Any network admins/techs out there?

[Hikaru12]

I recently graduated with my Associate's degree in Business Administration. I've always been interested in computers ever since I was a kid but my issue is that I hate programming. I've thought about going into Information Technology (IT) but I recently spoke to the IT department chair at a university I was considering and he was saying that the future of IT is programming and software development. If that's the case then this field really isn't for me. So, I'd like to hear from the guys who actually do this on a regular basis who work in help desk roles or as network or systems admins and give me the real scope. How much programming do you do in your careers? Do you enjoy it? How do you deal with the frustration of not being able to find an error?

 

I'm pretty good at programming myself but it would just drive me nuts. I never had the patience for it. However, on the other hand I had great patience working as a Technical Assistant at my college for two years as a work study. The hardware, fixing PC's and actually just figuring out how things worked is what made me really interested in this field and that's what I enjoyed doing.

 

If all else fails I'm thinking about a degree in psychology because I love working with people and there is a heavy research aspect to it that engages me pretty well.

[beau]

The glory days of software designers/programmers was before the threat of the Y2K bug.

 

Truth be told, programming/software still make huge amounts of money but with the increase in outsourced IT solutions, people's wages have been affected considerably as they now have to compete with third world countries, and with people who will work for a dollar.  Keep in mind jobs that don't require you to be 'on-site' are far more volatile to these things than others.

 

Networking is a completely different field and has little to do with programming.  It generally does not pay as well but offers greater job security.  The only programming network admin's should do is with switches, wireless access points, routers etc, the rest is in regards to design and implementation, not to mention layer 8 issues.  The programming for network admins is pretty simple, and there are a variety of sources you can go to educate yourself.

 

I would avoid university level study which tend's to provide good theoretical knowledge but limited practical and real-world experience.  If you were an employer would you hire someone who has just 'studied' IT stuff, or would you hire someone with real-world experience.  Traineeships and industry certification is an excellent starting point.

 

If you're talking career, you should be thinking about the future - sure, though programming/software looks like it's in decline, other streams of IT have a very solid position, opening up lucrative opportunities to work and even create your own business.

[Hikaru12]

Thanks for the help. My only concern is that I'd be competing with guys who had a Computer Science degree and work experience. I do find networking interesting. Some certifications are starting to lose their value because hardware is getting cheaper and more portable now.

[beau]

Thanks for the help. My only concern is that I'd be competing with guys who had a Computer Science degree and work experience. I do find networking interesting. Some certifications are starting to lose their value because hardware is getting cheaper and more portable now.

University level study is completely over-rated.  That has always been the case.  What people at university don't want you to know is that a uni degree has lost value over the last 10-15 years.  10 years ago not as many people went to uni, so those that did had an advantage over others.  Now that there are so many people going to uni, and universities in general have lowered their entry requirements (so as to make more money) you're starting to see a reverse trend.

 

On the other hand I find industry certification to be far more valuable.

 

Think of it this way, you go to uni and come out 3 or so years later with a piece of paper and limited work experience.  You are then competing with every other individual with the same piece of paper and work experience.  Chances are the employer will then just hire the person they like the most which is not really what you want when looking for work.  Even if you get past this you will most likely be doing jobs that are sub-par on what uni study has trained you for.

 

Industry certification though drills down into all the 'ins-and-outs' of a specific part of I.T... i.e Cisco certification drills down into topologies, switches/routers/hubs, cabling, and the TCP/IP Stack & OSI model.  It teaches you how computers communicate exactly, it teaches you the binary and decimal system, it teaches you what devices work at what layer of the OSI and the whole box-and-dice.  This is why the Cisco certification at least, will always be valuable.

The greatest thing though is as long as you have studied the certification and not necessarily taken the exams, it is just as valuable.  Most employers don't care about pieces of paper, but rather that you have the knowledge of how to do the job, and that they can ask you to do something and you can think how best to do it. (I studied the material but never took the exam.  I then got a traineeship out of it, and then a permanent position.)

 

If you are considering networking, then definitely Cisco, CompTIA, and ITIL will make you stand out.  Uni just takes too long and costs way to much for its benefit.

[Hikaru12]

University level study is completely over-rated.  That has always been the case.  What people at university don't want you to know is that a uni degree has lost value over the last 10-15 years.  10 years ago not as many people went to uni, so those that did had an advantage over others.  Now that there are so many people going to uni, and universities in general have lowered their entry requirements (so as to make more money) you're starting to see a reverse trend.

 

On the other hand I find industry certification to be far more valuable.

 

Think of it this way, you go to uni and come out 3 or so years later with a piece of paper and limited work experience.  You are then competing with every other individual with the same piece of paper and work experience.  Chances are the employer will then just hire the person they like the most which is not really what you want when looking for work.  Even if you get past this you will most likely be doing jobs that are sub-par on what uni study has trained you for.

 

Industry certification though drills down into all the 'ins-and-outs' of a specific part of I.T... i.e Cisco certification drills down into topologies, switches/routers/hubs, cabling, and the TCP/IP Stack & OSI model.  It teaches you how computers communicate exactly, it teaches you the binary and decimal system, it teaches you what devices work at what layer of the OSI and the whole box-and-dice.  This is why the Cisco certification at least, will always be valuable.

The greatest thing though is as long as you have studied the certification and not necessarily taken the exams, it is just as valuable.  Most employers don't care about pieces of paper, but rather that you have the knowledge of how to do the job, and that they can ask you to do something and you can think how best to do it. (I studied the material but never took the exam.  I then got a traineeship out of it, and then a permanent position.)

 

If you are considering networking, then definitely Cisco, CompTIA, and ITIL will make you stand out.  Uni just takes too long and costs way to much for its benefit.

 

Thank you so much for the advice man. This really is insightful. I definitely will begin my studying this summer and build up my work experience.