Careers in IT

[BigJ]

Classy,

have you actually taken the CCNA exam?

 

[imported_Aelius]

Originally posted by: thecoroner
Thanks for the information Aelius.

I've already know some networking skills and know how to run wire. Running network cable through the ceiling at school is one the things I've been helping out with there. I've been getting a lot of hands on experience. But a lot of it I don't think I'll get until I get my first job.

Forgot to mention the other obvious one. You will do daily backups or weekly backups or a combination of them. When you try to get a job as a sys admin they might test you on this by asking you to develop a disaster recovery procedure that has to be easy to follow and it has to work.

Don't be shocked if you get asked to fill out an essay type question for that.

Another common one I seen is them asking you to give a 5 minute presentation on any new technology. They do it to see how you work under pressure, your public speaking skills (you may have to attend meetings but that's unlikely in a huge company), and to see if you are able to do your homework on something. So pick a subject that REALLY catches your intrest and research it well. I find it easier to do that then to study something common like wireless networks (boring). It's much cooler to study something like virtual keyboards (lasers). Just remember that it has to relate to your job and don't bash a product like Intel even if you hate them. It's possible some of those in ther interview choose to go with Intel and you just tossed sand in their face and you just lost the job no matter how good you are.

That's all I got. Good luck.

 

[khurios2000]

dont forget call center,
tech support

 

[Imdmn04]

Experience > Cisco certs > MCSE certs > dogsh!t > A+

Of course, a 4 year degree is very helpful, maybe not initially, but when you wanna move up the ladder into a management role, it is very handy.

 

[imported_Aelius]

Originally posted by: Imdmn04
Experience > Cisco certs > MCSE certs > dogsh!t > A+

Of course, a 4 year degree is very helpful, maybe not initially, but when you wanna move up the ladder into a management role, it is very handy.

Too true. I personally have 3.5yrs of call centre tech support experience and that does help.

I'm sitting at Tier 1 but if given half the chance, after the re-org *cringe* and the sys admin job is still around where I work, I would enter the competition for it hands down. I don't have any certs at all but I would love the experience of getting a shot at it and so long as they don't have someone else in mind before the competition (sad fact of life) I would likely have a decent chance to get it. Especially since I already personally know everything in our sys admin group and went to school with 2 of them.

One last thing. One thing everyone hates is someone who is lazy or someone who only does a half hearted job and has no intrest in learning other areas of the job even if it's not in your job requirement. As a sys admin, even if you just start out, they will likely love you if you want to learn every freaking thing they do and you make sure everything you have to do is done.

Too many people sitting in a cushy job sit there like a freaking talking parrot and don't do squat. Prime candidates for vanishing during a re-org.

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: classy

LOL thats with any cert in IT outside of CCIE. CCNA harder than a MCSE, lol. Yea right. CCNA is a one book, one test. MCSE 7 books, if your lucky, 7 tests. And personal experience doen't mean anything, I have seen people with 4 year college IS degrees that couldn't install a simple video card. Cranking out mcses like candy huh? Hmmm.....here are some facts. The combined number of NT, 2000, 2003 MCSES certs given out in the entire world are about 1 million. Dude there are about 10 million plus IT people in the US alone. I'll lay any amount of money a person just breaking into IT with a MCSE will get a job faster and make more money than a person with a CCNA. I have met several people with CCNAs who got no job. A lot of places are moving from cisco equipment as well. Where I work right now we use 3 com.

1million people with a MCSE cert eh?

We are proud to announce that Cisco currently has over 500,000 certified individuals in its growing Career Certification Program. This number includes all individuals worldwide certified at the CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP, CCSP and CCIP levels of Certification, as well as Cisco Qualified Specialist focused certifications.

Cisco Link

Cisco doesn't have the market share that ms has. So its quite natual you are going to have less folks know or have to know Cisco because it doesn't have the same level of use as ms products. Let me be clear Cisco is good stuff no doubt. There are bogus cisco people just like ms. But, two folks who truly earned their stripes, a msce is significantly more advanced than ccna. Its not even close. A ccna could never walk in and be a network admin running a domain, but I bet a mcse will be able to troubleshoot a router failure. CCNA is a beginner cert and is no way even remotely on the same plain as a mcse cert. Thats what I am saying. I have never taken a Cisco test, will this fall, just for the challenge, have knocked off 5 of the required MCSE tests though. Don't get me wrong I like them both, but a mcse is beyond a ccna, I don't care how you slice it. Cisco does have better testing methods, but the knowledge level required for a CCNA cert is inferior and much lower than that of a mcse. I ain't no expert, but when you have worked in a 10,000 plus user enviroment and now a 2000 plus enviroment like I have, each with IT budgets in the millions, I am no fool either.

 

[Hyperblaze]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: classy

LOL thats with any cert in IT outside of CCIE. CCNA harder than a MCSE, lol. Yea right. CCNA is a one book, one test. MCSE 7 books, if your lucky, 7 tests. And personal experience doen't mean anything, I have seen people with 4 year college IS degrees that couldn't install a simple video card. Cranking out mcses like candy huh? Hmmm.....here are some facts. The combined number of NT, 2000, 2003 MCSES certs given out in the entire world are about 1 million. Dude there are about 10 million plus IT people in the US alone. I'll lay any amount of money a person just breaking into IT with a MCSE will get a job faster and make more money than a person with a CCNA. I have met several people with CCNAs who got no job. A lot of places are moving from cisco equipment as well. Where I work right now we use 3 com.

1million people with a MCSE cert eh?

We are proud to announce that Cisco currently has over 500,000 certified individuals in its growing Career Certification Program. This number includes all individuals worldwide certified at the CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP, CCSP and CCIP levels of Certification, as well as Cisco Qualified Specialist focused certifications.

Cisco Link

Cisco doesn't have the market share that ms has. So its quite natual you are going to have less folks know or have to know Cisco because it doesn't have the same level of use as ms products. Let me be clear Cisco is good stuff no doubt. There are bogus cisco people just like ms. But, two folks who truly earned their stripes, a msce is significantly more advanced than ccna. Its not even close. A ccna could never walk in and be a network admin running a domain, but I bet a mcse will be able to troubleshoot a router failure. CCNA is a beginner cert and is no way even remotely on the same plain as a mcse cert. Thats what I am saying. I have never taken a Cisco test, will this fall, just for the challenge, have knocked off 5 of the required MCSE tests though. Don't get me wrong I like them both, but a mcse is beyond a ccna, I don't care how you slice it. Cisco does have better testing methods, but the knowledge level required for a CCNA cert is inferior and much lower than that of a mcse. I ain't no expert, but when you have worked in a 10,000 plus user enviroment and now a 2000 plus enviroment like I have, each with IT budgets in the millions, I am no fool either.

You can't really diss off a CCNA cert until you'll actually tried it.

I personally wouldn't even waste my time on any MS cert. But I wouldn't mind going for a CISCO cert. That and a Unix cert would be considered a good use of my time.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: classy

Cisco doesn't have the market share that ms has. So its quite natual you are going to have less folks know or have to know Cisco because it doesn't have the same level of use as ms products. Let me be clear Cisco is good stuff no doubt. There are bogus cisco people just like ms. But, two folks who truly earned their stripes, a msce is significantly more advanced than ccna. Its not even close. A ccna could never walk in and be a network admin running a domain, but I bet a mcse will be able to troubleshoot a router failure. CCNA is a beginner cert and is no way even remotely on the same plain as a mcse cert. Thats what I am saying. I have never taken a Cisco test, will this fall, just for the challenge, have knocked off 5 of the required MCSE tests though. Don't get me wrong I like them both, but a mcse is beyond a ccna, I don't care how you slice it. Cisco does have better testing methods, but the knowledge level required for a CCNA cert is inferior and much lower than that of a mcse. I ain't no expert, but when you have worked in a 10,000 plus user enviroment and now a 2000 plus enviroment like I have, each with IT budgets in the millions, I am no fool either.

How far along have you actually gotten with the Cisco Certification studying?

That you're saying that it requires much more knowledge for an MCSE than a CCNA leads me to believe you haven't studied much, or taken any practice exams at all.

EDIT: Also, I'm going to agree with you that the MCSE is more desirable in the sense that more companies simply look for it for general baselines and education. It's much more of a broad certification than the CCNA is (which as you said, relates back to marketshare).

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze

You can't really diss off a CCNA cert until you'll actually tried it.

I personally wouldn't even waste my time on any MS cert. But I wouldn't mind going for a CISCO cert. That and a Unix cert would be considered a good use of my time.

Yea and your @ss will be without a damn job too. I am not dissing Cisco at all, they are top notch. But the demand for a cisco person is lower than that of a ms person. MS has such a large market share its not even funny. A small network of like 100 people or so would have absolutely zero use for a ccna person. I am just laughing at the assine logic some are using on this subject. Let me repeat, they are both excellent. But one requires a much broader knowledge base than the other and one has greater market demand. Both are in favor of the ms cert. And unix is very spotty at best.

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: classy

Cisco doesn't have the market share that ms has. So its quite natual you are going to have less folks know or have to know Cisco because it doesn't have the same level of use as ms products. Let me be clear Cisco is good stuff no doubt. There are bogus cisco people just like ms. But, two folks who truly earned their stripes, a msce is significantly more advanced than ccna. Its not even close. A ccna could never walk in and be a network admin running a domain, but I bet a mcse will be able to troubleshoot a router failure. CCNA is a beginner cert and is no way even remotely on the same plain as a mcse cert. Thats what I am saying. I have never taken a Cisco test, will this fall, just for the challenge, have knocked off 5 of the required MCSE tests though. Don't get me wrong I like them both, but a mcse is beyond a ccna, I don't care how you slice it. Cisco does have better testing methods, but the knowledge level required for a CCNA cert is inferior and much lower than that of a mcse. I ain't no expert, but when you have worked in a 10,000 plus user enviroment and now a 2000 plus enviroment like I have, each with IT budgets in the millions, I am no fool either.

How far along have you actually gotten with the Cisco Certification studying?

That you're saying that it requires much more knowledge for an MCSE than a CCNA leads me to believe you haven't studied much, or taken any practice exams at all.

EDIT: Also, I'm going to agree with you that the MCSE is more desirable in the sense that more companies simply look for it for general baselines and education. It's much more of a broad certification than the CCNA is (which as you said, relates back to marketshare).

I have two books for ccna. The actual Cisco book be Lamle (sp?) and the exam cram one. I also have two router sim programs. I haven't got in deep with ccna yet, kinda skimming to be honest and I have toyed with the sims some. But I think I'll knock it off though. To me its like comparing apples to oranges. But from what I have skimmed so far a good portion of it I have covered in studying for mcse.

 

[ScottFern]

I am kind of in the same boat as the OP. I have considered taking Network+, Security+, Unix+, and MCSE certs. I am thinking of taking the courses at my local community college. Good idea?

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: ScottFern
I am kind of in the same boat as the OP. I have considered taking Network+, Security+, Unix+, and MCSE certs. I am thinking of taking the courses at my local community college. Good idea?

Do you like Security?

If so, I would advise you to get your Network+, Security+, and MCSE: Security. IT Security is an extremely hot field right now, and will continue to be a very hot field in the next several years. Network+ is a nice intro cert, along with the A+ (which is pretty much useless by itself). the MCSE: Security would be the last cert, and builds upon what you learned in the previous certs I listed.

As far as CC courses, would you consider getting a degree in MIS? Look into possible four year schools you're interested in, and see what credits may transfer over from your local community college. While you're taking courses at the CC, try to find local IT work, whether it's helpdesk or whatnot. Then, in your spare time, try to study for certifications.

Since you don't have any college, certifications, or IT experience, it is going to be very difficult to initially get a job in the IT field.

 

[coolred]

How important is that 4 year degree for a job in the IT field. I just don't have the time to go back to school full time, and part time would take like 6-8 years, I just think that is too much time. By then, most of what I learned would be very outdated. And truthfully, i am not a big fan of all the Gen Ed. courses. I don't mind taking the tech classes. But I don't feel the need for 4 english classes, 8 math classes and God knows what else.


Really, i am not even fully decided on IT, I think its what i woudl most enjoy, but most of the IT people I talk to say that the competition even for low level jobs is still tough, and many of them don't like what they are doing, and where at one time like me, in thinking they would enjoy it. I just can't think of much else I woudl enjoy doing.

 

[Reckoner]

Good luck getting into any sort of IT job. I have a 4 year B.S. in Information Systems and can't get my foot in the door. I'm looking into other fields outside of IT because of it.

 

[drum]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
Good luck getting into any sort of IT job. I have a 4 year B.S. in Information Systems and can't get my foot in the door. I'm looking into other fields outside of IT because of it.

did you do any interships/co-ops? have you looked all over the country? are you willing to move?

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: classy

LOL thats with any cert in IT outside of CCIE. CCNA harder than a MCSE, lol. Yea right. CCNA is a one book, one test. MCSE 7 books, if your lucky, 7 tests. And personal experience doen't mean anything, I have seen people with 4 year college IS degrees that couldn't install a simple video card. Cranking out mcses like candy huh? Hmmm.....here are some facts. The combined number of NT, 2000, 2003 MCSES certs given out in the entire world are about 1 million. Dude there are about 10 million plus IT people in the US alone. I'll lay any amount of money a person just breaking into IT with a MCSE will get a job faster and make more money than a person with a CCNA. I have met several people with CCNAs who got no job. A lot of places are moving from cisco equipment as well. Where I work right now we use 3 com.

1million people with a MCSE cert eh?

We are proud to announce that Cisco currently has over 500,000 certified individuals in its growing Career Certification Program. This number includes all individuals worldwide certified at the CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP, CCSP and CCIP levels of Certification, as well as Cisco Qualified Specialist focused certifications.

Cisco Link

Cisco doesn't have the market share that ms has. So its quite natual you are going to have less folks know or have to know Cisco because it doesn't have the same level of use as ms products. Let me be clear Cisco is good stuff no doubt. There are bogus cisco people just like ms. But, two folks who truly earned their stripes, a msce is significantly more advanced than ccna. Its not even close. A ccna could never walk in and be a network admin running a domain, but I bet a mcse will be able to troubleshoot a router failure. CCNA is a beginner cert and is no way even remotely on the same plain as a mcse cert. Thats what I am saying. I have never taken a Cisco test, will this fall, just for the challenge, have knocked off 5 of the required MCSE tests though. Don't get me wrong I like them both, but a mcse is beyond a ccna, I don't care how you slice it. Cisco does have better testing methods, but the knowledge level required for a CCNA cert is inferior and much lower than that of a mcse. I ain't no expert, but when you have worked in a 10,000 plus user enviroment and now a 2000 plus enviroment like I have, each with IT budgets in the millions, I am no fool either.

I disagree, with your statements with regards to CISCO Certification. Each qualification holds its own in different arenas. I have basically seen the MS exams degenerate over the years since I had done mine a while back, although im not sure what they are like now, and if credibility has gone up.

I don?t know what the MCP?s are like now for 2003 if they are more practical or what, but if they are then this will build back its credibility for sure. Back in the day as Acanthus has already stated, all you needed to do is study the relevant course material take the (multiple choice) MCP exams, and hey presto before you know it, you have your core MCP?s under your belt and an MCSA cert.

Back when I did my core MCP?s in Windows 2000/NT, it was just multiple choice, and ohh my word it wasn?t exactly hard, after a bit of studying of course. I remember reading on the net when people with basic knowledge would study solid for a couple of months and become MCSA certified, and of course walk into a highly paid support role. Now if that is the case why would you bother going to uni etc, if this is your goal anyway. Not to mention that these days uni grads are becoming more and more common and therefore degrees will slowly lose value, and there is talk of incorporating MCSA and MSCE certs into certain courses aswell now. The only thing that holds real buff is experience, but its all about getting the experience in the first place, and getting your foot in the door of a large company.

I haven?t yet to looked into toping up my MCSA and becoming certified in 2003, I think its only a couple of exams that need to be taken.

Anyway I work for a company which have a support infrastructure that covers over a 260,000 user base across Europe. With contracts running into the 10?s of billions, and from my experience my MS certs didn?t help a great deal initially, its all about experience and working from the bottom up as I did. I am now having my CISCO certs fully funded as networking and security is the field I wish to migrate to. Plus my pay will increase accordingly.

My only worry is if CISCO?s future is to promote dumb terminals over smart terminals, meaning that eventually running a whole IT infrastructure over the embedded network with just dumb terminal workstations. This could mean that all support could be housed in one place and taken off site, and managed remotely. Of course this is good for business as support costs go down, and hardware breakfix is simple and minimal on site (very cost effective). This is talk I have heard from work colleagues that are in the know.

I see CISCO certs as more specialised, with jobs that pay a lot better in this field of work. The market share for MS certs is obviously going to be greater being the obvious monopoly MS has on its OS. I still don?t regard MS certs that much.

 

[EatSpam]

All IT jobs are in Bangalore, India. Unless you are in India, don't bother. Be an auto mechanic or something.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: RichUK
My only worry is if CISCO?s future is to promote dumb terminals over smart terminals, meaning that eventually running a whole IT infrastructure over the embedded network with just dumb terminal workstations. This could mean that all support could be housed in one place and taken off site, and managed remotely. Of course this is good for business as support costs go down, and hardware breakfix is simple and minimal on site (very cost effective). This is talk I have heard from work colleagues that are in the know.

I see CISCO certs as more specialised, with jobs that pay a lot better in this field of work. The market share for MS certs is obviously going to be greater being the obvious monopoly MS has on its OS. I still don?t regard MS certs that much.

I'll comment...

The push for terminal type computing has been pushed for 10+ years and hasn't really "arrived" yet mainly from the mobility perspective. Even the handheld arena which was supposed to be just terminals still runs an OS and has the support costs that go along with that. If it were me - everything would be terminals booting of the network with no storage.

I do agree that networking professionals are generally higher up in the food chain, are more valuable, higher skilled and much better paid. MCSE types are more "just another PC guy" without an understanding of the big picture or computing in general. However there are good ones out there. You can rest assured however that in general somebody with cisco certifications is a pretty sharp cookie.

But if I have to explain how DNS and IP works to another MCSE I'm gonna lose it.

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: RichUK
My only worry is if CISCO?s future is to promote dumb terminals over smart terminals, meaning that eventually running a whole IT infrastructure over the embedded network with just dumb terminal workstations. This could mean that all support could be housed in one place and taken off site, and managed remotely. Of course this is good for business as support costs go down, and hardware breakfix is simple and minimal on site (very cost effective). This is talk I have heard from work colleagues that are in the know.

I see CISCO certs as more specialised, with jobs that pay a lot better in this field of work. The market share for MS certs is obviously going to be greater being the obvious monopoly MS has on its OS. I still don?t regard MS certs that much.

I'll comment...

The push for terminal type computing has been pushed for 10+ years and hasn't really "arrived" yet mainly from the mobility perspective. Even the handheld arena which was supposed to be just terminals still runs an OS and has the support costs that go along with that. If it were me - everything would be terminals booting of the network with no storage.

I do agree that networking professionals are generally higher up in the food chain, are more valuable, higher skilled and much better paid. MCSE types are more "just another PC guy" without an understanding of the big picture or computing in general. However there are good ones out there. You can rest assured however that in general somebody with cisco certifications is a pretty sharp cookie.

But if I have to explain how DNS and IP works to another MCSE I'm gonna lose it.

sigh
your so full of s*** another pc guy :roll:, yea right. I'll leave you one trick ponys to replace a router and I'll dictate your level of access, lol
Better yet I'll call me a ccna and have him design a domain and ou structure. You think he can take care setting up my sites as well..........

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: RichUK
My only worry is if CISCO?s future is to promote dumb terminals over smart terminals, meaning that eventually running a whole IT infrastructure over the embedded network with just dumb terminal workstations. This could mean that all support could be housed in one place and taken off site, and managed remotely. Of course this is good for business as support costs go down, and hardware breakfix is simple and minimal on site (very cost effective). This is talk I have heard from work colleagues that are in the know.

I see CISCO certs as more specialised, with jobs that pay a lot better in this field of work. The market share for MS certs is obviously going to be greater being the obvious monopoly MS has on its OS. I still don?t regard MS certs that much.

I'll comment...

The push for terminal type computing has been pushed for 10+ years and hasn't really "arrived" yet mainly from the mobility perspective. Even the handheld arena which was supposed to be just terminals still runs an OS and has the support costs that go along with that. If it were me - everything would be terminals booting of the network with no storage.

I do agree that networking professionals are generally higher up in the food chain, are more valuable, higher skilled and much better paid. MCSE types are more "just another PC guy" without an understanding of the big picture or computing in general. However there are good ones out there. You can rest assured however that in general somebody with cisco certifications is a pretty sharp cookie.

But if I have to explain how DNS and IP works to another MCSE I'm gonna lose it.

sigh
your so full of s*** another pc guy :roll:, yea right. I'll leave you one trick ponys to replace a router and I'll dictate your level of access, lol

Kinda hard to dictate user access when all traffic from and to your IP address is denied cause the Cisco guy cut you off at the router or switch level.

 

[Reckoner]

Let the E-Penis Games..... BEGIN!

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Kinda hard to dictate user access when all traffic from and to your IP address is denied cause the Cisco guy cut you off at the router or switch level.

Yea he will be fired too , you know why because the MCSE admin says so. When I need my switch fixed or a router replaced get up and get it done and if you kiss my tushy enough maybe I'll let you have a few websites to browse and a couple more icons on your desktop. Maybe I won't read your email either

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: BigJ

Kinda hard to dictate user access when all traffic from and to your IP address is denied cause the Cisco guy cut you off at the router or switch level.

Yea he will be fired too , you know why because the MCSE admin says so. When I need my switch fixed or a router replaced get up and get it done and if you kiss my tushy enough maybe I'll let you have a few websites to browse and a couple more icons on your desktop. Maybe I won't read your email either

And you'd be fired with messing with his access required for work in the first place. That's if you could prove he was screwing with your access in the first place, considering you're an MSCE and have no idea about the Cisco OS, and how you could manipulate it. Since you're the pompous MCSE that all the Cisco guys hate, I'm sure they wouldn't want to help you out with a Router/Switch problem.

It's a moot point.

You REALLY need to do a lot more research about the CCNA and Cisco products.

 

[Scarpozzi]

You can divide up most IT functions into 4 basic groups:

Network Admins
Systems Admins
Database Admins
Programmers

Customer support functions:
Training
Help Desk (End User Support)

Out of these, try to stick with the top 4. Don't go the customer service way unless you don't care about getting paid very little and not being able to advance. It takes management or extreme technical training (as well as luck) to get into a management situation that is worth anything with tech support. Therefore, A+ is a good place to start to get your feet wet, but only for the server hardware maintenance side of being an Admin.

Try to learn Linux Administration, Apache, mySQL, Perl, PHP scripts, etc...
Try to learn Microsoft 2003 Server and the Active Directory basics that are applied across domains and M$ Exchange for Email server administration
Try to learn what open source projects are hot and read up on where the industry is going. It's anyone's guess where things will be by the time you get out of high school.

Finally, be sure to get a job working in a firm as an intern when you get to college. Work your ass off to get your foot in the door somewhere during college and keep changing jobs until you get one in a real IT shop. Don't be wasting your time with call centers.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: BigJ

Kinda hard to dictate user access when all traffic from and to your IP address is denied cause the Cisco guy cut you off at the router or switch level.

Yea he will be fired too , you know why because the MCSE admin says so. When I need my switch fixed or a router replaced get up and get it done and if you kiss my tushy enough maybe I'll let you have a few websites to browse and a couple more icons on your desktop. Maybe I won't read your email either

heh, that's what is so funny about the PC guys. They think that controlling the OS is some super big deal.

break/fix replacement is not the job of a networking guy. any monkey can do that. Just like any PC monkey can setup a microsoft network and be an MCSE

I really don't want to get into a wagging thing, but an MCSE is really not respected in the industry from what I've seen and in many ways is laughed at. Especially the ones that wear it like a badge. Mainly because of the late 90s and the "paper certifications"

oh, and FYI - I was an MCSE in 1996. Maybe that can add some merit to my comments. Only because if I'm trashing something, at least I have experience with what I'm trashing.

back on topic....
OP - want to have a good career in IT? Get into sales. You will have access to and knowledge of a wide array of technology, meet tons of people, build long lasting professional relationships and make a ton of money.