Who Here Works for an AWESOME Company & is Passionate About What They Do?

[TFOGGER]

I could be a life coach...


"I know what I did in a similar situation...DON'T DO THAT!!!"

[Irving]

So what'd you decide?

[Jer]

So what'd you decide?

After examining the path towards being a firefighter I'v back-burnered that option for now. The primary detractor is the fact that it would likely be 2-3 years before I was in a paying gig. Possibly more since there aren't too many spots that come available across the state every day. That doesn't mean that I've given up on it but I may do it as a side hustle when I can maybe even do it on a volunteer basis if I have an income coming in from a full-time gig.

The other path I was considering was getting back into IT (many moons ago I had a 1-man IT shop that a few on this forum experienced) via some more specialized certifications and schooling. I feel like this could yield better near-term results and give me plenty of options long-term with a few different disciplines of focus that can be varied in structure and day-to-day responsibilities. I was considering working towards a CCNA cert (probably take on a help desk role in the meantime to build up a network and experience) in order to get a Network Engineer job and then work towards something like Virtualization/Cloud and InfoSec. I also recently found out that I've got up to $4k available for a career change that I'd like to take advantage of to get me a good head start on a solid education that will set me up best for success moving forward. Not sure if this means seeking out a SA/BA online or something and coming out-of-pocket for the portion not funded if that's the ideal method as I don't want to squander this opportunity. I have a few friends in the biz that I was picking the mind of on options and potential paths but I'm not 100% sure which direction to head yet so any input would be appreciated since I know we have a few in that segment on this forum. Ideally I'd want to find a good company to work for that values it's employees to meet the initial drive of this post but experience & knowledge transfer is going to be the key early on.

[CS1983]

Do you have a Bachelors?

[Jer]

Do you have a Bachelors?

Negative. No secondary education.

[CS1983]

Check out WGU and their cyber or network tracks:
https://www.wgu.edu/online-it-degree...-programs.html

The certifications in the program are included w/ the degree, including cost of 2x taking them, all books/materials included. 6 month terms, largely at own pace (can accelerate).

Very cost effective. Regional accreditation. Can answer anymore questions if you have any.

I completed my Bachelors with them after completing an AS at a community college.

If your program mentor is cool, he'll let you knock out some of the certifications before you pursue any of the non-degree classes.

ChadAmberg also completed at least one degree there.

[Jer]

Check out WGU and their cyber or network tracks:
https://www.wgu.edu/online-it-degree...-programs.html

The certifications in the program are included w/ the degree, including cost of 2x taking them, all books/materials included. 6 month terms, largely at own pace (can accelerate).

Very cost effective. Regional accreditation. Can answer anymore questions if you have any.

I completed my Bachelors with them after completing an AS at a community college.

If your program mentor is cool, he'll let you knock out some of the certifications before you pursue any of the non-degree classes.

ChadAmberg also completed at least one degree there.

WGU is exactly the site I was browsing. One of my buddies said he's not a fan (he didn't specify as to why) but lots of his cronies used it or are currently using it with great success.

I'll shoot you a PM with some more details.



I wonder if I should start a new thread since this one has kind of taken at turn of sorts from the original intent as of late. I think I've got a new focus which will broaden the ability to be picky about where I work. A new segment will give a new focus on the task at hand too rather than the same old same old with the only change coming in form of a new company to work for.

[CS1983]

Most people who dislike WGU either 1) have no actual experience with it 2) don't understand the model 3) overestimate the quality of brick and mortar schools in comparison 4) all of the above in some combination.

The reality is it's a regionally accredited school with verifiable metrics and for any industry level certifications they are conducted 3rd party. The classes with associated industry certifications require that cert's passing to pass the course (e.g., to pass the Network Security course, you have to pass CCNA Security; to pass Operating Systems, you have to pass Linux+, etc.) -- this is actually useful since it applies industry recognized certifications as a metric vs merely showing up and getting a C in a class.

Here's the list of schools accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities:
http://www.nwccu.org/member-institutions/directory/

Some notable ones include Boise State University, Brigham Young University, "-Idaho, Gonzaga University, etc. I doubt your friend would poo-poo those, but they are held to the same standard of accreditation as WGU. The only difference is one isn't wasting money on stupid college "experiences", subsidizing liberal arts professors' studies on the "Feminist Poetic Modalities of the New Zealand Stock Exchange As Understood Through Maori Social Media Trends", etc. Nor is one wasting time listening to the driveling bullshit that comes out of 18 year olds' mouths, fighting for parking, and working off of some arbitrary class schedule. You're just in it to win it. You aren't held back or pushed forward beyond need, within reason. Understand VLANs in 15 minutes? Good. On to something else.

It's not for everyone though. But, having completed an Associates at a brick and mortar, and having several co-workers who also have brick and mortar experience along with WGU, WGU is a good alternative for a serious student who is non-traditional (read: you didn't graduate high school last week and know a bit about the world).

For the non-CompSci IT track, you have to meet the following requirements:

Option 1: Possess an associate’s degree in information technology or equivalent (A.S. or A.A.S. acceptable).
Option 2: Possess a high-level IT certification in network, security, programming, data management, operating systems, or hardware management earned within the last five years.
Option 3: Provide your r?sum? showing three-plus years of IT work experience.
Option 4: Show completion of high-level IT coursework within the last five years:
Two or more upper-level networking courses; OR
Two or more upper-level object-oriented programming courses (Java, C#, etc.); OR
One or more upper-level operating systems courses; OR
One or more upper-level information security and assurance courses.

https://www.wgu.edu/admissions/it-re...ubscriberModal

If you don't meet any of those, I'd recommend going after something like Network+ in order to show competence w/ a certification to be accepted. While it's fairly low level, it should meet the requirement. I don't recommend A+ as it's so broad and shallow. Net+ will be a good foundation for going either on the network or cyber track.

The reality of WGU is it's on you to demonstrate competency. If it takes you 4 traditional years, or 6 months (full time students and guys with 10+ years experience just getting a degree to check an HR block seem to be the two types who do this), you still have to demonstrate the same proficiency.