If someone was looking to prepare themselves in an IT/Computer related area with no previous experience, which area (for future job security, although not trying to get rich) would be the most promising. Computer Science Information Systems Web Development Other..__________(Which?) Rank these in your order. If I need to specify situation, I can. (Let me just say someone who is looking to be bivocational one day)
Drew, do a search on the forum for CIS and MIS. I am working on a PhD with an MIS concentration and another masters with a CIS concentration. These two fields can be discrete in their application but not necessarily. Look for a degree that covers desk to desk, meaning desk-infrastructure-desk. In most instances the CIS area will cover more programming and database issues. If you can cover both architecture and the circuitry to move the architecture you will have a job. For the sake of discussion MIS as opposed to IS can broaden your job potential. To answer your question, if you have no previous experience then I would start with the CIS. It is the building block for the enterprise IS. I wish we had more discussions on these topics.
After looking at what I think I would like to do, I think I would like to do troubleshooting and networking. I think I would like to work at a company or for a company that does basic computer troubleshooting, or something like that. I have been stuck between the following Bachelors degrees: Baker Colleges CS degree and the CIS degree Touro's IT degree and CS degree Bellevue's Computer Information Systems Technology Advancement Program OR Computer Information Systems in Business (both have some networking in them) I love Capella's Networking degree but they are so expensive there is no way I can afford that. I think of all the degrees, I like Touro's degree because the price includes books. I like Bellevue's because it includes Cisco and other networking courses and some business classes. I like Bakers degrees but not sure which one would be best for me. I want a degree that will keep me employable and give me the education to do what I enjoy doing. If that makes sense. Any Ideas? drew
Drew, check out: http://www.fhsu.edu/virtualcollege/intbs.shtml To get an idea of what skills are marketable: www.usajobs.opm.gov search under the 2210 and 0391 series. These are government jobs but will give you some idea of skillsets. Many of these areas have been or will be outsourced to private contractors in the future. Good luck...