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What should I pursue?

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by pctechmike

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I?m having a very difficult time trying to decide what area in Information Technology to pursue. I love doing a number of things, from computer repair, to Web site development and design. I?m also intrigued by security. I also like networking. I like Linux. I want to increase my knowledge with computers, and I?m currently working on an Associates Degree in Computer Technology. I?m thinking about pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. Should I pursue that route, or stop at Associates and start on my certifications? I want to do one of two things with my career. Number one is work for myself. Number two (if number one doesn?t work), is to obtain a position at a great company within the IT field.

I think I really want to pursue security within the IT field. It seems like this area will be a great area to get into. Let?s face it; the PC Technician market is saturated. So I need to get ahead of the flooding market and enter into the next phase of my career. I need some motivation on going forward. If I concentrate on my business, I have to sacrifice some time that I could be learning something new. I?m thinking about putting my business off for a few years, concentrate on a specific area within the IT field, and then possibly start my business then. It?s not that I don?t have the dedication needed to run my own business, it?s just the area I live in is technically challenged, meaning there is absolutely no technical work, or very little at best. I?m a well-rounded PC Tech, but it seems everyone has that special area that they have also. I need one. Can anyone help?

11 replies

by jdgretz

You can always find someone to pay you to do what you enjoy, the trick is finding someone to pay you what you want to make.

If you enjoy security, then start working toward your CSSIP - not an easy road to take by the way. If you like playing with networks, start working on the Cisco certifications, but be sure to get some practical experience as well. Employeers quickly find out if you actually know what you are talking about, and a good technical interview will blow you out of the water if you don't have real world skills to go along with the right test answers.

You say you are a well-rounded PC Tech - I don't really know what that means - do you have your A+ certs? Are you a board swapper? What skills do you ascribe to a PC Tech?

Associate degrees are pretty much a waste of time if you are trying to impress the job market. A Bachelor and experience will get you in the door, or simply a lot of good experience in a narrow field. Again, back to the networking example. You come to the door with a year or two of relavent Cicso experience and something more than a CCNA and you will get my attention. On the other hand, walk in without ever having worked in the field and a brand new CCNA and I'll have my CCIE put you through the ringer to see if you just went to the Boot Camp or if you actually have a clue.

From my perspective, a degree is good, but experience is better. If you have both, very good. If you can add certifications to the mix, then you have a strong, winning combination.

First enjoy what you do, then figure out how to position yourself so that you stand out from your peers.

Best of luck and enjoy.

jdg

by pctechmike

I believe I would have much more luck if I had some certs, such as A+, Net+, and others. Although I don't have these certs, I have experience with PCs, and some networking. I consider myself a well rounded tech by having a good foundation to work from. Hard work and many frustrating hours have brought me this far. Many companies won't look at you if you don't have a cert of some kind, or one they require. I want experience, but without a piece of paper, not many will give you the chance to show what you know. I ascribe a PC Tech to have the ability to troubleshoot any problem, and come to a general conclusion of what is wrong, if they know the equipment or not. If you have a good foundation within PCs, you can troubleshoot anything. I like the challenge of having a problem, and trying to figure out what caused it and how to fix it. I'm looking to start adding certs, such as my A+, Net+ first, and go from there. Along with my Associates Degree, and some certs, I should be able to retain a better than average position. In the meantime, I'll continue building my skills for the future, focusing more on hardware, software and networking. Thanks for the advice.

by jdgretz

It does sound like a Catch-22 situation, but not really, especially in your position. You have experience - maybe not as a Network Engineer, but things like A+ and Net+ go along with your experience. Working with or for folks who do network stuff(tm) in the evenings or on weekends is one way to get some experience. If you have a bunch of vacation time, use a day occasionally to help out on a network job, even it it's just to get some experience, it's worth it and you can add it to your resume.

As you might have guessed, I'm not a big fan of Associate Degrees. I'd rather see someone with a technical certificate (ITC, DeVry, local community college, etc.) than an AA - but that's me. No, I'm not telling you not to get one, but plan on the Bachelor - just take the AA as in interium step, not your final destination.

I do consulting for a rather large law firm (somewhere close to 2000 lawyers cross the country and in Europe) and help their part time folks locally get grounded. Part of what I do is see that they get some experience in troubleshooting the network as well as their desktop support work. Is this in scope of my duties? Nope. Does it help the client in the long run? Yep. Does it help the support guy? If he pays attention, yes. I've been through three of their guys so far (number 4 just started working there last month) and each has gone on to better paying positions and two have completed or are working on their 4-year degree with tuition assistance from their new employer.

I like your attitude toward troubleshooting. Yes, it is that easy. If you understand how the system works, you don't need to know all the particulars up front. Hardware fails in predictable (usually) ways, as does software. If you know enough about why the parts work the way they do under correct conditions, then you can usually get a good idea of what component (software or hardware) has failed, and what to do about it.

Keep it up, you'll do just fine.

jdg

by gadgetgirl

Everything in your first para was "I love, I like" but you were "intrigued" by security.

If it keeps your attention, then that's the way to start. Try talking to someone in that field and see exactly what the job entails, though, before committing yourself wholeheartedly.

I say this with a certain amount of insider knowledge, having worked in the field for the past seven or so years. Although in the UK, it's not too different here to where you are.

Bear in mind that, as with all jobs, there are nasty sides to security as well as nice sides. You have to have an unwavering moral code, regardless of what your boss/peers/colleagues/staff tell you. You MUST treat everyone the same - there are NO favours to be passed out in this field.

You also have to be thick-skinned to a certain extent - you may find yourself looking at things you would prefer not to see (been there); reading things you would rather not read (done that) and investigate people you are friendly with (got that t-shirt too) You have to have a mix of management skills, communication skills and legal. If you can't interpret the law for your users, you're making a rod for your own back.

It can be a thankless position, but in some cases just the odd word of appreciation is enough to entrench you in the job even further.... (thank you to my appreciative director, btw!)

As I said, talk to someone about this career track first - I willingly admit it's not everyones' cup of tea, and although it's a job you can't get a "taster" of because of the legalities, talking it through may put you wise as to what the position actually entails in your part of the world.

Hope this helps

GG

by pctechmike

I'll take your advice and speak with someone in this field before I dedicate myself to it. Security really interest me, and I know it would not be the easiest road traveled, but maybe worth it. I'll see if I can't find someone I know that knows someone locally and try to speak with them. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

by tony hopkinson

Reversing 2 with 1 will help with that and might mean you make more of a success of 1 when you have a go at it. Failed by myself, giz a job isn't going to catch a potential employer's eye in a useful way.

by geobeck

"...to obtain a position at a great company within the IT field."

I've come to the conclusion that there are no great companies to work for if you're in IT. IT is a cost center, not a profit center, so you'll always have to do things on the cheap, resulting in substandard implementation, then get blamed because things don't work the way you said they would when you proposed a more complete solution.

I'm in the process of moving from employment to self-employment. As a consultant, you can have everything in black and white at the start of a project, and not be nearly as susceptible to project specs that change at the whim of uninformed managers. Just make sure your contracts cover mid-project change management.

Working for yourself requires a lot of discipline. You can't sit back and post to Tech Republic all day and get paid for it. ;) But every consultant, contractor, or small business owner I have talked to, without exception, has said they would never go back to working for someone else.

by pctechmike

It does seem as if there is no "great" company in IT. And of course, with any business, the dollar is the bottom line. I believe I may have a chance at a good company that I'm currently working on a state contract for. A Hardware Technician position has come open, and I do believe they are looking at me to possibly fill the position. I like the idea of working for myself, and if I applied myself, I'm sure I would succeed. The hardest part about it seems to be juggling between the two, a full-time position at a company, and running a business in the evening. I can't just quit the company and work on my business, I have a wife, two kids, and one on the way! I am thinking more along the lines of self employment. Thanks for the advice.

by gadgetgirl

Ensure you're financially covered for all eventualities before you go self-employed, as you have dependants.

I still have my own company which is run by my other half (primarily) whilst I work full time in security. I still manage to do a few bits of consultancy for clients, by making it weekend work, or even, if it's worth it, taking leave for a day or two for a particular project.

What I have found is that doing an "extension" of my day job gives my clients the added comfort of knowing that I'm not just dabbling in the security field. It's my career. They know I'm up to date with the latest gadgets, viruses, infractions etc., and are more than happy to leave some of their security decisions to me. (Applies particularly in the case of my accountant, who refuses point blank to employ any other company for his IT - and makes his bill...well, non existent; he usually ends up owing ME!)

Take time to think this through; your next step is to plan exactly what/where/how you're going to do this. You need to put together a business plan and run it past as many people as you can before making the decision on when. You need to plan carefully, and have back up plans in place in case it either doesn't work out, or you have disputed and/or unpaid bills.

The REAL first step, though, is to talk this through with your wife. You have no idea, until you do it, just how much work this will initially take. You may end up working 16 hours a day in some cases, and with a baby in the house, your wife is always going to need some help. Can she accept the fact that she's not going to get as much help as she needs till you're established in your preferred field? Does she have friends/family who can step into the breach?

I'm very aware that being self employed or setting up your own business can build something like a transparent barrier with your family; it becomes a case of they can see you, but not do anything with you - you're always pressurised by time constraints and the amount of work that you take on.

Being your own boss isn't easy, but at least you can do things your own way. It's also not easy going back to work for someone else, but if you apply yourself, it is possible, even if it does increase the feeling ten fold that you're working for a team of idiots!

Hope this is of some help. If you decide to go the business route, let me know when you get your plan together, and I'll happily go through it for you (but bear in mind my take on legalities is UK based, so you're on your own on that part!!)

GG

by pctechmike

I have thought about offering my time to certain companies to provide "free for experience" short-term jobs to build my skills and resume. While I was in school, I had a position within the Technical Department, doing most of the "grudge" work. I was responsible for running trunk lines from the switch through the ceiling to the outlets in certain rooms, as well as terminating the Cat5 cables from the drops to the computers, and testing them. While I considered it "grudge" work, I did learn much from that experience.

I'm not a big fan of an AA either, being that I have to take "other" classes that don't apply to technical areas, such as Speech, Intro to Physics, and others. I'm 3 classes shy of earning my AA, which I plan to get soon.

My current position, although I'm a contractor, is to design network layouts with Microsoft Visio, submit it, once approved and installed, then install the number of PCs that is allocated to each agency. It's a primarily easy position. I've actually set some standards fro doing certain things for this particular project. Hopefully, it will lead to a full-time position.

I am planning on getting my A+, and Net+ certs soon, as I believe I can market myself better with these. I have seen people with A+ certs that knew absolutely nothing about computers, and I wonder how that can happen. I remember one time at a computer repair shop, in which I worked as a tech, we went through several that had many certs, but no knowledge of what to do in the real world. That in itself makes me wonder if it's even worth obtaining (the A+).

I'm on the right path, I just needed some perspectives of what I thought was right. Sometimes it helps if other people in this industry give you the same advice your thinking. Thanks!

by pctechmike

I am planning on running my own business. As a matter of fact, I am in the process of putting my business plan together, even though I won't need any funding from anyone. It'll help me focus on all the areas that need attention. I've been discussing it with my wife, and that's the route she would like me to go also. I don't think she will enjoy the long hours I would have to put into it to make it successful or not, but we'll discuss more of that once I finish my business plan, to make sure it can work. I'll pass along the plan to you for your review once I get it complete. Thanks.

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