Questions About Careers in IT

[s***@gmail.com]

I am considering getting an A.S. degree for network technician or MS
systems engineering. The main concern I have about pursuing this
career path is the future stability of the jobs I may obtain. The IT
industry is notorious (to us non IT laymen, at least) for having a high
turnover rate and being subject to the whims of the economy. The pay is
great, but I don't want to have extreme difficulty in finding a
position or start pulling employment after only 5 years on the job.
Right now, I'm at a cross-roads of deciding if I wanna go into the
health field, or IT---allied health is stable, but I'd much prefer the
later. Can network technician or MS system engineer give their input
about how difficult it is to find a job, maintain it, the pros and cons
of the field, etc...Also, would I need a BS in the respective fields as
well to find a job, or would an associate degree suffice? Thanks.

[susanhalle]

IT is a great career. Unlike some professions though it requires
constant maintenance. That is to say, once you get your initial
certification or degree and a job someplace, that is not enough. You
have to constantly be learning new things, studying the new
technologies, and updating or getting more certifications and training.

The high turnover rate should not be viewed as a negative, it is in
fact because people are so valued in IT that they can easily find work
at other companies, and so they take those opportunities to 'hop' their
salaries up a notch by changing jobs. Network technichcians or LAN
Adminsitrator types are always in constant demand, BUT the higher
paying jobs go to those with experience. This means that often to brake
into those areas you may have to start off as a Help Desk analyst or
desktop level technician before you can move into the technical
position you want.

Finally in relation to your options of network technician or MS cert, I
would say that either is a great start, but you have to be thorougholy
grounded in both ultimately to hit the bigger salaries, having one
without the other will leave you with a hole in your knowledge. So,
pick one but assume you will go after the other utlimately.

I think you also asked about a BS. A BS can help when you go for jobs,
but you could find technician work without it. As your career
progresses you will defintiley be happy you have a BS.

Good luck!