Associates? minor? major?

No, you really don't. It can help in some situations of course, but to just get your foot in the door probably not. You won't start out above entry level though.

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Yeah, entry level it isn't required. Once you get into the more technical stuff certs look nice. Anything beyond that degrees really look good.
 
It's all in experience and who you know. No certs, no degrees, I landed a pretty nice job because I knew somebody on the inside. Took me several tries and years of patience but I got in somewhere.

Although I admit, I am taking online classes to get an associates.
 
Is it required, no. Does it help, yes.

The problem is getting your foot in the door and getting experience. Once you have experience at a high level (say 3 years and some admin exp.) no one will care what school you went to or your GPA or even if you have a degree.

Unfortunately a quick glance on DIce, Monster, Careerbuilder will show you that almost EVERY job says it requires a BS or an associates. Most companies put that on there as a deterrent to weed out unqualified candidates - most of the time the job technically doesn't REQUIRE a degree, but companies put it on there to help ensure they get better qualified candidates.

If you know someone or have experience you can get your foot in the door w/o a degree. If you don't it's going to be a tough track.

Sometimes degrees aren't in the cards - honestly i think unless there is major reform you will see fewer and fewer degrees in the market place because the costs are just unreasonably high for the quality of training / schooling you get. If a degree isn't in the cards do yourself a favor and start getting some certifications. If you get your A+, Net+ and/or MCSA/CCNA you can land a job no problem w/o a degree.
 
Thanks for the replies which help me to weed out going straight for a major. Im always for more education but I want to get started working on a career path now, I do think have 3 to 4 years. But I do have 1.5 years...

So if not a major, then an associates? An IT manager friend of mine flat out said to get asociates with certs.

Or is even that just a waste of money?
 
An associates from an accredited university where you actually have quality education - is not a waste.

I personally would do that and work on certifications. I would hire someone with an AS and an MCSA or CCNA.
 
Lex...even if it is from an accredited private college instead of an accredited community college or land grant university?

Per credit hour where I am they all cost about the same..

For me the level of training also matters.

One of my biggest reasons against a major is I already have a major in a classical liberal study, political science, I already have a minor in science -> Geology...

If I subtract the business and econ and finance classes that go with a university major in information tech, the course is actually almost a minor. It is a minor with 2 or 3 more information courses.

But most of those courses (I do my homework) have only 1 book per class, such as on data security.

Just one text book.

Which I take to mean the course cannot be more involved than a course from a college that offers 86 credits in just information tech.

That is to say both security courses are as far as information material probably practically the same.

In short I don't want to take the time and money to get a major right now when I need results now...not 4 years from now. I can always come back to school.

But I don't want to get the associates which for me would take only 12-18 months...if the associates is a complete waste.

But because most people here do not say it isa waste.

And because I do not have practical experience or many connections in information tech.

I think the associates is the best route to get me experience and training and help to network in the time frame I want.
 
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Oh i don't think it honestly matters which school - just make sure it's accredited. I personally don't think Private or Public matters (minus cost usually). What you want to ensure is that it's not just a 'fly by night' school that isn't accredited, that you don't have a transcript from, ect. As long as it's accredited you are okay.

Yes an associates is a good plan. I would personally work on certifications during that process.
 
Certs are only a bonus, and without experience the likelihood of getting an above average starting position is slim to none. Hence why I said what I said. It took me 4 years of trying to get into somewhere with people I knew and experience. All it took was the right time and place. Just remember this important fact, degrees and certs are a bonus. If you got the knowhow to do help desk it doesn't take much to get into those, and any degree anywhere makes a difference. Usually for low end positions IF you have a degree it just shows that you can work towards something and actually follow through and complete it. That's why I said any degree anywhere.

For higher end positions it is pretty much guaranteed you will need a degree in the field and experience.

For any position it helps to be a people person. I am not, which attests to most of the reason why I wasn't hired onto the places where I had a lot of people pushing for me.

Edit: A clarification of my post since my mind is pretty jumped right now. If you're serious about a career in IT and you're already extremely familiar with a PC then get a helpdesk job or any tier 1 job then get a degree for an IT field that you want to work in while you maintain that steady uprising of experience. By the time you're done with the degree you should have enough experience to warrant a good chance at a higher position you may want. For all you know if you're good at what you do you might get promoted in the temp place you're working.
 
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