs alone...)

Wellnow, you can leverage your current experience with your degree and you don't have to take any steps back, education-wise. If you're willing to do level 1/level 2 support (help desk/desktop support) there are a lot of shops that would hire you, for the simple fact that you know how to configure an iPhone in a Windows environment. That knowledge is huge right now. There may even be shops where a few users have some Macs that need support. I would seriously just tinker the resume and leverage both your current degree and work experience to tailor it to whatever job specs interest you.

wellnowwhat

Maybe I just need to retool my resume and make it more focused towards a transitional career step rather than repeating more of the same.. I've tried pitching my philosophy degree as a great analytical thinking tool, but it doesn't seem to get me very far.

And, yes, I've setup hundreds of iPhones and iPads to use Exchange accounts, so at least I have that going for me.

erpadmin

wellnowwhat wrote: »

I've tried pitching my philosophy degree as a great analytical thinking tool, but it doesn't seem to get me very far.

This is pretty much a life-lesson...you have to do better to sell yourself; there's pitching and then there's selling. The product is you, and if you can't sell yourself then no one will buy.

I would do a better job at dealing with the logic aspect of the philosophy degree and matching that up with the rest of your experience, then tailor your resume to that. A good way to tailor your resume is to find a couple of job specs that you like and tailor your education and experience to those. You will probably see more hits. I would also highlight more iPad and iPhone...that's what's hot right now.

Valsacar

In my experience having the degree is just a plus, even if it's not in an IT field. In fact, I've known some really good techs (and programmers) that have degrees in completely non-IT subjects.

So you have some experience, I would say some certs will help validate the experience. If you really want to go back to school, then I'm going to say go with WGU for either a BS or MS. You can complete the degree and certs at the same time, coupled with 6 years of experience and you'll be looking pretty good to find work.

wellnowwhat

If you really want to go back to school, then I'm going to say go with WGU for either a BS or MS.

I was looking at their MS in Network Management, but I'm not sure I'd qualify under their Admissions criteria. I don't have "significant networking experience" or any Network-related certs, so I'm not sure if that totally takes me out of the running or not.. The Security MS also looks interesting, and that's my main area of interest, but, again, no experience and no BS in Information Systems...

Valsacar

With 6 years of experience I'm sure you won't have a problem (I'm doing the security one, as you can see in my sig). Worst case, go grab your CCNA, Net+/Sec+/etc to get in if they don't accept your work experience. The requirement is there to make sure that you have enough foundation level knowledge to succeed in the program.

wellnowwhat

Do you think the experience would count even if it's limited to Apple stuff, and mostly in a helpdesk/service repair role? I have some experience with Networking, but it's limited to basic in-home or small business setups.. No major enterprise deployments or anything like that.

blargoe

Absolutely. When I read your first post I thought to myself that you would have been a good fit for a desktop support position in a hybrid Mac/Windows shop, especially with a Windows cert or two, and if you know basic TCP/IP networking, maybe try to get Network+ as well. Networking Macs and networking Windows boxes is not really that different, so get a little Windows knowledge and I think you'd be fine to jump into a corporate envirionment. Then work your way up from there.

A committing to a masters right now is a pricey proposition if you're not really sure that network admin is something you will be happy doing, but on the flip side, I agree that going back for an AAS at this point is just a total waste.

Heny '06

If you have to pay for your degree, that being loans and the like then I say no. If someone else is paying for it then sure. But in all honestly with the right certs and experience you can be making more money then people with a BS and a MS degree. Factor in the return on your investment (money and your time) Good luck

neilperry

blargoe wrote: »

Absolutely. When I read your first post I thought to myself that you would have been a good fit for a desktop support position in a hybrid Mac/Windows shop, especially with a Windows cert or two, and if you know basic TCP/IP networking, maybe try to get Network+ as well. Networking Macs and networking Windows boxes is not really that different, so get a little Windows knowledge and I think you'd be fine to jump into a corporate envirionment. Then work your way up from there.

This is what I was thinking.. I work in a hospital and we experience more physicians every day requesting Apple products (MacBooks/iPads/etc) however no one in Desktop Support has any real experience supporting Apple devices. Someone like you would be gold for our environment.

I'd shoot some resumes out to local hospitals and they may be in the same spot we are and see your value.

Xolotl

I don't mean to thread hijack because I'm in a similar boat, I just want to make sure I understand it correctly.

Are you saying that it is better to get a Masters Degree (I'm looking at a Master of Science in IT), than to get an undergrad degree in Computer Science (My undergrad is Biochemistry). I'm just considering taking some undergrad networking classes so that I can pick up more knowledge and build a solid foundation.

veritas_libertas

Why not just work on the Network+ and see if it's something you really want to do? A Masters certainly doesn't hurt, but it's cheaper to find out if you even want to get into Networking. If you really do than it certainly better at this point to work on the CCNA and try getting into a NOC or Network Administration position. The Masters can always come later.

wellnowwhat

Thanks, all, for the encouragement! I felt like my Apple experience and philosophy degree were totally useless in relation to my IT goals, but it seems that they may fit in better than expected.

veritas_libertas

In IT a degree is generally a check box, although there may be preferential treatment for CS and IT degrees.

TeKniques

If I were in your shoes I would just get certs in an area you're interested in and then pursue a Masters. There is absolutely no point on going back for an AAS unless you're just bored or have money to throw away. If it's the latter I would use that money on training/certification