Any techies here with career advice??

I'm debating as which route to further my IT skills, there is a computer systems B.S degree that you can choose specialization. The two I am leaning toward are database technology or web development/design. I'm leaning toward DB, even though web development might be a bit more exciting. I just think the web development area is oversaturated with too many wannabes out there, and database admin pays good and less competition, well at least less competiton than trying to get into the web development field..

teach yourself in both areas if youre going that route, everything to do with the actual web isnt that difficult to learn on your own.

yup learn it yourself and then get the certs. it saves you thousands. plus you can dload 90 percent of the books and all that anyways.

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Originally Posted by Psychotron

teach yourself in both areas if youre going that route, everything to do with the actual web isnt that difficult to learn on your own.

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I agree. Knowing databases and web development is a good thing to have. I honestly think that is where things are heading. I think it's going to get to a point where you hardly install any software on a pc, it's all going to be web based and run through your browser. My company is currently building all it's applications web based. You become a lot more efficent person if you not only can do the web design, but do the database backend work also.

I've been a professional programmer / web developer for about 4.5 years now. I would say lean more towards the development side, Microsoft centric. Most of the database stuff will just come with the territory and database administration is very redundant work. Prolly the funnest part being optimization of indexes and stored procedures....wooohooo.

As far as technologies go, I would concentrate on C#.NET. It's where you will find the most jobs and you can move from web to desktop dev fairly easily. As far as certifications go, they are ok to have I suppose. I [was] a MCSD, but I let it expire because it never really benefited me. If you want the true benefit of certifications, just read and practice the test material. They will however, help you if you have no job experience or if you are neck-in-neck with another applicant.

thanks bros, ive found it tougher than expected to find a job for someone with only credentials to do desktop support/helpdesk. even most of those positions want 2-3 years of experience. I am familiar with the networking certs, like the MCSE and Cisco certs. What are the database and web dev. certs?

Well, you can get MCSD (Cert Solution Developer) or MCSDA (Certified Database Administrator). You can check Microsofts site, they've probably changed the names and requirements since I was in that game. I'm sure Oracle has their own little cert program too. If you get an MCSD, you can take a database test as one of your electives, so I would go for MCSD with SQL Server 2003 development and administration.

Well, you can get MCSD (Cert Solution Developer) or MCSDA (Certified Database Administrator). You can check Microsofts site, they've probably changed the names and requirements since I was in that game. I'm sure Oracle has their own little cert program too. If you get an MCSD, you can take a database test as one of your electives, so I would go for MCSD with SQL Server 2003 development and administration.

MCSE and Cisco are networking / router certs. That's a whole different area. I would go for what interests you most. Don't base your career entirely on the job market, it will change, it always does. Do be wise though...e.g. Microsoft isn't going away anytime soon. Whatever you decide, best of luck.

depends on what you want to do with your life..

website design.. learn... graphics, .net, and marketing.......visual basic

DB... working with larger firms.. and everyone is moving to centralized data bases.. alot of work.. for a long time.. not as sexy... but definetly not as many wanna bees in it..

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Originally Posted by co2boi

Well, you can get MCSD (Cert Solution Developer) or MCSDA (Certified Database Administrator). You can check Microsofts site, they've probably changed the names and requirements since I was in that game. I'm sure Oracle has their own little cert program too. If you get an MCSD, you can take a database test as one of your electives, so I would go for MCSD with SQL Server 2003 development and administration.

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true all that.. but an administrator makes changes..

where as a db designer will have the opportunities to do more creative work.. bigger pay either way than just wed design..

The best combo i have seen lately is a MBA with a computer science minor..

jmo.....

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Originally Posted by spywizard

The best combo i have seen lately is a MBA with a computer science minor..

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This is by far the best advice. You may not like this but I'll give it to you straight...

I run a very large programming department for an international company. Six offices in three countries. To give you an idea, my department's payroll is just over $5 million.

The current trend is for many straight programming/IT jobs to be shipped offshore. Currently it's India. Soon to include China, Russia, Bulgaria, and Thailand.

This is troubling to a lot of people (obviously) as they are losing their jobs and the market is drying up. However, this opens up a lot of opportunities for individuals with a vision of what is happening. Technical managers are and will continue to grow in demand. Companies that outsource their IT tasks will still require people to oversee projects from within the United States and be a liasson between dometic management and foreign IT workers. This will require both a technical and a management background.

I'm not sure if this is what you wanted to hear, but I hope it helps.

thanks.. since you expanded i will also...


It doesn't matter where a task.. function is completed...

my wife started out 7 years ago when HTML was cool.. since she did get MCSD certified.. but the real money is in the Project Managment..

You see larger companies need good business men who know technology well.... she thus is a vb programer...and .net now... using applications that use SQL to add functionality..

thus when a company is getting the hard sell.. she can advise.. "not we can do that internally for about 60 hours at $35 per hour rate..

but it could cost 5x that outsourced..

another example.. she programs for hand helds.. that link up to a SQL data base from anywhere.. Wireless.. then the data is reviewed, and posted in a manner that is usable by managment.. but the engineers get different data that is important to them...

time to develop... 8 hours... outsourced $6000 .........

and it goes on and on...........

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Originally Posted by bad_man

This is by far the best advice. You may not like this but I'll give it to you straight...

I run a very large programming department for an international company. Six offices in three countries. To give you an idea, my department's payroll is just over $5 million.

The current trend is for many straight programming/IT jobs to be shipped offshore. Currently it's India. Soon to include China, Russia, Bulgaria, and Thailand.

This is troubling to a lot of people (obviously) as they are losing their jobs and the market is drying up. However, this opens up a lot of opportunities for individuals with a vision of what is happening. Technical managers are and will continue to grow in demand. Companies that outsource their IT tasks will still require people to oversee projects from within the United States and be a liasson between dometic management and foreign IT workers. This will require both a technical and a management background.

I'm not sure if this is what you wanted to hear, but I hope it helps.

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interesting.. that was quite an eye opener, spy and bad man

have a large working area, dont settle for just one area

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Originally Posted by Decadbal

have a large working area, dont settle for just one area

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yeah, i looked in other areas, but it seems most companies want local candidates for entry-level positions or they say not willing to relocate. But it is an interesting idea though..

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Originally Posted by spywizard

true all that.. but an administrator makes changes..

where as a db designer will have the opportunities to do more creative work.. bigger pay either way than just wed design..

The best combo i have seen lately is a MBA with a computer science minor..

jmo.....

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I would say a BA in Computer Science with a MBA to boot.