Have the blues...

[denim 5,000+ posts]

Not to be a downer, but the IT market is saturated and people are becoming very specialized and underpaid. Meaning expendable and quickly out of date. More and more of the IT field positions are becoming automated or outsourced to other countries, or local super overpaid techs to mess up the systems to have job security. I have an M.S. in Advanced IT, I work as an analyst for a gov't contactor, if that says anything

 

[psych0ticnemes1 5,000+ posts]

Not to be a downer, but the IT market is saturated and people are becoming very specialized and underpaid. Meaning expendable and quickly out of date. More and more of the IT field positions are becoming automated or outsourced to other countries, or local super overpaid techs to mess up the systems to have job security. I have an M.S. in Advanced IT, I work as an analyst for a gov't contactor, if that says anything

Interesting. All i have ever read about the future of IT has been positive. Thanks for your reply man.

 

[PollyCranopolis 10+ year member]

I'm sick of the college scene. I'm ready to settle down and get a job, even if it isn't very exciting. You have to start somewhere ya know?
Getting certifications is something that I have to look into though. They mean a ton in the IT field and you can take them on your leisure time.

From what I've seen, the (+) certs are prolly your best bet to start. A+ should be nothing for you if you're actually any good and have interest in what you do. Ton of free study guides and resources available. Net+ is a little bit more tricky, but you can always buy the latest Net+ bible (got mine through school of course) and hammer away just like A+ combined with some study guides. Good thing about A+/Net+ plus is once you have them, they never expire, vs Cisco/Microsoft which you have to re-take every 2-4 years. Honest to god, I think if you stick to it, get a few certs, and can keep interested and up to date on what you do, you can make good money and find a decent job with just a AAS. The key will be to find a good job in an area you can deal with living in. My aunt works for GE, and used to send me newspaper adds from companies seeking entry level IT work around VA/WV. Some of these companies will start you off at 30-40k a year, not to mention provide you with a BMW-Z3, or a new Durango as a company car when you pass your 90 day probationary period. Just a matter of being willing to throw your self out there, possibly relocate to a more metropolin-type area where things are going on, and do some serious leg work/research. Problem with my situation is that I live in a very small town, where jobs are scarace as it is. Getting paid $10 an hour, when it should be more like $15. I'll admit though I can't comment on what denim suggested above, as he's obviously got more life experience in the field.

 

[psych0ticnemes1 5,000+ posts]

From what I've seen, the (+) certs are prolly your best bet to start. A+ should be nothing for you if you're actually any good and have interest in what you do. Ton of free study guides and resources available. Net+ is a little bit more tricky, but you can always buy the latest Net+ bible (got mine through school of course) and hammer away just like A+ combined with some study guides. Good thing about A+/Net+ plus is once you have them, they never expire, vs Cisco/Microsoft which you have to re-take every 2-4 years. Honest to god, I think if you stick to it, get a few certs, and can keep interested and up to date on what you do, you can make good money and find a decent job with just a AAS. The key will be to find a good job in an area you can deal with living in. My aunt works for GE, and used to send me newspaper adds from companies seeking entry level IT work around VA/WV. Some of these companies will start you off at 30-40k a year, not to mention provide you with a BMW-Z3, or a new Durango as a company car when you pass your 90 day probationary period. Just a matter of being willing to throw your self out there, possibly relocate to a more metropolin-type area where things are going on, and do some serious leg work/research. Problem with my situation is that I live in a very small town, where jobs are scarace as it is. Getting paid $10 an hour, when it should be more like $15. I'll admit though I can't comment on what denim suggested above, as he's obviously got more life experience in the field.

Thanks man... Relocation is the key. I do not want to move too far but i'm sure i can find a GOOD job if i do... The positions are out there if you are willing to go to them. You're 100% correct about the + certs. I'll be spending a few months preparing for the the net+ but the a+ should be relatively easy for me. Thanks again for your input.

 

[denim 5,000+ posts]

Interesting. All i have ever read about the future of IT has been positive. Thanks for your reply man.

I have struggled for a long time job wise in the IT field. Unless you want to be a hard coder or network nut (neither are fun jobs and neither are paid what they should and neither are given the due opportunity to move up) then IT is not the best, at least on the east coast.

 

[mrogowski 5,000+ posts]

All I can say about IT is this:

Forget the hard-core tech stuff. It ain't happening anymore. If that 's what you're into, then get a job and stay with it till the bitter end, becuase there is no green grass on the other side. (Denim is correct).

If you want to get into something that is IT related, but doesn't go into the hardcore tech stuff there is only one field that shows any promise of stability and longevity.

Are you ready...

Information Security

Computers, routers, switches, patch cables etc. continue to get changed out, but there is nothing more dynamic than the protection of the data that is held and transmitted across networks today and in the future. The worth all about the data...

If you're into changing cables, stick with where you're at. Get into this field and you become a management figure that passes policies for what exists now and what is to come. you will educate the techs and the no-nothings alike and the Human Resource department will depend on you to provide them with information that noone else has the liberty of seeing or experiencing...

In the right environment, you become the god of IT - even above the directors and Executives because they do not know the risks that exist to the information the company posesses. It is up to you to tell them and guide them in directions that they never knew existed.

Sounds interesting doesn't it? Kay, this is what you do:

- Do a Google search for ISACA and become a part of it

- Look at certifications such as CISSP, CISA and CISM

- NETWORK!!! Find any security organizations within your area and join it. It can be technical (securing Windows, Firewalls, Linux, Oracle, etc.). Talk to other security professionals in the field. get to know them and they you. They will become a valuable resource in the future

- SANS has a variety of technical-based courses that you can take (they are not cheap) that will help to improve your understanding of the value for securiing systems

Security is expanding despite the massive slump that exists in IT today. Everything computer/network wise is becoming such a comodity that it is simply not worth the effort one must put into getting into the proffession.

Take it from a guy who has been there...

Best,

Mark - CISSP, CISM, CNE