New Member Introduction

[GOOD WIZARD]

Hi; My name is Larry Morgan. I live in Atlanta,Ga. I'm currently enrolled in school pursing my bachelor degree in computer science. At this present time I hold my A+, Network+, MCP Certifications. I'm trying to decide in what area I want to specialize in; since it's so many directions you can go in the IT Field. Could anyone give me any tips on that? I would appreciate any type of suggestions............I'm a beginner in this field so; I have a lot to learn. It would be an honor if someone who is a veteran in this IT Field can take me under their wing and mentor me.



With all due respect,

Larry C. Morgan

 

[Slaymate]

Welcome to Tech-Forums Larry. I'm not an IT guy so I can't help you with that but I'm sure you'll get a few recommendations

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Hey, welcome to the forums! So many things you have to consider for something like that. E.g do you want to be going site to site, or working at a single location? Do you have good people skills, or would you prefer to work more with just routers/switches? Can you handle stressful situations well? Different areas in the field offer different levels/mixes of that kind of stuff.

For example, being a network engineer probably means you're going to have to drive around a lot, as well as being on call at later/earlier hours than is normal. Being a programmer means you wouldn't have to talk to many people and would probs have standard hours. Being a Network Administrator would mean you'd work out of a single location, but there'd be a lot more responsibility attached. etc.

 

[TieFighter]

Welcome to the Tech Forums Good Wizard. I recently obtained my bachelor's in CS from UW-La Crosse and it qualifies you for a variety of careers. Including:
*Software Engineer
*DBA
*Processor Design
*Building Compilers
*Designing Operating Systems

If you want to go for networking, see if your school has an IS (Information Systems) major or sometimes called CIS. What I do recommend is start looking for an internship either your first or second year at school. Employers are now looking for cheap labor interns who can learn a lot and perform for them for several years, as opposed to what it used to be - where you get an internship your senior year before you get out into the world, then you had a lead on a job with that company for when you graduate. This is beneficial to you due to the amount of professional experience you get. Employers are looking for 2 to 3 years of experience in whatever you decide to go into.

To get an internship: Start at your school's Career Services Center - they will help you with everything from an initial resume to matching you with companies who scout your school for interns. Then once you have one nailed down after interviews, go to your guidance councilor and get your internship approved to be worth credits. This step is important to keep up your full-time status as a student, but not get horribly burned out with virtually no time for homework.

Good luck on your college career! I'll be around here, but do have a life aside from these forums.