OK, I was an ICU nurse for years, but I just can’t do that anymore.
I think I’d enjoy IT, say network admin, but I’m not sure the best way to go about it. I’ve looked at a few of the local Tech schools (state/county), and they have 18 month to 2 year programs. Are these programs a good way to go, or should I really go back and get a BS in Computer Science - which, time-wise, I would rather not do? Are some of the private/for profit schools worthwhile? I obviously don’t want to spend time in school only to find that what I’ve come out with is practically worthless or severely limiting. I don’t have any designs on being a CIO/CTO, I would just like an interesting job in a stable career field where people don’t die.
Input/direction/advice would be most appreciated; my thanks in advance.
I work in IT and have a great career with no college degree. So, I can tell you for a fact that experience counts for more than anything else. Most of the people we interview from colleges have some know-how in terminology, but have no practical experience. We realize that, even though these people have degrees, we’re still going to have to teach them pretty much everything. On the other hand, people from the tech schools come out already knowing most of the equipment. And, even if they haven’t use our specific equipment before, it’s takes a lot less time to train them. Given, I used to think the tech schools were a joke, but I’ve taken all that back over the last couple of years.
As I understand it, tech schools tend to be more expensive, per semester, than college, but they’re faster paced and I’d definitely recommend it. Just my $0.02.
Getting a computer science degree really isn’t worth the effort. as Aglarond said, experience is the only thing that employers really look at. Get through a tech school as quick as you can, then take an entry level job in your field. You will have a couple years of experience on your record, and will be making much more than the a college graduate straight out of school would.
If you find out you are really interested in the theory(much more emphasis in college than the tech schools) most IT employers have a good plan to pay for you to get your BS while working.
Actually, I find the opposite to be true. I’ll be starting my education in this field at a local technical school next month. The year is divided up into quarters instead of semesters. Tuition is $180 per quarter, or $720 per year. Tuition for taking CompSci at the local university is something like $700 per semester, or $1400 per year. I’m not sure on the costs of books, but I know it isn’t too outlandish.
Of course you’re going to pay more or less (probably more) depending on your location. I do live in the poorest state in the country, after all.
Sorry, but I have to disagree here. If what you want to do is to be a technician (fix computers, do help desk stuff, install networking equipment, maybe be a sysadmin), then a CS degree probably isn’t needed. But then, that’s not what a CS degree is about. If what you want to do is be a developer, (and by that I mean writing real code, not web pages or little VB toy apps) then a CS degree does help. (Also, at least where I work, the development staff makes a heck of a lot more than the techies.)
More importantly than learning how to operate a piece of equipment or even knowing a particular language, a CS education teaches you how to think like a programmer. You learn how to write and evaluate algorithms, how to decide what the most efficient way to solve a problem, and other things that are more than the nuts and bolts of IT. Also, a college degree - any degree not just CS, will teach you things like analytical thinking, communication skills and logical reasoning. Experience is important when I make a decision about who I want to hire, but education gives you the tools to use and gain that experience.
As to the OP, first you have to decide what it is you want to do in IT. If what you want to do is to be a network admin, or the like, then technical training would probably suffice. If you want to do more than that, more education would definitely help. There are certainty people who can succeed without it, but in my experience, it was worth every penny spent.
I don’t have a college degree but I do have MCSE classes (I suck at tests) and got lucky on my first contract – two years next month with the company. I have had other offers to work part time via word-of-mouth but turned them down for various reasons.
SingleDad, who I miss on our boards tremendously, also does not have a college degree (if I remember correctly) but is well into years and years in his job as a programmer.
Personally, I think a tech school education should suffice. Also, I suggest looking at doing part time work for small businesses to get in some experience and some references. I am talking small businesses that have a need for a small network and some support.
It’s really a matter of education and experience that gets your foot in the door. Occasionally luck plays in the picture but don’t count on it.
Make sure the tech school you attend is accredited within your state. There are some tech schools (it is rumored that Denver Technical College is not in our state) that aren’t. In the future, if you decide to go for a full degree your money is wasted and you have to start from scratch.
So, if you go that route be sure to contact your state’s Board of Education to ensure you are getting and education that can carry you further if the need arises.
I do have a BS in computer science, but originally I had planned to go for a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence but I was burned out on college and decided to work for awhile and never found the need to go back. I have stayed more to the scientific side of programming so I don’t know as much about the IT side as some of the others who have already posted.
Thanks to all who have responded so far. The input is much appreciated.
All things being equal, I’d rather a BCS degree, but I’m gettin’ old, and between an AD in nursing, a BS in Nursing, and then keeping current and expanding my knowlegde every year, I’ve been in school forever it seems
Anyone have any insight on state tech schools/community colleges vs the private schools you see advertised, like AlphaNumeric, ITT, etc? I’m a bit leery of quality/reputation of the private schools, but that’s based on…I don’t know where I got that idea.
Thanks,
Shaky Jake
::TechChick responded; that’s almost like being noticed; all high school boy googley over that::
Heck, I work in IT with a Bachelor’s in Social Science and a Master’s in English.
You need a CS degree if you’re interested in programming. Those are the top jobs in the field, of course, but you can do pretty well solely by knowing how to handle a computer. I have no formal computer training – just a couple of one-day courses. My only college courses in programming were in BASIC and FORTRAN, both of which are long obsolete.
But I had a ton of experience troubleshooting and installing software, designing web pages (I started with my own, did one for a nonprofit organization, and am now handling the web for a college), and explaining to others how to get their computers to do what they want them to do. If you have that sort of skills, it’s just a matter of writing your resume to highlight them (and write a good cover letter).
I would like to say that saying a CS degree is not worth the effort is not just sour grapes. I have a CS degree from the University of Michigan(and most of the way to a MS) But most of what you learn in getting a CS degree just isn’t that useful in the job market. There is a bit of a fiction about the number of openings in IT. A lot of the reason there are so many openings is because many companies refuse to hire entry-level programmers no matter how much they wrote in school.In my personal experience, I had at least 15 job interviews were they said they had a hard limit of not hiring people with less than 2 years of c++ experience on the job, never mind that I had tought it in grad school. I have now worked as a programmer in 2 languages, Sys ad, DBA, and realistically what I needed for those jobs I could have picked up in one month, rather than the 4 years I spent. Now if you want to get the BCS because you want it, then go for it. I’m just saying is your degree really doesn’t effect your job prospects very much, but getting into the job market earlier may.
There is also the intermediate ground of “adult colleges”. They are more in depth than the typical tech school, but are designed for people already in the work place, with mostly evening classes, but you can get an accredited BS. In Denver there is Regis, but im not sure if they are tech oriented these days, or still business degree oriented.
I’m a Software Developer, and our company pays absolutely no attention to your formal education once you’re hired. We have 2-year college grads working at a higher level than guys with a Masters in Computer Engineering.
However, the degree will definitely get you in for the interview. Without it, it’s tough getting yourself a shot unless you already have programming experience.
So it’s all about performance. But the degree will give you the skills to perform. Whether you use them or not is up to you. And you can learn the material on your own if you are highly motivated, but in my experience the self-taught guys tend to have some big holes in their education where the subject didn’t interest them. School has the advantage of forcing you take even the stuff you don’t like.