What is it you want to do specifically?  What is it about IT that really
interests you?  Why did you choose this particular major in school?

I recommend that you get a degree because it will open more doors for you.
Some companies require a degree to even be considered for a job,
especially now since employers can be much more picky.

You can work on certs at anytime.  If you're currently attending
school, then make it a goal to get at least one new cert during each break
between semesters.  Think of certs as simply a motivator to improve your
knowledge and skill in a particular area.  If you know nothing about
networking, then make it a goal to get your Network+ or CCNA, for example.
You'll learn a lot in the process that you may not have learned otherwise.
I have quite a few certs, but their only purpose was to help motivate
myself to delve a little deeper into a particular topic.  Certs won't
guarantee you anything job-wise in your career, but they can provide nice
little bits of encouragement as you become more knowledgable with
computers.  Certs can also occasionally give you an edge over other job
candidates, depending on the interviewer and how they view certs (and how
close in experience and skill that you are with the other candidates).
Personally, when I'm interviewing people, I look favorably upon certs
because it shows a little extra motivation above and beyond what was
required of them.  Of course, certs or no certs, they still have to pass
my technical interview, which is down right brutal.  ;-)

This is a field that requires a lot of internal motivation to constantly
learn new technologies.  If you're not driven to improve your knowledge
and skills with hardware/software, then you should probably find a
different career path.  I had a friend in college that was going for his
CS degree solely because he thought he could make a lot of money.  He has
no passion for this field and he only learned what was absolutely
necessary to graduate.  He landed a ridiculously high-paying job during
the dot.com glory days, but was laid-off shortly afterwards.  In the rare
instances when he does get a job interview, he's almost immediately shown
the door because it's obvious that he has no real skills or knowledge of
technology.

Above all, follow your heart.  Choose a career that really, really
interests you.  You'll be much happier in the long-run.
~M


On Fri, 19 Jul 2002, Raymond Cantwell wrote:

> Hey all,
> Now i wanna start this with a disclaimer. I am not asking anyone to take
> me under thier wing or gimme a chance with them at thier job or even
> find me a job. With that said i just need a little guidance as to which
> route to take in my career. Right now i know that any chance in IT is a
> ways off, maybe two or three years. I just dont know if i should try
> going for a degree or if i should go for certs or both. Sorry for the
> rambling message just feeling alittle confused. Any advice will be welcomed.
> Thank you all,
> Ray
>
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