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  • #2142449

    Careers within IT

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    by maoakley ·

    Good morning!

    I will be starting the prerequisite courses needed for a MS in Computer Science next week. I am looking to see if anyone has any solid advice on where I could take this as a career with my background.

    Quick synopsis of my background:
    -12 years operations background within retail, logistics, and military operations
    -4 years technical project management/project engineering
    -BBA in Marketing/Finance
    -MBA in International Business
    -Many MIS courses, but nothing super technical

    Within my CS degree, I will have the option to also pursue a graduate certificate in either Data Science or Cybersecurity.

    I know that a lot of career options will come from my interests, but I am looking at what would be logical with my background, and the fact that I will be 39/40 when I try to transition into the field. To me, it seems like IT Management or something similar would likely be the place where I can parlay both my background and these new skills together. The other issue is that I am concerned about entry-level salaries. I make almost 100K now, and I want to be able to maintain my current financial plan as best as I possibly can since I have a family to support.

    I welcome any advice that anyone has. The reason I am choosing a degree in CS is because I have learned that I really like a more technical environment to work in. My most enjoyable managerial experiences have come from managing technical projects or people. I have always had the interest in learning to program and how much of this works. I am finally pulling the trigger to do so.

    Cheers!
    Mark

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    • #2446959

      Possible alternatives for IT career paths

      by themacjesus ·

      In reply to Careers within IT

      Hi Mark, I’m Jesus, one of the writers here at TechRepublic. As a 20+ year veteran in IT, I work with many pros – new and seasoned alike – to the field.

      Someone with your current experience in project management and logistics earning $100k would be very suited to a similar project management role in IT. With your continuing education taking you toward CS, something perhaps in the telecom field or security would be a great match, especially since both fields can involve mid-to-highly technical aspects, such as wiring, infrastructure, and implementing & managing enterprise security.

      Since you’re also interested in programming, perhaps looking toward DevOps to marry system management and development would be a good pairing that offers several technical avenues. If leaning more to the development side however, there are often managerial positions available that focus on policies and procedures, like those pertaining to ITIL for managing information systems lifecycle, or something like a Scrum Master to lead development teams working on different projects but tied to the same goal to reach deliverables.

      Best thing about the various roles is they all hit (or exceed) the mark for salaries in the $100K range.

      I hope this helps, and wish you continued success in your future endeavors!

      Cheers,

      Jesus Vigo

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