Want a job in computers.. with an associates?

Hello.. first of all, I want you to get a feel for my current living situation. I am 18, living with my fiance and her parents and am going to be moving out in the near future when I get a stable job. I am starting college at a junior college in the fall, and my degree is currently Administration of Justice. I was going to be a cop because it is decent pay for an associates degree, and I am probably going to get my security guard card in the fall and get a job as a full time security guard.

Now, I'd love a job in computers as that is what I love to do. I know how to program fairly well - I'm currently programming a roguelike game in C++ using fully object orientated code, using the curses library but am going to convert to using SDL in the future when I get some graphics. I also know how to program web apps and work as a PHP freelancer when I get work (which is not too often).

However, a bachelor's degree is quite a ways down the road not to mention I have no way to pay for it other than financial aid.

So my question for you is it at all possible to work in the computer field with an associates in any of the following degrees:

- Computer Applications
- Computer Networking
- Computer Software Development
- Business Computer Information Sciences

I was hoping to get some sort of job while I'm working for my bachelors in computer software development, so I can start a programming job (which I'm 100% confident I could do right this minute if they all didn't require bachelors degrees.. silly that most with a bachelors in CS can't even program, but I won't even have my app looked at).

Any help at all would be appreciated. I'm fine with being a police officer and going into administration of justice, sounds like a nice job, its just that I'd rather go into computers.

Thanks for your help.. It is very important to me that I'm able to get a job in my field ASAP as supporting 2 people off of a security guard salary is not going to be very easy.

Also.. I have looked into the CompTIA A+ certificate, and was wondering what jobs this would qualify me for? I have experience working on my computer (with multiple OSes), and a bunch of misc computer repair jobs for people I know that I could add as references (no pay though). I am also currently administrating a dedicated linux server that would also count as experience.

 

Get that A+ for sure, it won't qualify you for much on its own but it doesn't take super long to get and everybody knows what it is. It'll put you in a solid position for computer repair shops, geek squad, etc. CCNA and the other cisco certs by all accounts seem to be the most widely respected certs in the industry (but hard!). The nice thing about technology is that it's not all about the paper so try and get a lacky job anywhere that will take you, get the A+, get some microsoft or cisco certs, plug away at the 2 year degree (no hurry). Every time you get an IT cert you become more marketable, every job you have makes you look better, and every skill you learn helps. My main focus would be get the A+ to help you break into the bottom of the field and approach working up as a multi-facet endeavor. Your resume means more than any piece of paper!

IT does not have much of a break-in point. Some completely un-credentialed people do just fine. The paper just makes it easier.

Best of luck!

 

Hey it sounds like you know quite a bit about computers. Do you like to put together web sites? If so, have you done any in the past? Are you good with flash and all the latest applications when it comes to the applications and graphics? And, do you know how to fix computers such as viruses and operating systems? Have you ever put together a computer from scratch?

The reason why I'm asking these questions is that I firmly believe in helping younger people to get experience and if you've done any of these I would like to consider working with you. We would have to chat more about it and so forth, but I would definately like to consider you.

So please let me know the answers to these questions, and also what you would like to consider doing in addition to what I've asked you. I honestly think that you can get your education, but to me you don't have to have a degree to prove your qualifications with me if you have the actual experience and knowledge. Many times I find that more younger people know more than their own instructors do, and much of it is just a time game.

 

Sonolin,

First off, it is very common to get programming jobs in IT with only an associate's degree. I have hired five people in the last year who were fresh from an associate's program and will probably be hiring at that level in the near future. It's business application programming - simple web and database work, but it pays well enough, and we haven't laid anyone off in decades. An AAS in any of the programs you mentioned will make you competitive for a lot of entry level jobs.

Second, I am going to give you some unwanted advice that I am absolutely positive that you will completely ignore, but it would be damn near criminal of me to leave it unsaid.

Please, please, please give up the idea of working as a security guard and going to school at the same time. You are 18 years old. I don't know what circumstances led you to be living under the your fiance's parents' roof, but what I can guarantee is that taking your fiance out of her parents' house and trying to set up house together is the quickest way I know of to make sure that your education plans stall out and crash. If your love is real, it can wait long enough for you to get an education. If that junior college you're looking at has dorm rooms, then you need to be in one when the fall semester starts, not sitting in a security guard shack wondering how you'll make next month's rent, two car payments, the credit card bill, the utilities, the water, the phone, the cable... you get the idea. If it doesn't have dorm rooms, you need to be in an apartment with a bunch of roommates who in school to get an education, not to party.

While you're in school, try to build practical experience. You should be able to get a job helping out with the computers somewhere on campus - ask the financial aid / work study office for help. After a year of taking classes and working on campus, you will be in a good position to land a co-op job or internship. It will be better money than the campus job, and more challenging as well. It might also lead to a permanent job after graduation. Network like crazy - your classmates are going to be looking for jobs too, and often the first question they get after accepting an offer is, "Know anyone else we might be interested in?" You want your classmates to mention your name when that question comes up. Get to know your professors and program administrators - they are constantly being asked for referrals, and again, you want them to mention your name when jobs come up.

It's going to be a tough two years. You're going to need some student loans, and you will be living kind of like a monk for a while. You will see your fiance less than you like, and definitely less than she would like. But if you can get your degree under your belt before you start trying to support a family, it will be a lot easier.

My two cents, take it for what it's worth. YMMV.

Best of luck to you!

--Fortunato

 

Thank you for the positive advice! This makes me feel a lot better about my current situation as 2 years is a lot easier to do than 4 years atm.

Yes. Yes. Yes, flash, javascript, wordpress, joomla, drupal, oscommerce, and some graphics work. Yes, do it on an almost daily basis actually. And basically all my computers have been put together from scratch. That sounds great, I would love to talk to you.. do you have AIM, YIM, Google chat, or MSN? Or an email address? I'll shoot you a PM with my details.

Thank you very much for your input, and I by no means completely ignore any piece of advice. You sound like you mean very well, and thanks, but I am pretty heartset on moving in some place with my fiance. I am fine with waiting a year or maybe longer, well not fine but understand that may be the case. And no there are no dorms at my junior college unfortunately


All this advice makes this look so much better in my eyes THANK you all very much

 

a lot depends on what kind of computer work you want to do.

see if you can find a Cisco Academy in your area

Cisco Networking Academy - Locate Academy and Class/es

and take the CCNA Discovery class
CCNA Discovery - Course Catalog - Cisco Systems

and earn your CCNA

some community colleges , community centers and employment centers offer CCNA classes to lower income students through government grants

Learn a database application, either MS Access or MS SQL Server or MySQL.
Learn spreadsheets, preferably Excel.
Learn the basics of accounting and bookkeeping.

No one is going to hire you to write an accounting program in C++, or Java or C#.
But they might hire you to do data entry and report generation if you know a few basic apps and can manipulate data.

I work for the pharmacy department of a hospital.
I don't know the difference between aspirin and tylenol, but I do know Excel and Access.
And when the pharmacy wants to know how much insulin was prescribed last year and the average amount perscribed by each physician, I can get create a nice report with that information in 15 minutes.


You didn't say you wanted to be a game developer, but I think this post is interesting anyway. This is a post from a a developer of the game, Titan Quest
College "Game Dev" programs - Grim Dawn Forums

 

This is true - in my limited experience security guards get paid less than $10 per hour with few benefits.
Check monster.com or search the Internet to find prevailing wages. Here is one such site http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Security_Guard/Hourly_Rate

 

I'm afraid those rates are about what one could make in an entry level computer position. I was paid $10/hour with a few benefits when i worked at tech for less, and I was happy about it! The primary benefit to getting the tech job now isn't money, it's being able to move up the ladder and contribute to your resume.

That isn't to discourage you, I actually think you are in a wonderful position with all your talents. Give it a year or two and you will be in a really good place

 

You know, it just occurred to me... if you have a bunch of expreience and knowledge already, you may want to look into doing CLEP and DTTS/DANTES exams, and you may be able to exam out of most or all of an associates degree or even get close to a bachelors.

Take a look at articles.degreeinfo.com and read about portfolio and exam-based credit, and about the three schools where you can earn an enitire degree from exams and portfolio (prove-what-you-know) credits. Of course, you won't get any new learning that way, but a mix of exams plus new work in the areas you are interested in or want to specilize in could get you to your goal a lot faster.

 

The Two-Year Degree: A Happy Medium?

In today’s economic climate, it’s not just about finding work; it’s about being the right person for the job. But with time and money at a premium, those preparing to enter the workforce need to do that in the fastest, most cost-effective way.

For many, a traditional four-year degree program may not be practical. However, skipping formal education and pursuing IT certifications a la carte is also less than desirable, since most corporations today are looking for well-rounded candidates with the kind of soft skills and business knowledge that gaining a college degree imparts.

Having a certification will help you get the job — but having the foundational skills will help you keep it. They need to work in tandem.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupation with the highest projected growth between now and 2016 is data networking and communications. There’s plenty of opportunity out there; candidates just need to position themselves properly.

Even in this economic downturn, there are many jobs that go unfilled because employers can’t find the right skills in the marketplace,” said Fred Weiller, director of marketing for Learning@Cisco. “A couple of years ago, we did research with Forrester Consulting. What came up strongly from hiring managers was they consider a four-year degree and a professional certification at the same level. [But] if you had both, well, you were probably even higher on the [resume] pile.

Obviously, there are many jobs where you need a bachelor’s degree before your resume will even get reviewed. But for every one of those, there are probably 10 where you don’t need a bachelor’s; you just need experience and a certification.

 

I'd never heard that before. I find it encouraging that IT is so progressive that certifications are considered degree level material. Perhaps I need to complete my MCSA. I actually have two more tests bought and paid for (both server 2003 related) that alone would earn me my MCSA. That combined with a 2 year degree would hopefully put me in a very solid position.

Sorry, not trying to thread-jack, but that's a fantastic bit of information Lerner!

 

Lots of good advice here. You should look into one of the "Big 3", specifically Excelsior. They give college credit for computer certs. You might be able to combine certs with CLEP/DSST and specific course at your community college and finish your associates both quicker and cheaper. Wait a day or two to check the publications at Excelsior though, as July 1st is when the academic policy gets updated. It would suck to download official publications to work this out, only to have them become obsolete the next day. Good luck!

 

Wow this is all great news! I'll look into those exams. And I'm living in Palmdale, CA - not rural, but its not a real hotspot for computer jobs - LA is near(ish), though, so that's good. I need to get a car so I can commute somewhere, my current hope is the local Geek Squad as there's not really any other tech places that are getting any business.

I suppose I could take a train or something or maybe the greyhound.. I don't know. But anyway thank you all for your help .. I'm going to start working every week day on improving my business, portfolio, working towards my A+ cert, among other things. I'll try applying to geek squad soon - I'm actually working on a linux dedicated server right now, and I have everything secure and running so that could be a great reference as well.

 

I hate that garbage. I think all non-critical to accreditation changes in policies should not take effect for a bare minimum of one calendar year.

 

Dude, i was perfectly happy until I realized how much I hated my job.
Coming out of fast food, etc, under $8 gives you a unique and very un-picky perspective.