Career Decision Help

[Kuronin]

So recently I have been pondering what I will do for the rest of my life after I graduate high school. But the thing is, I really don't know what I want to do. I really don't want to go to 2-4 more years of schooling, I really can't afford any good schools, and I'm really not sure what courses I would take anyway, they all sound drastically similar and confusing.

 

 

I'm leaning towards the computer industry. I know a lot of you guys are already in those fields have have worked in them for years. I would just like to know what exactly what it would take to get a job at an IT department for a small/large company. I would also like to know how much you guys love your jobs and your pay (lol). Even a job at bestbuy would be fine by me if the pay was right. Worst case scenario, I continue with my at the county for the next 25 years and then retire with a nice pension (...).

 

I am really not as great with all the technical stuff as some of the other guys in the OCC, but I am reading up on what I will need to know for A+ Certification. Any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[redtigerdragon]

I heard A+ was outdated and not really used by many people anymore. Do you want to go into networking, general pc repair, progamming. etc? Figure out what exactly you like to do in the pc industry.

[d3bruts1d]

Run away from the IT field. It is not the glamorous or exciting thing that everyone thinks it is.

[redtigerdragon]

Run away from the IT field. It is not the glamorous or exciting thing that everyone thinks it is.

 

QFT on that.

[benjaminw]

I'm in my early 30s, and I've been an "IT professional" for about 10 years. I don't have a degree, and no formal computer certifications or training. I've worked for several small software and internet companies and now work for a large microprocessor manufacturer. IMO there's plenty of room for non-degreed computer people in technical support, help desk and QA. However, these are almost always going to be hourly jobs, with a relatively low price ceiling and when a company is having tough times (AKA- NOW), these are the positions first to go.

 

If you want to stay in computers, I believe the most rewarding solution in the long run is to get your Computer Science degree and go into development, or get your Electrical Engineering degree and go into design. I've seen development and engineering jobs to be the most durable, demanded and high paying in the IT industry. Without a degree, your are more or less a computer grunt. I'm in QA for my current company, and it often feels like being on an assembly line.

 

If you have your mind made up about working immediately after high school, I believe it's important to get your foot in the door with a company that gives you flexibility to learn on the job. Once you have some skills built up and experience, branch out and look for more rewarding IT work, or build up your own business. A lot of IT folks attain jobs as net admins for small companies. This can be the most rewarding for a non-degreed IT person, as the pay is generally good, but the responsibility and hours can be monstrous.

 

Don't think that just because you can't afford it, that college is out. There are tons and tons of grants, scholarships and loans available. IMO if you spend enough time looking, you won't have to pay a dime for school. In the long run, whatever means you use to pay for school, it will pay off exponentially for you over the course of your life. There's really no matching the long term earning power of a degreed professional, with non-degreed. I was making 11/hr at age 22, 40G/year at 23 and now about 45G/year. Engineers and developers with my experience probably make very close to six figures, if not more.

 

Yes, there are opportunities out there for the non-degreed in IT, but the more you learn now (college), the greater your success down the road.

 

Good luck!!

[Verran]

I heard A+ was outdated and not really used by many people anymore.

A+ is a good start. That is all.

 

It's a VERY basic test and it does not mean much in a professional setting. It might be the edge you need to get a job at the GeekSquad or something similar, but when you look at a post-college career position, they probably couldn't care less if you have A+ or not. It's not a bad test and it's fine to get A+ certified, but DON'T stop there. It is not nearly as valuable as people make it sound. You need a LOT more.

 

Run away from the IT field. It is not the glamorous or exciting thing that everyone thinks it is.

Bingo! In a lot of senses, I really agree.

 

I went into computers because I've known for as long as I can remember that that's what I wanted to do. Now that I'm there, I often wonder if I should have left it as just a hobby and pursued something else. I always thought I'd make a good accountant, or at least some form of bean-counting I'm just too good at math, I guess

 

If you want to move to California then computer jobs are easy to come by, but in smaller localities the competition can be quite fierce. If you go into it, do it because it's what you want to do, not because of the money, and be aware that finding a job may be hard.

 

If you don't know what you want to do, start off at a community college. Talk to a counselor, get some recommendations on classes you might enjoy based on what you talk with them about, and go from there. Not knowing what you want to do is a VERY common problem and there's plenty of people at colleges whose only job is to help you answer that question.

[redtigerdragon]

I agree with Verran, talk to a counselor at school, they are very helpful here. Anything you want to do that makes money is going to require some college, so you may not have a choice. The ggod thing about college is you get to learn what you want, except for some freshman classes.

[CelticaFLM]

What exactly do you mean by no "good schools"?

 

Personally, I went to college for over 3 years for "Computer Info Systems". I hated every minute of it and burned myself out with computer programming. I use to love it...now I hate it. Also, you do NOT have to have a college education to get a good job. However, having at least a 2 year degree in "something"....betters your chances at getting a job when it's in a competitive field. I'm...well...I've been out of high school for a while and I still haven't found my true passion. Sometimes you just have to try a few different things to see what you like. I would suggest that you apply for financial aid to a local college and at least get the basics out of the way.

[Kuronin]

Run away from the IT field. It is not the glamorous or exciting thing that everyone thinks it is.

 

I know, I assume you are talking about people who need help when it's not plugged in, or someone click "you've won 10000000 euros!" and now their PC crashed.

 

However, these are almost always going to be hourly jobs, with a relatively low price ceiling and when a company is having tough times (AKA- NOW), these are the positions first to go.

 

I assumed this off the bat.

 

If you want to stay in computers, I believe the most rewarding solution in the long run is to get your Computer Science degree and go into development, or get your Electrical Engineering degree and go into design. I've seen development and engineering jobs to be the most durable, demanded and high paying in the IT industry. Without a degree, your are more or less a computer grunt. I'm in QA for my current company, and it often feels like being on an assembly line.

 

Like designing motherboards and stuff?

 

Don't think that just because you can't afford it, that college is out. There are tons and tons of grants, scholarships and loans available. IMO if you spend enough time looking, you won't have to pay a dime for school. In the long run, whatever means you use to pay for school, it will pay off exponentially for you over the course of your life. There's really no matching the long term earning power of a degreed professional, with non-degreed. I was making 11/hr at age 22, 40G/year at 23 and now about 45G/year. Engineers and developers with my experience probably make very close to six figures, if not more.

 

Yes, there are opportunities out there for the non-degreed in IT, but the more you learn now (college), the greater your success down the road.

 

Good luck!!

 

The problem is, that traditional schools don't have the computer industry courses, so I would be looking at technical institues. And the courses they offer are seemingly identical just with descritons that are worded differently.

 

I went into computers because I've known for as long as I can remember that that's what I wanted to do. Now that I'm there, I often wonder if I should have left it as just a hobby and pursued something else. I always thought I'd make a good accountant, or at least some form of bean-counting I'm just too good at math, I guess

 

1- My guidance counselor is a worthless piece of @#$%! I'm surprised he's been able to keep his job as long as he has.

 

2- I wanted have an IT job, but after reading this reponse it's making me wonder If I like it because It's a hobby. I thought it WAS what I wanted to do. Now, I'm not so sure.

 

3- Say I do get into "Geeksquad or something similar" will this give me an idea of what to expect from an actual IT job.

[ClayMeow]

Run away from the IT field. It is not the glamorous or exciting thing that everyone thinks it is.

QFT

 

I didn't go to school for computers (I was a business major), but 3.5 yrs ago I fell into an IT position , which at the time was a network/systems administrator role. I would have quit a long time ago if I was still in that role (I did eventually get A+ & Network+ certified, but that was after I already had the job, and the only reason I took them was because my boss paid...Network+ was somewhat useful...A+ is a joke). It's not fun...troubleshooting, "helping" idiots with idiotic problems (GUY: "I turned on my computer, but nothing happened. I've pushed the power button 5 times and still nothing". I walk over ME: "Your *bleeping* monitor isn't *bleeping* on, you stupid *bleep*"). Over time I started to help out in programming...it was all self-taught, but I was picking it up well, so I eventually moved into a completely programming role (I'll still help out with systems stuff if i need to, but that's not my job anymore). I enjoy programming a lot more. It can still be frustrating at times, but it allows a bit more of my creativity to shine thru and it's cool seeing a program you write come to life.

 

So anywho, no, schooling isn't necessary for IT, but it really depends on YOU. I've always been a quick learner, especially when it comes to computers (and have always been good at logic), thus why I've been able to pick up various programming languages so easily. Not everyone is like that though (and no, I'm not bragging...it's just the way it is). If you're considering programming and not sure if you'd be good at it and/or enjoy it, why don't you try designing a website in your free time and see how it goes? Design it from scratch, not in a WYSIWYG or from a template, and try to do something fancy (something that'll test your logic skills) and see how it goes.

[Fight Game]

You should stay in school. If you think you can't afford it, then you may be better off than you think. This may allow you to get more grants. There's garaunteed loans from the government. Having that degree goes a long way. Most times, if you don't do it when you are young you won't do it at all. For the difference in pay, and the quality of job you can obtain, you will be kicking yourself in the . later, if you decide now to skip it.

[CheeseMan42]

The only advice I can give is that if you are interested in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering type work, want upper level classes that will eat your life and make you hate everything at times, but has tremendous upside after graduation then look into computer engineering. I graduate next May and in a normal situation I'd be super optimistic. However, with the way the economy is currently heading I'm not as optimistic as I used to be. But, you need to remember that technology will continue to be developed, meaning there will be a demand for my skill set so I'm really on the fence.

 

Long story short: If you are good at math, have a good work ethic and are willing to put in the time then Computer Engineering may be for you. If not, then don't bother.