Question for IT Professionals

[MarylandVolunteer]

I'm looking to break into the IT field. I have a non-technical BA already. What is the best route to becoming employable in IT? My main interest is in information assurance/security. I have been studying for the A+ exam so that I have a base line certification to work with. I am also thinking about taking a Systems Security Certificate course of study at my junior college. The course purports to prepare you to sit for the CCNA, SCNP, Security+, and CEH. It is very lab intensive.

Can anyone offer any advice?

[utvolpj]

without a degree/certs/experience it will be harder. Based on what you say you could start at a help desk position and move up by adding the education. Certs are ok but experience will get you much farther.

do you currently work for a company with an IT dept? Sometimes they are more willing to work with an employee within the company and gain experience that way (it's how I did it)

[DC Vol]

Get a Sec+ and SCNP. Take the job you're offered.

That's about it. Experience and certs could end up meaning more in the IT world than a BS. Most folks that don't come out of a Top-10 University in CompSci are coming out knowing what was relevant 4-5 years ago. That doesn't count for much. Equivalency for years working and the degree is roughly 1:1 to even 1:2 in favor of experience (that's years working : years for degree). So, depending on what you did and who is hiring you... 2 years experience could be equivalent to a BS.

My friend has a worthless BA and is working at a call center for Comcast right now. He's getting his A+, Net+ and CCNA and will attempt to get into Comcast's NOC.

[BearCat204]

I dont really have anything as far as schooling to input into the conversation, but I have seen instances to where people were not hired simply due to their security clearance. I would make sure you are pretty clean before attempting to get into the IT field. I have no personal expertise as far as IT goes, so I could be off and if so, someone please correct me. I just know that I can count at least five people I personally know who have the necessary training, but some credit problems that lead to the inability to obtain a clearance.

[Vol Mania 21]

i'm def not technical. i'm more on the functional side with a degree in MIS. i honestly got lucky and got an internship on a NASA contract right out of college. they just happened to hire me.

[ridethelightening]

I have no cert's, granted I was lucky to get the job I received, but I had previous experience.

Find any introductory job you can and get experience. Certifications are fine as you progress, but not starting out
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[ridethelightening]

Originally Posted by utvolpj

without a degree/certs/experience it will be harder. Based on what you say you could start at a help desk position and move up by adding the education. Certs are ok but experience will get you much farther.

do you currently work for a company with an IT dept? Sometimes they are more willing to work with an employee within the company and gain experience that way (it's how I did it)

Should have read this before posting. I concur 100%
Posted via VolNation Mobile

[duckman398686]

Originally Posted by Vol Mania 21

i'm def not technical. i'm more on the functional side with a degree in MIS. i honestly got lucky and got an internship on a NASA contract right out of college. they just happened to hire me.

i actually just graduated from Tn Tech with a degree in MIS mania. NASA sounds like a pretty sweet deal. lucky

[Vol-in-Bham]

Whatever you do, do not go to a for-profit tech school.

Complete. Garbage.

(I work in IT recruiting.)

[DC Vol]

Originally Posted by Vol-in-Bham

Whatever you do, do not go to a for-profit tech school.

Complete. Garbage.

(I work in IT recruiting.)

Exactly. If you've got to do online schooling, for the same price, you can get a degree from Penn State, Florida, UT, Maryland and a couple of others through their Distance Education programs.

They don't offer Comp Sci, but they'll offer Computer Information and Technology, for example. Also, quite a few MS degrees are offered completely online.

[BearCat204]

Originally Posted by duckman398686

i actually just graduated from Tn Tech with a degree in MIS mania. NASA sounds like a pretty sweet deal. lucky

Come on down to Hville, you can crash at Mania's pad

[DC Vol]

Originally Posted by BearCat204

Come on down to Hville, you can crash at Mania's pad

It's where I'm at too.

[vol_in_ar]

Originally Posted by Vol Mania 21

i'm def not technical. i'm more on the functional side with a degree in MIS. i honestly got lucky and got an internship on a NASA contract right out of college. they just happened to hire me.

You work for NASA