Colorado Technical University

Any IT people out there?

I am going to school in the summer and hope to start on my Microsoft Professional Certificate, and also eventually getting my LAN Specialist Certificate, do you think this will help me get an entry level position in the IT field as opposed to getting an associates? id like to be tech sup post.. Please give me your advice.. Thanks Here are details.. LAN TECH CERT This certificate prepares students for entry-level positions as a data communication specialist in the information technology profession. Common career titles include LAN specialist, LAN system administrator, LAN design specialist, LAN engineer, and many others. The LAN Technician certificate prepares students for rewarding careers at the forefront of the information technological revolution. Students will examine the installation, maintenance, repair, and design of local area networks. Students receive hands-on training in network operating systems, user administration, network security, and LAN switching and bridging design. This program also helps students prepare for N+, CAN, MCP, and CCNA certification. Graduates of this program possess a wide range of product knowledge as well as hands-on experience in hardware and software installation and support. This program is intended to lead to employment. If you are considering transferring to a four-year college or university to obtain a bachelor's degree using the courses from this program, make an appointment with an academic advisor to review your options. MICROSOFT CERT This program is designed for individuals just beginning training to pursue a career in Microsoft LAN (local area network) management, as well as those already working in industry who need to upgrade their skills for on-the-job tasks, new supervisory responsibilities or career growth. This program is intended to lead to employment. If you are considering transferring to a four-year college or university to obtain a bachelor's degree using the courses from this program, make an appointment with an academic advisor to review your options. Nature of the Work—This program prepares you for an entry-level position in the information technology field. Graduates of this program may administer, install, maintain and troubleshoot data communication systems. The program includes operating systems, server, directory, and TCP/IP Microsoft introduction and the integration of the Internet in the corporate enterprise network. Job Related Titles—LAN Technician, Cisco service representative, Technical support specialist, Network or computer system administrator, Computer support specialists I think I will work on the certificates, then once I can get in the door of an IT position, work towards my degree... Just want to get in the door so I can learn while working towards a Degree. Hoping Certificates can get me in the door though!

Public Comments

1. yes,let me tell you of my history,i am retired now,my training was for the telephone switch,i went to school in dallas tx for years and years,also plano texas for years and years,have 16 certified copies,my training was on the nortel switch.SL1 and SL!-100-200 switch,it is just like a computer but much bigger,you can go to the top of whatever you choose,BUT my freind it takes years and years of hands on ,doing the work yourself,books WILL not ,courses will not do it all,you have to get in there and learn by DOING it,I went to the top,so can you-GOOD LUCK
2. These certs would probably be very helpful to you. However, I recommmend that you also consider some of the CompTIA certs like A+, Network+ and Linux+. These would give you a more basic and generic kind of knowledge that would be applicable to more than just Microsoft platforms. See: http://www.comptia.org/ OR http://certification.comptia.org/
3. seriously, to be honest, certifcations dont mean you know how to do the job it just means you have certs, just, honesty. [opinion] i have the a+ certification due to money reasons now but i do want to get the net+ and mcse and mcsa + cisco certs but the best..honest...advice i can give is to do it..yourself..if you want lans wans networks ips servers things of this nature do it, build it, tear it apart, rebuild it, i want to become a network administrator and hands on work is the BEST cert you can have just because john doe goes to school for 10 years and has 8 degrees doesnt make jane doe any less of a person because she has had 4 years of schooling and 2 certifications because in the end john can read from a book but jane doe knows how to use it and hands on experience within the job. right now i work for an ISP as techical support and it is the BEST training i have receieved you learn so much each day because most of your calls are so different some you learn some you know and some you take with a grain of salt. i would go with network administrator or cisco some microsoft certs also........linux, unix, and unix system administrators are good to which is usually what servers are based out of, cisco, linux are really two good ways to go. go for something big....i know you can do it i have faith in you, hope this...kind of helps... jesse.
4. I have worked as an IT Manager, as team lead over a group of data center sys admins, as a technician in two enterprise Network Operations Centers, and I started in consumer tech support (Linksys). I am experienced, competent, and hold multiple certifications, but,at present, I can't get a job because I don't have a degree. To answer your question, without any experience, a cert will get you a specialized position as a tech, at maybe $14 - $18 an hour. There are also entry level tech support jobs that pay maybe $10 - $12 at call centers that will hire ANYONE at least once. The most cost efficient route is to get a single cert that will land you a good job or find a job that requires you to "be certified within 3 months of hire" in the job posting. Then. go to work while attending an associates in IT program at a community college. Let the government pay for your education. Pell grants are free and pay thousands of dollars. If you want a low price, high quality online school, go to Western Governors University. If you are smart, reasonably good at math, and want to make A LOT OF MONEY, go to school to become a software developer. Programmers often make $45k - $50k right out of college.... just a thought. Here's an important note: An associates degree in IT means more and will earn you more than any other kind of associates degree. I've never heard of a job that requires a minimum of an associates degree in business but jobs requiring a minimum of an associates in IT are fairly common. Also, an associates degree will expose you to ALL the major aspects of IT. It's hard to be a good sys admin without at least a general understanding of databases, networking, and programming besides the server elements that you must know. Bottom line: Certs can get you in the door, but an experienced IT professional with a degree will make the most money and be the most marketable.