Way OT: New Career

[fingertalkin]

I am tired of working outside and doing manual labor. I am 33, so I figured that it is time to make a switch while I still can without a huge sacrifice in pay. I am going for my Microsoft Certifications starting with the MCTS, then the MCP and finally MCSA.

 

I hope to have the first two by the end of the year, with the last one not too far behind. It is going to be a hectic time, but I think it will be great in the long run.

 

I live in near DC, have government and all sorts of different agencies around, plus I have a clearance.

 

It is time.

[b5pilot]

good luck!

[jlrush]

Definitely make the change while you are younger. Companies, corporations don't want older guys any more. We're too much of a liability, our bodies are starting to break down.

It's a very smart move.

[DanYmaL X]

Great choice for a mid-life career change... consider snagging a Cisco cert somewhere along the way, too... good luck.

Maybe with all that Microsoft eddication you'll finally figger out how to sign your computer screen, too, huh?

 

DX

[jeremy c]

Good work!

 

Even though I've written a variety of textbooks on how to use Microsoft products, those certification courses look pretty daunting to me.

[Griffinator]

Can I make a recommendation?

 

My brother also lives in DC. He makes north of $100K/yr right now as an admin.

 

Yes, he has a master's in CS - but that is NOT what got him his job.

 

He's a Linux guru, that's what got him the job.

 

Don't waste your time on MS certs. Cutting-edge companies are looking for ways to get AWAY from MS technology (and the enormous licensing overhead that comes with it) and into open-source.

 

This is also where the demand is, because most CS grads have no clue how to operate outside of the Windoze environment.

[jeremy c]

My son is a computer science grad who is now WRITING the Windows environment.

 

signed,

Proud Papa

 

(p.s. he won't fix your computer for you).

[EddiePlaysBass]

That is a really good and commendable idea, no matter how you choose to proceed. You are right in saying it is sort of a now-or-never as I can imagine it will only get more difficult with age (I'm 28, what do I know). I'm personally also looking to make changes in my professional career, either internally or externally (applying actively in both situations, by the way) but I have had little luck so far.

 

My biggest frustration over the years has been my choice of subjects at uni - I feel we are the generation who were cheated into thinking that any university degree would open doors and bring in generous revenue. So we all went and studied whatever seemed interesting, and now here we are. I'm not complaining (much), I know it's my / our own fault. Hindsight is always 20/20 and looking back and knowing myself and what I can do and learn, I would definitely not have taken the same path again (i.e. translator English / French) because I have been speaking English since I was 11 or so, and I learnt most of my French on the workfloor.

 

Perhaps I should take an example from fingertalking and change my expertise completely, go back to school and get a different education. But same as 9 years ago, when I enrolled at uni, I still really don't know what I'd like to do.

 

End of rant, and sorry for hijacking your thread. I'm proud of anyone who can muster up the time and courage to completely change their life around Please keep us posted about your progressions.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

Linux or Windows.

 

Nibble at the gummit cheese as long as you can. My wife and I have been making a tidy little living working the superfund site here in Eastern Washington.

 

Seems the gummit is the only ones hiring right now. They're not a bad lot, but I had to hide the month of March on my Fender calendar because the shop steward said the photo of the "Sweethearts of the Rodeo" Tele was offensive.

 

Philistines!

 

Best o' Luck.

[moot]

Devils advocate here.

As you get older exercise is more important and staying in shape gets harder. Not all of us have the discipline to work out on a regular basis and desk life is not conducive to good health.

I did the exact opposite of what you want to do. Machinest turned tool maker turned engineer who never liked working indoors. Now, I work construction and can't imagine sitting in front of a desk again. My degree is wasted but, whatever, I'm happy and in shape. I'm 48.

 

BTW, Griff is right - anything but MS is going to make you worth more $$. That bandwagon was bulging at the seams a long time ago.

[5 string Mike]

Go for it

 

There are some things to consider with expanding your horizons beyond Microsoft certs, but you gotta start somewhere.

 

If you have clearance, that's one less hurdle.

 

Moot also makes a good point about exercise and desk jobs. I used to work outside or close to it in a garage, and now I have a desk job. There are days I really miss being outside doing the physical work and seeing the sun. Plus I gained 15 pounds the first year.

 

Good luck, man.

[fingertalkin]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations and stuff. I am a government contractor right now but I am hearing rumors about "in-sourcing", which is, as you can imagine, the opposite of outsourcing. I would like to work for the gov't but am not tied to it. I am really not doing this to make more money. I live comfortably. I don't need a McMansion or anything. I just like to be able to buy a thing or two along the way, while saving for retirement and the kids education.

 

As far as the debate over Linux, Cisco and Windows etc., the Windows machine is not going away. Sure, there may not be as many people in the smaller markets and I could be more valuable, but like I said earlier, that is not my intention. Windows is as universal as the sun. I can go anywhere and find a job.....my clearance makes me somewhat more marketable. Plus, there is no law that says I can't have more than one cert.

 

As far as the exercise thing, it is weird. I work hard from early spring to the end of fall. I gain weight during those times. I lose weight over the winter when I am behind the desk. No, I am not saying that I will lose weight when I get behind a desk, just thought that was weird.

[J. Dan]

I almost went that route some years back. I had done a couple projects on the side - web development and database design. In fact, one was an ECommerce site with an API on the server to handle leased-line transactions and a SQL Server database to manage scheduling for classes, workshops, etc. The back end generated class lists, badges for participants, and did all the financial reporting. So it was fairly complex. I had started studying to get my Cert's.

 

I was unhappy with my job at the time so I figured with the experience I had that I'd start looking. Well, I had the double whammy of the Tech Bubble Bursting plus 9/11 (this was around the 2001-2003 time frame). I got no interest whatsoever from anything I pursued - and that was with an engineering degree and a couple sizable projects under my belt. Granted, I didn't have the cert's yet, but I ultimately decided to get a different job in my same field of experience. HAD I gotten a job in IT, it would have been entry level and would have been a serious pay cut.

 

I don't want to discourage you, because times are definitely different now than they were then. My only thought is that you may want to test the waters a bit first - maybe try to get a couple interviews for current openings with no intention of taking them - just see what they are looking for and what the prospects are like before you put too much time, money, and energy into it. Also be prepared to take an "entry level" position if you haven't got at lease 3-5 yrs of IT experience with a company (not on your own).

[butcherNburn]

I've been at this a while and made a similar choice years ago.

Certs are good some employers like to see them, some of the people that have been in the field don't have a lot of respect for the people that don't have the experience to back it up.

 

I agree, learn whatever you can about Linux, don't isolate yourself to windows, get some Mac experience under your belt too, you don't need much there. Cisco is also a great cert to have under your belt. You may want to consider some others too, I'm studying now for my CISSP and maybe after I'll go for a PMP cert too.

[Seamy ALB]

I think any kind of education is a good thing. I would say a degree is never lost on a person Moot, it helps shape how you process things/think and overall widens a persons horizons potiential. It is also "easy carried" as they say in these parts.

 

Go for the studying man but just don't decide on computers there are lots of non labour intensive careers out there.

[davio]

Good luck, man! I'm also going back to school after wasting several years in and out of colleges and tens-of-thousands-of-dollars. I've finally got my priorities straight and I've seen that my life will only get harder without a degree in my particular case. Hope it all goes at least as well as you plan!

[fingertalkin]

Thank you sir! Good luck as well.

 

I am just starting with Microsoft certs. What can be more valuable than to be certified in Microsoft, Linux and Cisco.

 

I also don't mind going entry level. I am not making a whole lot more than what I think I can get at an entry level IT job with my selected clearance.

[DanYmaL X]

The nice thing about Linux is there is so much you can learn on your own... i would recommend buying a fairly cheap PC and turning it into a working Linux lab machine. Spend as much time as you can tweaking and breaking things, and learning how to fix them yourself. There are lots of forums and users groups out there to draw support from.

And you're 100% right about Microsoft... it isn't going anywhere any time soon. Yes, there are a lot of folks trying to get away from Windows, and Office, and everything else MS, but there are way more jumping on the bandwagon all the time.

 

Again, good luck...

 

DX

 

[Bottom End]

Dude, you got a clearance, in NoVa? you should have little trouble, especially with IT certs

 

"In-sourcing" is the plan for a lot of the government, start that process now, the hiring cycle could take as much as 9 months.

 

Good on ya for going back to school, I hope to do the same next year.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

Time is of the essence with a clearance (since the clearance is given through the employer, not directly to you). You need to be already hired by the new IT company so they can just transfer your clearance, instead of having to go through the process of investigation all over.

 

I've been there - I was a Certified Instructor for Microsoft and Novell - travelled all over the country and a bit outside. All that was before 9/11 when air travel got more annoying. Worked several years helping build and run the NMCI in Norfolk before the prime contractor let all the higher level small business contractors go at once.

 

Now, still running a computer business in a small town - I don't keep up with the certs any more; but I spend considerable time keeping up with the products. At least in this small town, the Linux heads do it themselves for the most part, the Mac enthusiasts all pay Apple, so I focus on Windows - best opportunity to keep the cash flow going. At 68, I'm running part-time, don't want the 24x7 jobs any more.

 

Be sure to focus on practical knowledge instead of just certs. I trained a lot of people that were real good at passing tests; but couldn't troubleshoot their way out of a paper bag. Novell used to at least have a course on hardware, Microsoft turns that area over to A+. A bunch of certs can help GET a job, but they won't keep the job if the person can't fix the problems.

 

My present work helps me afford the musical goodies (and keep the DAW running smooth).

 

[TimR]

Nice one go for it. Good luck.

 

You're 33 you should know how it works by now. Use your contacts from the college and other places to get a foot in the door once you have (or while you are working for) your certs. All the Qualifications in the world won't get you a job. It's who you know just as much as what you know.

[fingertalkin]

Time is of the essence with a clearance (since the clearance is given through the employer, not directly to you). You need to be already hired by the new IT company so they can just transfer your clearance, instead of having to go through the process of investigation all over.

 

I've been there - I was a Certified Instructor for Microsoft and Novell - travelled all over the country and a bit outside. All that was before 9/11 when air travel got more annoying. Worked several years helping build and run the NMCI in Norfolk before the prime contractor let all the higher level small business contractors go at once.

 

Now, still running a computer business in a small town - I don't keep up with the certs any more; but I spend considerable time keeping up with the products. At least in this small town, the Linux heads do it themselves for the most part, the Mac enthusiasts all pay Apple, so I focus on Windows - best opportunity to keep the cash flow going. At 68, I'm running part-time, don't want the 24x7 jobs any more.

 

Be sure to focus on practical knowledge instead of just certs. I trained a lot of people that were real good at passing tests; but couldn't troubleshoot their way out of a paper bag. Novell used to at least have a course on hardware, Microsoft turns that area over to A+. A bunch of certs can help GET a job, but they won't keep the job if the person can't fix the problems.

 

My present work helps me afford the musical goodies (and keep the DAW running smooth).

 

Fixing the stuff shouldn't be a problem....I don't take to testing very well!

 

I am going through my clearance update at the moment. At my current employer, and for our particular customer, my clearance is good for 5 years. I will be good for another 5 in September. I have a very good clearance....for what, I don't know, but I am glad that I have it!

[moot]

You have clearance Clarence.

Roger Roger.