Certifications and IT jobs/Salaries - General job type question

Author

General job type question

lifelearner

2002-05-18, 12:15 pm

Just looking for some opinions here....

I am changing careers after 14 years. I earned the Inet+ and the CIW assoc. certs and I finished an Assoc degree in Bus. last year (yeah, I know it isn't related but I wanted to finish what I started years ago and only had electives left which I used for IT classes.)

I have been working for the same bank for the last 3 years. Finding out info about their IT operations has been about like getting inside info about Fort Knox!
My original plan was to go down the CIW path. I have found no company where I live that has a clue about it including my own! They have people that do multiple things doing their web stuff.

If I had my choice of company I would like to pursue, one of them would be the one I currently work.

I finally reached someone within my company that would give me some insight (a Sr VP). He told me to focus on SQL, VB, and / or Cobol. He was very "impressed" with my initive and all, but to keep in touch that they have no funds available for entry level staff (I do understand that!).

Now, a help desk position has been offered to me in a different division of the company which I absolutely jumped at considering how dificult it is to get your first position!

My questions are these....

1. Where should I focus from here? As much as I like the web stuff, I am worried about spending the next couple of years pursuing a cert path that will not help me much in the job market. A+, then MCSA has been suggested to me.(?) For the above mentioned skills I am gathering that the MSDBA would follow those.

2. How and where can you get lab time for learning Win 2000 or SQL or would I be better off building my own? Is building your own sufficient?

3. Will prospective employers in the future see this new position as experience for anything? If so, what?

I have been thinking about all this way too much. Any insight will be appreciated. Sorry for such a ling post. Thanks in advance!

Nicole

2002-05-18, 12:21 pm

Of course future employers will see this as experience! It's good to hear that your persistence has paid off.

For the moment, I would concentrate your studies on aspects that your current company will find useful. You've been with them for a long time, so I guess they're a good place to work, and moving up within the company looks to be a real possibility.

Despite what the friendly VP said, though, I wouldn't waste your time learning COBOL

But if you are interested in web stuff, there seems to be a dearth of good folks that can really integrate database systems onto the web. In that respect, SQL might be a good thing to study, since it applies to so many different kinds of database platforms.

rub4luv

2002-05-18, 12:52 pm

I would think different from Nicole: I think a person with banking experience should learn Cobol. I know a lot of people who are making a lot of money doing Cobol. My Uncle is a programmer for American Express (Doing Cobol). Cobol is making a come back, e.g. .NET support it on their Framework.

I would take this VP person suggestion to heart, he sound like he know what he's talking about, after all he's a VP. He should know what people are using in his company, unless it's Enron(j/k) heh... Thus, you should learn VB, Cobol, SQL, and maybe XML. These are very easy High Level programming languages. After you've learned VB, MCSD certification would be a very nice addition...

ccieToBe

2002-05-18, 12:58 pm

As far as a lab goes, I consider a home lab to be almost a necessity. Get at least 2 PCs and some basic networking equipment and you'll have everything you need to go through all of the material you've mentioned. You should be able to get a trial version of 2000 Server from Microsoft for around $10 and most SQL software either already is free, or is available as a trial version.

exar07

2002-05-18, 2:15 pm

Research the market and yourself thoroughly to narrow down what you want to do in this wild world of IT.

Zeor in on WHAT YOU WANT TO DO and WHAT IS NEEDED IN THE MARKET and then

Go for it!

Kasor

2002-05-19, 8:55 pm

Cobol, VB and SQL definitly need it if u want to be in the "MONEY" related field. (bank, marteting, stock... etc)

TW2001

2002-05-20, 7:56 am

Look at the suggestions from your employer.See if you can utilizing carreer development there.Talk with IT staff in your shop.You will be much better off.Youve already been given some good advice.

Good luck

RichardJW

2002-05-21, 5:45 am

I applied for a low profile local job that I am sure I would have been very much considered for, but that's right - they wanted COBOL. Well that is just too bad because I have no plans to learn it.

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