Highest education + Career?

[IfAt1st]

I hate to break it to anyone here, but....
... in most cases, certs don't mean squat in IT.

Most companies expect you to be fully knowledgeable about all Windows stuff, and the only way to "prove" that to them is to have extensive experience on your resume, demonstrating that, or answering their questions in the interview in the exact way they expect you to answer it (with no time for thinking or collecting info on the scenario, mind you).

You can't even get many entry helpdesk jobs without extensive experience anymore - it's horrendous out there.
In my experience, your personality is a much larger indicator of whether you'll be hired.
Oddly, for such an analytical career, it doesn't typically help to be analytical in the job.
Researching and investigating is less important than intuitively guessing the problem, and social skills are more important than technical skills.

 

[Turgenev]

I used to work in exercise science but gave it up earlier this year to start a PhD.

 

[NoBonus]

I hate to break it to anyone here, but....
... in most cases, certs don't mean squat in IT.

Most companies expect you to be fully knowledgeable about all Windows stuff, and the only way to "prove" that to them is to have extensive experience on your resume, demonstrating that, or answering their questions in the interview in the exact way they expect you to answer it (with no time for thinking or collecting info on the scenario, mind you).

You can't even get many entry helpdesk jobs without extensive experience anymore - it's horrendous out there.
In my experience, your personality is a much larger indicator of whether you'll be hired.
Oddly, for such an analytical career, it doesn't typically help to be analytical in the job.
Researching and investigating is less important than intuitively guessing the problem, and social skills are more important than technical skills.

I think in IT and in accounting, we are starting to see those with stronger communication skills getting the choice jobs. So much is automated and there are so many technical minds out there, it is those who can talk to other people successfully that really stand out (even if they are technically inferior to their peers).

 

[kingsboi]

@IfatFirst
so if you don't have that real world experience employers are looking for and certs don't mean much...what's a person to do to get their foot in the door? I mean you are unemployed, correct?

 

[CWEBB04z]

I hate to break it to anyone here, but....
... in most cases, certs don't mean squat in IT.

Most companies expect you to be fully knowledgeable about all Windows stuff, and the only way to "prove" that to them is to have extensive experience on your resume, demonstrating that, or answering their questions in the interview in the exact way they expect you to answer it (with no time for thinking or collecting info on the scenario, mind you).

You can't even get many entry helpdesk jobs without extensive experience anymore - it's horrendous out there.
In my experience, your personality is a much larger indicator of whether you'll be hired.
Oddly, for such an analytical career, it doesn't typically help to be analytical in the job.
Researching and investigating is less important than intuitively guessing the problem, and social skills are more important than technical skills.

This is true. I got a job straight out of college without any certs.

 

[IfAt1st]

@IfatFirst
so if you don't have that real world experience employers are looking for and certs don't mean much...what's a person to do to get their foot in the door? I mean you are unemployed, correct?

That's a great question.

Know someone and get in because of that relationship?

I have no clue how companies are filling their job openings - IMO Human Resources is incompetent nowadays, having no clue what makes a successful employee in IT. I repeatedly see jobs re-posted months after they supposedly hired someone.

Because I have the certs, the experience, AND the demonstrated soft skills (via my teaching background) and I'm still looking.

I am not the most social person, though, so that's the only area that someone who comes in with a bullcrap resume and blows smoke up the interview's ass easily bests me. I don't do political well. And I dislike celebrating birthdays and holidays at work, being forced to share presents and glad tidings with virtual strangers. But that's what it takes -
BTW - be sure to bring in awesome stuff to your potlucks at work, to impress people, because that's the only way co-workers know you're doing a good job.

 

[c-webb1s#1]

That's a great question.

Know someone and get in because of that relationship?

I have no clue how companies are filling their job openings - IMO Human Resources is incompetent nowadays, having no clue what makes a successful employee in IT. I repeatedly see jobs re-posted months after they supposedly hired someone.

Because I have the certs, the experience, AND the demonstrated soft skills (via my teaching background) and I'm still looking.

I am not the most social person, though, so that's the only area that someone who comes in with a bullpoopoo resume and blows smoke up the interview's ass easily bests me. I don't do political well. And I dislike celebrating birthdays and holidays at work, being forced to share presents and glad tidings with virtual strangers. But that's what it takes -
BTW - be sure to bring in awesome stuff to your potlucks at work, to impress people, because that's the only way co-workers know you're doing a good job.

Got any tips for being a Network admin?

 

[IfAt1st]

Got any tips for being a Network admin?

Network Admin?
Virtually impossible to get into.

Network Admin is the guy controlling the switches, routers, firewalls, remote desktop, and many times the backups (SAN/NAS arrays) and cluster servers.
These are the most expensive devices in the entire organization, the backbone of the company - they require extensive experience in proprietary technology, the kind of experience you can only get by BEING a Network Admin.
Nowadays, they want people who have project manager experience along with Network Admin, since upgrading these devices is the kind of name-making and reputation-garnering expenditure of resources that IT Managers LOVE to get funded.

Unless your school has incredibly-expensive, high-end technology at its disposal to allow students to access and to wreck, you're not going to get hands-on with much of this technology (unless you have a buddy that is in the biz, or you worm your way in through some sub-specialty, like ESX or the like).

Whatever you do, you can't believe the lies ITT and tech schools tell you - your certs and diploma aren't worth the paper they're printed on. It's only your ability to sell yourself, the people you know, and the knowledge that you would have had to go above and beyond to obtain that will get you a job.

 

[Kingballer]

Nice to be back after so many years in hiding.
BSBA Accounting.
General Manager of a Pizza Guys Branch located at Sleep Train Arena.
Yes, the Guys who make the pizza they sell at the arena. This is my 4th season at the arena.

 

[NoBonus]

Nice to be back after so many years in hiding.
BSBA Accounting.
General Manager of a Pizza Guys Branch located at Sleep Train Arena.
Yes, the Guys who make the pizza they sell at the arena. This is my 4th season at the arena.

Are you guys going to move the business into the Golden 1 Center and leave Natomas?

 

[CWEBB04z]

Network Admin?
Virtually impossible to get into.

Network Admin is the guy controlling the switches, routers, firewalls, remote desktop, and many times the backups (SAN/NAS arrays) and cluster servers.
These are the most expensive devices in the entire organization, the backbone of the company - they require extensive experience in proprietary technology, the kind of experience you can only get by BEING a Network Admin.
Nowadays, they want people who have project manager experience along with Network Admin, since upgrading these devices is the kind of name-making and reputation-garnering expenditure of resources that IT Managers LOVE to get funded.

Unless your school has incredibly-expensive, high-end technology at its disposal to allow students to access and to wreck, you're not going to get hands-on with much of this technology (unless you have a buddy that is in the biz, or you worm your way in through some sub-specialty, like ESX or the like).

Whatever you do, you can't believe the lies ITT and tech schools tell you - your certs and diploma aren't worth the paper they're printed on. It's only your ability to sell yourself, the people you know, and the knowledge that you would have had to go above and beyond to obtain that will get you a job.

In college, there was a class that I took (an elective) where I was able to get hands on experience with routers, switches, different types of backups, etc. I thought every college had that kind of tech available to students?

 

[CWEBB04z]

A+
Network+
Security+
Windows 7
Windows 8
Server/Active Directory
Cloud+

Linux

I've just completed schooling for all of the above minus Linux, so if you have certification specific questions, go ahead and send me a PM with the questions and I'll be glad to answer them for you to the best of my ability.

The comptia Network + and Security + are worthless. Imo

The certs you want to go for from my experience is CISSP, the certs from Microsoft (MCP, MCSA, etc) CCNA and the more advanced cisco certs like CCIE.

CISSP is one of more difficult certs to obtain. The same with the Cisco certs. But they are well worth the effort.

But experience > certs

 

[CWEBB04z]

Got any tips for being a Network admin?

Don't go for it. Being a Network admin = working overtime every week. Most companies don't pay network Admin hourly anymore because of the amount of hours they work. It's salary now. (usually). So your working 50+ hours and don't even get paid for the extra hours. Plus the amount of stress...not worth it imo.

Get a degree, get a job and get experience. Then if you want to or if your company pays for it..get the higher end certs like CISSP.

 

[c-webb1s#1]

Network Admin?
Virtually impossible to get into.

Network Admin is the guy controlling the switches, routers, firewalls, remote desktop, and many times the backups (SAN/NAS arrays) and cluster servers.
These are the most expensive devices in the entire organization, the backbone of the company - they require extensive experience in proprietary technology, the kind of experience you can only get by BEING a Network Admin.
Nowadays, they want people who have project manager experience along with Network Admin, since upgrading these devices is the kind of name-making and reputation-garnering expenditure of resources that IT Managers LOVE to get funded.

Unless your school has incredibly-expensive, high-end technology at its disposal to allow students to access and to wreck, you're not going to get hands-on with much of this technology (unless you have a buddy that is in the biz, or you worm your way in through some sub-specialty, like ESX or the like).

Whatever you do, you can't believe the lies ITT and tech schools tell you - your certs and diploma aren't worth the paper they're printed on. It's only your ability to sell yourself, the people you know, and the knowledge that you would have had to go above and beyond to obtain that will get you a job.

I appreciate the honesty! So ya have any tips on what to say to when you are being interviewed?

Don't go for it. Being a Network admin = working overtime every week. Most companies don't pay network Admin hourly anymore because of the amount of hours they work. It's salary now. (usually). So your working 50+ hours and don't even get paid for the extra hours. Plus the amount of stress...not worth it imo.

Get a degree, get a job and get experience. Then if you want to or if your company pays for it..get the higher end certs like CISSP.

I am currently working for my school and they said I can use that as work experience....not sure how helpful it will be in the real world!

 

[kingsboi]

That's a great question.

Know someone and get in because of that relationship?

I have no clue how companies are filling their job openings - IMO Human Resources is incompetent nowadays, having no clue what makes a successful employee in IT. I repeatedly see jobs re-posted months after they supposedly hired someone.

Because I have the certs, the experience, AND the demonstrated soft skills (via my teaching background) and I'm still looking.

I am not the most social person, though, so that's the only area that someone who comes in with a bullpoopoo resume and blows smoke up the interview's ass easily bests me. I don't do political well. And I dislike celebrating birthdays and holidays at work, being forced to share presents and glad tidings with virtual strangers. But that's what it takes -
BTW - be sure to bring in awesome stuff to your potlucks at work, to impress people, because that's the only way co-workers know you're doing a good job.

you sound like you've had some bad experiences with that.

 

[kingsboi]

reading through some of these posts, if you're not going for Software engineering, programming, etc of that sort, it will be harder for someone to get a job in the field...what's a good investment to make school wise then?

 

[luckynuMBer10]

The comptia Network + and Security + are worthless. Imo

The certs you want to go for from my experience is CISSP, the certs from Microsoft (MCP, MCSA, etc) CCNA and the more advanced cisco certs like CCIE.

CISSP is one of more difficult certs to obtain. The same with the Cisco certs. But they are well worth the effort.

But experience > certs

I agree with you, and I also disagree with you. I agree that, in the long run, both certs are worthless. But, I disagree in that I would recommend one get their Network+ and/or Security+ before getting another Network and/or Security related certification. What Network+ and Security+ does for someone is basically allow them to get their foot in the door. Once they can find a job, they can then decide how they want to move ahead/expand in that field.

 

[Bricklayer]

Nice to be back after so many years in hiding.
BSBA Accounting.
General Manager of a Pizza Guys Branch located at Sleep Train Arena.
Yes, the Guys who make the pizza they sell at the arena. This is my 4th season at the arena.

woohoo! we have our own inside source!

Give us something juicy. What kind of pie does Rudy favor?

 

[NoBonus]

woohoo! we have our own inside source!

Give us something juicy. What kind of pie does Rudy favor?

When you told kingballer to give us something juicy, I thought you meant a free pizza slice!

 

[Bricklayer]

When you told kingballer to give us something juicy, I thought you meant a free pizza slice!

That works too.

 

[Kingballer]

Are you guys going to move the business into the Golden 1 Center and leave Natomas?

No idea right now. It's still a "Maybe"

 

[Kingballer]

woohoo! we have our own inside source!

Give us something juicy. What kind of pie does Rudy favor?

Big Cuz likes the Combo pizza.
I remember Isaiah loves the pepperoni pizza. He use to be our "Pizza Guy."
I've been to all his basketball camps and autograph signings.
Every time he sees me he would say, "You again!" I miss that guy.

 

[Kingballer]

When you told kingballer to give us something juicy, I thought you meant a free pizza slice!

I can do that.

 

[kingsboi]

here's a thought, what are some of the best careers out there for a good work/life balance? Americans more than ever practically live at their job and do not take long vacations and work more hours in the process.

 

[NoBonus]

here's a thought, what are some of the best careers out there for a good work/life balance? Americans more than ever practically live at their job and do not take long vacations and work more hours in the process.

Accounting... seasonal busyness and seasonal slowness and the inbetween is pretty flexible.

 

[kingsboi]

Accounting... seasonal busyness and seasonal slowness and the inbetween is pretty flexible.

Depends on the type of Accounting, no? Accounting is also a lot of headaches, I know someone who has worked in Accounting for over 15 years and it's not a job for everyone, lots of numbers and deadlines.

 

[NoBonus]

Depends on the type of Accounting, no? Accounting is also a lot of headaches, I know someone who has worked in Accounting for over 15 years and it's not a job for everyone, lots of numbers and deadlines.

Yep, it sure is. I think the thing about accounting is that there are many different types of accounting jobs. I have worked in Public Schools and pensions... government based accounting has less ebb and flow, but offers more variety. Pension and tax accounting have more of an ebb and flow and is more specialized.

Another job with a reasonable work/life balance: teaching... long winter hours, summers off, every holiday possible, solid pay.

 

[Iced Espresso]

BA psychology.

I've done all sorts of things inside and outside the field. About to leave my current "counseling" position with kids on probation and in the system.

May go back to teaching, may decide to dig some holes who knows.

I spend a lot of time on my website and doing research on propaganda, current events, some of the bad fellas with political and fiscal power out there.

I've always viewed my education as more important with perception than application in work, I don't really like how psychology works currently in general today. But I'm in the minority and more of a Szasz man. I guess social psychology is still decently respectable still though.

Think I would have dual majored in computer science and journalism if I had to do it all over again.

 

[kingsboi]

Yep, it sure is. I think the thing about accounting is that there are many different types of accounting jobs. I have worked in Public Schools and pensions... government based accounting has less ebb and flow, but offers more variety. Pension and tax accounting have more of an ebb and flow and is more specialized.

Another job with a reasonable work/life balance: teaching... long winter hours, summers off, every holiday possible, solid pay.

The job market for teaching is diminishing every year it seems and the amount of schooling required doesn't outweigh the positives.

 

[kingsboi]

BA psychology.

I've done all sorts of things inside and outside the field. About to leave my current "counseling" position with kids on probation and in the system.

May go back to teaching, may decide to dig some holes who knows.

I spend a lot of time on my website and doing research on propaganda, current events, some of the bad fellas with political and fiscal power out there.

I've always viewed my education as more important with perception than application in work, I don't really like how psychology works currently in general today. But I'm in the minority and more of a Szasz man. I guess social psychology is still decently respectable still though.

Think I would have dual majored in computer science and journalism if I had to do it all over again.

Journalism? are there jobs to be had with a Journaling degree though?