Looking at 2 programs at the local community college

[pontifex]

I've been thinking about going back to school for a long time now and I am looking into doing the tuition reimbursement here at work. They'll pay 80% of the costs as long as I finish it. Didn't see any rules stating that I had to stay with the company afterwards though.

I thought I wanted to get completely away from IT but a) I can't decide or figure out what the hell I want to do, b) I think its going to be a lot harder to transition to something new, and c) all my experience/training up to now has been IT related anyway.

So anyway, I'm looking at a Computer Networking program and a Web Development program.

The Web Dev seems more interesting to me, probably because it's completely different than what I do now. My current title is Network/Desktop Analyst, which is basically helpdesk type crap. I want to get away from the helpdesk BS.

So which one do you think would be better at getting me out of the helpdesk? Which one is in more demand? Which one pays more? Which one is more fun / interesting / satisfying / challenging / dynamic? Which one allows for working alone more?


Anyone who does/did either either care to talk about your own experiences?

 

[TallBill]

I can't answer your questions, but have you asked them to the community college staff? Not the academic advisors, but the actual computer science department people? The ones at my community college are all very closely tied to the industry and give pretty good advice.

 

[torpid]

Web development programs at community colleges are often very very low level and would barely qualify you for an entry level position, IMO. It may depend on the program, but the two people I know who went to two different programs learned pretty basic stuff. Things like how to use photoshop, HTML tags, front page, super light intro to ASP, etc. All of that I learned on my own fairly easily.

Have you thought about an MBA?

 

[Kalmah]

I'm attending a website design course currently myself. It's fun. I'm starting to wonder what I'm going to do with this once I'm finished though. Try to find a job and see what happens I guess... *shrug* I can't comment on how the job is going to turn out. Looking on careerbuilder it seems that I could be lining myself up for making some good money. But a lot of the offered jobs require skills that aren't a part of my course. I might have to learn C# and ASP on my own.
The course includes some pretty deep networking classes as well where I'm going.

As a guess, I would think that networking would turn out to be more of a helpdesk type job..

 

[pontifex]

Here are links to the 2 programs:
Networking
Web Dev



not sure how good of a web dev program that is.

 

[ultimatebob]

Bah... I still say that you should take gunsmithing or something like that. Take something that you really WANT to learn!

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Bah... I still say that you should take gunsmithing or something like that. Take something that you really WANT to learn!

I think I would love to do gunsmithing since I like guns, but from what I've heard from gunsmiths it's more of a side job/hobby because the pay is crap, unless you're a police armorer or something like that - which is next to impossible to get.


Seems like everything that I think I would like to do fails in the salary area.

 

[nakedfrog]

I'd much rather work in web dev than networking, but maybe that's just me.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I'd much rather work in web dev than networking, but maybe that's just me.

do you work in one or the other now? what do you like more about web dev than networking?

 

[pontifex]

Does anyone know if either of the programs i linked are any good? Am I going to be screwed or will I be ok?
I'm planning on seeign a counselor next week. Anything I should ask a counselor or anyone else at the college?

 

[CrazyLazy]

Web development would be my personal choice for something to learn more about. Not sure how advanced the class is but if it's just entry level stuff and you are good at learning alone you would probably be better off teaching yourself. I just find with basic classes like that you end up wasting time and money on a subject that you could just google and learn everything you could ever need to know about it in a matter of seconds.

 

[ivan2]

web dev, networking puts you right back into IT.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: ivan2
web dev, networking puts you right back into IT.

umm...yeah...

did you even read my OP?

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: CrazyLazy
Web development would be my personal choice for something to learn more about. Not sure how advanced the class is but if it's just entry level stuff and you are good at learning alone you would probably be better off teaching yourself. I just find with basic classes like that you end up wasting time and money on a subject that you could just google and learn everything you could ever need to know about it in a matter of seconds.

umm...not quite...plus there's this little thing called a degree that google doesn't provide.

 

[CrazyLazy]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: CrazyLazy
Web development would be my personal choice for something to learn more about. Not sure how advanced the class is but if it's just entry level stuff and you are good at learning alone you would probably be better off teaching yourself. I just find with basic classes like that you end up wasting time and money on a subject that you could just google and learn everything you could ever need to know about it in a matter of seconds.

umm...not quite...plus there's this little thing called a degree that google doesn't provide.

Sorry I got the impression from your post that you were just looking to do a single basic class on the subject, not a degree and all that jazz.

 

[Atheus]

Personally I think a low level HTML/CSS/PHP type course is a bad idea - you can get this stuff done in India for so cheap it is impossible to even consider Americans or Europeans. For anything more complicated you want a proper computer science degree IMO, unless you have a bloody fantastic professional background.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: CrazyLazy

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: CrazyLazy
Web development would be my personal choice for something to learn more about. Not sure how advanced the class is but if it's just entry level stuff and you are good at learning alone you would probably be better off teaching yourself. I just find with basic classes like that you end up wasting time and money on a subject that you could just google and learn everything you could ever need to know about it in a matter of seconds.

umm...not quite...plus there's this little thing called a degree that google doesn't provide.

Sorry I got the impression from your post that you were just looking to do a single basic class on the subject, not a degree and all that jazz.

yeah, even though it's an associate and not a bachelor's I'd still like to have the degree.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Atheus
Personally I think a low level HTML/CSS/PHP type course is a bad idea - you can get this stuff done in India for so cheap it is impossible to even consider Americans or Europeans. For anything more complicated you want a proper computer science degree IMO, unless you have a bloody fantastic professional background.

There's no way I'll be able to do a computer science degree. Just looking at the courses scares the shit out of me. I know I can't handle those types of classes.

 

[huberm]

if you are more creative, do web development. If you like analytical type stuff that always has a concrete root cause, choose networking.

 

[Epic Fail]

After the basic requirements, I doubt you will scratch anything in depth in either program, but it might be a head start if you want to pursue a BS later. Also note the stats for people completing their associate in two years is very low plus you'll working full time, you will need to plan on working in your current job for a while to get the reimbursement.

 

[clamum]

Looks like the Web Dev degree allows you the decision to choose more of a designer or developer role which is pretty cool (I'd personally go for developer since I'm not much of a designer, haha).

The classes involved look pretty standard. I'd say for developer you should know a scripting language (PHP, ASP Classic or better, ASP.NET), database design/fundamentals (MySQL or MS SQL), JavaScript, and of course X/HTML and CSS. You can always learn stuff like AJAX on your own after you've studied the basics.

I can't comment too much on the networking option as I don't have much experience in that.

EDIT: I worked as a "Web Designer" for a few months after graduating for a local (small) advertising company in town. I mainly did simple website updates, sometimes having to write some ASP scripting and do database work with it. There wasn't a whole lot of interaction with clients actually, but that was probably mainly due to me taking over another guy's position so the websites were already created and most interaction was done over email (for the website updates).

 

[txrandom]

Originally posted by: Atheus
Personally I think a low level HTML/CSS/PHP type course is a bad idea - you can get this stuff done in India for so cheap it is impossible to even consider Americans or Europeans. For anything more complicated you want a proper computer science degree IMO, unless you have a bloody fantastic professional background.

This is completely wrong.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: huberm
if you are more creative, do web development. If you like analytical type stuff that always has a concrete root cause, choose networking.

looking at the programs at the CC i attend, the web dev program is probably useles (so is the programming program, im pretty sure)

the networking stuff will probably prep you for a CCNA cert and give you an intro background to some other things. thats basically what ive found to be the case where im going.

 

[Vehemence]

As a network administrator, going back I'd choose web dev instead.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: txrandom

Originally posted by: Atheus
Personally I think a low level HTML/CSS/PHP type course is a bad idea - you can get this stuff done in India for so cheap it is impossible to even consider Americans or Europeans. For anything more complicated you want a proper computer science degree IMO, unless you have a bloody fantastic professional background.

This is completely wrong.

Why? Do you hire HTML people? I do and the foreign contractors blow everyone else away on price.