Where to go and what to do in IT 5

[apex1x]

Here is a bit of background about myself...
I recently finished highschool (this June actually).
For my second last year of school I have been working both co-op and part time as IT support in a medium size organization. This last year I have been working part time during school for a different, smaller sized company with a simililar job and since school has been out up to now I have worked full time.
I have been pretty much been working as admin of a netware network, general tech support, webmaster and designer of basic reports(in crystal and access).
In December or so I will be leaving to go on a two year mission for my church and when I get back I am wondering a couple of things...
First, should I attend university/college as soon as i get back(I am in Canada)? And if so, would computer science right off the bat be the best way to go? I am pretty much into anything computer related except for some real hardcore programming, if you know what I mean
Second, what sort of certifications should I work towards if any at all?
What sort of skills/jobs should I be aiming for in a couple years (by the time I am done univeristy/college)?

If anyone can give any info/advice or experiences I would appreciate it greatly as being away for two years and suddenly getting back will be sort of a techno shellshock for me :S

Thx in advance. ~Apex1x
Sattinger's Law:
It works better if you plug it in.

 

[SteveTheGeek]

My advice would be to wait until a few months before you get back and take a good hard look at the industry. I doubt anyone here predicted either the dot-com boom or the resulting dot-com implosion two years in advance. Two years from now open-source operating systems may be largely illegal (see the DMCA law and DRM/Palladium efforts currently underway in the US) or they may rule as Microsoft's attempt to go to all-lease software resoundingly flops.

That being said, since universities' curriculums are generally a year or two behind the latest and greatest (and it sounds like you're reasonably well-versed in today's technologies) I'd suggest tech-specific schools/certifications to show employers that you're up-to-speed on current technologies and not two years' behind the industry.
-Steve

 

[onpnt]

I completly agree with Steve on the chosing a Tech college over a university. The hard part is having to choose that one field you want more so in a Technical institute like programming, networking etc.. over a wide knowledge based as computer science. I've known many programmers that could not get a job for the life of them that paid well and kept them out of the third shift grunt work until either obtaining a technical degree or programming certification.
For the certifications, The more the merry if you ask me. I have several in all aspects of the computer related field and they have helped me not only personaly but career wise as well. I would suggest to anyone to get (time provided) a programming, web development, networking and microcomputer specialist cert. if they really want options available and do not want to get hung up in everyday situations. A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming is not worth knowing.

http://www.onpntwebdesigns.com

admin@onpntwebdesigns.com

 

[dogbert2]

The only problem with that is that most university programs
spend WAY too much time on theory (which is fine), but when the students have to do actual real-world projects, they often don't have the needed skills (use of IDE's, make,
operating systems, API's, Databases, sockets, etc).

Now, how do I know this, i've been in the IT field for more
than 20 years now, and given the students I see graduating today, most of them couldn't figure out the difference between a one way hash and a b-tree, or iteration vs recursion, etc. I possess almost 130 credit hours in
basic courses, programming, math, science, etc (I do NOT
possess a four year degree, and probably never will).

At this point in my career, I don't need someone who has
a degree, but no practical experience to show me proper
SDLC or Infrastructure Design as it relates to programming.

The concept of degree vs. cert is largely a moot point, as
most programming jobs anymore don't require a 4 year degree
(and as it turns out, the claim about cheap foreign labor
may be correct, but it turns out that the foreign students typically code no better (or worse) than U.S. talent).

 

[CajunCenturion]

SteveTheGeek - you said I'd suggest tech-specific schools/certifications to show employers that you're up-to- speed on current technologies and not two years' behind the industry. With that statement, you have claimed that Universities are two years behind the leading edge and tech schools are up to date???

Please cite a Source. Please give a reference/link to some published information that backs that claim up.

Right now the National Science Foundation has 132 active grants within their Information and Data Management Program. Of those grants, 129 have been awarded to Universities. The other 3 went to corporations. Not a single one to a tech school, and not one to Microsoft either.

Just where to you think advances in technology come from? Where do you think the bulk of Research and Development actually takes place?

dogbert I too have over 20 years in this business, having written my first program in 1974. I don't think in that time, or in my whole life for that matter, I have ever heard anyone or any institution be lambasted for having too much theory. Why, if you have over 130 credit hours do you not complete the degree requirements?

With respect to your comments concerning Operating Systems, API's, the IDE etc, it is not the purpose of a University to provide training on commercial products. Their job is teach the concepts and fundamentals upon which this industry revolves. Wouldn't it be a waste of good person's tuituion to take a course on the Win32 API only to have Microsoft change it next week. Whereas a course on the structure of the API interface will allow someone to easily adapt to changes in an API, as well as understand why changing the API (which Microsoft has a bad habit of doing) is not a good and productive thing for the industry.

dogbert - you also stated At this point in my career, I don't need someone who has a degree, but no practical experience to show me proper SDLC or Infrastructure Design as it relates to programming. Well this thread is not about you and what you need. Its about what we as professionals think is in apex1x's best interests.

And to that end, we should insure that any claims we make are factual, and what we offer as opinions should be clearly identified as such.

Although nothing can replace real-world on the job experience, I would submit that the person who has completed the 4 year university computer science program has written considerablly more programs, and completed more projects (academic tho they may be), than the indivudal who completed the tech school program, or the one who passed a multiple-choice test for a certification.

apex1x I wish you all the best in your mission. That could be some of the fulfulling two years - relish them and enjoy them. I agree with SteveTheGeek in that no-one really knows what this industry is going to look like in two years. But I do not agree that University programs are two years behind the technology. When you return from your mission, you should take a good look at the industry, and if you still think its where you want to build your career, the evaluate your options. I would expect that for a long term career, your best bet would be to evaluate the universities within your constraints (location/money/etc), and with respect to their computer science programs and choose the one which has the best track record and reputation within the industry. Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein