Computing careers without a degree?

[NulloModo]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but it seemed like the closest. I am currently looking for a job working in the computer/technology field, but without a degree in that area.

I do have a bachelors degree in music education, but I have realized after three years of teaching that I am just not that fond of kids and teaching is not the career for me. I am however very knowledgeable about computers, and willing to take some extra classes if necessary.

I don't really think programming is my thing (I was a comp sci major for two years before data structures kicked my ass and I realized I didn't really have the heart to be a code monkey), but networking, marketing, or other aspects seem like things I would be into.

Does anyone have any tips on directions I should go? I would ideally like to get something above an entry level tech at best buy or something, I can't really afford to go back to making minimum wage (I currently make $40K a year, and if at all possible I would not like to drop below that).

 

[XOR != OR]

Networking and general IT: No degree needed. Hell, no certs needed either. It took me a couple years of working crap jobs for peanuts til I caught on somewhere that paid very decently.

Know your stuff and start social networkings. Someone, somewhere, needs an IT person. When first starting out, it's all about selling yourself. Get your foot in the door with a single customer, and do everything you can to make that customer happy. If that means you end up taking a loss from the job, so be it. Because that person will tell their friends when they need an IT person, and so on and so forth.

I don't know what the conditions are at big companies, but small the medium will at least give you an interview if you have good experience and references.

 

[NulloModo]

I don't know what the conditions are at big companies, but small the medium will at least give you an interview if you have good experience and references.

That's the thing, I have no real experience or references in the computer field. I mean, I have references from the school I taught at which are good, and I had experience selling computers 4 - 5 years ago, but other than that it is all undocumented.

 

[Cardboard Hammer]

Get a Ph.D. in music, then write a book on Assembly Language.

On a more constructive note, don't quit your day job until you have acceptable alternative employment lined up.

 

[NulloModo]

Get a Ph.D. in music, then write a book on Assembly Language.

On a more constructive note, don't quit your day job until you have acceptable alternative employment lined up.

Already sort of quit, resigned effective today actually, though due to the odd schedule of teaching careers and payment I have until halfway through september before I stop getting paychecks.

I am going to look around at what is availible. If nothing else I am a great salesman, and I could easily make a living selling cars for a while, I am just looking for something I could make money doing and really enjoy my job.

EDIT:

Hammer - Oddly enough, you are close to my second option. Which is to spend the savings I have on grad school, get my DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) (PhDs are rare in the music field, my official degree is a BM as opposed to a BA or BS) in music history and lose myself in Academia.

 

[ShimmyT]

Helpdesk jobs are a good way to get in, depending on what you want to do. I basically came right out of HS to doing help desk --> to technical support specialist --> to network admin working on my MCSE and Linux certs 'cause we are starting to move some of our firewalls, IDS etc to open source solutions (Linux). Just be ready to learn a lot. If you have good customer service skills you can get your foot in the door. It'll take a while but you can move up.

 

[maw]

i started out back in 1996 with an old PC and a few of those teach yourself books. I spent many months ripping my hair out learning how to build and troubleshoot problems. Then i got together with a friend of mine and we would do upgrade and repair jobs for friends, who then recommended other friend and family, etc.. The spare parts from the jobs were enough for me to frankenstein some spare PC's together (remember back then a brand new PC was easily $2000-3000, so i couldn't afford to buy anything for playing with).

Once i got a couple of PC's up and running, it was on to buying more books to learn about networking, then REAL networking using a Windows NT domain. The more I learned, the bigger the jobs we could take on. So before you knew it we were getting paid to network small offices, classrooms, etc. So, with PC repair, troubleshooting and networking experience, it was really easy to apply for a real IT job with a steady income. In the interview they didn't care for certs, they asked pointed, real-world technical questions which was a breeze for me to answer.

Once i was settled in IT, I started tinkering with making websites and totally fell in love with it, so it was more books on the shelf. Today i make really good money as a web developer.

The only thing I suggest is that you must have an undying love for IT in order to be really good at it. Most of the skills employers are looking for will only come from long hours of frustrating trial and error, not from some cert you get from those 18 month tech schools.

 

[Geshtar]

EDIT:

Hammer - Oddly enough, you are close to my second option. Which is to spend the savings I have on grad school, get my DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) (PhDs are rare in the music field, my official degree is a BM as opposed to a BA or BS) in music history and lose myself in Academia.

If in your first post you say that teaching is not a career for you.....'losing' yourself in academia sounds like a recipe for misery, because teaching is exactly what you will have to do if you try to make a career in academia land.

 

[ameoba]

I would ideally like to get something above an entry level tech at best buy or something, I can't really afford to go back to making minimum wage (I currently make $40K a year, and if at all possible I would not like to drop below that).

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL



We're looking to replace our Senior Network Administrator, I think you'd be a great fit.

Face it... with no experience, degree, training or certs - even if you can spin that 2yr as a CS major as being equivalent to a minor in CS - you're gonna be coming in at the bottom.

 

[NulloModo]

If in your first post you say that teaching is not a career for you.....'losing' yourself in academia sounds like a recipe for misery, because teaching is exactly what you will have to do if you try to make a career in academia land.

I should have clarified. Teaching K-12 is not the career for me, elementary is easy but boring, middle school is hell, (those are the two I have taught for the past 3 years), and being a HS band director results in an instant loss of any semblance of a life. Being a professor I could swing (though I'd have to invest some extra years and a whole lot of cash to get my masters and DMA).

Ameoba -

I never said I wanted to be a senior network administrator (and I sure hope they make a hell of a lot more than I do). That is why I posted the thread, to see if there were other jobs out there that fit my skills/desires.

 

[cieje]

I know someone that went through something similiar. She was teaching, science I believe, on the middle school level for like 5 years and decided to go into the computer field. She basically took out a loan, went through the MCSE training - got certified - and using her "connections" that she did have within the local school system she was able to eventual get decent positions as IT for some schools - now she makes 60k+ a year as an admin for the board I believe.

 

[ameoba]

I never said I wanted to be a senior network administrator (and I sure hope they make a hell of a lot more than I do). That is why I posted the thread, to see if there were other jobs out there that fit my skills/desires.

And I'm saying that you're probably going to take a big hit in pay by jumping into a new career field where you have no experience or credentials. You're probably looking at some sort of low-level technician or helpdesk position - maybe a jr. administrator position if you're lucky (this would be a lot easier if you were into Unix). Granted, what these jobs pay is going to depend on where you live.

 

[monachetti]

this isn't helpful at all, but i just wanted to say i graduated with a music degree (guitar) a year ago and landed a programming job right out of college. i don't know how the job market is out there, but if i managed to get a job with only work experience at UPS, and a few programming classes, i'd say just put a resume together and send some out. maybe you'll find something.

 

[KingKaeru]

I don't really think programming is my thing (I was a comp sci major for two years before data structures kicked my ass and I realized I didn't really have the heart to be a code monkey), but networking, marketing, or other aspects seem like things I would be into.

This thread is better suited in our offtopic forum.

--KK