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Can you do well without a college degree?

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  • 14-08-2017 3:05am
    #1
    Jurgen Klopp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭


    Is it possible do decently in IT with having an IT degree? I did networking in college as young fella but dropped out more to immaturity and subjects like advanced maths I couldn't hack

    But at the same time I loved the physical aspect like programming routers and the physical stuff like cableing and that

    It's not just networking I have always been into my IT and tech. The only thing that wouldn't interest me is proper programming. Like I don't mind using commands for Linux etc but sitting down coding programs would drive me mad

    I remember seeing lads on here saying they just did certs and certain certs were worth more to employers than others. I remember the CISCO CCNA was massively desired and remember a lecturer saying just having them alone over a degree was a massive thing, bit that was 5 years ago

    What's teh story these days, is it possible for me to accumulate certs separately and do well?

    Edit: I should say I mean make a decent living as in say 30k or so, not necessarily some massive 50k job


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    #2
    Senna
    Registered Users Posts: 8,800 ✭✭✭Senna


    The Cisco certs are definitely well respected but from my own experience, there just wasn't as many networking jobs as there was for other IT jobs. For example my employer has 1500 staff of that maybe 6 are networking. There is also a college near by who produced Cisco trained staff so there was a stream of staff and I'm just not sure there is jobs for all bar the highest achievers.
    One guy did the ccna but went back to college and was in my software Dev course, he just couldn't find work without spending more time doing certs and a foundation degree worked out the same in the end.


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    #3
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Senna wrote: »
    The Cisco certs are definitely well respected

    As somebody who has ended up in a networking role, my respect for the Cisco certs has dropped considerably over time. But thats a thread for another day.

    You don't need a degree or cert for IT work, but it can help get you through the door. Most times internal promotions are where you get your experience, pay rises come from walking out the door.

    But you need to be aware your in a market flush with CCNA's from FAS and a bunch of people with "years" of experience who know practically nothing. And it's a tough sell if your adamant on not bothering with coding. Because high end networking(50k+ a year) is pretty much coding under a different name. A good level of networking knowledge and some good python skills would put you in front of the game of the current Irish workforce.


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