whats the most desired field in IT thats not programming? is it wireless technology, security, voip (dont know what it entails but ive been hearin a lot bout it)? any help would really be appreciated. Also ive been reading many posts saying how bad the pay is for ppl in IT, but when i look at monster.com, i see jobs in the 55k+ range with only like 2 years of exp and a bs. am i missing something or have just been reading posts from ppl who just not making a lot right now?

thanks in advance

also, consultants ive heard make mucho dinero, how would one become one? thanks

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Some jobs are like that. I think the majority of the people on here don't have a 4 year degree.

This forum has lots of new to the industry people. Meaning the majority on here are trying to get entry level positions not middle career positions.

It's to my understanding that if you have a bach/masters degree with a good deal amount of certifications/experience you should have NO problem in making 55k+ a year. I know a good deal amount of people that make 6 figures in the IT field. All have high end degrees with years of experience.


To be a consultant you must master what you are consulting in. It depends which field you want to go into. Security is a big thing right now. It seems like you are younger person so I would recommend going into the basics right now.

General Guidline to security field.

Hardware>Networking>Software(OS's)>Routers(Cisco)>Hacking(know how to and maybe test on your OWN systems)> Security

It will become like second nature how to protect against vulnabilities if you know how someone is creating and exploiting them.


P.S. There is a reason why I am not an english major

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thanks bloodshotx, i was gettin really nervous bout my future, but you've given me some valuable insight. I was up all night last night trying to figure out what route i should take (fell asleep at bout 7AM). I want to take a vendor neutral approach (not just know how to work with cisco and windows), but not sure if that would be a good idea. In regards to what you said about security, are they're any security certifications i should be pursuing (i know bout security+, but is there others)?

thanks again

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CISP and CCIE SECURITY will net you nice incomes. Very hard to attain..and yes I would start out with security+_

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CCIE is one of the certs you should have if you want to make some real cash. Though the exam does have a fail rate of 80% and the exam and lab time cost around $1500 big ones. People do reccomend CCNA then CCNP then maybe you will be ready. Thats after the studing of coarse. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/62...paration.html#1 might help.

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Ne0 reloaded:

I think the vendor neutral approach is smart, grated there are plenty of folks who have the MCSE, they have chosen to specialized, I would consider looking at the NACSE ( National Associaton of Comminication of System Enginners) they have there own vendor neutral certifications, not focusing in just Microsoft or Cisco. There certifications are granted, however its the person's responsibility to remain updated on technology, you must recertify every year.

Check them out at www.nacse.com

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i know the ccie is a guaranteed money maker (around 100k a year), but im just getting into IT so im nowhere near ccie; besides im only 20. when i start school next month. im gonna have my ccna hopefully. while there im gonna get my net+, serv+, mcp, and possibly sec+. The only reason Im getting my ccna is to be a good candidate for an internship, adn only reasin im getting the other Comptia certs is a resume filler for when im done wit college. although a vendor neutral approach is good, from thinking about it and looking at what enployers are looking for by checking out monster.com, they are very vendor specific. When I go for my MCP, im taking the 70-217. Why? Becuase in the networking field Active Directory competency seems to be a silent rule.

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The most desired field outside programming is security ..
Mind you, that might involve programming.
If you are a good mathematician then maybe you could devise a method of encryption that is uncrackable.
Chances are that this is highly unlikely.

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I think it would be rather difficult to go totally vendor neutral. Being vendor neutral means you are familiar with concepts and not specific workings of an operating system. Let's face it about 80% or more of the market is MS, so that has to be a must for a course of study. However I would also supplement that with a CCNA. This cert is vendor specific, but it also introduces a lot of industry jargon and introduces you to IP addressing and subneting which is critical for any study path. Also learning security also means learning Unix to some degree. Learning security means learning security of a whole networked environment, meaning routers,vpns,servers and physical security. I would think that it would take you a good 2-3 years to get familiar with the various OSes and related hardware.

The CCIE would be great if you had a few years experience behind it. The CCIE without any experience won't get you that far. I couldn't see anyone in their right mind giving someone a job at that level with no experience. If you are doing CCIE type work, that means you are doing some very technical work for telcos or large companies. I think that may be a reason some people may feel there is no money in it. They get an MCSE(paper, no experience)and expect to start making 50k. Again, who in their right mind would unleash a paper MCSE on a network? Network administration is a very technical higher end job. I don't think you would want this job without experience. There is a tone of stuff involved. Your best bet would be to work with a NetAdmin and learn from their experience. I also see people asking about Unix/Solaris certifications. These OSes usually run mission critical applications, again, no way are you going to touch a system like that without some experience.

I'm not trying to discourage you in any way, however you do need to be realistic. Security is a great field, but remember you are building a career which will take a few years. If you can augment your certifications with a University/college degree then all the better. I don't think there are any quick roads to money/success. It's just good old fashioned hard work and effort. If you try hard and work hard you will probably succeed.

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You know dek you are just barking up the wrong tree ..
I appreciate however what you are saying though generally these are simply wasted words.
Security is an interesting problem which I am currently addressing on and off ..
I read your comments and they were sufficient to be interesting.
Thank you!

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