The IT career...

Hello there, i had a question. I am seriously considering going to college to start a career in IT and I was wondering, is it worth it? What is the possibility of me acquiring a job after graduating from college and what is the average salary? Is there anything special I you would recommend I do in order to increase my chances of being successful in this career?

Any advice/answers would be highly appreciated.

 

Anyone? It's not that difficult of a question

 

you shouldn't have any problem getting a job..just keep in mind, the friends and relatives i have that are in IT, tend to change jobs, only to get ahead..but they're there. and making good money too. pay attention to trends (web2.0, etc) but always remember the "age-old" things, like programming will always be around. good luck.
I read a weekly magazine, for the IT industry called Computer World. Have a look around their site for different articles on this very subject.

 

Thank you, I'll keep this all in mind.

 

I'm not qualified to give you an answer, I just signed up for a computer repair class at the local adult school to get a 'comptia' cert. But your lack of response might be because of the holiday weekend, try bumping this thread monday, normally a thread like this gets multiple responses

I know mine did here, http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=162923

If I was younger and had the oppurtunity, I'd be going for the IT cert

 

Well, you may need to concentrate on one or two areas or fields. Most general IT jobs are outsourced now-a-days. Where I live it's difficult to find any IT jobs. It really depends on what you want to do. Remember there's a good possibility that you'll be doing it for the rest of your life. So makes sure it's what makes you happy.

 

I have to agree with MickeyRoush. Specialization is key. The general stuff will get you nowhere fast.

 

What can I specialize in?

 

It really depends on what you want to do. Do you like programming? What about networking? Or are you interested in hardware?

Don't get me wrong. A CIT or CIS degree or related is better than nothing, but those degrees and programs really don't concentrate on one area or another. They are broad educational programs.

Network Security may be a profession or direction that you may want to check out.

 

if you don't like being bothered by stupid fookin users on a daily basis.. work your way into telecommunications at a high level such as an engineer. You don't want ANYTHING to do with servicing the things people use. You want to MAKE the things people use. At that point, your users will generally be companies and not individuals and are more apt to be less stupid than your daily desk jockey.

 

Thanks for the advice but I actually like fixing people's computers so I wouldn't mind doing that. Networking is most likely what I'll do, I'm not a big fan of programming.

Is their anything else I would have a possibility in specializing in?

 

Database Administration is becoming a hot topic here lately. It has a mixture of security, networking, and data mining/organization.

Certs alone won't get you anywhere, especially if you are doing it on your own. You might have a LITTLE better luck if you do them at a school where they have practical exams and maybe a small internship.

I recently got my A+ and Net+ on my own, and I have about 3-4 years of self taught experience with PCs and soho networks, however I can't get an entry level job for squat, and I live in Chicago!! Seems as MOST...not ALL, but MOST companies want you to have a PhD in rocket science and pay you a McDonalds salary in order to get started in an entry level position.

I had several here at this forum warn me of this when I first started my cert studying, but I was crossing my fingers and hoping I would get lucky and well, guess what...I don't have a computer job.

That being said, I am looking to go to the local Jr College and start picking away at an associates in Computer Science, and specialize in Networking and DBA.

Don't forget...Certs aren't bad...but alone they don't seem to hold their weight like they used to. A degree with some certs on top in the area that you want to specialize in should make you a nicely mixed cocktail!! Also, you will most likely find that your college degree courses will most likely include some certifications.

Hope that helps give you a little insight.

Roger