Pattielipp

to become someone that is educated enough to work at Geek Squad, you do not need any education. I know many people who have worked there with minimal experience or education. Most universities will offer specialized programs. The US and Canada, let alone Sweden(or any other european nation) will differ, however, Some of the programs offered in a local community college to me are broken down into multiple categories in the IT world. The first is Computer Science which encompasses programming. The second is Computer Information Systems which covers aspects required to be a Systems Administrator. The Third and final is Computer Engineering which is the fundamentals of micro controllers and the electrons associated within them and their design. You can't really ask the broad question of what program you should take without looking at what the actual university has to offer. This could be what really makes the decision of where you go. Most programs will start out the same way with the basic courses as prerequisites that touch lightly on many subjects and ideas so that you can figure out what you want to truly do. In the long run, any degree in an Information Technology field will be useful, and at least in the US, any IT degree could land you a Junior level job if you interview well and show you have the knowledge to do the work. A common trend I have begun to notice in government work is they would rather hire someone they can train from the ground up and has the potential and drive to exceed instead of someone with the abilities but are stuck in their ways or lack the critical thinking skills needed to succeed.

Welcome to capitalism. Buy low, sell high. It's the same fundamental approach to dealing in the stock market. It was easy to make money this way when the bitcoin mining got big.

You'll have to add the DHCP,DNS and I believe ad roles and features then run DCPromo to configure it all(it has been some time since I've done this so perhaps Blake can chime back in).

Replace the fans with proper fans. HP systems are picky. I have an HP server, a dl360 G6, which I updated the cpu's in, changing from a single cpu to a dual CPU configuration. After installing the second CPU the system wouldn't even post without the additional fans when the second CPU was installed. It would beep multiple times and then shut off. Similarly, the notification pullout was telling at me to install the CPU fans before restarting the system.

Again, you are grouping.. IT is Information technology. This is comprised of thousands of fields, many do not relate. Any truly technical position will make VERY good money. A "computer repair technician" is what you are probably thinking of. They are the person at the corner store fixing software issues in windows computers. There is no education required for this type of position, because it is rudimentary. However, a Junior systems administrator, which is still a very broad title, would have a base starting salary of about $40k in any major city in the US(again, ask me how I know).. You have this mentality that a job in IT is basic and that the field is flooded when it is not. Basic positions are flooded because everyone and their mother can install Windows and the drivers needed to make the computer function. Everyone can read set instructions for installing a video card or run a virus scanner to fix a computer. What they can't do is install a managed layer 2 or layer 3 switch, configuring subnets and VLANS, install Windows server on a $10k server and run DCPromo after installing the roles and features to make it a DHCP/DNS server, or setup daily and weekly backups to tape after configuring a tape library, or manage a SAN utilizing disc arrays and hardware backed raid arrays.... It goes on and on, so, no, the bulk majority of IT guys that are doing more than the "technician repair man" jobs, which are flooded because they take no skill, will be making substantially more than minimum wages.Yours truly, a network/Systems security engineer making way more than minimum wage and doing way more than any random person is capable of doing.

With the IP address he could do a lot. Figure out where you live is the least of your worries.. He Could havk into your network, but its doubtful because it takes time, energy and know-how. The most likely thing to happen would be a DOS or DDOS attack which would criple your connection. Worst case scenario is he is able to find an open port and tunnel his way into your network to wreak havoc. If you are hosting a business, I'd hope the appropriate precautions are in place with some sort of IDS/IPS and firewalls or even separate subnets and VLANS being setup to prevent incoming connections. I would recommend contacting your ISP and have then renew your DHCP lease to get a new IP address. If you have a static IP address it isn't the end of the world, you'll just have to update the DNS settings on the domain name/hosting service that is used. A pain but not the end of the world. Good luck.

Double post

Incorrect... You are grouping the fixing computers into that of something found at best buy or office depot, let alone some mom and pop store. Doing this in an enterprise environment is completely different and there is VERY good money in it. A Systems administrator can easily make $75-$100k per year in the United states... Ask me how I know.

To better directly answer your question, start teaching your self different languages. I do not know any programmer than only knows a single language. C, C+, C++, C#, java, Ruby, python, html, SQL, basic, .net.... It goes on and on. I'd say just start playing and teaching your self. I dabble in Android development with java and xml using Android studio. I also work with a proprietary language called Simpl windows which is used to program Crestron devices. I have taught my self all of it. Just go out and pick up a book on a language or two and start playing. Figure out which is easiest for you, and what you enjoy the most. I enjoy dealing with hardware and tangable items so I prefer a Systems administration/network admin position. With those, its a similar entrance, start small and grow your knowledge over time.

I have been working in IT for about 8 years now. I work in enterprise grade environments administering multi million and billion dollar data centers. My current job title is Network/Systems security engineer and I currently manage the network and systems on a development contract. I deal with developers on a daily basis. My background is different from most others and what I have to say will be drastically different than others as well. I do not have a college degree and I had no formal education. I am self taught from years of playing and troubleshooting. There is a mindset that is needed to be successful in the IT world, one that most people don't have. Critical thinking and rational thought are the two largest factors and needed qualities to truly succeed. The next are the ability to adapt, cope and learn on the spot. I started playing with things in elementary school, pulling remote control cars apart and making Frankenstein creations out of them. That in and of its self taught me more than any school could have taught me. Throughout middle school and high school I did similar, only with laptops and desktops. Keeping old machines alive with different components and Linux distributions. I also taught my self how to root/modify my phones and even went as far as releasing my own ROM's. Similarlt, i took advantage of the various hacks for the playstation 3 and PSP systems. I taught it all to myself out of curiosity. When I entered the IT field, it was because I was offered a position based off of my abilities to troubleshoot and think outside of the box along with my knowledge of windows, Linux and the hardware involved. When I started working, I was met with things I had previously been ignorent about or hadn't even been aware of. At that point, the position I had taken required two certifications, a Microsoft cert and a security based cert(Comptia Sec+). I purchased books for both certifications and began reading. Between reading and hands on experience I was able to take the Security+ test and passed it with almost a perfect score. The Microsoft test was a different story and I ended up leaving this job before actually passing the test. That position I managed backups using an application called Netbackup. We also backed up about 30TB(yes you read that correct.. terabytes) of information on a daily basis. My next position was what you would probably be introduced to. I build out desktop PC's and laptops and then managed the upkeep for the local government. This was a temporary position until I switched to an IT help desk handling calls from all over the world. After a few promotions and about 1.5years I ended up the lead of an accounts team managing the accounts of about 10,000 people through Active Directory(most accounts were for SharePoint or other domain based accounts on this particular enterprise network). After that I took my current position which I've been with for two years. I do the most now that I ever have done. I manage backups, VMWare images, the network configurations(Cisco switches), security scanners(nessus), and many servers and laptops.. To put it all into perspective, I have taught myself over time. The best course of action is to get a basic understanding and education and then teach your self. I say this because in the IT world, things are always changing. If you went to school and earned a degree yesterday, tomorrow it'll already be outdated and someone with the experience and newest certification will be chosen over you.

I would rather them purchase a blade enclosure and blades to do a proper enterprise grade system that they could actually use as a render farm.

CCNA CISSP ITIL v3 Ethical hacking Comptia security+, A+, networking+, Linux+ Microsoft MTA, MCSA, MCE These are just a few that are highly regarded and any field in IT will have their own specialty certifications. I have Security+ and a Microsoft server cert.I've been working in the Enterprise IT field for about 8 years now dealing with networking/sys admin work. Most places don't care about Comptia A+ unless it is the most basic jobs ever. Doing Government work requires minamum Security+ or CISSP and an operating system certification.