# IT CAREER



## Juan13cali (Dec 26, 2012)

Hello! 
I'm a college student an I want to have a career as a system administrator but I do not know if to get a bachelors or associates or just certifications what would be better in the long run? And if a degree which degree would be best?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Your college advisor would be the best place to start.


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## Juan13cali (Dec 26, 2012)

I have tried but I rather get the information from someone that's in the field I want to be in and has experience.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

First of all no one walks into a systems admin or network admin role regardless of your qualification if you have no prior experience.

Those days are long gone. To get to that sort of position you will most likely have to start at the bottom and work your way up. So that would mean getting an entry level position in support or help desk.

Degrees are not needed to work as an admin or support but having qualifications along with experience does count. Someone with experience and no qualifications or certifications will have a better chance than someone with no experience and lots of certifications or qualifications.

You should look at entry level certs such as compTIA A+, compTIA Network+ and a windows client certification such as 70-680 and 70-270. Most other certs beyond these are designed to backup your experience level whilst these are designed to show you have decent knowledge and are ready for entry level stuff.


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## Juan13cali (Dec 26, 2012)

Okay thank you. Now with a degree which one would make me stand out more?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Doesn't matter. As I said experience counts get a help desk job or work at place that fixes pc's whilst your studying that is what counts.


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## mackyboy026 (Nov 29, 2013)

Certifications is all that matters. I have a colleague, we are both System Administrators. I finished BS Computer Engineering, and he finished BS Psychology, he earns much higher than me coz he got so much IT certifications in Microsoft, Cisco and Comptia. I only got certifications in Microsoft thats why he gets more salary.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

mackyboy026 said:


> Certifications is all that matters. I have a colleague, we are both System Administrators. I finished BS Computer Engineering, and he finished BS Psychology, he earns much higher than me coz he got so much IT certifications in Microsoft, Cisco and Comptia. I only got certifications in Microsoft thats why he gets more salary.


This is not true. Getting certifications that do not reflect your experience level will count against you. Certs are designed to backup your experience level.


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## mackyboy026 (Nov 29, 2013)

greenbrucelee said:


> This is not true. Getting certifications that do not reflect your experience level will count against you. Certs are designed to backup your experience level.


not at all if you are talking about working experience. everyone can get certifications even though they don't have any working experience. Like me, i do not have any windows server exp when i started to have my certifications, i just got my knowledge on windows server thru formal trainings, not working experience.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

yes but certs are designed to show your experience. Most employers would laugh at someone with the MCSA or MCSA that has never been in a job that involves what you do on those certs because for two reasons. 1. You cheated to get them by using braindumps and 2. Employing someone to configure servers and networks who has never done it before is very risky.

There are reasons why it says for the MCSA that you need 12 month experience in a systems admin role before doing it and the 12-18 months for the MCSE.


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