PCTech Forums

Ok first off I have completed 2 years of college and I have an associates degree in general studies. So my core of everything I need to get my BS degree in Information technology is done. As of right now I’m not going back to school. I can’t see my self being successful in school right now due to my current personal life, ext. So I am going to take a few months off and then go back to school part time via an online university.(Western Governors)

What I’m doing in the mean time is I just got a job as a PC repair man at Circuit City (firedog) about two weeks ago. And I’m getting ready to take my A+ certification test. I’m passing the practice tests now, but I want to finish my book first.

I figured that the pc repair job will help for experience to get better paying jobs. Right now I’m making over $10 us dollars an hour. Which isn’t that great, but it’s not bad for having no experience.
Ok, that is what I am doing right now, this is what I have planed.
With In the next month I’m gong to take my A+ certification test.
With in the next 6-12 months I’m going to look for a better paying job in the IT field.

With in the next 2-3 years I will hopefully have my B.S. Degree in Information Technology and hopefully with the 2-3 years experience I will have, ill be able to get a good paying job in the IT field.
Another plus of taking classes at WG, I will get 7 more certifications in the process of getting my degree.

CIW Professional
CIW Associates
MS 70-270 Windows XP Cert
Sun Certified Associate for the Java Platform
CompTIA Network+
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Project+
CompTIA A+

Does this at all sound like a good plan? Or am I just screwing up my life?

I was just sent this site today that may prove interesting in your cause.

http://career-resources.dice.com/Career ... 2007.shtml

basicly certifications are good but can't replace education and experience.

Definately look into Cisco classes. CCNA, CCNP, CCNE, etc.
Also any network security classes would be beneficial, it throws up a red flag when employers are looking for IT personnel. Everyone likes to feel "secure" these days. So getting some network security courses under your belt helps. Also, attend some of the conferences, like Defcon, or Black Hat. You will learn a lot about vulnerabilities and techniques that you can use to your advantage. Employers interviewing will often have an IT veteran sit in on the interview to test your knowledge. The more questions you can answer off the cuff the better. So it is always good to have some "underground" information to bring to the table that the IT department may feel you can benefit them with.