As always, I am happy to answer any questions you might have in regards to online learning. Here is one of the latest pieces of fan mail (as I like to call it.) Paul brings up a great question in regards to either getting certifications or getting a college degree. I’ve applied some practical experience here in answering his question.
Hello Scott,
First, I would like to begin by thanking you for giving us the opportunity to ask for advises on enrolling at Kaplan University.
My name is Paul Wingfield and I am a first time college student looking into getting my Associates degree on Information Technology. I'm 31 years old with a finance and a 5 month old baby son.
I recently found out about the opportunity that many schools offer the flexibility to achieve a degree online. I have done tremendous amounts of researching to find the best school that would fit me. I have chosen Kaplan University.
I had my mind set to enroll into the Associates of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems program emphasis in Networking, until I did a little research on Monster Job's web-site. I wanted to see what employers where looking for when hiring for IT employees. I noticed that the majority of the employers requirements where 3-5 years of hands on experience and with the minimum education requirement of a Certificate.
This brought up a new can of worms for me. I now knew that I would definitely need to get some on the job experience along with my education.
I'm now just wondering if I should just get my IT Certificate that would only take 6-8 months and start getting the on hands experience that I need to apply for the bigger paying jobs.
Vs.
Waiting up 2 years getting my Associates then barley starting to get some hands on experience. Not to mention the cost difference.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated in this new cans of worms that I opened up for myself.
Hello Paul.
First of all, congrats on selecting Kaplan. If you decide to go the route that will get you an Associates degree, I am sure you will be pleased. But you do ask a difficult question. My perspective is from an engineering standpoint where I have worked with some of the smartest networking people in the world. Back in the mid-late 1990's, a certification such as CCIE, CCNP, MCP, and others were as good as gold. If you had any of those, you would pretty much guarantee yourself a job somewhere making good money.
The problem in 2007 is that everyone has those certificates, and the overall impact of owning one has been watered down some. With that said, I would encourage you to go get the certifications and work experience. The reasons are as follows: The certificates take less time and could get you a meaningful job a lot quicker than an Associates degree. Once you get the certifications and a job where you will gain experience, you can start a program where you eventually earn a Bachelor of Science degree in a discipline of your choice.
The certifications, while not a guarantee of a job anymore, do have a more immediate impact on your marketability. If you tell an employer that you actually have these certifications, they will see that as an accomplishment, whereas they might not put as much weight into the fact that you are in the process of getting an Associates degree.
This is the path I followed. When I was in my early 20's, I focused on experience. I went where the jobs were. I didn't need a degree. Later on in life when I had used up all of those favors, I needed to get a degree to rise in the management ranks. Experience is great, but it will only take you so far. Get what you need to right now. Get the certifications and experience, then work on the degree along the way. A degree is a long-term commitment, but one you will want to undertake sooner than later.
I hope this helps.