Would a Diploma in IT/Computers be enough to get into the industry?

Reku

Looking at a few of these in the universities but they all seem to include something along the lines of:

Programming in whatever languages the diploma focuses in on (currently looking at one that seems to be mostly java, html, xml and sql).
Object Orientated Programming
Operating Systems
Computer Architecture
Some sort of network & internet programming
Information Systems
Software & database design
Algorithms

Then some other modules depending on the Diploma itself.

Does this sound like it might be enough to maybe change employment track to the IT/programming industry (currently a non-software type engineer) or would I need to tack on various certifications (e.g. the sun microsystems ones) in order to have a reasonable chance of employment? Don't mind starting out on the lower rungs since I know I'd need to build up real experience to move up and my prior work experience is in the wrong industry to count for much, but would only having a Diploma work against me quite badly both initially and as the years pass or would it be a small thing initially, becoming unimportant if I can show that I do the work, much like the difference between a masters and degree tends to be?

Thanks for any input.

kayos

Did Elec Eng Cert in Galway RTC many moons ago, only programming we did would have been in Computer Eng (Assembly and some C) and then our main programming subject was C++.

Never had any employer pass any remarks on my college course or level of quailication. But have managed to be working in programming since I finished college. Over the years I have seen plenty of programmers with no quailification in software and sometimes they are better than those with degree's in the thing. I've seen degree holders not know the simple things of copy and paste or what the home/end keys were etc.

Now I do think if you can get a degree go for it, sorry I didnt do it back then but I was young and foolish.

Atomic Pineapple

just after finished a degree with the contents exactly as you describe so I hope its enough to get a job! i've been invited to 3 interviews so far but haven't heard anything back yet

the course is pretty substantle but left out things like how to actually get my website hosted and connected to different databases and things like that

BRENSH

It may be but it is getting more difficult as the years pass by. Nowadays an honours degree is the new leaving cert and a masters is the new degree. It seems that employeers are looking for degrees. However if you are good enough then you can get a job anywhere. Just need that initial job and you should be ok. Experience is important in my opinion.

marco_polo

It may make it a little easier to get your foot in the door with a degree and it is probably getting a little more difficult without one, but with some persistance you should be able to get something. Is it possible to do a diploma with the option of going on to degree level if the job hunting doesn't work out?

Definatelly a certification would do your prospects no harm at all as a graduate as I think it shows you have a interest in the subject outside of College. (I found that nearly all interviewers certainly mentioned my java one at interviews a few years ago, whether it had a major bearing on me getting my job, I could not say).

Once you have a few years experience, it should have very little relevance to your future prospects in most companies.

My 2c anyway.

Done and dusted

As strange as this sounds I know a good few devs in one of the Biggest software company's in the world and they do not have any related qualifications, yet these guys are some of the best in their fields!

I guess it comes down to how bad you want it and the level of work your willing to put in on your own. I just finished my degree (got first class honours ) and I can tell ya that if you arent willing to do work on your own after class and just think inside the box which college puts you in then your not going to learn very much that will help you industry wise. Take whats big in the industry now, look at jobs see what employeers want and go learn that. Even in the current job I was asked why I went back to college (took some time out to work as a full time dev etc), they reconned that experience on its own was worth ten times more than a bit paper!

So that just my two cents.

Best of luck whatever your move is!

DublinWriter

Done and dusted wrote: »

As strange as this sounds I know a good few devs in one of the Biggest software company's in the world and they do not have any related qualifications, yet these guys are some of the best in their fields!

And when did they join the company?

OP - I've seen plenty of people with Degrees either unable to get work or ending up as first-level helpdesk bods.

pwd

Yes there are a lot of fairly good paper qualifications in IT belonging to people lacking any sort of aptitude or competency for the sorts of jobs they're qualified for. The most successful people I know working in IT have not got good paper qualifications (one has no 3rd level qualification) - they are just the ones with the most skills and experience. Strong skills and good experience are the most important things for getting most jobs these days which is good. Most employers recognised years ago that it's an area where qualifications often don't reflect ability, and I really think it's a good idea to avoid working in places where this fact is not recognised as they would be likely not to provide a very good environment for developing your skills. I have a good degree myself so I'm not biased in saying this.

Done and dusted

DublinWriter wrote: »

And when did they join the company?

OP - I've seen plenty of people with Degrees either unable to get work or ending up as first-level helpdesk bods.

Most of them around five years ago, but there are a few who have recently i.e in the last two years.

Tar.Aldarion

Am wondering myself about this, jsut finished my degree in Electronic and Computer Eng. Not too great a programmer yet, we really didn't have to do that much. Wondering what companies expect off a recently graduated student, how do we even pick what language to do, we just do the basics of a few in college really.

kayos

Tara Le d'Arion wrote: »

Wondering what companies expect off a recently graduated student, how do we even pick what language to do, we just do the basics of a few in college really.

Companies expect you to do the donkey work as a grad, they know you will be costing them money for the first while, they want to make sure you can do the basics before they send you off the deep end. One company I know had the saying the grads should be breaking even by 6 months and earning money by 12months. That of course is in relation to the cost of hiring the grad and the work they get out.

As for what language generally your best one from college, which these days always seems to be java, but seeing as you did elec I'm guessing you had a good bit of C/C++ in there. Programming is a mind set, the language you program in is just syntax. So in other words knowing how to program means you can translate that knowledge into most languages pretty easy. Although that would not apply to assembly :P

Tar.Aldarion

Donkey work yay! We did java and c/c++(assembly and vhdl too) but am not great at either as of yet. It's about experience I suppose, practice and more practice. I might do a phd and get some programming practice in those years but phds don't seem very job-getting orientated.
I also imagine after a phd the company would expect more than from a graduate?

AARRRGH

I know loads of people who got into the IT industry with no qualifications whatsoever. What they did have though was a strong interest and aptitude for programming.

If I were you, I'd get a junior QA role and study part-time. The Open University have good, respected qualifications.