This post is similar to some of the others so I have hesitated putting this scenario on the board. However, I have always been told the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask, so here goes.
Currently I am an IT Consultant in San Antonio quite by accident. After relocating here summer of ’04 (spouse AF Nurse) I was still having trouble find good employment as entry level phone support or retail IT sales jobs were and are plentiful. My previous position was IS Manager for an international company grossing about in the $100 mil range. Having trouble locating suitable work I turned to a number of head hunters. Yes, I will name them as two of them gave me specific advice regarding my career and I questions its’ accuracy. TekSystems and Robert Half both indicated that if I were to leave the tech field for even a few months (approx 6) I would be throwing away my previous 12 years of IT experience. Why? They both indicated that if an individual breaks from the field they are considered entry level upon returning as they are no longer considered “current” on the latest in IT. While I can see a certain amount of truth to this I believe on the whole it is a load of bunk. Some aspects of IT simply don’t change that fast. SO…I would like to know if there is anyone from those firms or any other for that matter who would like to step up and answer this question: Does a short break (<12months)regress your IT career to square one when you try to get back in? AND a bonus question: I am almost finished with my IT degree and was told by those firms also that without a degree (regardless of certifications) I could rule out over half the IT opportunities available. Is this true?
