Degree or Certifications?

[Trooper]

Okay i have 5 years of CIS ( computer information systems ) schooling but no degree. I also have 3-4 years of heavy PC and A/V tech experience. Just as a general question, would it be better to get a BA in CIS or get some Certifications? And if Certifications which ones, right now im planning on getting my MCSE and A+. What other would be good?

[B. Clawhammer]

I'm not sure about CIS certs, but my bro. in law has a smog cert. and he makes just under 6 figs. smogging cars. No degree, just the cert. Crazy eh?

[wildcat2000]

Depends what the jobs require. Like my job requires a BA or BS degree with a license.

[Scooper]

I'm Net+ certified and have an Associates in networking - Cisco specialization (but not CCNA certified). I answer the f-ing phone. lol
If you have piles of experience but no paper then score the paper. A+ and Net+ are a start. then you can aim toward M$ and go software, or go Cisco and go networking hardaware. Some of both will balance the resume.
What's your strength? Go with that and getcha some certs.
Certifications will put you 2/3 of the way toward a 2 year degree(if ya do the core classes) and, if they can carry over, the credits can be applied to a 4-year degree.

[Trooper]

Yah i got almost 130 credit hours, just no degree. Made some bad class choices then my wife graduated so we moved. I got a couple things in mind, i really like the whole networking idea and hardware stuff. Im looking now at Internet Crimes, i know there are spots open all over for that job.

[shroompicker]

Doesn't matter, in your case. Get any degree as fast as you can. Browse through your university's degree fulfillments, find out what you have the most of, and get it over with next semester.

For a technical degree, any good employer asks you highly specific questions about what you know. Everyone with a CIS degree has highly different experiences anyway.

The degree only proves you can take the groundworkings of the subject, the stuff you learned in the 101 classes, and go far with them in some direction, really doesn't matter which. Once you've done that once, a GOOD employer knows you can do it again in a different direction, and you often do go in a completely different direction. E.G., a guy who finished software development with multithreaded applications may end up starting in a testing position, then after a year work integration in a data center.

I guess the second best answer is, if you know which employers you want to work for, phone some managers, find out what they need for a specific position they might have for you in May, and use this semester to your advantage to make up what they need. That's a full 7-month employment campaign, it would be a slam-dunk!

[P8riot]

^^^^ What shroompicker said. BA degree's hire certificate guys without BA's to do the gruntwork.

BA's lay the groundwork for you to demonstrate you can accomplish tasks involving general 'critical thinking' - whether or not you can still do it, at least you could at one time. Certs show you know your 'stuph' in a specialized area: theoretically of course.

Edit: In fact, I can't even hire anyone without a BA for anything except our entry level positions that don't pay much more that 32-35K a year.. AND if we do hire them, it is with the understanding that 'personal development' is a major factor in maintaining your value to our company.. it is no surprise that BA/BS'less employees make that their first priority.

[Apophis]

Originally Posted by Trooper[SNPR]

Yah i got almost 130 credit hours, just no degree. Made some bad class choices then my wife graduated so we moved. I got a couple things in mind, i really like the whole networking idea and hardware stuff. Im looking now at Internet Crimes, i know there are spots open all over for that job.

If you're looking into Internet Security type stuff, consider getting a CISA or CISSP or even both. You can grab some more information on this using the URL below. You would want one of these certifications if you ever got into computer forensics as well, or at least your employer would most likely want you to have one.

This is the "world" I live in day-to-day, Leejo also is doing very similar work but more Sarbanes Oxley driven.

http://www.isaca.org/

[Strag]

Troop, it sounds like you're already pretty close to a degree, so why not finish it, if possible? You're in Marysville now, so you've got options in Columbus:

THE Ohio State University
DeVry
Franklin University
Capital University
Columbus State

For a more complete list, check here.