Will an AAS degree with certifications be enough to enter the IT field? (Seattle: job market)

[Gregofcanada]

I have another year of school left where I'm going to get my AAS degree in Computer Networking. My plan is to get that degree and some certifications ( A+, Network+). My question is will my chances of landing a job in Western Washington be good if I have these certain and degree under my belt?

I'm also talking about entry level positions.

Thanks.

[branh0913]

Originally Posted by Gregofcanada

I have another year of school left where I'm going to get my AAS degree in Computer Networking. My plan is to get that degree and some certifications ( A+, Network+). My question is will my chances of landing a job in Western Washington be good if I have these certain and degree under my belt?

I'm also talking about entry level positions.

Thanks.

1. Do you want an IT job, or do you want an IT job in Washington? Big difference there


2. I'm not a big fan of the career prospects for networking. It's saturated. Everyone and their mother tries to get network certifications when the first enter IT. Hiring managers wipe their butts with them really. It's more as a supplement than anything. But in reality, most networking professionals have pretty much being doing it the last 10-15 years anyway, and they aren't going anywhere. New blood in networking almost doesn't exist, unless you just happen to get with the right circle.

3. I think the Seattle area is probably a bad place to start your career. Unless you're coming from an elite university, have good placement, etc. It's going to be hard starting in a place like Washington. They can be selective, because the IT workforce in Seattle is amongst the best in the country. you're competing with some really sharp people, who probably look way better on paper than you would with an AS degree and a few certs.

4. Try expanding your search. Your best bet is to start in another market, get your experience, and come back to Washington later when you have the necessary experience. I can compete in the Seattle job market, but I have 15 years IT experience. If I only had 3 or 4 years I would drown in Seattle's market. Start your career elsewhere, you're less likely to deal with somewhat snobby hiring managers you find out West. And you have more companies on the East Coast or South willing to roll the dice on you.

Remember every company needs an IT staff, but not every company has the means or even the necessity to be cutting edge. My advice to you is to start small, and work your way up. I'm pretty sure there are a few companies in Nashville who would hiring someone with your credentials in a heartbeat. Work your way up, and get some good years, get some good experience, and you'll look more attractive to employers in WA.


Also, while you're doing networking, I would definitely encourage you to try to look into Big Data, NoSQL, etc. It's a hot hot technology out there right now. And it's only going to pick up more steam in the new few years. Trust me, a lot of people don't even know what Big Data, so get ahead of the game. I think you could really make an impact in the Dallas, Atlanta, south Eastern, and mid-Atlantic markets that have companies that a little more behind in technology.


Good luck.

[Gregofcanada]

Originally Posted by branh0913

1. Do you want an IT job, or do you want an IT job in Washington? Big difference there


2. I'm not a big fan of the career prospects for networking. It's saturated. Everyone and their mother tries to get network certifications when the first enter IT. Hiring managers wipe their butts with them really. It's more as a supplement than anything. But in reality, most networking professionals have pretty much being doing it the last 10-15 years anyway, and they aren't going anywhere. New blood in networking almost doesn't exist, unless you just happen to get with the right circle.

3. I think the Seattle area is probably a bad place to start your career. Unless you're coming from an elite university, have good placement, etc. It's going to be hard starting in a place like Washington. They can be selective, because the IT workforce in Seattle is amongst the best in the country. you're competing with some really sharp people, who probably look way better on paper than you would with an AS degree and a few certs.

4. Try expanding your search. Your best bet is to start in another market, get your experience, and come back to Washington later when you have the necessary experience. I can compete in the Seattle job market, but I have 15 years IT experience. If I only had 3 or 4 years I would drown in Seattle's market. Start your career elsewhere, you're less likely to deal with somewhat snobby hiring managers you find out West. And you have more companies on the East Coast or South willing to roll the dice on you.

Remember every company needs an IT staff, but not every company has the means or even the necessity to be cutting edge. My advice to you is to start small, and work your way up. I'm pretty sure there are a few companies in Nashville who would hiring someone with your credentials in a heartbeat. Work your way up, and get some good years, get some good experience, and you'll look more attractive to employers in WA.


Also, while you're doing networking, I would definitely encourage you to try to look into Big Data, NoSQL, etc. It's a hot hot technology out there right now. And it's only going to pick up more steam in the new few years. Trust me, a lot of people don't even know what Big Data, so get ahead of the game. I think you could really make an impact in the Dallas, Atlanta, south Eastern, and mid-Atlantic markets that have companies that a little more behind in technology.


Good luck.

I appreciate the advice. The reason why Western Washington is because my family and extended family is all up here and I'd want to be close to them. I would go as far as either Easter Washington or even Vancouver, B.C (I'm a dual citizen). Would a BA BA from a 4 year college help? Right now I'm going to Lake Washington Institute of Technology and after finishing my AAS degree I can easily transfer to Central Washington University to obtain my BA.

[mrt144]

I'm a high school drop out who will soon be the IT boss at the company I work for. These things will get you in the door but ultimately your career is what you make out of it. Look at non profit/NGOs for jobs if work/life balance is more important than money.

[branh0913]

Originally Posted by Gregofcanada

I appreciate the advice. The reason why Western Washington is because my family and extended family is all up here and I'd want to be close to them. I would go as far as either Easter Washington or even Vancouver, B.C (I'm a dual citizen). Would a BA BA from a 4 year college help? Right now I'm going to Lake Washington Institute of Technology and after finishing my AAS degree I can easily transfer to Central Washington University to obtain my BA.

Again, you're better off going into less competitive markets. It's simply going to be much harder to stand out in Washington when you basically have no experience, and don't have a top tier university behind you. And in my opinion, it's better to get your feet wet in IT as soon as possible.

And let's be real, with the market as competitive as it is now, comfort and luxury of just limiting your search to specific locations probably is going to get your career moving slower than you would like. People who succeed in their careers bite the bullet and leave their comfort zone. That's just the way it is. Your family is always a plane trip away if you need to see them.

Again, that's my personal opinion. When you're competing with hotshots, you're just going to stand out less. You're better off being a big fish in a small pond with a moderate or slightly above average IT market, than trying to take your bumps in Seattle right away.

The market in Seattle isn't going to slow down, and the companies in the area will be around for a good long while. Seattle will be there for you when you get back. It's definitely something to consider. I was in your situation myself, and I was told to travel as well. too bad I didn't listen, but started traveling much later in my career. If I had been traveling, I think I'd be further along.

I think you should definitely consider getting out of your comfort zone. You can learn a lot traveling to different markets, seeing different types of companies, and the experience you'd get is pretty amazing.

[branh0913]

Don't get me wrong though, you may find an entry level type position in the Washington area. But the chances of doing that is kind of slim. And I don't think WA is a great networking city either.

Dallas and Atlanta are pretty big on networking, so even if you don't have experience, a good professional network helps a lot more in those cities. In Seattle, not as much networking happening, at least not that I've noticed.


If you want to go down the road of only being in Washington, then get prepared to grind it out. You need to be at any sort of free meetup/user group/etc. Your LinkedIn account needs to be updated at all times. You probably need some sort of portfolio if you're just starting out. If you're doing networking, not as easy to create one for that.

I'm not sure if Freelance.com is still around. But you may be able to get some work independently doing that. Though much of it is based around software development/web design type stuff.

If you're not going to expand your location horizons, at least be willing to expand your career horizons. Looks into other stuff like Databases, DB development, SAP, Data warehousing, application support, Java development, Unix Admin, etc. All of these are pretty valuable skillsets in the local market. You're better off learning about at least 3 or 4 of the above eventually.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Gregofcanada

I have another year of school left where I'm going to get my AAS degree in Computer Networking. My plan is to get that degree and some certifications ( A+, Network+). My question is will my chances of landing a job in Western Washington be good if I have these certain and degree under my belt?

I'm also talking about entry level positions.

Thanks.

I would say it doesn't hurt to try. You could start with something very entry-level and continue your education locally. You never know but if W. WA is where you want to be, there's no reason not to put your best effort to be there.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by branh0913

If you're not going to expand your location horizons, at least be willing to expand your career horizons. Looks into other stuff like Databases, DB development, SAP, Data warehousing, application support, Java development, Unix Admin, etc. All of these are pretty valuable skillsets in the local market. You're better off learning about at least 3 or 4 of the above eventually.

This is good suggestion for pretty much the entire West Coast.

[VirtualErik]

even a janitor position at a big IT firm will require a bachelors degree in Seattle lol.