Considering changing careers to IT...Any opinions?

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I don't know about IT but if you're interested in Software Development get a 4 year B.S. degree in Computer Science; that's what I did and it has paid off greatly. Only problem is it is a huge time investment and typically have to start working for a low rate. However, at my work we have internships every year that pay around 50k a year. That is always the best foot in the door for our company. Getting a 4 year degree, again, is a huge time commitment; but in my field I wont even look at a resume that doesn't come with at least a Bachelors Degree.

Alternatively IT like what Drake did is another good idea. We have a huge network security group that probably has different requirements.

This. ^^^

going to school liekly won't get you shit either..... i completely disagree with b16. perhaps its a different market.

You can have a doctorate in IT/sys/etc, but if you haven't done anything besides school work, your resume is trash to me.

show me what you've done.

Disagree. IT and programming/development are two completely different things.

I disagree, I'm a Manager who hires engineers, I know what I'm looking for.

Like I said, do the schooling, get in on an internship, get experience, then move to the next job for a great pay rate..

I guess it is based on location. We have a huge talent pool in the silicon valley. I want the schooling and experience and I can get it. But you have to start somewhere and you will need the education if you want to move ahead. Sure there are special cases where dropouts become CEO's but you'll have better luck winning the lottery.

Yup. Programmers are in HIGH demand right now. The pay is good, the need will keep growing, and the market is speeding up more and more every year. When I go hunt for entry-level (college grad) employees, I'm looking for about 2/3 EE/ECE/CS people, and we're a VERY tech heavy company. We haven't slowed down hiring through the economic slump either.

If you're considering a career change by going back to school, go for a job where you NEED a 4 year degree as the basic ticket of entry. That's where the careers really start.
 
I just need to get the knowledge to start in the IT field. I have a bachelors degree and it is not helping me land a job in the field I am in. I could go back and get a masters in something, but I think an associates would be a cheaper route.
What do you mean by EE/ECE/CS, and what type of work do you do?
 
EE/ECE/CS - electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science.
 
Im having a hell of a time finding a studio job too, Do you know any post production??

Im a recently graduated Audio Engineer, and post production is where it is at. it will make you so familiar with DAW that you will puke and movies arent going anywhere. Especially since texas is offering a 75% tax rebate on all movie production done in Texas. half my friends i graduated with and most of my teachers were working on post production..


What about live sound??

Im finding adds all day for people needing help in their production companys. that and companys like FREEMAN are always hiring.

Though i am setting up and running all the audio for a fashion show comming up if you wanted to come help me for some resume credits, (im not getting paid.)

or you could come start a studio with me :p
 
I see postings for IT jobs all the time here in Atl. I know that jobs are hard to come by these days, but I have no options for audio. Not even with the connections that I have.



I haven't looked in Nashville. I know there are a ton of studios there, but I am more interested in audio for film and television than I am in music. Plus I would like to stay here. My gf has a good job and it would be really difficult for her to relocate right now.

just read this and must say, If your gonna get a job in the Audio Field these days ... you pretty much have to be willing to move.
 
let someone who actually has been working in IT answer this :)

if you are looking in computers, and have no hands on, you wont find anything besides helpdesk and low level support (fixing little crap)

if you want programming, you need degrees.

if you want networking, you need degrees AND hands-on.


just the way it is. i dont have any degrees, but i have alot of hands on and alot of certifications. i started at the bottom as a helpdesk tech. feb 6th was my 5 year anniversary with green orb, btw :)
 
I just need to get the knowledge to start in the IT field. I have a bachelors degree and it is not helping me land a job in the field I am in. I could go back and get a masters in something, but I think an associates would be a cheaper route.
What do you mean by EE/ECE/CS, and what type of work do you do?

I don't think an associate's degree is really going to be the best option for you. The point of an associate's is to give you your gen-ed background and a decent working knowledge of a subject area. The bachelor's is the point where you really start to go in-depth with that subject area (hence why many jobs require a bachelor's degree).

I'd say forget the associate's idea and look into bachelor's programs. Get a transcript eval done using your existing bachelor's degree. It might turn out that a good portion of all the gen-eds and maybe even some other things would be covered for you, and then getting a second bachelor's in IT or web design or programming or whatever won't take you nearly as long as you think.

I understand you're probably looking at it from the cost side of things, but honestly I just don't think an associate's is going to get you anywhere being as you already have a bachelor's degree in a different field. Another alternative is to look into certification programs. You can do all kinds of cert programs for technology (programming, web design, etc.) that are just the computer classes and none of the other bullshit that goes along with getting a bachelor's degree. This actually might be the BEST option for you...
 
EE/ECE/CS - electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science.

Yup.

let someone who actually has been working in IT answer this :)

if you are looking in computers, and have no hands on, you wont find anything besides helpdesk and low level support (fixing little crap)

if you want programming, you need degrees.

if you want networking, you need degrees AND hands-on.

just the way it is. i dont have any degrees, but i have alot of hands on and alot of certifications. i started at the bottom as a helpdesk tech. feb 6th was my 5 year anniversary with green orb, btw :)

There we go- good easy explanations. I did my share of IT at the help desk level with some networking thrown in, but no programming. Granted, I did this while in college with just hands-on computer hacker-ish knowledge- nothing that would really cut it in the professional IT world without a LOT of grunt work to learn everything I really needed to know.

I understand you're probably looking at it from the cost side of things, but honestly I just don't think an associate's is going to get you anywhere being as you already have a bachelor's degree in a different field. Another alternative is to look into certification programs. You can do all kinds of cert programs for technology (programming, web design, etc.) that are just the computer classes and none of the other bullshit that goes along with getting a bachelor's degree. This actually might be the BEST option for you...

Totally agree here. Skip the associate's degree- in most cases it'll step you down a level. If an associate's degree job is what you want though, it's not horrible- I don't know too many people coming out of tech schools, but the pay seems to be decent. You just generally limit your promotional opportunities after a while in those types of jobs- which isn't horrible if that's what you're happy with- but for me personally, I'm looking at things like director / VP positions as my target, and you need at least a BS + MBA and possibly an MS to even be considered.

I just need to get the knowledge to start in the IT field. I have a bachelors degree and it is not helping me land a job in the field I am in. I could go back and get a masters in something, but I think an associates would be a cheaper route.
What do you mean by EE/ECE/CS, and what type of work do you do?

The Master's would probably be the best thing to get if you want to keep moving up. You can get an MS in another field but use your bachelor's as a base- that way you're still switching careers, but you're going into something at the MS level and not the AA/AS (don't know the letters, never had to) level.

I'm officially the "Fabrication IPT Deputy Lead" for the program that I work on. IPT = Integrated Product Team; Deputy = 2nd in command, sorta.. I'm in charge of fabrication of all hardware used for my product line. Without getting into specifics, I've been building qualification level hardware for use in qual-level testing.

I started off as a manufacturing engineer (mechanical engineering degree) after working through school as a sysadmin for the ME department, did a few years in oil, went back to IT, then moved into a job where I get to blow stuff up.

:D

If you watch the news outlets, you'll probably hear something about what we did today later on this week.
 
Your job sounds way cooler than mine, you get to blow shit up.. I get to deal with office politics..
 
Nah... most of the time I'm dealing with office politics- I didn't actually get to go watch stuff blow up today. The lead did- I got to stay behind and hold the rest of the place together. Well, my group anyway.
 
Nah... most of the time I'm dealing with office politics- I didn't actually get to go watch stuff blow up today. The lead did- I got to stay behind and hold the rest of the place together. Well, my group anyway.
Yup... welcome to Management...

I'm with you though; my ultimate career goal? Become a CTO. :) I'm the youngest Software Engineering Manager in the company, so I've got a pretty good start! I do need to go back for my MBA though.
 
Yup... welcome to Management...

I'm with you though; my ultimate career goal? Become a CTO. :) I'm the youngest Software Engineering Manager in the company, so I've got a pretty good start! I do need to go back for my MBA though.

Werd.

So, I'll give you my story on how i ended up where I am.

Started working at a car dealership doing bs maintenance calls when i was 18. Then I moved through the ranks in that call center and wrote some software for an autodialer (cause our current one sucked). After that our lead web developer quit in the middle of a rich media campaign. I had flash classes in high school and kept up to date, so I got an internal promotion.

Did that flash work for about 6 months to the end of the campaign and they basically said 'you're going back to the phones or out of the office'

I went back to the phones and got a job doing dsl tech support (totally shitty job) did that for about 2 months, and with 8 months experience got picked up by a hosting company for front line support. Much better job, more varied issues, much more to learn. Did that for about 3 months and worked up to being a Jr Linux Admin.

Did that for 6 months before I got promoted to full admin. Was a really great job till we had two NOC directors quit in 3 months and then the CEO's Assistant became the NOC director. I worked on a project for 72 hours (didnt leave the office even for food for 72 hours). Finally finished up the project, and then came in at 10am instead of 9am when I left at 1am the previous day. My new boss (CEO's assistant) went off on me, and the phrase "are you fucking kidding me" left my mouth, which lead to my termination.

Did some freelance programming for 2 months till i got picked up as a system admin for an HR company. Really loved that job and ended up leaving after 2 years to come work for rackspace.

This place is all fucking geeks and bad ass. Only downside is now I'm no longer the smartest person in the building...not even close. The up side is the same thing. I have a ton of people to learn from.

Ultimately what im saying is you have to find the right place to assert your talents in a job that they wouldn't usually be seen. Thats how me and a few of my friends got to where we are today. If you do that well enough for long enough you'll eventually make your way to upper management.

As B16 said, really the only way to make CTO in an established company (and not one that you've started) is to get your MBA in addition to your tech experience and managerial experience.
 
CTO? Go go go! :) I'm nowhere near that.. but working towards a similar technical manager position. We'll see. At least I got to spend most of yesterday with a VP, director and a bunch of chairpeople out on the F-35 production line. THAT was cool. :thumbsup:
 
CTO? Go go go! :) I'm nowhere near that.. but working towards a similar technical manager position. We'll see. At least I got to spend most of yesterday with a VP, director and a bunch of chairpeople out on the F-35 production line. THAT was cool. :thumbsup:
I'm no where near CTO either.. Just my ultimate goal. :)

Getting in front of VP's, Directors and the like is the best thing you can do. Gives you exposure and people remember who you are. That is how I've moved up in this company.

Reik,
We were going to use Rack Space for temporary space once. My step brother worked sales for a competitor to you guys. You have a huge market share, must be a great company.
 
I've got all kinds of opportunities that others at my level don't have to get in front of VPs and directors. Networking is a wonderful thing. Being in charge (well, part of a very small group that is in charge) of recruiting at the corporate level for one of the biggest engineering schools in the country helps too. ;)
 
I have been doing some thinking about what a lot of you said. IT may not be the best avenue for me. I could go back to school and learn some things, but my bachelors won't really add to what I learn. I have been looking into electronics engineering and acoustic engineering. I have a BA in sound design, and if I could repair, and nstall equipment and learn about acoustics then I could build studios and home theaters. I have experience repairing and installing studio equipment, most of it learned on the fly, or from the studio techs and owners that I have worked for. I have also worked in construction at various points in my life so the building side would be pretty simple. I just need the detailed technical background to get started. I know I can get a masters in one of the two fields so that would be a good addition to my BA. Then I can get certifications or what ever else I need to fill in the gaps for the other field. This would be much easier for me since I have experience in both areas and they relate to sound. The hardest part is going to be learning about acoustics.
 
I'm no where near CTO either.. Just my ultimate goal. :)

Getting in front of VP's, Directors and the like is the best thing you can do. Gives you exposure and people remember who you are. That is how I've moved up in this company.

Reik,
We were going to use Rack Space for temporary space once. My step brother worked sales for a competitor to you guys. You have a huge market share, must be a great company.

We definitely have some of the smartest people I've ever met or even talked to working at this company. Its scary...really scary. Although MOST of the guys like that (sans 3-4) are well into their 40s. Nuclear physicists writing LDAP integrations is something scary to watch.

I think we have 4 MIT grads just in my department.
 
I have been considering switching careers lately. I currently work in the audio business (well I am trying to). I have been in Atlanta interning at various studios for over a year and have not gotten any closer to having a full time audio position. The music business is dying and the people that already have jobs are not giving them up. The film and television business is still hiring, but everyone wants you to have two-five years experience for the positions I am applying for. The problem is how do you get experience if you can't get hired. Anyway I am 31 years old and I need to make real money, not work for free in the hopes that someone will eventually hire me.

I know there are quite a few people here who work in the IT field or similar fields, so I was wondering if anyone can give me some opinions on their careers and maybe some advice on how to go about getting started. I have been looking into various tech schools for a possible associates degree, but I am not sure what areas are more lucrative. I am pretty tech savvy so I don't think it would be too hard to make the transition. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

there is another post about this as well....

Botton line is forget school...get your certifications, thats all companies care about

Microsoft certs
Cisco certs
A+/Network +
=
Job
 
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