College Education...

[kevin11951]

I would like to hold a job somewhere in the networking field. I found an associates degree program at my local community college, but will an associates degree get me anywhere? This is the course: http://www3.austincc.edu/it/cms/www/awardplans/awardplan.php?year=2010&type=CC&group=PCCIS&nid=3844&apid=65

[SomeGuyDude]

These days a bachelor's will hardly get you anywhere. If you can do it, go for post-grad degrees. At the very least you might be able to ride out the recession until things improve.

[Amstell]

Experience will get you further than any college degree, in my opinion. I would suggest working towards a 4 year degree and start working in the field wherever you can while your in school.

The course outline does look good though, but I think if you worked towards something more developed you would have a better knowledge base.

Good luck, whatever you choose.

Cheers

[pwnst*r]

Experience will get you further than any college degree, in my opinion. I would suggest working towards a 4 year degree and start working in the field wherever you can while your in school.



^^this

[SomeGuyDude]

Experience will get you further than any college degree, in my opinion. I would suggest working towards a 4 year degree and start working in the field wherever you can while your in school.

Ah, but amassing experience without a college degree is damn near impossible unless you have VERY good connections.

[stwschool]

Experience + Post-grad will give you very good prospects. Bachelors is getting too common these days, and somewhat devalued (people with degrees working in call centres). Post-grad is where it's at, and of course any experience you can pick up while you're doing it will help. In my field that was tricky, but I took a job paying terrible money and worked nights at a warehouse at the same time to keep bills paid, to get the experience. It paid off in the end, and I didn't have to do 2 jobs for long, as I got a better job after about 6 months.

[jonabyte]

I have to agree, experience will count for more than anything. But it doesn't hurt to have education or even a cert to your name.
You will have to start at the bottom doing help desk or something, unless you know someone who could take you on.

[macogw]

Ah, but amassing experience without a college degree is damn near impossible unless you have VERY good connections.

So join a professional society. Or two. Go to LUG meetings. "It's who you know" is true in MANY fields.

I got my first internship when an adjunct journalism professor looked on Facebook for people who were into computer science and international affairs...and found me. It was unpaid, but meh...getting to put "Washington Post" on my resume is nice. Next internship was an adjunct professor going to his dayjob boss and saying "you need to hire my student." Current job (not internship, actual job) was a guy I met at a conference afterparty going back to his boss and saying "you need to hire this girl I met at this conference."