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Security Career Choices

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hydride
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 1:26 am    Post subject: Security Career Choices Reply with quote

I'm a grade 12 student, and graduate HighSchool this year, I'm considering a career in Information Security, and don't know where to start. I've started by looking into IT career training, and I found I could take Network Technican training at the local college, but something caught my eye from the school of Trios. A Network Engineer Dimploma, and here's what it offeres:
Help Desk Analyst 1 wk
CompTIA A+ Certified Tech. Software 3 wks
Career Managment 1 wk
CompTIA A+ Certified Tech. Hardware 3 wks
Project Mangement 1 wk
Microsoft Certied Professional 7 wks
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator 4 wks
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer 12 wks
CompTIA Security+ 4 wks
Cisco Certifed Network Associate 4 wks
CompTIA IT projet Managment 2 wks
Linux+ and UNIX 6 wks
Lab weeks 4 wks
and a ministry approved diploma
All that in a year total, compared to 3 years of college which doesn't give you certs, so I figured that pretty sweet, but I want to know if that's worth it or not. I also want to know if I take that what should I study from there? The school offers programming two, with something that's probably another year of training, but all that in two years I figure could prolly give me something good, but could that lead me into the Information Security field. Any help is much appreciated
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delete852
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 1:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It looks pretty good. It offers a batchelors degree as well, I assume right?
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hydride
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

delete852 wrote:
It looks pretty good. It offers a batchelors degree as well, I assume right?


I'm not sure if it does, it doesn't say anything about a bachelors degree, and it's only a private college. I'm not sure if it does or not. Is a Bachelors important to get?
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TXLeXTC
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hydride wrote:
delete852 wrote:
It looks pretty good. It offers a batchelors degree as well, I assume right?


I'm not sure if it does, it doesn't say anything about a bachelors degree, and it's only a private college. I'm not sure if it does or not. Is a Bachelors important to get?


Ill say this about a degree, its not worth the paper its written on, cept when it comes time to find a job. Its almost a given that you need one to even be in the running for a job. I have almost 6 yrs working in the net admin world and I struggle more than everyone else, w/o that degree. Get the degree, even if it means finding a job and going to school nights, which is what I do now...
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hydride
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TXLeXTC wrote:

Ill say this about a degree, its not worth the paper its written on, cept when it comes time to find a job. Its almost a given that you need one to even be in the running for a job. I have almost 6 yrs working in the net admin world and I struggle more than everyone else, w/o that degree. Get the degree, even if it means finding a job and going to school nights, which is what I do now...

Thanks for the input, I'll look into it tomorrow.
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tejaaa
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Idea TXLeXTC is right. Getting a degree is important in most of the cases. Having a degree in IT or computer science will definately move you one step ahead in the interview que and it has it's own benefit. You still have a lot of time with you, start doing certs but make sure you get a degree.

Pingguru:)
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PhiBer
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hydride,
Although all of that sounds nice and good, the whole "Get your diploma in 1 year vs. 3 years" reminds me of DeVry and ITT tech. You just cannot get the well-rounded training that you would get at a University. Ive done exhaustive research on this topic and Ive asked many people including Directors of Information Technology and they would take someone with experience and a bachelors degree from an accredited 4 year university any day over someone who has certs and a degree from a tech school.


My recommendation to you is this: Check your options. In this day and age a bachelors is a MUST to go anywhere up on the ladder. I personally wouldnt recommend going the fast and easy technical college way. A university will give you much more well rounded skills needed for todays economy.
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alt.don
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As mentioned already go for a uni degree. If you want to progress beyond a certain level in almost any career path you will need a uni degree. As well stuffing that much information into one year is a heck of a workload I might add. Can't help but wonder how much a student remembers from his first semester? I would avoid those 1 yr jobbies.
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Dunceor
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

a degree shows that you got the ability to learn alot of stuff fast.
Certs are always good and if I would be you I would do a mix of them both.
Take the year at the community collage and get the certs and the continue and take an degree on some university.
If you get both you shouldn't have any problems finding a job in the future.

Remember, knowledge is power...
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TXLeXTC
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you plan on grad school, dont fuss too much on where you go for undergrad. You school may or may not affect you getting a job, just as a 4.0 may or may not. While I agree that DeVry and similar arent the way to go, there are some schools that arent traditional univ's that are going to get you that same paper, and hold the same value.

as for certs, dont make them your primary target. all a cert will get you is a job with someone who knows nothing about the certs. If you interview with an IT pro who knows the world, they wont give two shits about your certs. on the other hand if you interview with a small company where you would be the only IT person, that cert may do some good. certs just mean you remembered the info long enough to take the tests. all i member from my mcsa/mcse is how to install the japanese lang pack for XP, and 2 WINS servers, always 2. Laughing

Just remember this, a degree and certs do nothing more than level the playing field when you go to look for a job. Having both just means you will be in the pile of resumes that they may look at twice, but there still may be 50 in that pile.....
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ShaolinTiger
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TXLeXTC wrote:

as for certs, dont make them your primary target. all a cert will get you is a job with someone who knows nothing about the certs. If you interview with an IT pro who knows the world, they wont give two shits about your certs.


Are you trying to say if you have a CCIE and you are interviewed by an I.T 'pro' it wont mean anything?

Get a clue dude..

You are being to broad in your generalisations, yeh a MSCE/A+/CCNA don't mean 2 shits I agree, but don't write off ALL certs just because of the few that have become meaningless.
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hydride
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all your input, a university degree would be awesome, but here I am finishing my grade 12 year on a general level because my stupid guidance counslers and teachers told me to stick on a general level and basically that means, I can not apply to university.

-edit-

Would it be possible for me to take a year of college and then upgrade to a university level?
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PhiBer
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Would it be possible for me to take a year of college and then upgrade to a university level?


It all depends on if you have the correct amount of certain classes to transfer to a university. Typically, you CANNOT transfer from a tech school straight to a university. At least here in Washington State you cant. If you go to a community college, you have to get the required credits to transfer to a university. That is what i am doing....going to a community for 2 years to work on my AA and then transferring to the University of Washington to work on my Computing and Software Systems degree Very Happy
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