thinking about MCSE.... Network Engineering field

[jnuts]

Slashdot.org is full of bitter, unemployed, very very bright technical people.

Amen, brother.

 

[NY Muscle]

Don't be confused or annoyed. THe average person changes their career 3 times. I love my job. It is so rewarding. You really need to decide what your driving factor is. I'm actually thinking of going back to school to be a gym teacher. I really want to help children see fitness as something fun.

HA HA HA that is so funny you said that, that was my original plan but im a bitch when it comes to foreign languaga and the masters program requires it and also its very hard to find a school that offeres a masters in PE, i would have to travel far. But the funny part is, i just got off the phone with my mother, shes been the school board president for years and on the school board for 17 yrs and just told me they layed off soem gym teachers, but being a gym teacher would probably be the coolest job.

flexy you are in the computer field now or no?

 

[flexygrl]

the easiest appetizer is a can of Cheese Wiz and a case of beer.

Wait a second. I don't think you are really Martha Stewart after all.

 

[MarthaStewart]

the easiest appetizer is a can of Cheese Wiz and a case of beer.

 

[revexrevex]

nymuscle, look at my response on 1st page if u missed it

 

[XBiker]

Another thing to keep in mind is that cerification does NOT = employment.

The term "paper" MCSE has been around for years now. These are the guys that can pass any of the MS tests, but still can't get the services started on a server that is down.

They can't troubleshoot your PC/Laptop/Printer/etc, because they have no experience other than what they have memorized out of a book.

To really be good in the IT world, you gotta live it and breath it.

It's much like the training certifications that many of the trainers in the gym have. Anyone can probably train, test and pass the exam, but would you really trust them to train you?

 

[revexrevex]

Xbiker, I definetely agree. The problem with many of these certifications is that they do not replace practical experience that comes by being involved in it, or theoretical experience that comes after fninishing a bachelors. The certification courses do not cover the small details, which sometimes make up the core of working with hardware/software and its interactions. Many people that I graduated with got tons of certificates, paying tons of money, and now they are fresh out of college and can't find even a sleazy part time internship. Unless you have connections of course.

 

[NY Muscle]

NYmuscle, it is up to you, if you enjoy it and get all the certifications you will be highly wanted as opposed to lowly computer science bachelors (such as me) without any external experience. The job market is very unstable, but if you do find a good job it tends to pay well.

By the way, I hope you know that in NY you can get upto $4000 grant to cover the certifications, INCLUDING MCSE, I believe it is $1400? What college are you going to, PM me if you want, but they should have an option for you to use the government bond to cover the tuition. It is even cheaper when you take a package, suppose like something really basic like A+, N+, CISCO and MSCE.

But at the end, like i said itts upto you. I was very involved in technology 4 years ago,a nd now that I finished college having experienced the guts of what makes applications, and its support tick, I want to puke at any mention of computers and jobs at the same sentence.

If i do decide to go it will be Skidmore college, one of the few computer institutes we have here in NY. I spoke to the admissions counselor and he said since i have a bachelors degree there is no financial aid but i also went to a business institute in NY which is actally a college and not a technical school, but they teach these certificate degree programs, the women there told me there are grants. etc I can get because of my high grade point average and what not, this school i actually get credits like a real college as well as the certificates once i take the tests that are required (7 all together I think)... but Skidmore didnt mention this, so I am thinking they arent a college just a techincal school even thought it is called Skidmore College? There are no credits at Skidmore.


At skidmore i have to pay aboyt $15,500 witch covers tuition, books, lab fee etc etc and that pays for the compeltion of MCSA then i would HOPEFULLY at that time find some sort of job in the field and keep going to night school and get my MCSE then eventually Cisco.


Tell me if I am making sense or have it all wrong, thanks.


btw are u still in the computer field?

 

[flexygrl]

I am still in the computer field. I love it, but I don't feel emotionally fulfilled. That's why I'm thinking of looking into teaching.

I'm starting my Masters Degree program in 2004. It's called Educational Techonology. Basically teaching teachers how to use techology to teach. I do that now anyway, so I figure, hey why not..it's free. CW post has a pe cert, not sure if it's masters or bachelors. Lots to think about.

 

[revexrevex]

nymuscle, do you have AOL?