Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - CIS Career

rubicon · 02-10-2004, 09:50 AM

I have a "CIS" degree and went into network operations and admin. Now I freelance and do everything from program to designing web sites (SQL, PHP, ASP), and network architecture/operations.

Friends that graduated with the same degree became programmers.

I have a liberal take on college education... Getting a college degree proves to the world you have the wherewithal to commit to something over the long haul. It shows them you are willing to learn and have self-discipline.

What you actually do after college is largely irrelevant to your degree. My wife was a psychology major, did some work at a graphic design firm, then went into marketing for Johnson and Johnson (not a small company by any means).

And I know many people who graduated with a degree and hate what they do. Computer techs. Even lawyers - they're a slave to their salary.

You may want to consider the type of work environment you want to be in. Corporate or liberal? Well established or entrepreneurial?

Consider what field you want to work in. If you're an environmentalist, perhaps you want to work for a non-profit that monitors and lobbies (I hate that word) for causes. Maybe a company like Patagonia. Last I heard, they give you one month a year to volunteer for outside causes, you can surf into the office, and it's casual dress all day long. Finance? Health care?

You'll find that IT professionals are required in every field - it's just a question of what you get paid. However, you need to work in an industry where you care about the overall product or service. If you just want "a job," then throw your resume out to hundreds of companies and see what comes back. They'll give a paycheck every week, you come and go every day for 40 years, then you retire.

I wandered a little off-track there... If you're trying to find out what's interesting in the IT field, you should perform informational interviews, read the trade mags, and personal research. The trouble is finding the "cool stuff" because it's not so obvious.

One more off-topic thing you might be interested in. Read the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." The philosophy of the book is that you have two classes of people: those that work for themselves and have limitless earning potential, and those that work for someone else and simply get by. Most of us fall into the latter category. Even a highly paid lawyer, doctor, or executive may not have the life they want. Give it a read - it may give you some out-of-the-box insight.

02-10-2004, 09:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
rubicon Stop. Think. Question. Location: Redondo Beach, CA	I have a "CIS" degree and went into network operations and admin. Now I freelance and do everything from program to designing web sites (SQL, PHP, ASP), and network architecture/operations. Friends that graduated with the same degree became programmers. I have a liberal take on college education... Getting a college degree proves to the world you have the wherewithal to commit to something over the long haul. It shows them you are willing to learn and have self-discipline. What you actually do after college is largely irrelevant to your degree. My wife was a psychology major, did some work at a graphic design firm, then went into marketing for Johnson and Johnson (not a small company by any means). And I know many people who graduated with a degree and hate what they do. Computer techs. Even lawyers - they're a slave to their salary. You may want to consider the type of work environment you want to be in. Corporate or liberal? Well established or entrepreneurial? Consider what field you want to work in. If you're an environmentalist, perhaps you want to work for a non-profit that monitors and lobbies (I hate that word) for causes. Maybe a company like Patagonia. Last I heard, they give you one month a year to volunteer for outside causes, you can surf into the office, and it's casual dress all day long. Finance? Health care? You'll find that IT professionals are required in every field - it's just a question of what you get paid. However, you need to work in an industry where you care about the overall product or service. If you just want "a job," then throw your resume out to hundreds of companies and see what comes back. They'll give a paycheck every week, you come and go every day for 40 years, then you retire. I wandered a little off-track there... If you're trying to find out what's interesting in the IT field, you should perform informational interviews, read the trade mags, and personal research. The trouble is finding the "cool stuff" because it's not so obvious. One more off-topic thing you might be interested in. Read the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." The philosophy of the book is that you have two classes of people: those that work for themselves and have limitless earning potential, and those that work for someone else and simply get by. Most of us fall into the latter category. Even a highly paid lawyer, doctor, or executive may not have the life they want. Give it a read - it may give you some out-of-the-box insight. __________________ How you do anything is how you do everything.