Is it even worth it to consider majoring in the IT field?

[coolred]

With all the outsourcing and overcrowding of the tech job market, is it a waste of time to get a degree in that area? Are some areas of the IT field better then others, employment wise? I want to go back to schhol soon, but am having a difficult time deciding what I would like to do. I love working with computers, and while Iknow there are many jobs that allow you to work on computers, I want something working with computers not just using them. But I don't want to waste my time and money on a degree which will not be useful.

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: coolred
With all the outsourcing and overcrowding of the tech job market, is it a waste of time to get a degree in that area? Are some areas of the IT field better then others, employment wise? I want to go back to schhol soon, but am having a difficult time deciding what I would like to do. I love working with computers, and while Iknow there are many jobs that allow you to work on computers, I want something working with computers not just using them. But I don't want to waste my time and money on a degree which will not be useful.

do you mean working ON computers? 😕

 

[chasem]

i guess it depends on how good you are at it. which is probaly directly correlated with how much you like it.

 

[EyeMWing]

In terms of field work, there's NO WAY to outsource that. There will always be demand for a few good men to sit around all day and babysit offices full of morons doing their best to break the hell out of their computers.

 

[RagingBITCH]

It depends. A lot of people I met in IT never majored in MIS or whatever IT degree is big nowadays. I myself majored in plain business before after working for a year, realized I wanted to get into IT.

I myself just recently landed kind of a PC Helpdesk support position, although more than anything, it's more of a Jr Network Admin position. (Previously I was doing the same type of work but in addition to their shipping, customer service, etc. in a very small company) Landed through networking - a friend took his IT director with him when we went out once.

I started the job this week and spent the first few days using sysprep and ghost to image some Dell's we're shipping out to various remote offices. Also got a brand new Dell Latitude 505 laptop which I can take home, loaded up with everything (including the admin pack for Win2K3 Server), etc. I'm really gonna like it there.

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
It depends. A lot of people I met in IT never majored in MIS or whatever IT degree is big nowadays. I myself majored in plain business before after working for a year, realized I wanted to get into IT.

I myself just recently landed kind of a PC Helpdesk support position, although more than anything, it's more of a Jr Network Admin position. (Previously I was doing the same type of work but in addition to their shipping, customer service, etc. in a very small company) Landed through networking - a friend took his IT director with him when we went out once.

I started the job this week and spent the first few days using sysprep and ghost to image some Dell's we're shipping out to various remote offices. Also got a brand new Dell Latitude 505 laptop which I can take home, loaded up with everything (including the admin pack for Win2K3 Server), etc. I'm really gonna like it there.

did they give you a pager and a cell phone too? you're the company's bitch off hours now :evil:

 

[waggy]

after working in the IT field for 12 years if i was a college graduate i would NOT be looking in IT. Its not the same as it was 10 years ago. heck it aint the same it was 5 years ago.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: waggy
after working in the IT field for 12 years if i was a college graduate i would NOT be looking in IT. Its not the same as it was 10 years ago. heck it aint the same it was 5 years ago.

maybe even 2 years ago!!

 

[coolred]

Well I have a few things that I like to do, work with computers(by this I mean, building, upgrading, troubleshooting, networking), AutoCAD type stuff(I got 2 years of training in this back when I was in highschool) 3D animation, although I have only very limited experience with this, I took a couple of classes with 3D studio max back in highschool, and aviation. I have always been awed by airplanes and airports and stuff like that.

In those areas, jobs I think i would probablly like would be:
Network admin-Although I here this is crazy stressful, what with all the retards out there that use the computers
InfoSec-Something like a security consultant or anti hacker type, to help companies prevent system intrusion and viri and what not.
Computer Tech-I wouldn't mind going around fixing peoples computers, upgrading them, maybe installing networks, but not sure how well that pays.
Computer Forensics-

Really the only interest I have in the autocad area would be in architecture, more precisely designing house layouts and whatnot.

Not sure what type of job I would want fromt he 3D animation

Next to computers aviation is something I am really interested in. Not so much flying for a big airline. More like being a CFI(although, these don't pay well from what I understand, thier main benefit is for the CFI to be able to log hours so they can advance in thier career)or something airport related. Or even the NTSB, although I have no idea what it takes to get a job with them.

 

[PoPPeR]

Originally posted by: waggy
after working in the IT field for 12 years if i was a college graduate i would NOT be looking in IT. Its not the same as it was 10 years ago. heck it aint the same it was 5 years ago.

so it's changing... but what exactly is it that makes it so undesirable to you. I realized I didn't want to go into any computer related field a couple of years ago, thankfully before I made any decisiosn about college, but I know quite a number of people trying to go into IT.

 

[Danman]

I'd say shoot for the IT field but make sure you bust your ass to get a good job. I'm 19 right now, majoring in IT at my university and I'm a system admin for a government contractor right now. I couldn't have done it if I didn't work my ass off for it though, I just kept on moving up. This is my fourth job this year, but this one is going to stay since I have so many benefits and I have a real future here. 🙂

 

[coolred]

Congrats on the hard work cashman. As long as I like it, I would definately work hard at it, thats why I want to do something I will like. It seems that thier are quite a few jobs available in my area, I check the classifieds every sunday, I was just trying to get an idea of the whole perspective.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
In terms of field work, there's NO WAY to outsource that. There will always be demand for a few good men to sit around all day and babysit offices full of morons doing their best to break the hell out of their computers.

not neciarily, you could hook up with compainies like Unisys, Banctec, Smartech, Qualixserve, or Wang and do active field work. I drive about 1000-1500 miles a week working on various systems. Most of what I do is on-site repair services for dell (all of them, desktops, servers, laptops, EMC, etc.) I also work on $275,000 document sorters, cisco routers, high speed laser and hammer bank printers.

for the most part I love my job, it doesn't pay that great (30k after 4 years) but I don't have to sit in a cubical all day either.

edit: the main deterrent to computer servicing/support these days is a continuos drop in pay, I actually make about 20% less than I did when I started out. I work with a couple of guys who used to make about 100k a year (or more) and are making just slightly more than me (~35-40k)

 

[coolred]

So any suggestions on how to start on my way, or to make myself stand out fromt he rest. I don't really want to go out an do what everyone else is doing, I don't want to be just another paper MCSE. I am trying to get a small network setup to learn on, and am trying to learn linux as well. Any other ideas? For now I am looking at an associates degree from my local community college. Its Microcomputing technology, but its basis is networkin. Shoudl I mix in a bit of programming as well? If so what language? I know I need to find a way to get some experience though, thats one reason for me setting up my own network, but I know I need real job experience as well. What about certs are any of them worth it? I am already A+ certified, not that it has helped since eveyone knows its simple to pass. Is one area better to lean towards then the other? Should I go Cisco as opposed to MS, or something else entirely?

 

[LuckyTaxi]

I graduated from college 3 years ago and landed the perfect job. I'm a network administrator for a private school and I answer to the CFO. No CIO or anything like that just me and my colleague monitoring 100+ computers and 12 servers. Besides the pay, everything else is good. Would I have majored in IT knowing what the marke would be like now? Probably yes. I can't see myself doing something else, but at the moment I've gotten myself some real estate properties and I'm fixing them up and selling them. Hopefully when I get some cash reserve I wanna start working on my computer business.

It really helps to know ppl in the IT field.