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I am interested in Network Security. Do you think i will be able to start asap with an associates degree? Where are major locations hiring (new grads) in the United States? i'm in Richmond VA do you think I will have to move?
Overall how hard is it to get a job as a new grad in network security? immediately or what? I'm currently a LPN, do you think it would be wise to give up this career for a career in IT? I'm just really nervous about starting something new in this economy. If anyone has any advice please list it here.
I am interested in Network Security. Do you think i will be able to start asap with an associates degree? Where are major locations hiring (new grads) in the United States? i'm in Richmond VA do you think I will have to move?
Overall how hard is it to get a job as a new grad in network security? immediately or what? I'm currently a LPN, do you think it would be wise to give up this career for a career in IT? I'm just really nervous about starting something new in this economy. If anyone has any advice please list it here.
Do an LPN to RN instead. Seriously. I have been in I.T. for 13 years and am dying to get out of it.
If you can pass the background checks, the feds will snap you up in a heart beat. The pay scale is MUCH better than private sector right now and the sky's the limit if you're motivated.
The moving part is optional, and has nice perks, if you're working for the feds that is.
Dude, stay in LPN ... just get an RN as the other poster says. I have been in IT for 8 years and would love to work in a different field, I absolutely hate it and dread going in every day. If you are an even moderately social person, multi talented or enjoy being valued do not do it. Also unless you are willing to constantly learn new technologies to keep up and enjoy doing computer stuff once you get home, I'd probably advise against it too. It's quite possibly the most boring line of work I could possibly imagine. I am quitting at the end of the year and going back to school for something else. I started programming when I was 14 as a hobby, just ended up doing that as a job as well... I've been burnt out for quite awhile..I do volunteer stuff on the side just to keep my sanity. Remember just because somebody is good at what they do, doesn't mean they like it.
I am interested in Network Security. Do you think i will be able to start asap with an associates degree? Where are major locations hiring (new grads) in the United States? i'm in Richmond VA do you think I will have to move?
Overall how hard is it to get a job as a new grad in network security? immediately or what? I'm currently a LPN, do you think it would be wise to give up this career for a career in IT? I'm just really nervous about starting something new in this economy. If anyone has any advice please list it here.
Hate to say it, but do not even think of entering the IT field without a bachelor's. I've been in IT for over 20 years - and my associates' degree is pretty much worthless. A bachelor's is considered the minimum these days regardless of exerience. That said, with all the outsourcing going on, I am hard pressed to recommend the IT field at all. But a broader field such as networking might afford more plentiful and flexible opportunities. Just go for the bachelor's - no question. The military is a good employer for IT - but it is very s l o w paced and very beaurocratic. If you're at the end of your career, this might be ok, but it would be torturous for anyone who likes a quicker pace or is accomplishment/task oriented.
Others have mentioned the long hours, lack of socialness in IT - this is somewhat true. There are times where it can be dry and other times where it is a heck of a lot of fun. Depends on your personality - have you ever done those Meyers-Briggs personality tests online? I've never been an LPN so it is hard for me to compare. LOL - although I often think of trading in my IT career to do x-ray tech work - at least it is still technical! The $$ for x-ray is half of what I make in IT though.
Last edited by Megabit15; 04-19-2010 at 07:53 AM..
From what I've seen certs are more important than a bachelors in IT. Consider getting some cisco certifications or certifications in any specific field of IT you're interested in. There are security certs out there.
I've been doing IT forever, and I'm looking to get out of this type of work. The long (and I mean long) hours are exhausting. Did I mention weekend testing? Oh yea, and that doesn't mean you're getting comp time for your troubles. I almost forgot one other little issue. Calls in the middle of the night to fix production batch problems. I'd carefully think it through unless you're contented to not have a life.
I think moving up a bit north to the DC metro area should be a big help these days in finding IT employment. The governemnt and those who contract with it are hiring these days. Good luck.
Unless you are a gifted programmer or a one in a million hacker, I believe it will be to your best interest to keep it in the medical field. You could get an RN degree, it should only take you about 2 more years if you already have the LPN.
I am interested in Network Security. Do you think i will be able to start asap with an associates degree? Where are major locations hiring (new grads) in the United States? i'm in Richmond VA do you think I will have to move?
Overall how hard is it to get a job as a new grad in network security? immediately or what? I'm currently a LPN, do you think it would be wise to give up this career for a career in IT? I'm just really nervous about starting something new in this economy. If anyone has any advice please list it here.
I started my IT career in the middle of the last recession. All I had was a Bachelor's degree and it wasn't even in CS or IS. I was told to get certifications to make up for my lack of experience. I was also advised not to be picky about where I chose to look for work. Lastly, I was told to not worry about pay and just concentrate on getting my foot in the door. So I got a cert, went to small city, and did an unpaid internship for a small tech company. It took a while, but it paid off. I was able to list it as experience on my resume and that helped me land my first paying IT job. The more experience I acquired, the less it mattered what my educational background was and what certs I had. So if you're serious about wanting to get into IT, I would take that approach. You definitely won't find much in the way of IT work in Richmond. You'll have to look at other cities. As someone else pointed out, DC has lots of IT work right now.
Some of the other posters have badmouthed IT, saying it's boring and that you have to constantly learn new stuff. This is how it is in almost every field. Talk to people in medicine, law, accounting, etc. and I'm sure you'll hear the same complaints. So you need to have realistic expectations about whatever field you enter. Lastly, you have to keep in mind that there will be trade-offs. Compared to a lot of my peers, I don't make a lot of money. But the difference is that I have a normal 8-5 workday, I'm not on call, and don't work weekends. It also depends on what area of IT you're in. I don't know a lot about network security so I can't help you there.
Keep in mind that you have a job in a strong field right now. Don't take that for granted. When I got into IT, I wasn't switching careers. Given how the market is now, there's no way I'd want to start over at the bottom in a new field. So perhaps you should hold off switching until the market gets better.
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