How many software vs hardware people?
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@BMarie said:
I have a Computer Applications Technology Degree just wondering how far I can go with it, and if I should go back to school and get something better......thought?
Degree's really aren't that important in the IT world.
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@BMarie said:
Good to know, mean's I can actually use my degree and find a new job.
I broke the $200K barrier before getting a degree. I got one just because I wanted one, not for my career. I've had it for a while now but have never put it on my resume. I want to ensure that jobs that require degrees don't know that I have one so that I don't waste my time talking to them.
Degrees, on average across all fields in the US, don't help you with your career. That's an average. Some fields, like doctor, lawyer and teacher obviously need them. But since you are in IT, the field that benefits least from degrees, and since the average is a negative and since we can identify those that benefit most.... it is pretty safe to assume that overall degrees pose a pretty huge threat to your IT career. A degree is something that It people overcome, not something that causes them to excel. These are just averages, some people get killed by their degrees, some benefit. But the average is not good at all.
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@BMarie said:
I have a Computer Applications Technology Degree just wondering how far I can go with it, and if I should go back to school and get something better......thought?
Certs, skills, experience.... these are what push your career forward the most. I found volunteering to be a huge boon for me.
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@thecreativeone91 said:
@BMarie said:
I have a Computer Applications Technology Degree just wondering how far I can go with it, and if I should go back to school and get something better......thought?
Degree's really aren't that important in the IT world.
I just seem stuck, not really using my skill set. How are employers gonna look at me serious when I've been a glorified Secretary and a girl at that. I'm already facing an uphill battle.
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@BMarie said:
I just seem stuck, not really using my skill set. How are employers gonna look at me serious when I'm been a glorified Secretary and a girl at that. I'm already facing an uphill battle.
Okay, let's analyze. What are you doing today? What do you want to do tomorrow (two years out, five years out and 10+ years out.) What is your background and areas of interest? What experience do you have?
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@BMarie said:
@thecreativeone91 said:
@BMarie said:
I have a Computer Applications Technology Degree just wondering how far I can go with it, and if I should go back to school and get something better......thought?
Degree's really aren't that important in the IT world.
I just seem stuck, not really using my skill set. How are employers gonna look at me serious when I've been a glorified Secretary and a girl at that. I'm already facing an uphill battle.
Time to do some work at home. Setup a lab and use that "Personal Accomplishments" section of your resume to your advantage.
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Post like crazy and then get a job at NTG. That's what most people on here seem to do
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@Carnival-Boy said:
Post like crazy and then get a job at NTG. That's what most people on here seem to do
Hey, that's what I did but ML didn't exist yet when I did that. Crazy at it sounds, it's a sound strategy.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@nadnerB said:
@scottalanmiller said:
I'm never sure what people mean by hardware vs. software work in IT. I know that server tech is a job role that is focused heavily on physical hardware (but still only partially.) Outside of that, what IT job is considered hardware?
End user pacification
How is that hardware?
Have to pacify them with something that will actually keep them in line... cricket bat etc is, in this case, the necessary hardware.
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@nadnerB said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@nadnerB said:
@scottalanmiller said:
I'm never sure what people mean by hardware vs. software work in IT. I know that server tech is a job role that is focused heavily on physical hardware (but still only partially.) Outside of that, what IT job is considered hardware?
End user pacification
How is that hardware?
Have to pacify them with something that will actually keep them in line... cricket bat etc is, in this case, the necessary hardware.
I need to put that on my resume...LOL
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Under the Hardware section: croquet mallets, cricket bats, Louisville sluggers - for end-user pacification...
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@thanksajdotcom said:
@Carnival-Boy said:
Post like crazy and then get a job at NTG. That's what most people on here seem to do
Hey, that's what I did but ML didn't exist yet when I did that. Crazy at it sounds, it's a sound strategy.
It really is. NTG is a big name to have on a resume. NTG has built a lot of careers. And because of the type of work that NTG does, there are lots of opportunities to learn outside of your assigned job path.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@Carnival-Boy said:
Post like crazy and then get a job at NTG. That's what most people on here seem to do
Hey, that's what I did but ML didn't exist yet when I did that. Crazy at it sounds, it's a sound strategy.
It really is. NTG is a big name to have on a resume. NTG has built a lot of careers. And because of the type of work that NTG does, there are lots of opportunities to learn outside of your assigned job path.
Yup. Enterprise level experience for the SMB. You work with some of the most talented people in the world, ie people like @scottalanmiller, but you get to be super-hands-on because it's all SMB level work, so you don't have the restrictions of a normal enterprise and how they compartmentalize/departmentalize.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@BMarie said:
I just seem stuck, not really using my skill set. How are employers gonna look at me serious when I'm been a glorified Secretary and a girl at that. I'm already facing an uphill battle.
Okay, let's analyze. What are you doing today? What do you want to do tomorrow (two years out, five years out and 10+ years out.) What is your background and areas of interest? What experience do you have?
Now, I'm working with public transportation as a Dispatcher. Don't get to use my skills that much here, except when I'm helping other's with there computers.
I want to end up building programs, writing code, build websites, working with pub (yeah I know out of the box)
I've been a Secretary most of my working time, here and there I get to do what I really want, now I'm a dispatcher and don't really use it at all. Maybe once in a blue moon.
The most IT I get now is talking to our IT guy.
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@thanksajdotcom and NTG has its own lab too, which is growing a lot. If you want to do cool projects and post about it, they provide a lot of opportunity for that stuff.
Plus NTG is not just regional but national in the US and does work around the world. So there are chances to work with people from all over and once in a while even travel. For example, I'm working in Austin, London and Panama City this year!!
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@Carnival-Boy said:
Post like crazy and then get a job at NTG. That's what most people on here seem to do
That's a good idea! I see that most work at NTG!
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@BMarie said:
I want to end up building programs, writing code, build websites, working with pub (yeah I know out of the box)
Doing software work is especially conducive to learning and working from "home" to build a portfolio. Experience counts far less than demonstrable skills do and in software and web you can demonstrate skills in a way that general IT cannot. You can't build a show portfolio of "problems I have fixed" or "customer service" but you can build a portfolio of websites, programs, etc.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksajdotcom and NTG has its own lab too, which is growing a lot. If you want to do cool projects and post about it, they provide a lot of opportunity for that stuff.
Plus NTG is not just regional but national in the US and does work around the world. So there are chances to work with people from all over and once in a while even travel. For example, I'm working in Austin, London and Panama City this year!!
Yup, my lab has been steadily growing over the past 3 years. First I built a server. Then I setup NASes and my own networking equipment. Now I have 3 C@C servers, two Linux and one Windows. I've setup a primary/secondary DC environment, Pertino for a VPN solution, etc. I take every opportunity to learn. When I started working with Pertino via NTG, I used it to learn about SaaS (software-as-a-service) and VPNs even more than I did. I still am quite a rookie compared to some, but I try to learn not just about products, but the technology as a whole behind it.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@BMarie said:
I want to end up building programs, writing code, build websites, working with pub (yeah I know out of the box)
Doing software work is especially conducive to learning and working from "home" to build a portfolio. Experience counts far less than demonstrable skills do and in software and web you can demonstrate skills in a way that general IT cannot. You can't build a show portfolio of "problems I have fixed" or "customer service" but you can build a portfolio of websites, programs, etc.
Exactly. The fastest way to learn is just to do. Start simple and work your way up. Every step you take is progress, regardless of how small the step. The key is to just keep moving forward, as Walt Disney would say.
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@BMarie said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@BMarie said:
I just seem stuck, not really using my skill set. How are employers gonna look at me serious when I'm been a glorified Secretary and a girl at that. I'm already facing an uphill battle.
Okay, let's analyze. What are you doing today? What do you want to do tomorrow (two years out, five years out and 10+ years out.) What is your background and areas of interest? What experience do you have?
Now, I'm working with public transportation as a Dispatcher. Don't get to use my skills that much here, except when I'm helping other's with there computers.
I want to end up building programs, writing code, build websites, working with pub (yeah I know out of the box)
I've been a Secretary most of my working time, here and there I get to do what I really want, now I'm a dispatcher and don't really use it at all. Maybe once in a blue moon.
The most IT I get now is talking to our IT guy.
Having "The goto techie chick" on your resume will be helpful for getting your foot in the door.
