People on this board who are mature to answer me and help plz dont hes

[dARKSTAr]

Originally posted by devildude  

i have a small network at home which i sorted out coz my dad didnt know how :) and i help a few people with their networks

i was thinking also maybe something where you look after the network / computers and make sure they are running smooth which is a sys admin isnt it?

I'm hesitating to answer your question, essentially the answer is yes, however since a lot of companies don't really understand what a sys admins job is, what a sys admin does from company to company varies widely. I'm sure there are some sys admins who never really work with networks all that much, they'll tell you that's the network admins job. Then other sys admins will tell you that they don't have network admins and they do all the work on the network. The trend for companies is to pile work on the IT dept, which requires that everyone in the department is "flexible" about what they do. I think that's the tactful way to put it. If i'm not being tactful, i'd say they work the holy sh*t out of you and you might be doing a lot of stuff that you weren't really hired to do. Anyone in the IT industry, does this sound familiar?:D ;) :D

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

I guess you could say I have been there and bought the T-Shirt with regards to university etc..

I did a course at a college, before moving onto University. I landed a part time job at my college, because their Linux admin had left and I was the only person in the college who knew anything about Linux..

I started at University and realised very quickly that I had made a big mistake. So I backed out, and went to work full time at my old college as a Computer Technician (thats a pretty simple description for my job - I do networking, network cabling, admin, server installs, software & hardware etc..)

Since then, I have started on a Cisco CCNA course (just started Semester 2 on Tuesday - hard work but very rewarding) and stand in line to apply for the Senior Technicians job (I get to boss people around!) in a few weeks. Admittedly I am not earning a TONNE of money yet but once I get the CCNA under my belt I think I might be going somewhere.

I think what I am trying to say is.. a University Degree still means a lot, but not so much in the industry you want to go into. I'd aim more for well known industry certifications, like the Cisco's or the Microsofts - it might do you better :)

Good luck !

[wazat]

Originally posted by dARKSTAr  

The trend for companies is to pile work on the IT dept, which requires that everyone in the department is "flexible" about what they do. I think that's the tactful way to put it. If i'm not being tactful, i'd say they work the holy sh*t out of you and you might be doing a lot of stuff that you weren't really hired to do. Anyone in the IT industry, does this sound familiar?:D ;) :D

.... And how......!!! I am qualified in Computer Tech and Networking but I am working firstline support. I have not set up a network nor have I been out to fix computers. I know how but my job doesn't entail it yet I have to be qualified in it.... Sux. MCSE next and I look elsewhere unless they utilise it.....

[Rudy]

i dunno but im going for a programming job, rite now, i do VB and C# programing, i can stay all day/night working up my code and i love it, one of my teacher said the reason i was really good with computer languages was that i know more than one language (french and english)

does any1 have a good tutorial for VC++ ?? or even better, for C++.NET? maybe an html one with pictures or something?

[Miran]

Seems no one here has mentioned BIOINFORMATICS. This is the up and coming field in computer science.

Lots of money working for genetic engineering companies, developing genetic analysis systems, etc.

It's what I'm in and I'm looking at starting at $100,000.

However, you have to like biology and genetics.

[Winston]

thanks people

see im really devious about my decision i dont want to waste my time

time is money

its a crucial time to start thinking in life

i heard many people like you saying experience is the key goal to success with a decent job

in australia people who go to tafe have a higher chance of getting a IBM job than a bachelor degree sydney university student that has doen IT for 3 years

but i don't want to make a mistake i here too much false BS

on the ads on tv it says IT degree

work and also study at the same time and by the time your finished you can have a decent job

im just soo deluded

[McBork]

heard many people like you saying experience is the key goal to success with a decent job  

yup thats true. When i did work experience i talked to this guy who knew people who looked for new workers etc.. and he said they had the choice of someone with grade Bs & Cs with 2yrs experience at the job or someone with A/A*s and no experience and they chose the guy with the B/Cs because it was clearer he could do the job well

[Winston]

i dont know im so lost man

i dont want to waste my time if its pointless

i mean is it me or is it the companys are either saving in budget not to train new people or is it they just dont want to waste the time...

hmm i duno

now im really lost

what do you guys think

finish off yr 11 and 12 do my best

and see wat i get in my HSC?..

[babis]

Status: 3rd yr at college (JHU in the states)

Education: M.sc/B.Sc in Math Sci , B.A in Comp Sci

Minor in Management.

I've talked to several recruits, and it all narrows down to timing.

At start, I imagined I would study programming, then when I looked around and noticed that I wanted more $$, so I started thinking differently, and now I tailored my courses to be more flexible, allowing me to gain more job oppurtunites.

Finally, I settled down with a concentration in financial engineering.

I decided to use my knowledge in a different industry that isn't affliated with computers/math. Luckly, I secured a position after gradutian thru networking (knowing poeple). I will be working in the finance department of a pasta manufacturing companay.

My advice to you, go to college, try various things,

I thought I knew what I wanted back in HS, but as life goes on, your emotions change and your tastes change with it.

Having a college degree does facilitate the process of finding a job, but nothing guarantees finding one ;-) (unless you know poeple, so if you goto college, make use of your summers by interning, working, etc..)

[Winston]

@ babis

i guess your right

but sometimes all i think is

the competetion

of course you can say it pretty easily

im saying in the time of 5 years later people get so smarter and i don't know i might even drift off

and plus australia man i reackon this is really a place that prohibits many people from expanding their knowledge

i don't know.. but yeah

[babis]

There is always fear of younger smarter poeple replacing others all the time. That's what you need to be really good at what you do to make the serious $$$, but that's not even enough. You have to be on good terms with everyone, etc..

Winston, well you don't have to stay in one place. The job that I mentioned I got, well it's not even in the states, but they will be paying me a lot of $$$, so I don't care where I live ;-)

Anyhow, take it one step at a time, finish up HS, make sure you get awsome grades, get involved in a few things, try finding an internship during summer or even a job (a job related to your field of study, or interest)

it's crazy how life has predetermined the forumla of success..

they keep feeding us to do really well at shcool.. to get into the best colleges, get an awesome resume/cover letter and network with a lot of poeple.. and maybe just maybe you'll land some job..

I hate that formula, there are soooooooo many poeple out there that are better, and I know it... but as everything it's all about timing ;-)

My 2 cents...

[Winston]

thats very true...

i hope i will do good if not im screwed for life

[Osiris]

OKay as one Australian to another let me make this adimently clear.

Tafe is for people who cant read and write. Tafe is basic crap and if you even think of going to study at tafe fulltime, yeah your life is pretty screwed up

Now look its very simple, your just over analysing this too much, you have pretty much 3 core choices you can make.

1. Stay at school get a HSC, goto uni.

1a. Do the above defer for a year, take an IT traineeship so you get paid / get experience before you goto uni.

2. Go get a IT/Computing Traineeship. THis will give you expeience and make ya some money. And after you finish a traineeship you have a 90% chance they keep you on, so if you can get itno a traineeshop which is pretty easy youll have good chance of employment and youll get experience and qualifications.

3. Do whatever. If you havent noticed your 16 not 60. You sorta still got plenty of time left in your life to **** up choices and fix them. On a personal note I thought about leaving school in year 11, I even got an IT Traineeship, but on my first day of work I backed out and went back to school, and lookibg back on it now I can say im gald I stuck with school then dropping out so close to finishing all of my secondary education.

[kbs]

Originally posted by Riker

not like IBM is hiring more staff everyday

IBM is my area's biggest employer--Most everyone in the area has at least one family member working for them. Right around Christmas they let 500 people go. 500 more to come soon.

So I found that comment extreemly amusing...

[Winston]

i see i see

i mite go with wat Osiris said

thank u all who had joined to answer and give tips

[X-fibRe]

hey, i'm 18 and a senior in usa.

i applied to 9 universities here, with computer science.

but i'm wondering what i should choose as my career and what i should study in the university, cause i know there are a lot of majors in the computer science area.

i'm good at finding solutions of pc problems and i'm good at math too.

also, i like setting up networks, administering computers and evaluating new software, beta testing, etc.

i don't really like physics, but i took it 2 or 3 years in high school though.

what major should I choose ?

[X-fibRe]

hey winston, what is this sony digital floppy that u have in your signature?

is this some kind of floppy drive?

[Winston]

yeah its a floppy

but

the thing is when u press the disk out it doesnt just eject like the other floppys do just pop out

it ejects slowly

its like kinda high tech

and it can head bigger disk capacitys

[X-fibRe]

wow, where can i get this

i hope i don't have to purchase the whole sony box in order to get it :)

i searched google but i couldn't find anything like that for sale

[Winston]

i duno

i built the system myself

i went to this computer fare

thats on every month per day

and got it

it was pretty cheap they sold it to me for 80 aus

[X-fibRe]

hey, is anybody going to reply to my question.

look 3-4 replies up :)

[Tim Dorr Veteran]

You mentioned you like a lot of stuff with software, so CS may be a good education for you.

I'm at Georgia Tech studying CS as a freshmen, and what little I've had, I already love. I think now I'm going to do a lot more programming out of college. Web based stuff would be cool, but I've heard the money there is minimal. So, maybe I can find something that crosses the two or just do it on the side. I figure if I make at least 40K out of college (reasonable for a top tier school and CS department like Tech), I'll be able to do that job and do some stuff like webhosting from home on the side (I've been doing it from college, but shhhhh... don't tell anyone. You're not supposed to run a business from your dorm room... :D :D ).

I think if you find a school that offers a good variety of majors, you'll be safe becuase you can always switch majors if neccesary and save you the pain of transferring.

[Osiris]

Winston: Hope my thoughts on your question were on some help to you, and best f luck with what you choose, you got plenty of options open, so hopefully youll go with one that you enjoy the most, and works the best to your advantage.

[babis]

ventsi83:

I like math and cs related stuff.. I ended up double majoring in both, but now I'm focused in the applications of mathematics (finance)

just take a few classes and check them out.

and it really depends on universities..

some univs mainly teach theory stuff, others are more practical... some have a good combo of both...

so it will basically be where you end up going ;-)

it will narrow your choices and eventually you'll be able to make a wise decision ....

[Winston]

thanks Osiris

and other board members

u guys have woken me up to think now