Certification...or Degree?

[t_blake07]

  Hey everyone,

   I am just trying to get some personal opinions on a subject that a lot of people here might frequent as "computer techies". I am planning on getting training in the Information Technology industry, and was wondering what does everyone think is more profitable, taking classes to get Certified, or going for an actual Associates/Bachelors Degree. When I say "profitable", I dont just mean in terms of money. I also mean in the info I might get from one, that I might not get from the other. I've attended both a University, and a two year trade school, and I know the pro's and con's of each. Only thing is, that time and money was spent on another trade. Everyones opinions and comments are welcome. As long as they are helpful/productive. Thanks.

[Dusty]

IMHO a degree will open more doors and therefore could provide more opportunities for personal satisfaction than will certification.  However having a degree lends to the often used reason for rejection that one is "overqualified" for a position, a sort of Catch22 situation. (Been there).   As you do not seem to have cost and/or time constraints I would recommend going for studies towards a degree..

Good luck

[Zylstra]

I'm obviously not even to that point in my life yet, but, I am looking at a certificate for these reasons:
I know anything I learn software will be out of date soon. I dont want to spend an incredible amount of time working on things I dont need that you must complete for a degree.

Money. A degree always costs more.

Time. I want to be done with college in two years.

Money, reason two: The more classes, the more text books!

On the other side:
If I couldent get a job in the System Administration career I wanted, I could work higher up elsewhere, since I would qualify for all sorts of jobs. This is the only major strong point of a degree I can think of.


Also, a tech person just warned me today:
Stay away from technical schools. Lot of money, lot of time. He got out with an education, but, it could have been more for what he paid for.

[t_blake07]

Money. A degree always costs more.

Time. I want to be done with college in two years.

Also, a tech person just warned me today:
Stay away from technical schools. Lot of money, lot of time. He got out with an education, but, it could have been more for what he paid for.

 I recently took an acceptance test for a technical school near me that only trains for Microsoft Certifications. I received a call two days in a row from the assistant director or whatever she was, wanting me to enroll immediately. She didn't want to discuss financing options with me over the phone...probably because they wanted almost $30,000.00 USD! For only SIX MONTHS OF TRAINING! That is just too much if you ask me. In six months, I would have a MCTS, MCP, MCSA, and possibly CAT 5 Cabling certified. Don't know if thats a good deal for 30 large, and six months, but I think i'll shop around.

[Zylstra]

Take a look at community colleges that you have around.

If your planning to work on servers, make sure their program teaches you Windows 2003 or 2008, I wouldent go below that.
Also, if all they have is Linux, I would throw that option out the window. Linux isnt bad, but, most work places expect Windows, and Windows they shall get. To me, its important to understand both.

[t_blake07]

 Yeah, I agree on the MS/Linux thing. I just wonder if a community college would offer the same training as a tech. school. I know it would defenitly be cheaper.

[Zylstra]

Yeah, I agree on the MS/Linux thing. I just wonder if a community college would offer the same training as a tech. school. I know it would defenitly be cheaper.

Of course. The only problem you might run across:
Sometimes, even for a certificate, in a community college or other college, you will need to sign up for classes such as Math 97, English 101, Business communication 96, and so on, even if you dont really need them.

[t_blake07]

Yeah, I agree on the MS/Linux thing. I just wonder if a community college would offer the same training as a tech. school. I know it would defenitly be cheaper.

Of course. The only problem you might run across:
Sometimes, even for a certificate, in a community college or other college, you will need to sign up for classes such as Math 97, English 101, Business communication 96, and so on, even if you dont really need them.

Yeah, when I went to the university, I had taken a couple of gen-ed's that transfered to the comm. college. The good thing about the comm. college though, is that there were only a fraction of the number of gen-ed's I would have taken at the university. I think while a comm. college takes more time than a tech. school, it is also cheaper than both a tech. school and a university.