Can you work in IT/Networking with a BS in Computer Science?

[Mackintire]

CS is fine... You'll be more useful in the IT world if you have at least a CCNA level of networking knowledge and skills when you enter the workplace. I'd get the CS and take a CCNA course in the summer. Maybe another networking cert or two during your summers so you have some real life experience when you entire the workplace.

 

[mwarps]

How would the employers know if they can do something if they aren't working yet? You mean they ask the applicat to do something during the interview or... explain please.

When you interview for a real job, most of the time you are asked to demonstrate working knowledge something related to the field (thus the example of certs and for loops).

I'm just afraid that if I do get a BS in CS, ill end up only finding a job in like programming or hardware developing and I really do not want to do that at all. That's why I want to only focus on IT, only on like building networks and up keeping hardware/servers. Hope this makes sense. And also, I'm not confident at all with teaching myself EVERYTHING about networking, I feel only formal schooling can teach me.

You want to be a pure IT guy, this is good, a direction is good.

CS is a waste of your time.

 

[Dogs]

CS is a waste of your time.

This isn't a very wise thing to say.

I would be surprised if anybody saying stuff like this actually knows enough about computer science to know if it's actually a waste of time. What makes you believe computer science is a waste of time for someone in IT?

 

[Tee]

This isn't a very wise thing to say.

I would be surprised if anybody saying stuff like this actually knows enough about computer science to know if it's actually a waste of time. What makes you believe computer science is a waste of time for someone in IT?

I have no degree!
I make more than the average family!
And....... I have zero certs!

I think social skills in technology are much better than anything else, to get a good job.

 

[Benzino]

I wanted to get in to IT and went for a BA in Computer Science. Could have done an associates and gotten in to the same line of work for sure.
I work in IT currently. My BA in Computer Science was no hindrance to my career. It was certainly a more expensive education, but I made the connections that were necessary to get me where I am at today. I made sure I was actively working IT throughout college for experience.

 

[gangolfus]

I have no degree!
I make more than the average family!
And....... I have zero certs!

I think social skills in technology are much better than anything else, to get a good job.

You are the exception, not the rule. People like you are the 1%'ers of the computer industry. Telling a teenager to skip college because YOU were able to get by without is reckless.

My advice is similar to most others in this thread: go get a 4 year degree in something computer related (CS, CIS, MIS, etc) and get a job on campus in computers as well as look for CO-OP and internship opportunities.

Think of it this way: having a college degree has never held anyone back from a job, but not having one does every day. Also, there are other values to college other than direct work related knowledge. Classmates are potential employers and job opportunities as well as the alumni network as a whole. Also, go away from home and live on campus and learn a lot of life lessons while the consequences are minimal. Most of the learning happening at a traditional 4-year college is outside of the classroom. It's worth it.

 

[Dogs]

I have no degree!
I make more than the average family!
And....... I have zero certs!

...and if you had a degree, you'd know that anecdotes like this don't prove anything because outliers do exist. Every once in a while, someone wins millions in the lotto. That doesn't mean our thread starter should hang his future on winning the lotto.

Your example shows that you can get a job without a degree. What the thread starter is asking is whether or not computer science is a good way to get a job with a degree.

 

[DarkDubzs]

Whether you have a CS or CIS degree, you can hold a job in IT or software development. You'll get more IT experience in CIS versus more programming experience in CS. I personally wouldn't recommend CS if you're looking to do networking, as you'll be doing unnecessary amounts of programming as a CS major. I speak from experience switching from a CS to CIS major in college.

That's exactly how I feel. If I want to work in IT in the networking field, I know I can either go for a CS or CIS degree, but the CIS degree will be better suited for what I want to do. So now I've decided that I'm going to get a CIS degree, and I think I'm now probably going to go to state college. It all kinda works out this way: cheaper than trade school; an actual, accredited, fully accepted, no questions BS degree; and I can still get hands on and real world experience from actual work outside of school teaching, which will be better than any lab work taught in school, because what can get more real than the real world.

 

[mwarps]

This isn't a very wise thing to say.

I would be surprised if anybody saying stuff like this actually knows enough about computer science to know if it's actually a waste of time. What makes you believe computer science is a waste of time for someone in IT?

Where I went to school, CS was for the engineers that couldn't cut engineering. CS was still rough since it involved just as much math as the engineers had to endure, just different types.

IT was for the engineers who couldn't cut engineering or CS and just wanted to get out of college with a piece of paper.

He said himself he just wants to build networks and keep servers up.

Why would you suggest CS to someone who doesn't want to program and doesn't care to understand how the stuff under the hood works?

 

[DarkDubzs]

I think my past stupidity will actually keep me back from being able to go to college right after I graduate HS this June. Reasons being, I haven't taken the SAT yet, unless I can get into community college without having to have taken the SAT; I don't think my A-G requirements are even fulfilled because I got D's in my freshman and sophomore years and I failed math like four times which made me go to credit recovery and summer school (math and I are literally eternal enemies). If I can get into community college without those problems getting in my way then after 2 years transfer into a CSU, still without those problems possibly presenting problems, then I should be okay.

Any help here guys?

 

[mwarps]

That's exactly how I feel. If I want to work in IT in the networking field, I know I can either go for a CS or CIS degree, but the CIS degree will be better suited for what I want to do. So now I've decided that I'm going to get a CIS degree, and I think I'm now probably going to go to state college. It all kinda works out this way: cheaper than trade school; an actual, accredited, fully accepted, no questions BS degree; and I can still get hands on and real world experience from actual work outside of school teaching, which will be better than any lab work taught in school, because what can get more real than the real world.

CIS or IT is most likely the right path.

 

[Dogs]

That's exactly how I feel. If I want to work in IT in the networking field, I know I can either go for a CS or CIS degree, but the CIS degree will be better suited for what I want to do. So now I've decided that I'm going to get a CIS degree, and I think I'm now probably going to go to state college. It all kinda works out this way: cheaper than trade school; an actual, accredited, fully accepted, no questions BS degree; and I can still get hands on and real world experience from actual work outside of school teaching, which will be better than any lab work taught in school, because what can get more real than the real world.

It seems as though you've made a valid assessment of your options. Try to treat every lesson as though it's important. Sometimes lessons are valuable even if for no other purpose than intellectual growth. That biology class might seem pointless when you take it, but maybe some day you and your coworkers will be sitting in a sushi restaurant talking about the overfishing of an apex predator and its effect on trophic food chains. Sometimes it's helpful for your colleagues and your superiors to view you as intelligent, and if you can't hold an intelligent discussion about something other than 'work', nobody is going to think of you as such.

Essentially, try not to get frustrated about having to learn things you don't think are relevant to your job. Knowledge is powerful, so try to appreciate the opportunities you'll receive in college.

 

[mwarps]

I think my past stupidity will actually keep me back from being able to go to college right after I graduate HS this June. Reasons being, I haven't taken the SAT yet, unless I can get into community college without having to have taken the SAT; I don't think my A-G requirements are even fulfilled because I got D's in my freshman and sophomore years and I failed math like four times which made me go to credit recovery and summer school (math and I are literally eternal enemies). If I can get into community college without those problems getting in my way then after 2 years transfer into a CSU, still without those problems possibly presenting problems, then I should be okay.

Any help here guys?

Been there, done that. Talk to your guidance counselor at school.
SAT is .. going to be a problem.

If math is your enemy you have *no business* taking CS, that buries that topic.

 

[DarkDubzs]

He said himself he just wants to build networks and keep servers up.

Why would you suggest CS to someone who doesn't want to program and doesn't care to understand how the stuff under the hood works?

+9001
I personally believe people are suggesting CS because they want me to know everything that makes computers tick and work so that I can apply that higher knowledge to IT and be ahead of the curve.... or something. Or maybe they're trying to defend CS because I'm asking if it okay to have in IT, so they assume I want a CS degree, but really I don't. Maybe I should change the title? Lol

P.S. I've made up my mind that I'm going to go for a BS in CIS, but that's just one less problem; read my last post.

 

[Dogs]

He said himself he just wants to build networks

...graph theory and algorithms...

and keep servers up.

...it's easier to keep servers up if you know what's bringing them down.

Why would you suggest CS to someone who doesn't want to program

Because computer science isn't strictly about programming, and if you actually knew anything about computer science at all, you'd know that. So now that we've established that you don't understand what computer science is, how do you know it's a waste of time?

and doesn't care to understand how the stuff under the hood works?

If he doesn't care to know how the stuff under the hood works, he's far better off applying for a job stocking shelves at Walmart. That's a far more appropriate vocation for those types of people. Nobody wants a mechanic that doesn't understand friction or what purpose washers serve, and nobody wants somebody building bridges if they don't understand how soil and concrete behave...and in the real world the same applies to IT guys.

P.S. I've made up my mind that I'm going to go for a BS in CIS, but that's just one less problem; read my last post.

Great. Do it. You've picked one of the 12 or so majors that are suitable choices for someone who wishes to build a career in the IT world. Go to school and make yourself the person you wish to be.

 

[DarkDubzs]

Been there, done that. Talk to your guidance counselor at school.
SAT is .. going to be a problem.

If math is your enemy you have *no business* taking CS, that buries that topic.

Yeah, I'm going to talk with my school counselor tomorrow when we get back.

That's probably half the reding why I don't want to go for CS. 1. I don't see its worth it to go for a CS degree instead of a CIS degree, for my interests. 2. All the math in CS will have me by the balls hanging over a pit of fire; lol, in short, CS isn't for me.

 

[DeChache]

+9001
I personally believe people are suggesting CS because they want me to know everything that makes computers tick and work so that I can apply that higher knowledge to IT and be ahead of the curve.... or something. Or maybe they're trying to defend CS because I'm asking if it okay to have in IT, so they assume I want a CS degree, but really I don't. Maybe I should change the title? Lol

P.S. I've made up my mind that I'm going to go for a BS in CIS, but that's just one less problem; read my last post.

I'm glad you made up your mind but I do want to disagree on why we are suggesting CS.

We are suggesting CS because we think its is worth while. There was a lot of years where I thought my degree was a waste. But the longer I am in the industry the more I realized that a lot of the stuff I learned wasn't a waste.

If you get on your horse you should be able to get everything done on time. Most state schools will accept applications with "pending" requirements.

Though if you and math are enemy's any computer degree worth anything is gonna be a long road..... Most lower degrees are more applied math though it can make things easier.

 

[Nicklebon]

OP above all things you need to understand large shops operate differently than small shops. In small shops that aren't slaves to HR policies a business degree such a CIS flies just fine as long you can prove your knowledge. In large shops, read Fortune 100, the degree matters and a CS degree carries MUCH more weight. Neither shop will care about course work experience. In your other thread it was recommended that you pursue internships and outside experience. This advice is spot on. Unless your experience comes from actual work in the field and is verifiable via an HR reference it simply doesn't count.

As the poster said above to get ahead in this field you really do need to know what's under the hood, otherwise your just a monkey and I can hire monkeys for bananas.

 

[Benzino]

If math is your enemy you have *no business* taking CS, that buries that topic.

Spare yourself, my math abilities hit a wall right around Algebra III and my CS math classes were hell. Calculus, data structures, computer architectures, discrete math.
And I just wanted to manage Windows servers for a career....

 

[DarkDubzs]

OP above all things you need to understand large shops operate differently than small shops. In small shops that aren't slaves to HR policies a business degree such a CIS flies just fine as long you can prove your knowledge. In large shops, read Fortune 100, the degree matters and a CS degree carries MUCH more weight. Neither shop will care about course work experience. In your other thread it was recommended that you pursue internships and outside experience. This advice is spot on. Unless your experience comes from actual work in the field and is verifiable via an HR reference it simply doesn't count.

As the poster said above to get ahead in this field you really do need to know what's under the hood, otherwise your just a monkey and I can hire monkeys for bananas.

But if I go for a CIS degree, won't they teach us all we need to be actually competent in the work force? Then the outside experience like jobs and interns will add to the learning and carry other benefits. Call me dumb, but, just to be on the same page, are you recommending I instead go for a CS degree?



Its like everyone is telling me to go the opposite way I plan to or want to... idk.

 

[Dogs]

But if I go for a CIS degree, won't they teach us all we need to be actually competent in the work force?

No degree will teach you that. A good degree will teach you quantitative analysis and problem solving and will provide you with an understanding of theory and how to apply it, and these will be a good foundation onto which you can build your practical skills.

Degrees will not make you be competent in the workforce. Degrees will give you everything you need to become competent in the workforce. Actually becoming competent is up to you, and contrary to what schools like ITT Tech will tell you, there is no one stop, effortless, easy solution that takes the work out of it for you. The very ability to become competent is a valuable asset in itself, so going out and trying to 'buy' your competence isn't an acceptable solution.

 

[Schro]

This has probably been touched on at a few places in the thread, but I think you're headed in the right direction now. It has been 10 years since I graduated from college, but I did so with a CIS degree (and accounting, as a second major) from one of the top ranked CIS programs in the nation. The program was based upon teaching the fundamentals of business, systems analysis and design, some light programming, basic networking concepts, basic database concepts and a capstone course that actually placed you in the real world with a company that needed something done. Each of the courses focused on foundational knowledge about the topic area but did NOT get very vendor specific as part of the coursework (by design). Sure, some class projects were done using vendor specific products, but it was clearly NOT a course designed to get you certified in anything in particular. To me, that is how classes taught for a 4 year degree should be, as with a broad understanding of the concepts you can then apply those to the real world and be far more versatile in whatever direction you go with your career.

Where you will differentiate yourself as a candidate is by getting a job that is related to your degree during your time in college so you can get a taste of the real world. Reading your posts, I get the sense that you do not have a lot of experience in a professional workplace, so getting that out of the way will be quite helpful to your full time employment options at the end of school. I have also found that in every job that I have ever had is that I will get opportunities to do more advanced/interesting things that I'm technically not qualified for because I show an interest and want to learn. Getting in at the helpdesk level with no experience points would be perfect for that - figure out how to do that job, then start socializing the desire to learn more, and eventually, you'll get into networking, server administration or whatever it is you want to do.

I also know some instructors from trade schools and while they might be good at their job, many of them haven't had a "real" industry job in decades and are quite out of touch with the current IT industry outside of academia.

 

[Schro]

But if I go for a CIS degree, won't they teach us all we need to be actually competent in the work force? Then the outside experience like jobs and interns will add to the learning and carry other benefits. Call me dumb, but, just to be on the same page, are you recommending I instead go for a CS degree?



Its like everyone is telling me to go the opposite way I plan to or want to... idk.

To me, I see CIS majors as the people that will ultimately be hiring CS majors to work for them. I feel like I have been incredibly successful in accomplishing my goals with a CIS degree and I think that I'm fair happier in the path that I have chosen over what would have awaited me in the CS world.

No degree will teach you that. A good degree will teach you quantitative analysis and problem solving and will provide you with an understanding of theory and how to apply it, and these will be a good foundation onto which you can build your practical skills.

Degrees will not make you be competent in the workforce. Degrees will give you everything you need to become competent in the workforce. Actually becoming competent is up to you, and contrary to what schools like ITT Tech will tell you, there is no one stop, effortless, easy solution that takes the work out of it for you. The very ability to become competent is a valuable asset in itself, so going out and trying to 'buy' your competence isn't an acceptable solution.

Well said.

 

[DarkDubzs]

Degrees will not make you be competent in the workforce. Degrees will give you everything you need to become competent in the workforce. Actually becoming competent is up to you.

That's a better way of saying what I was trying to. But within the 4 years in CIS we will learn everything we need to be able to be competent, knowledgeable and effective in our respective IT field, correct?

 

[Dogs]

That's a better way of saying what I was trying to. But within the 4 years in CIS we will learn everything we need to be able to be competent, knowledgeable and effective in our respective IT field, correct?

If you go into it with the right mindset (I.E. that your education is a tool, and learning how to use it is the skill), then yes, a CIS degree should more than thoroughly prepare you for IT work.

 

[Tee]

You are the exception, not the rule. People like you are the 1%'ers of the computer industry. Telling a teenager to skip college because YOU were able to get by without is reckless.

My advice is similar to most others in this thread: go get a 4 year degree in something computer related (CS, CIS, MIS, etc) and get a job on campus in computers as well as look for CO-OP and internship opportunities.

Think of it this way: having a college degree has never held anyone back from a job, but not having one does every day. Also, there are other values to college other than direct work related knowledge. Classmates are potential employers and job opportunities as well as the alumni network as a whole. Also, go away from home and live on campus and learn a lot of life lessons while the consequences are minimal. Most of the learning happening at a traditional 4-year college is outside of the classroom. It's worth it.

I am in the 1% because I put myself here. It's not like there is a rule book to the world that says if I pay ridiculous amounts of cash that I am going to get some amazing job, it's life, nothing is holding us to anything.

...and if you had a degree, you'd know that anecdotes like this don't prove anything because outliers do exist. Every once in a while, someone wins millions in the lotto. That doesn't mean our thread starter should hang his future on winning the lotto.

Your example shows that you can get a job without a degree. What the thread starter is asking is whether or not computer science is a good way to get a job with a degree.

And if I had a degree, I'd have no debt....? And the world would be a better place because I did what everyone else did because they were to lazy to pave there own way? Yes, I follow your theory; do what everyone else does and follow the rules to success, an expensive degree, and luck! Good luck!

If I am being a d--k, it's because I am being one.

As for my advice to the person who created this thread, do what you think is best. Just because a private school has a huge premium on it does not make it better than a cheap state college or county college. It is going to matter if the people in that class room teaching you have any idea or real world experience, and if the college has relevant real world material.

At the end of the day, you shouldn't be listening to a bunch of people on a forum anyways, that only mean's you are trying to give yourself a reason to do something.

My life advice, do something because you love it, not because you think it is good for you. I'd take a crappy paying job I loved, over a job I hated, and was paid good for, and I think everyone on this forum who is smart would agree.

 

[DarkDubzs]

As for my advice to the person who created this thread, do what you think is best. Just because a private school has a huge premium on it does not make it better than a cheap state college or county college. It is going to matter if the people in that class room teaching you have any idea or real world experience, and if the college has relevant real world material.

I agree with that point. I am doing whats best, my best interest that is. Im not going to a private college anymore, or at least, thats my new plan.

At the end of the day, you shouldn't be listening to a bunch of people on a forum anyways, that only mean's you are trying to give yourself a reason to do something.

That is true to an extent, but it doesnt apply here. Reason being, im not asking people what they want me to do, im asking what they think of my plan, im taking their feedback, creating my own thoughts and opinions, and making my plan according to my best interest.

My life advice, do something because you love it, not because you think it is good for you. I'd take a crappy paying job I loved, over a job I hated, and was paid good for, and I think everyone on this forum who is smart would agree.

And i 100% agree, thats why i am asking people here, because everyone else is telling me to do what i do not want to. Everybody assumes i want to or should be like a fucking Bill Gates when i tell them i want to work with computers as a career, but here i can be better understood and be given much more helpful and relevant information and advice.

Im planning ahead to do what i love and i truly want to work in IT with networks and the like. Although, i do not want to work solely in the engineering, developing, and programming front. And if anything, its a win win because im pursuing what i honestly want to do and the pay is not bad at all either, but of course life will throw me curve balls and it will all just be a journey, and im just planning my route on the map, i might get lost along the way, get back on track, and take some detours, but its all just part of the adventure.

 

[Dogs]

It's not like there is a rule book to the world that says if I pay ridiculous amounts of cash that I am going to get some amazing job, it's life, nothing is holding us to anything.

You're right, there isn't any rule that people who get expensive educations get to have amazing jobs, and people who go into college with that mindset will struggle to succeed. But there also isn't a rule book that says employers can't turn you down just because you don't have a degree. There also isn't a rule book that says people who have been mildly successful wouldn't have been more successful had they gotten an education. So you make more money per year than the average household....the average household income is fairly low, so that doesn't actually take much. In 2012, the average person with a bachelor's degree (but not a graduate degree) earned $55,432/per year (source), while in that same year the average household only earned $51,371/per year (source). Individuals who complete graduate/professional degrees, on average, make considerably more than that.

So congratulations...you've done well compared to the average non-college educated individual, statistically. You've managed to make more than the average household....so has the average person who went to college. Maybe if you had gone to college, you'd have done just as well, relatively, and you could be making twice what you make now. There's no rule book that says you wouldn't have been better off...and we'll never know, because that's not what you did.

And if I had a degree, I'd have no debt....?

Unlikely, but the gap in earning between degree holders and non-degree holders is so large that you'd likely be making enough money to compensate for the college debt.

If I am being a d--k, it's because I am being one.

Not a dick, no. Just someone bashing education in the typically ignorant fashion, I.E. ignoring or contradicting relevant statistics.

 

[DarkDubzs]

Well i finally found all the CSU's that offer a BS in Information Systems, but technically theyre business degrees :/
First is my home school: CSU Fullerton, idk about this one, their Information Systems minor/concentration looks kinda small doesnt it? Here's their degrees available, its under Business Admin. Here is the catalog. Here is the Inf. Sys. minor courses.

The rest follow:

Channel Islands
Chico
Dominguez Hills (also offer an Inf. Sys. Security BS)
Fresno
Long Beach
Monterey Bay
Northridge
Pomona
San Bernardino
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Los Angeles
San Luis Obispo

How do i even choose? Well i guess the cheapest, ones i can realistically get into, and that have the best looking IS programs?

 

[DarkDubzs]

[deleted duplicate]

 

[Dogs]

How do i even choose? Well i guess the cheapest, ones i can realistically get into, and that have the best looking IS programs?

How you choose is up to you. Do you want/need to live at home? If not, then pick the location that's in an area of interest to you. Maybe one of those schools is in an area you've always liked, or is somewhere you'd like to explore. If one of those schools has a particularly distinguished program, that also factors in. If you're looking for cheap, maybe the ones like San Francisco aren't the way to go, since the consumer price index in those areas is fairly high. Rent, parking, food, etc. might be more expensive if you go to a school in an expensive area.

 

[DarkDubzs]

How you choose is up to you. Do you want/need to live at home? If not, then pick the location that's in an area of interest to you. Maybe one of those schools is in an area you've always liked, or is somewhere you'd like to explore. If one of those schools has a particularly distinguished program, that also factors in.

Well i would prefer the one with the best IS program, how do i even check that? Is there like a database or rankings list?

 

[Nicklebon]

Well i would prefer the one with the best IS program, how do i even check that? Is there like a database or rankings list?

The rub is here is best according to who? Best is subjective.

I'll give you what a very good friend of mine, majored in applied math and is currently a freelance database programmer, did:

1. Gather a list all the schools your interested in.
2. Contact their admission boards and get the average salaries for the alumni of your program.
3. Rank the ratio degree cost:salary

Lowest ratio = best program.

 

[DarkDubzs]

The rub is here is best according to who? Best is subjective.

I'll give you what a very good friend of mine, majored in applied math and is currently a freelance database programmer, did:

1. Gather a list all the schools your interested in.
2. Contact their admission boards and get the average salaries for the alumni of your program.
3. Rank the ratio degree cost:salary

Lowest ratio = best program.

Best according to something like USNews or some other high held professional company, etc.
Ill try what you said and ill mention I don't know which to pick to my counselor, but I know shes going to urge Fullerton since its our home school.

 

[haunter]

Im a network engineer at a large university and the wireless team lead has a BS in CS

 

[MysticRyuujin]

I've seen graduates who couldn't reset user account passwords in AD. I've seen people with no formal education who were complete bad asses.

To me, the degree is a piece of paper that opens doors. If I were the person looking to hire (and I've done interviews in the past) the degree would be NOTHING to me. How you handled the technical interview and how I perceived your personality would be the only things I cared about. However, simply getting your resume in front of someone like me to do a technical interview would require you to get through HR filters. They are going to look for that degree, they're HR, that's what they do.

I was making decent money in San Diego without any degrees and I basically took the first job I was offered when I moved there, but I was Cisco certified. I've since gotten my degree but the ONLY reason I got my degree was because it's a requirement to get a work visa in Japan. I had no other desire to get my degree...

I basically got the easiest degree I could and never thought twice about it. I have a shitty BS in Information Systems Security that I got online through University of Phoenix. I didn't learn a single damn thing through that program, but I didn't need to. I have the certs and the experience. I got the experience from the job and I got the job with the certs.

 

[stiltner]

It all depends on who you want to work for, what you want to do, and how far up you want to go.

I have no degree, and a bunch of certs. After ~ 4 years, I finally got to admin level work.

What I can say w/o a doubt is to always be shopping yourself and your skillset till you find what you want. The guys that get a job and stop pushing themselves to be more and do more, will stay where they are. Sometimes you have to convince someone you're worth the money they should pay you.

Other times you just have to be in the right place at the right time. But no matter what skills you acquire, what certs or degrees or other training you get. Never let that be the end of your journey, or you'll eventually just fade away in IT.

You have to be willing to continously evolve. IT today and IT 5 years from now will be different in a lot of facilities. Healthcare is undergoing huge changes.

If I could get a BS in IT would I? Yes, without a doubt
Would it help me move up in the job I have now? No
Would it help with the next job? I think you see where I'm going

 

[DarkDubzs]

But no matter what skills you acquire, what certs or degrees or other training you get. Never let that be the end of your journey, or you'll eventually just fade away in IT.

Wow that was deeper than this thread should have ever been lol. But seriously, i agree and this is just the start, and i usually just go with the flow, which is probably why im in this problem now lol.

You have to be willing to continuously evolve. IT today and IT 5 years from now will be different in a lot of facilities.

So if we have to evolve, we have to keep up and keep educating ourselves and keep up with the times, would you say the best way to do that is to actively learn or will we just catch on as we work?

 

[MysticRyuujin]

actively learn

Pick up a book, watch training videos, attend a bootcamp, google it, setup practice labs.

Where you work makes a big difference too. If you work for a firm that is constantly on the cutting edge then more power to you but if you work in an organization that is slow to change / adapt then you're not going to learn it on the job. You're going to be doing the same tasks over and over without learning anything new.

I worked for an IT service company for a while and that was better training than anything because I got my hands dirty with new things every day. But some jobs are just repetitive tasks...occasionally installing something new?

Some people just want to find a comfy job and do it forever. I have no such desire. I'll take a new job just because I think it will be interesting or fun to learn some new crap. Changing jobs is a huge experience boost. And if you're young changing jobs is one of the fastest ways to get a raise lol especially as you progress in experience and qualifications.

 

[Biznatch]

Well i finally found all the CSU's that offer a BS in Information Systems, but technically theyre business degrees :/
First is my home school: CSU Fullerton, idk about this one, their Information Systems minor/concentration looks kinda small doesnt it? Here's their degrees available, its under Business Admin. Here is the catalog. Here is the Inf. Sys. minor courses.

The rest follow:

Channel Islands
Chico
Dominguez Hills (also offer an Inf. Sys. Security BS)
Fresno
Long Beach
Monterey Bay
Northridge
Pomona
San Bernardino
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Los Angeles
San Luis Obispo

How do i even choose? Well i guess the cheapest, ones i can realistically get into, and that have the best looking IS programs?

I got my CS degree from Northridge, and a year after I started I was debating whether I should have gotten an IS degree instead, then they stopped offering that. So double check that it's still there. But I did review it in more detail and thought it would help me less in my field than a CS degree. Like you I wanted to do network/sysadmin type work.

CS will be a lot of programming/math, but it will definitely help you understand how the computer is actually working, and will help diagnose issues. The upper level classes give you much more options to focus on what you want to do. So you have at least some choice during the last year. The programming can help a lot though. I got a job at a company that does software development, and it's a big help to understand what is going on. You wouldn't believe how many times the devs will kick something to me saying the problems are caused by the firewall or something with the network/server config. Then it turns out to be an issue with the code.


Also, like others have said, neither degree will magically prepare you for the real world. You will still have to constantly be learning on your own if you want to excel in the field. So make sure you have the drive to stay up to date on current/coming tech and software. Half the job is researching before implementing. And it is ridiculously stressful.... Seriously it can get overwhelming at times..... So be prepared to start balding in your 30s.