Soon out of AF, career moves!!

Please only people who have real world experience or know someone who has real world experience respond ....

I'm getting out of AF in June and I'm going to finish my Information Technology Bachelors in Sept and need to start thinking about what I want to pursue next.

I either want to pursue a Masters of some sort or just go get all the certifications.
I think a Masters would be more useful for me in the long run huh?

Now trying to figure out what Masters is the next step...
Norwich offers an IA Masters , but how does one get into that field without having experience. Most of my experience is just entry level stuff.

And what do you guys think about a Masters of Science in Information Systems? Does that set me up for a Management position or what?

What is the opinion on an MBA with a Info Tech concentration? That also sets me up for a management position ,right?

I dont think I'm ready for management yet but I know eventually imma have to take that role. I'm only 23 years old and I enjoy this technical stuff...

SOOO CONFUSED. The reason I'm so motivated now is because I'm looking to marry this girl who is becoming an MD and her dad wants to see career progress in me before he hands over his daughter to me! AHH!

 

To be frank, you don't present yourself as being in ready to think about the long run, much less the time or money required of a graduate degree, or the responsibilities of a management position.

You're in transition. Select an IT specialty for the short run - the next two to five years. Pursue some certs that will support that specialty. Over the short-to-medium term, experience and certs will provide greater ROI than a grad degree.

Re-evaluate your career path at the end of that period in light of your experience and your changed family circumstances.

It's then that you'll be in position to re-evaluate your career path and re-consider graduate school.

 

I'm not trying to be funny or break your chops, just an observation; if you use terminology like "imma have to", it's an automatic strike against you in both the academic and job markets.

As Dr. Bill Cosby has said, you're not going to get a good job while you're butchering the English language.

 

Find out what you like about IT and follow that with certifications, at least for 1 year after you get your BA

 

This is not a warm and inviting start so if you use this approach with people you will never need to worry about being a manager. Since you state most of your work is entry level, you should gain some real world experience before worrying about "the next step". I would go for the certs and gain some experience. Without some real experience, you would have a very dificult time breaking into management.

 

I agree but in that 1 year period I would recommend getting an A+, Network+, and MCP to get the ball rolling. You will need these for just about anything with the exception of maybe A+.

When I got my MCSE NT 4.0, I was going for an MCSE+Internet (the BIG ONE) but never specialized Exchange or Databases so decided not to go down a specialty path I did not have a passion for.

 

It could be helpful if Rich Douglas replies. He left the AF after 19 years, and has had a series of jobs that your future father-in-law would probably approve of.

If you stay in IT, you might want to have a look at the book that Tom Head and my daughter and I did, Get Your IT Degree and Get Ahead, a huge doorstop of a book that was part of a McGraw-Hill series. I think there's lots of good advice as well as options there. Many libraries have it.

John Bear (who earns no royalties from
this book, hence no vested interest)

 

While you are still in school you may look to see if you can get a co-op or internship in the field. You might be surprised how many companies have these programs. See if your school offers a program for pre-graduation employment.

If you enjoy the technical stuff start with that, find a specialty that you enjoy, as Daniel suggested, and go from there. If you have a specialty in mind you could look into graduate degrees in that specialty(i.e. Information Security, Computer Networking or Computer Engineering).

As for your management question, no degree will make you ready for management, this is something that you will need experience for. Then a graduate degree with an emphasis in management might be helpful.

 

Apparently military work is done in the land of make believe and not in the real world.

 

Thanks for the replies guys!

I think I will pursue the CERTS and worry about the other stuff later. I think I should knock out the MBA before I have a family though, I just will not put it on my resume... what you guys think?

 

You and I both know there is a huge difference between military and civilian...

 

Why would you leave it off your resume?

 

I would recommend for IT certifications and get jobs in IT. Then start your MBA or MS slowly while working because your MGIB will be expired after 10 years. I am doing the same thing, and I am only 1 year older than you. Infact, I need to update my certification and getting CCNP and CISSP. I don't take these classes, but only study by using the CBT lectures. I admit to George Washington University for a Master degree in Computer Engineering (Computer Architecture & Networking); therefore, I save my MGIB for those expensive classes.

If you need these lectures, I can give it to you.

Semper Fi,
Tekman

 

You're speaking from your own experiences I suppose, but I retired from the AF last year, and my military career (combined with carefully chosen academics) prepared me VERY well for post military employment. PM me if you want the extended version, but my point is not to discount the experience the AF gave you - attend the transition seminars, and learn how to translate it to civilian experience.

Best of luck.

Dave

 

You're really jumping around here - first it was a master's in IA, now you're talking about an MBA....and leaving it off of your resume!

As I said earlier, you're clearly not ready to make this sort of investment of time and money. Solidify your transitional career path and re-consider grad school in a few years.

 

The thing is, I have to think about a family and I just want to get it over with now..
I think im going to have to step it up and get it done now..

 

Sure I would like access to these lectures. Please send me a private message, thanks!

 

Do you want to get a degree over with or a family??

 

Close enough. It was 18 (two of which were Category A Reserves, the rest active duty), ending in my retirement. (Yes, retired with less than 20.) But it wasn't the first time.

I left active duty after 3 years to go into the Air Force Reserve. While serving in the USAFR, I was selected to Officer Training School and returned to active duty. I retired under TERA at 36 years old. So I've made this transition twice. Here's my advice:

Get a job.

Seriously, get a job. If you want to go get a master's degree and or some certifications, fine. But that's not your dilemma. So go get a job and figure the rest out. Please allow me to explain.

Your issue will be trying to figure out your workplace identity. Who are you and what do you do? This isn't easy, especially for people leaving the military, which provided them so much of their identity. (In the Air Force, you had an Air Force specialty, but you were also a member of the military, held various grades, and had a place in the hierarchy. All of that will be gone.)

If you're typical, you will struggle with this. You'll go through a few jobs, even do some advance study. (Classes leading to degrees or certifications, for example.) But what will you be? That's the trick. And that will be developed by work, study, reflection, and time.

Also, no one in the civilian world cares about your rank/grade. It doesn't matter if you were a senior airman or a lieutenant colonel. What matters is what you can do, what degrees/certifications you currently have, and how you present yourself when pursuing jobs. So build on them.

Be aware of arrogance. You are about to lose much of what you were--I know, I did it twice. I look back now and laugh at the mistakes I made--both times. The first I blame on youth. Maybe you will, too. But the second? My bad.

When I retired from active duty 12 years ago, I didn't know what I would be or do, despite a significant amount of experience in education and training. So I took a job. And while I made some good money, it wasn't "me." So I took a lot less money and returned to what I loved: training. That led me to a series of progressively more responsible training-related positions. I finished my Ph.D., did a stint with UoP as a full-time campus chair for a year (which was very much like corporate training), then became a consultant. Did that for 2 years for a company, then spent the past year-and-a-half running my own consulting practice. Next? I think I know, and it will be a huge paradigm shift. But that's okay, because I know know who I am and what I do. It no longer matters where, for whom, or under what circumstances.

John is very kind, but really, I'm just some guy who's gone through what you are facing--twice. Pay attention, tuck your ego away, figure out who and what you will be, and make that a reality. Good luck in your quest.

 

Rich, you give good advice. I think a lot of people will benefit from it, not just the OP.