Career Path After Completing CIS Degree

[Shadius]

Hey everybody!

I've just graduated with my Associate's Degree in CIS (Computer Information Systems) and I was wondering what should be my next step? I've taken coursework like Database Management (using Microsoft Access), Introduction to Visual Basic, Statistics, and Local Area Networking, to name a few. I would like to get a Bachelor's Degree, but I'm unsure of how to continue. Also, I would like to get some certifications like Network+ and A+, but I'm unsure of how to proceed. I'm feeling a bit confused as to what I should do next now that I have my Associate's Degree in CIS. What are your suggestions?

[spynappels]

Get as much experience as you possibly can would be my first priority.

Get industry certified in the fields you want to pursue. I say this because using Microsoft Access for DBA is not really an industry standard and may not be as useful in the real world.

The CompTIA courses may be useful, although their value varies from place to place due to the perception they are easy. CCNA/P are industry standard networking quals. Perhaps even Wireshark certification if you want to go down the network investigation/troubleshooting route.

If you want to go down the Microsoft route, then any of their certifications are needed, although currently we are having real trouble sourcing people with Unix skills as there are so few of them, so i9n some areas the Microsoft certifications do not carry much weight.

Most important is a desire to learn.

I never did a degree of any kind and still have a rewarding job in the telecoms industry working with Unix and networking constantly.

[Shadius]

Get as much experience as you possibly can would be my first priority.

Get industry certified in the fields you want to pursue. I say this because using Microsoft Access for DBA is not really an industry standard and may not be as useful in the real world.

The CompTIA courses may be useful, although their value varies from place to place due to the perception they are easy. CCNA/P are industry standard networking quals. Perhaps even Wireshark certification if you want to go down the network investigation/troubleshooting route.

If you want to go down the Microsoft route, then any of their certifications are needed, although currently we are having real trouble sourcing people with Unix skills as there are so few of them, so i9n some areas the Microsoft certifications do not carry much weight.

Most important is a desire to learn.

I never did a degree of any kind and still have a rewarding job in the telecoms industry working with Unix and networking constantly.

Thank you for your suggestions! I definitely do have a high desire to learn everything that has to do with computing. There's so much I'd like to learn, it's just that I don't know where to start. I intend to learn something that has to do with Unix/Linux and get certified in the future, if there are some sort of certifications for Unix/Linux. I will definitely try to get as much experience as I can. As for getting certified, I don't really know which one(s) I should start with first. CompTIA, Cisco or Microsoft? Also, I see that most colleges just offer a Bachelor's Degree with a major in Computer Science. I'm worried about how easy or difficult it is to transition into Computer Science from Computer Information Systems.

[spynappels]

For me, what worked was getting a fairly low-level job based on the skills I'd acquired as a computer hobbyist. I worked hard and arranged for my employer to part sponsor me to get certified in areas which directly (or less directly, depended on how well I sold it to them) helped me in the work I was doing.

Experience is still what most good employers will value most, and starting at the bottom of the ladder allows you to build experience.

No glamorous dot.com millionaire future for me, but I now get paid enough to do a job I like and which makes me feel useful and fulfilled. Start small and work up did the trick for me.

Your mileage may vary of course...

Oh and by the way, the CompTIA Linux+ (which is the LPI course in all but name) Network+ and Security+ would be a reasonable place to start, certification-wise.

[WinuxUser]

Hi Shadius.. we meet again.... Im from Nepal, totally from different world than yours... and my education system varies from yours too.....

Im doing Bachelors in Computer Engineering here... and within next year, i shall finish my course of study... Here in my college, i had learnt what Civil engineers learn, what electrical and electronics engineers learn too.... but the only subjects that really fascinate me are C/C++, DBMS ,OS ,Computer Networks. Although i have learnt other subjects too, but i wish to be an efficient programmer in C,learn more about OS (Unix) and Computer networks too....

Personally, i have already started to learn Python by myself.... and am at a steady pace here...
What i've learnt in these 3 years of Bachelor's study is that whatever you are about to learn will just form a base, or get a bit more than that... rest, you need to put your own effort....Find your interest(couple of the best ones) and pursue onto them...

Goodluck

[Shadius]

For me, what worked was getting a fairly low-level job based on the skills I'd acquired as a computer hobbyist. I worked hard and arranged for my employer to part sponsor me to get certified in areas which directly (or less directly, depended on how well I sold it to them) helped me in the work I was doing.

Experience is still what most good employers will value most, and starting at the bottom of the ladder allows you to build experience.

No glamorous dot.com millionaire future for me, but I now get paid enough to do a job I like and which makes me feel useful and fulfilled. Start small and work up did the trick for me.

Your mileage may vary of course...

Oh and by the way, the CompTIA Linux+ (which is the LPI course in all but name) Network+ and Security+ would be a reasonable place to start, certification-wise.

That's great advice! I intend to start at the bottom and work my way up. I don't know what "LPI" is so I Googled it and got this, is that what you're referring to? If so, that looks very interesting. I think I will take a look at the Network+ and Security+ certifications like you suggested. Do you suggest that I purchase the study materials from CompTIA or is there a better alternative? After all, most of the study materials are pretty expensive.

[Shadius]

Hi Shadius.. we meet again.... Im from Nepal, totally from different world than yours... and my education system varies from yours too.....

Im doing Bachelors in Computer Engineering here... and within next year, i shall finish my course of study... Here in my college, i had learnt what Civil engineers learn, what electrical and electronics engineers learn too.... but the only subjects that really fascinate me are C/C++, DBMS ,OS ,Computer Networks. Although i have learnt other subjects too, but i wish to be an efficient programmer in C,learn more about OS (Unix) and Computer networks too....

Personally, i have already started to learn Python by myself.... and am at a steady pace here...
What i've learnt in these 3 years of Bachelor's study is that whatever you are about to learn will just form a base, or get a bit more than that... rest, you need to put your own effort....Find your interest(couple of the best ones) and pursue onto them...

Goodluck

Hey WinuxUser! C/C++ also fascinate me since I took Visual Basic. In fact, programming fascinates me. My college had two tracks to take in order to get the CIS degree, software track and programming track. I chose to do software track, but some programming courses like Visual Basic crossed over. I realized I really liked Visual Basic and coding in general. I'm very interested in Networking as well. I wish to become proficient in programming and networking, for now. Would you mind sharing how you were able to teach yourself Python? What did you use? I've tried to learn a little bit of it myself as well as HTML, JavaScript, and Ruby, but I am still an absolute beginner.

[WinuxUser]

Python.... i have recently started reading a book named 'Beginning Python' from Wrox Publications... have just started to do with the basics... i found some tutorials online... the python documentation is also working out for me...
http://docs.python.org/tutorial/
and some videos from Bucky... Beginning from this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mf0h3HphEA

[Shadius]

Python.... i have recently started reading a book named 'Beginning Python' from Wrox Publications... have just started to do with the basics... i found some tutorials online... the python documentation is also working out for me...
http://docs.python.org/tutorial/
and some videos from Bucky... Beginning from this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mf0h3HphEA

Thanks a lot! Will definitely use the suggestions both you and spynappels have given me. I have some sort of direction to go in now.

[spynappels]

That's great advice! I intend to start at the bottom and work my way up. I don't know what "LPI" is so I Googled it and got this, is that what you're referring to? If so, that looks very interesting. I think I will take a look at the Network+ and Security+ certifications like you suggested. Do you suggest that I purchase the study materials from CompTIA or is there a better alternative? After all, most of the study materials are pretty expensive.

Yep that's the one.

I found self studying worked well for me, with the employer contributing towards the cost of the examinations and certification fees, that kept the cost down for me. However, others work better in a structured learning environment, so for these people an actual course/guided learning materials may work better.

You may find that your degree may help you get an interview for a job, but at the interview, your knowledge and personal skills may be more relevant. Just don't get hung up on degrees or other bits of paper, if you can show you can do a job, or at least show you can get the tools to learn how to do tasks and are prepared to apply yourself, with the right employer, you'll have a chance.

One tip: When learning all things *nix, VirtualBox or another virtualization platform is your best friend. Create VMs, break them and fix them, best way to learn.