what college to attend, and what career to aim for

[MysteryBox]

Hello, I'm currently in high school, and I'm thinking of getting a job in the computer industry as I have always been interested in computers. But I don't know anything about which college to go to, and what I job I should aim for. I'm thinking about a job dealing with hardware, but I am still thinking about it and I am still open to suggestions. Can anyone recommend a job with high pay and minimal experience (and by "minimal", I mean a job that doesn't require 10+ years of experience). and which college would be best to go to? I live in Pennsylvania so colleges within 1-2 days drive would be nice. Are there websites that list colleges best for me?

p.s. I see people on this forum talking about an "A+ certificate", can anyone explain what this is?

p.p.s. What are some things I can do to prepare me/get experience for a job in the computer industry? I have built computers before, would this be something I could put on my resume?

thanks

[Lexluethar]

Please realize that job pay and experience are usually directly related. So if you want a job that requires zero experience, normally it isn't going to pay much. On the flip side of that a job that requires that 10 years of experience will pay much more. So those two factors are directly related in 99% of the industry.

As for what job to do, we can't answer that for you. My best advice would be to do what you love - don't do something because it pays well or its convenient. I see far too many people out there hating their job and life because they choose a career path for the wrong reasons (IE what paid the most). Find a job you are passionate about and enjoy. The money will come with time and experience, enjoying your job -what you spend 8 hours a day at, 40 hours a week at is much more important IMO. You should ask your close friends and family - not strangers on a forum. Do what you love, you're young so if you are unsure what to do try a few jobs out - see what you like. Remember that if you end up doing something and not liking it, it's not the end of the world - just go get another job.

For the A+, its a certification that you can get to show you know about computer hardware. I would suggest studying up and getting your A+ and a few other certifications - it will not only help you land your first IT job, it will give you an idea of what you really enjoy.

[jaeusm]

But I don't know anything about which college to go to, and what I job I should aim for.

First, unless you're going to one of the top universities to study a technical field (MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford), it doesn't really matter. Second, your college major does not dictate your career path. This seems to be a common misconception with high school students.

I would recommend that you use Google to research different careers in the computing industry, as there are several very different options. Here's a few to get you started: software developer, network administrator, systems engineer.

Here's a sampling of computing-related degree programs offered at most universities:
- Computer Science
- Software Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Information Systems
- Information Technology
- Mathematics
- Physics

[Wildside]

Sry for invading this thread but i was thinking of trying to go for that A+ certification as a backup career myself. I'm a bit of a techie myself n have experience, my passion is computers, game art, n video games n im always trying to find a way to blend them all together. I do have a question about what kind of opportunities does that A+ certification will give me on the long run?

[Lexluethar]

In the long run not many. It expires after 3 years and it is considered an entry level certification. So the A+ will only assist you in getting your foot in the door, any 'higher' level job will still want an A+ but will want other certifications as well as experience.

Experience is like gold in IT. It outweighs most other factors. A+ is designed to get you an entry level job working at a mom and pop shop or help desk, from there you can get your experience and a few other harder certs and go from there.