Any IT people out there?

Senior Software Engineer

design & code: Android apps (in native Java), node.js networking apps, DBMS, web applications (ColdFusion/HTML/CSS/JS), C++ applications, SMS apps, email services apps, *nix bash scripting, production system architecture

manage: outdial/indial computers with T1 phone lines, code versioning/deployment, VM system building/deployment, sometimes help out the IT guys with the *nix systems/firewalls and other critical company infrastructure.

discover/analyze/patch security breaches in code and on the network, suggest & implement network security & code security improvements

So I guess it's like Software Engineer/IT guy. Some days I just don't know.

BS degree in CS.

 

Would you IT guys say it's better to get your degree first then start working in the field or would it better to start working in the field and get some certs and the get your degree a little bit later while you are working? The reason I ask is because I am about to be a junior in college and a couple of IT guys I have talked to said that a lot of people in the industry don't have degrees and that I should start working in the field now. If I continue going to school it will probably take me about 3 years to finish since I am unable to go full time.

 

This is my take.

Find what you like to do. Learn about it. Start doing it at home if you can. Create your own lab and experiment..hell you could start doing freelance/contract work if it's programming.

Can I ask what it is specifically you want to do? IT is huge.

What are your goals now as a job and for later (10 yrs down the road)?

 

Network Engineer. Mostly Layer 2/3 design and troubleshooting.

 

It depends.

If you're looking to really specialize in something narrow and make bank doing it, then get the degree first (try to do internships and shit at the same time to get more experience)

If you're not looking to specialize, and also not make as much money but have more flexibility, then work first and learn/get certs as you go.

I'm at the top of my earnings curve. To make any more money, I'd need to specialize in a certain kind of IT work and concentrate on that.

BUT: I'm the dirty side of I.T., and I like fixing things for people. You can be pretty darn comfy on 50-60K in the midwest, especially as a bachelor. Being a jack-of-all-trades is why I got my current job. Had I been specialized as a server guy, or a network/security specialist, or 'too advanced' to change passwords and tell people to put paper in the goddamned printer ... I'd have been unemployed a lot longer than I was when I moved here.

 

The great thing about IT is there is no one way to do things. I got my CS degree 30 years ago and it's laughably out of date. (The 286 was the hot new computer back then) So the shelf life of a CS degree is 3 maybe 5 years of being actually relevant. If you don't keep learning your career will be short indeed. That's why a lot of my people are getting their certs rather than degrees. IMHO a current cert can be more valuable in the short term than a degree. Long term a degree is worth the investment. When I'm hiring, all things being equal, a guy with a degree will get an interview over someone without. The degree won't get the job by itself, the person still has to do well in the interview. Also as you get along in your career if you ever want to go into management a degree is pretty much a requirement.

The other thing is when I'm interviewing an entry level candidate, I'll ask what they've done in the IT world. A bad answer is "nothing, you'll have to train me." A better answer is "I've played around with my own computer." An answer that will probably get you the job is "I've built all my computers from scratch, put together a couple of websites for my friends, setup networks for all of my family, and setup a server for my videos." So, while you don't say you need a job for the money, you could use a job for the experience. And even if you don't get a job in college, you absolutely should be doing "IT" things before you graduate.

(about me: Director of Tech Support with 30+ years IT experience, and a team of 35 people reporting to me)

 

I'm 20, did a year of college and hated it. Dropped out and started experimenting. I was going to go through college for Astrophysics and hope to specialize in Exoplanetary Science, couldn't imagine another 10 years of college for an entry level job. 2 years ago I couldn't even partition a hard drive let alone set up and support wireless networks for a massive organization.

It's all in how badly you want it. If you're someone that can just learn while working and aren't afraid of shitty hours, no training, and so-so pay, go for it and climb the ranks. Gotta be in an area that will support it though.

 

Senior System Analyst here, I work with electronic medical records for one of the largest healthcare organizations in Western Michigan. It's kind of cool combining IT stuff with healthcare.

 

Software engineer and information security analyst here..was a satellite spacecraft/network controller in the Army.

 

Performance Engineer/Loadtester now. Also did Performance modeling and RMA on a NASA contract. Prior to that was a coder for a few years. Hope to be retired in a few.

 

IT Manager for Microsoft. Started as a contract Project Manager, worked my butt off and applied to full time roles.

 

I'm a Sr. Linux Systems Administrator for a large Cloud company. Hoping to get into a Lead Engineer position in the near future.

 

IT Tech for an electric coop. Work on servers, desktops, meter data management, gis mapping, ipads, and anything else that needs attention. My job description has a line at the bottom that reads and other duties. That emcompasses a whole lot of jobs around the office.

 

I'm an IT manager for a construction company in AZ. Manage a couple offices (Mesa and Tucson) and a whole bunch of jobsites - we build schools, churches, fuel stations, gov. buildings, etc.
Working for a tech forward construction company, I get to do a ton of fun stuff instead of just sitting at my office - flying drones for aerials, testing and setting up large touch screens, testing out all kinds of new hardware and software, develop and setup webcams to run on solar via LTE on a trailer, looking at 3D printers for printing out bim models of projects and vr/augmented reality for project sites and of course play around with all the construction equipment. My work even put a digital leash on me, because they know I like to get out in the middle of nowhere camping, by getting me a Sat phone. Good times.

 

I've been in the corporate IT industry since 1992. Big scale operations, 10,000+ employee companies. I started as a hands on Unix systems administrator, moved into data storage systems for several years, and for the past several years have been doing critical situation management, which means when things within my company break down that can or do have a major impact on the company, my team gets involved to figure out what broke and fix it as quickly as possible.

 

I work comm in the National Guard but my full time job is LE.

 

I have been in IT for the past 15 years and currently run a team of software support technicians supporting electronic medical records systems for large hospital entities.

 

my official title is Senior Computer Operator, but basically I am application support, for a major financial company

 

Dropped out of college; became a software engineer.

 

hehe same, and IT manager...