jubes

iTrader: (22)

I have one acronym for you.. CISSP

look it up and if it's your knack.. you'll thank me later..

bb1314

iTrader: (62)

No offense but the market is flooded with people that have CISSP...

dutchboy350Z

iTrader: (5)

+1

When I hear the acronym IT I think of someone setting up my PC environment and installing the latest Microsoft Office. When times are tough these type of "IT" guys are the first to go.

Kempo98

Since you are in NOVA you are in pretty good shape as far as IT job opportunies go. Check the Sunday paper and see what IT jobs are available. Go to job fairs and talk to the recruiters and find out what the companies are looking for. Find out what skill set that may be in demand in the next five years and gear your ecducation goals to that; what is hot now may be passe when you finish your degree.

Have a resume highlighting your work ethic just in case an entry level job may be available. Try to get a job that is willing to give you a clearance and of course education benefits. What you want to do is get your foot in the door, get the clearance, take advantage of the school benefits and get your degree.

Getting a cleared position will earn you more money for the same uncleared position and it will provide you more job opportuities in government and Department of Defense (Dod) arena or as a contractor supporting these employees; there is some commercial work. If you have to take a job pulling wire or working at a help desk getting the clearance alone is well worth it until you move on. In my company we had a receptionist that was working on her network security degree left the company and earned more than double her salary.

My experience was somewhat similiar went from one career field, took a cut in pay, got a Network Secuiry Engineering degree and doubled my salary. It didn't happen overnight but it was worth it in the end; my wife thinks so.

Also, certifications are great but most are geared for people already working in the field and usually require minimum years of work experience (e.g CISSP) to even take the exam. CISCO certs are great but, some Dod contracts still require a degree or equivalent years of work experiecne to fill the positons. Any additional education is a plus when competing for a position.

Look into Information Assurance (IA) positons, they are needed in VA/MD.

Stay focused, have a plan and good luck.

vtchang

iTrader: (9)

The harsh reality is without a degree in the field, it's hard to land a solid job unless you have specific skills. This market is tough and not many recruiters are going to pass your resume along if it doesn't say CS/CpE/IT/blah blah blah. While not impossible, the probability of you landing a job that's not help desk related is going to be rough without some backing. Sure, you can get a help desk job now and slowly work towards something else within the company, but why not use that time to get a degree?

I would explore all the different avenues in the IT field (software dev/arch, hardware prog, database management, network management, MIS, etc...) first and then pick one and go with it. It sounds a lot easier said than done but a little homework now goes a long way. I suggest going to the book store, pick up a book in each discipline and thumb through it. See what sparks your interest. I know for me it was Comp and Net Security Fund (ECE 4560 for those @ Tech right now) class that changed my life.

Software development and arch is probably going to be the driest of them all. Honestly, i don't even enjoy it that much but it pays pretty well for what you do. Personally, i found hardware programming to be the most rewarding because you dev something that's tangible. If security work interests you, check out 'Counter Hack Redload' by Ed Skodis.

Chances are, if you truely enjoy what you're doing, you'll be f* awesome at it. It'll show in your work and your boss will probably slap your butt every so often. Maybe even give you a 20% raise every year, who knows? You'll be in the 30% tax bracket in no time.

Good Luck.

Btw.
Yes, CISSIP are a dime a dozen, but lawyers are also. Last time I checked, they both make a lot of money (imo).

dutchboy350Z

iTrader: (5)

All of the major DoD companies require a technical degree (EE, ComSci, CompEng, etc.). Contracts are awarded and funded based on the talent your bring to the table. Right now it's even more important considering the DoD is starting to nickel and dime a lot of projects. My company has hundreds of job openings right now. Not one states you do not need a 4 year degree related to the field you're applying for.

Bottom line: ITT, Strayer and any other "cut corners" education is a complete waste. If these places were the answer there would be a lot less people earning their degree at major universities.

07rdsterGT

iTrader: (7)

Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this thread.

07rdsterGT

iTrader: (7)

Let’s change gear here.

Anyone here have a recommendation of the above? What's going out there in the workforce these days? What's going to big?

It seems that security is ever growing and will continue you to do so.