back to school....back to school....

[hoamskilet]

Question for the adults that have or currently are taking college classes......

We get tuition reimbursement through work and i've tossed around the idea of taking advantage of it. Couple problems.....#1 the thought of getting back into it makes me wanna drive off a tall bridge. #2 I have no friggin clue what I would even pursue.

In order for work to pay for it, it has to be something somewhat related to my current employment, so most likely it'd have to be something in the tech field

So I guess my question is, where/how is everyone doing it and how in the world did you decide which degree or certification to pursue?

Just a little background. I'm currently employed (18 years now) at a telco working on phone/internet lines, I like my job and I'm paid well/good benefits, and have no intention on leaving even if I were to obtain a degree/certification in anything. It's more or less there's free money available so I kinda feel like I should take advantage of it.....just don't know how the hell to decide what to pursue

 

[Skitzerman]

What would be the natural progression of advancement in the area you are working in now? Are you interested in the technical aspects of the job or something in management or marketing? Check with the job solicitations your organization has out there. With the education and training you could have, I'm sure they'd rather hire from within the Company. Many years ago, I was in the same position you're in now. I took advantage of the opportunity and had a great career. Good luck.

 

[hoamskilet]

As far as where I'm currently at, there really isn't much to advance outside of getting into management and trying to climb the ladder, which.....no thanks lol.

I'm completely content with what I'm doing. I guess the goal really is to kinda pick away at a backup plan in case the shit hits the fan and I lose my job for some reason and I have to start over or go somewhere else

 

[BigPoppa]

As long as they don't have a clause about the education being related to the work you do.....

Go to your local community college and pick any class that tickles your fancy and give it a whirl.

This will let you determine if school is right for you and help you decide what you want to study.

Don't worry about declaring a major or anything. Most schools don't require that right away.

 

[hoamskilet]

It does have to be somewhat related, which I would imagine anything in the tech field would.

 

[hoamskilet]

quick update to an earlier question. I just got a response from a person in our H.R. department and there is a small bump in pay for obtaining the following certs:

(1) Comp TIA A+

(2) Comp TIA Network +

(3) CCNA

 

[velocicaur]

I don't believe going back to school is a good fit for you. You say you are "content" with your job and you wouldn't pursue something else. Even worse, the thought of school makes you want to drive off a bridge. This isn't the mindset that you should have before you go back to school. It requires a lot of focus and you need a true purpose to go back to school at a later age. It will take years to complete anything and suck up a lot of free time to study, etc. You will have to change your thought process on this or it will be over before it even starts.

With that being said, you could sign up for a course at the local community college and see how it goes. I would take something interesting and go from there. You shouldn't be too restricted in what you take as anything would be a professional improvement such as business. The time crunch to go to school after work may not be good for you. There are also a lot of online programs to look into.

I would look into how many credits/how much money you get per semester and what is the maximum payout. There are a lot of companies that have limits and they don't pay out near enough to get any degree.

 

[hoamskilet]

They'll cover $8k/year.

Would definitely look at online courses before anything else.

 

[BigPoppa]

Those certs are easier than you think to get. Go for it. Free classes for certs that get you more spreading around money? Win-win.

 

[*Jay*]

Those certs are easier than you think to get. Go for it. Free classes for certs that get you more spreading around money? Win-win.

Completely agree, these certs are nothing but money in the bank. If you think youre up to it something like Security + or CASP should open up an entirely new payscale depending on the type of work your company does. Great thing about these certs is that its not gonna drag on like going to college, study for a few months, attend a prep class or 2 and knock em out.

 

[CobraBob]

quick update to an earlier question. I just got a response from a person in our H.R. department and there is a small bump in pay for obtaining the following certs:

(1) Comp TIA A+

(2) Comp TIA Network +

(3) CCNA

It sounds like your answer is to pursue certifications in one or all of those three. They will strengthen your value to the company and you'll get a modest pay increase. Those certifications will also benefit you if you were to leave that company for any reason.

That said, I know you said that you don't want to pursue a management job, but I'm going to share my story because I was once in your exact situation many years ago when I was working at a large local printing company which was heavy into direct mail. At that time I had no interest in a management position. None. And the thought of going to a college for a 4-year degree was terrifying because in high school I was a C- student at best. My title was Production Planner at the time. Well, I decided to use my GI Bill benefits which would pay 100% of my college tuition, and enhance my future job opportunities. So I enrolled in the University of New Haven (private and expensive university) in their Business Administration program. I chose a special full-time evenings program to accelerate getting my degree. No summer breaks. Basically in 2 years I would earn my 4-year Bachelors degree. It was challenging working a full time job during the day and going to school full time evenings, but I did it. Hell, I loved it so much I had a 3.95 GPA when I finished. Along the way, my company asked if I'd like to be promoted to a management position. I loved the company and had every reason to stay, so for me it was a no-brainer. I earned my degree and became the Data Processing Manager. Got a big raise, more responsibility and thoroughly enjoyed my new job. That was MY situation. Yours, of course, sounds different. Just shared it more to encourage you to take advantage of the free education your company provides.

You ultimately have to make the choice that fits YOUR plans for the future. If you plan to work your current job long term and you have no aspirations for advancement (or a management position) where continued education might help you, then at least go for one or more of the certifications. Give it a shot with one of those certifications. Maybe you'll end up being surprised at how well you'll do in the classroom and how much you actually enjoy pursuing those certifications (or an actual degree like I did).

I wish you the best with your decision.

 

[08mojo]

As far as where I'm currently at, there really isn't much to advance outside of getting into management and trying to climb the ladder, which.....no thanks lol.

I'm completely content with what I'm doing. I guess the goal really is to kinda pick away at a backup plan in case the shit hits the fan and I lose my job for some reason and I have to start over or go somewhere else

I'd go for an MBA. From my experience in the professional world, if you have a technical degree combined with an MBA you will be at a serious advantage. It shows you can think on 'both sides of the fence.' While it may or may not benefit you at your current job, if shit hits the fan like you said, a technical degree plus an MBA is a great way to get in the door somewhere else.

 

[lilcoop03]

I'd go for an MBA. From my experience in the professional world, if you have a technical degree combined with an MBA you will be at a serious advantage. It shows you can think on 'both sides of the fence.' While it may or may not benefit you at your current job, if shit hits the fan like you said, a technical degree plus an MBA is a great way to get in the door somewhere else.

But many technical degrees are 2 year degrees.. I think any Master's program requires a 4+ year bachelors degree first.

 

[lilcoop03]

I went back to school for mechanical engineering at 29 years old.

Not gonna lie, it sucked for 4.5 years, but it was the best decision I've ever made!

 

[08mojo]

But many technical degrees are 2 year degrees.. I think any Master's program requires a 4+ year bachelors degree first.

Good point. My background is Engineering, and I was thinking along the lines of engineering being technical vs mba.

 

[SonicDTR]

quick update to an earlier question. I just got a response from a person in our H.R. department and there is a small bump in pay for obtaining the following certs:

(1) Comp TIA A+

(2) Comp TIA Network +

(3) CCNA

Look into WGU. These certs are covered in their BS IT Security program, or were when I started mine a few years ago. By covered, I mean the material and exam is covered by your tuition, and most courses actually use the certification exam as your final. So pass the test and you're done with that course! Tuition is ~3k per 6 months, and you can finish courses as fast as you want. Its not a degree mill like most other online colleges, but do your research before pursuing it of course.

 

[hoamskilet]

Look into WGU. These certs are covered in their BS IT Security program, or were when I started mine a few years ago. By covered, I mean the material and exam is covered by your tuition, and most courses actually use the certification exam as your final. So pass the test and you're done with that course! Tuition is ~3k per 6 months, and you can finish courses as fast as you want. Its not a degree mill like most other online colleges, but do your research before pursuing it of course.

Pardon my ignorance, but is this the place you're referring to?

Online Degrees | Accredited Online School Programs | WGU

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[SonicDTR]

Pardon my ignorance, but is this the place you're referring to?

Online Degrees | Accredited Online School Programs | WGU

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Yep thats it.

Went ahead and checked the latest version of their CyberSecurity program, and it includes these certs. Cybersecurity Degree Online – Bachelor’s Degree Program | WGU

Certs Included
With no added time or cost to you, this program currently incorporates certifications* including, but not limited to:

• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) – Associate of (ISC)² designation
• Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) – Associate of (ISC)² designation
• Certified Encryption Specialist (EC-Council ECES)
• Certified Incident Handler (EC-Council ECIH)
• Certified Internet Webmaster – Site Development Associate (CIW-SDA)
• Certified Internet Webmaster – Web Security Associate (CIW-WSA)
• A+ (CompTIA)
• Network+ (CompTIA)
• Security+ (CompTIA)
• Project+ (CompTIA)
• IT Operations Specialist (CompTIA)
• Secure Infrastructure Specialist (CompTIA)
• ITIL®1 Foundation

Back when I started mine ~4 years ago, the security program included more relevant certs than the network one did, but it looks like they've updated both a bit. Network Administration & IT Security Degree Program Online | WGU

 

[hoamskilet]

Sweet. I'm gonna look into that for sure. Seems like if I can work towards a degree in I.T. and knock out a couple of those certs along the way it'd be killing 2 birds with one stone.


Are you still in the program or have you finished? Personal thoughts on the program in general?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[01yellercobra]

I completed my MBA back in December. I probably drove my wife up the wall bitching about my classes because sometimes they just didn't make sense to me. But I'm glad I did it. I do have plans to move into management at some point. So having this in my back pocket really helps. I've been an electronics tech for about 20 years now and I'm ready to move on. And you'd be surprised how many people are impressed about having a degree. Even my new director was surprised when I said I had my MBA.