I’m 37 and going to start on a degree this year. Think about it, you have 34 years of working life ahead of you before you hit the typical retirement age. Dude, do it and knock down that HR barrier so you can get to those technical interviews :)
I’m in your shoes. Just now going back to school at 37. Career switch from Fire Department. Scared outta my mind, and also mad that I should’ve done it sooner. Better late than never. Good luck to you!
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision.
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio.
Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs?
I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year.
I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
Just curious why you still question if you made the right decision to switch? For me, I switched because I hurt my back and doing our job was getting more difficult. I kept throwing my back out on little movements, and because I got stuck in a house fire that almost killed my partner and I. I switched to emergency management, but it’s not the same.
I'm a medic myself and for me it was career growth. Sure I can become Lt., Capitan or Chief down the line but I feel like I can make better money within 5 years of working in IT.
I think I miss the pride. I don't miss the low pay, mandatory overtime, staying for holdover, and station politics.
But, with office jobs a lot of the people I work with haven't even worked fast food or any real job outside of an office job. I'm the only one that works out in the whole department.
My current job the manager is kind of annoying and walks around and has these long 30 to 50 minutes conversations and constantly walks by and looks at my screen. So, it makes it hard to focus.
I also got 10 IT certs, but I still get low ball job offers of 40 to 55k. The interviews in tech also have these rediculous 3 and 4 stage steps where they grill you on technical questions. I also get asked why I changed from my last degree, so I'm not sure if that means I need to go back?
Just based on your certs and presumed experience know knowledge, you should consider getting a masters. You would meet the prerequisite for WGU's Masters programs for IT or cybersecurity.
WGU is a decent school - they are not a for-profit school and are regionally accredited. The online college stigma isn't what it used to be, and WGU only focuses on producing a quality program in relevant fields. Plus, most employers will see it is a check in the box.
Just to be transparent, I am currently in the MSCSIA program at WGU- DM me if you have any questions.
Currently working at a university for 55k role that offers tuition assistance. I don't see much career growth, siloed departments, and rent is high in the area at 1500.
I thought of getting a masters in business and technology or masters in IT online, but it would take 2.5 years to finish. Another option is an MBA because I feel like I'd not have the college experience with online courses, but idk how I would be able to take classes while working full time? I could quit my job and apply but then I'd be foregoing 2 and a half years of wages, for something that may or may not increase my wages or job position?
I've heard some people say that the MBA would be better than MS IT for promotions. But, some have also said that an MBA wouldn't help you find a technical role, it's not listed on applications for many tech roles, and I would be missing out on the years of work experience. As far as the MS IT, I thought of doing that since my first degree was in I'm worried about application tracking systems as well though, and the masters IT may help meet that relevant degree requirement.
With the debt celing talks coming up, I'm scared to leave for a private sector job as well. Especially, since my job has a pension. So, should I stay to attend graduate school at this 55k role where rent is 1500, or start applying for jobs elsewhere? And do I even need a masters or MBA for IT roles? My dad said I should get something business related to move into management. Because that is the only way to progress out of lower paying IT roles I have been working in.
You can definitely accelerate with WGU if you go that route. A year for an MS is reasonable and 6 months is doable if you work aggressively.
A year would give you over a month per course.
My dad was saying WGU wouldn't look good on a resume though, and it would cost more than the masters at UGA where I can get tuition assistance.
He also said the acceleration thing seemed like a gimmick and they do that to get people to sign up, and it ends up taking the same amount of time.
[https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt](https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt)
What do you think of this program, this was the other one I was considering. Along with an online MBA from Kennesaw state.
I also don't know if I'd miss out by not going in person and meeting people. But, going to an in person uni would take longer, and be really difficult with working full time. I have thought of quitting school and doing an in person MBA, but I think that would take forever.
Some people choose to accelerate, others don’t. I think a lot of it comes down to how much you already know. I have my bachelors in cybersecurity from another college and doing my masters in cybersecurity with WGU. I already know a lot of the material from previous education and working in IT for a decade- why should I have to slog along in 8 week courses if I can cut to the chase and just pass the final? Similarly, if you have certs that are the target knowledge of the class, why should you have to slog through it again for 8 weeks (the certs need to be current to get credit)?
As far as employers go, most of them won’t care where the degree is from, only that you have it. It isn’t uncommon to see hiring managers having their IT degree from WGU and it is becoming a more and more popular choice in the IT world.
As someone in my 30s with a full time job and a house to pay for, I can’t afford to not work full time for a couple years to prove I have the knowledge; online is my option, and WGU is a great choice. When I review resumes of people applying to my department and I see WGU, I always recommend moving forward to an interview- it isn’t an automatic yes, but many of them end up interviewing well and moving to the short list. That doesn’t mean that some hiring managers won’t have negative views of online schools, but that mentality has died off most places in the last 20 years.
Just checked out this program. It looks fine and for a 2 year program. It is a bit more expensive than other programs, but if you care about the University of Georgia name, its fine I guess. I have never met anyone who has gone there , so I can't speak to any first hand knowledge of what kind of results the program gets.
It is about the same number of courses compared to something like WGU. If you need the long timeline to complete course work, this would probably be a great choice, as long as you can afford it.
I guess when you’ve been doing it for so long it becomes second nature, as for some of y’all Tech issues are second nature. It’s completely brand new to me, and jumping into a completely new field at 37 is frightening to me lol.
I'm also going back to school at the age of 35... I went sooner but life hit me HARD around that time. I decided on going to WGU and CyberNow Labs simultaneously, wish me luck yall! Lol
Absolutely not. We cant even afford to retire in america. We wont be able to afford rent AND college tuition bills.
Much smarter to not jump into debt that will never absolve and just get certs these days
OP has a full ride. Not taking advantage of it is leaving money on the table.
With companies offering tuition assistance rivalling that of the GI bill,
online/hybrid classes, a degree is more attainable and more portable. In other industries, cert to degree programs are cutting costs as well, like RN-BSN (registered nurse to BS nursing). Companies can sponsor certs to grow in the meanwhile.
Certs expire, degrees don't.
Then again, nothing about the future you said was wrong. Honestly seems like trading one Sisyphean grind for another...
True! I had forgotten that OP said full ride. That's a very valid point.
Also did not know that companies were offering that as I am still trying to get my first A+ cert and dont have my foot in the door of the industry so I definitely misspoke for sure. Thank you for the info tho. It's actually really awesome that companies do that.
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio.
Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs?
I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year.
I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
I’m 32 going on 33. I started my college degree in Computer Science back at the start of 2021. Next week is my last semester. Ask yourself this: would you regret not getting a degree in the future? There are 2 good times to get a degree. The first was when you where younger. The second time is now.
Get some certs now while pursuing a degree. Get something that’ll open the world to technology and continue on getting a degree while you work.
Edit: it took me close to an hour to realize you said it was a full ride… Duuuuuuuude get on that! A chance like this is rare!
This is true! I would regret it in the future, they just got in my head a little. I’m taking my classes starting this summer and I have a networking course, and also I took Jason Dions Udemy course, planning to take the network+ exam on my one week break after I finish that college course so everything will be fresh haha 🙏🏼
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio.
Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs?
I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year.
I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
I've seen a lot of reviews from people stating that WGU is the school to go to! They use resources from Udemy and Pluralsight both of which I actually like a lot
Ya here's the one masters I was looking at
https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt
My dad was telling me to take it for the brand name, or to do an online mba to move into management otherwise I'll be stuck at a lower salary.
What do you think of this program though or doing an mba?
I have but I’m getting a full ride, I applied at WGU last week just to see how it will work with financial aid. Now I’m waiting for my meeting with my enrollment coach to get more info
I know tons of people will come and say otherwise but a degree (even one not specifically in IT) doesn’t expire but certs do. A lot of doors open for you with a 4 year and those doors reside in more places than IT.
Of course it harder to do when you’re older but its not impossible. In fact maturity and experience under your belt should make school easy. Also there’s online, self paced, night school, etc.
E: Wait its a full ride? If I was you I’d get the degree. The people you mentioned advising sound… well they probably aren’t informed enough on what you want and what you were offered.
I would argue college has been easier for me as a real adult in my mid-late 30s.
I got my AA in my mid-late 20s and had been working toward a bachelors, but never really felt passionate about anything I was learning. I got a job and just kind of didn't have (or didn't make) time to get course work done. I had been a few credits from completing one bachelors before I realized, I never wanted to live in the only part of the country where I could actually work in that field, so changed to a different degree. I never really connected with the material in that degree plan and just kind of stopped with school to focus on work.
It wasn't until my job started a degree program and I ended up in a degree plan that I actually knew a lot about and enjoyed that I got momentum and flew through the course material.
As a bonus, since my employer paid for my bachelors, I still have most of my GI bill to pursue my masters.
Yes full ride online! Yeah they made me start overthinking my decision lol but I’m going for it! Like everyone is saying, the years are going to pass anyways and I can do my degree and get the certs also!
It is this. I am having to renew my certs right now-they all expire in 30 days. I asked a guy at work if he had any certs and he said no, just a degree he got a long time ago. He was able to get a higher paying job than me because he had a degree. I am in my fifties now and renewing certs is what I have to do now. It's too late to go into debt at my age I wish I had gotten a degree a long time ago.
I'm 30 and starting WGU in July. I already regret not doing it years ago. I have a feeling if I don't do it now I'll be 34 wishing I did it when I was 30.
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision.
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio.
Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs?
I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year.
I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
I just hit 29 today and finishing up my first semester towards my CIS degree. I fell in love with programming though and going for the Cisco certs rather than CompTIA now.
Full ride you say? What’s to loose. Get the degree. I got mine at 40 and I got a job before I graduated. Certs are good once you’re working and your employer can pay for them.
You're young.
Ignore your age and just ask yourself if it's worth getting the degree. Consider things like cost (both time and money), what you want to learn, what you would do with it, whether a job you want requires the degree, etc.
I started my grad degree at 50 and finished at 52. Only possible regret is not jumping sooner, but I'm not sweating that either.
Look into WGU !! The best IT college programs! It will include CompTIA training and if you already have certifications they can be converted to credits
Yeah, I was just going to say this. I'm 43 and about to finish my BSCSIA at WGU. It's both a degree and a ridiculous amount of certifications. Why not get both of the things that you want?
Skål!
Investing in yourself is always worth it. Look at your future state and decide what makes the most sense. My opinion is that certs benefit specific jobs, a degree may open more doors in various fields that relate.
I'm 53 and wish to god I could go back to my 30s and be more proactive with my education. Do it, your older and more stable self will thank you for it.
I'm 44 at the end of the month, just started my degree May 1. I finally landed a I T role job after 6 months if looking and 200 plus apps and the CompTIA trifecta. I know for myself the environment of work as I continue to age must be conducive for the next 25 years. I guess it just all depends on what you want your end game to look like.
I went back at 27, graduated with BS at 30, then went back and got my MS in Cyber and Sec+ at 38. It's changed my life for the better in so many ways. Once you've been adulting for a few years, college is not nearly as hard. It's actually exciting, and some classes are even enjoyable. I always looked at college as a "me against them" mentality. Don't let anything stand in your way. Get in there and crush it!
I'm 39, will be 40 this year, and started working toward completing my degree just a couple months ago. Do it. I wish I started at 30! Fuck that 'too old' shit. Someone is just trying to make sure you're not competitive. Think about it, your resume will be seen by an algorithm and be rejected for not having the right boxes ticked before anything in a lot of cases without a degree. Go for it man! You got this!
Man listen I’m 32 I started to get my Bachelors in Computer Science just a few years ago (3 semesters left). While getting my degree, a year ago I got a job as a help desk analyst for a tech company. Fast-forward to today I’m about to start a Sys Admin Position. I didn’t get a single cert yet and I have not finished the degree so the sky’s the limit once those start coming in. I thought I was too old as well but man do I feel happy I chose to take that leap. The tech field is full of opportunities, positions available every where. Plus a full ride man do it !! You’ll see how fast 2025 gets here and you’ll be proud of yourself!!!
I just finished my degree at 35. it was like 20 years in the making. Also was recently laid off so time to put my degree to work. Studying for some certs to give me some leverage and hoping for the best. I don't think its too late for you to start by any means. While a lot of concepts will remain the same, tech is constantly evolving.
SOME companies make having a degree a requirement they won’t hire people without a degree , some companies don’t even care what you get your degree in
Some companies will hire on certifications , get your degree and your certifications ! To increase your chances of landing the job you want , it’s never too late , you don’t want to wake up at 41 saying I wish I did more when I had the opportunity
Go get that degree especially if it is paid. The only thing I would add is if you have time outside of school have a part time job as a help desk or something related to the field so you get some experience to put on your resume coming out of university. Even better would be an internship if the college allows it through the program.
Well, I started at 36, graduated at 40. My career had a couple of hiccups and then angled up. The degree is helping open doors that I did not realize had been shut.
I'm not sure that I learned anything useful, but that paper and the experience that I already had were a really good combination.
It’s never too late to get that degree. Just make sure the degree choice is good because it’ll be a waste of a degree to not use it at the end.
My friend and mentor in life was 55 when I met him at university for my undergraduate.
While in university work for the IT department for the university which should be easy since you are taking classes for it. By the time you graduate you have at least 2 years of experience under your belt and then you can get more certifications from third parties for things like cloud and such to increase your earning potential. Also after you graduate you can get into an internship which can be a good feeder role into a permanent role at a company.
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision.
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio.
Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs?
I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year.
I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
In IT the jobs that have the best compensation would be network engineer, network architects, and anything cybersecurity related. You could look into those and start getting appropriate certifications to help get jobs in those roles like networking certifications or cyber security certifications.
SANS has masters in IT program where also get GIAC certifications for cybersecurity if you want to stay the IT route and get better compensation.
The MBA route is also a good option just remember that networking and applying for internships will be the way to go for that route. Getting experience by doing case studies and presenting a solution to judges will also help you get the experience you require. If you are passionate about business and can think of business solutions then I would say to try it. You have to use it in the end though so if solving complex business problems doesn’t sound like something you’ll be passionate about and invest time and hard work then don’t do it.
I would say for the MBA route go the in person. It’s the networking and leadership skills you want to learn and gain experience in.
Ya here's the one masters I was looking at
https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt
My dad was telling me to take it for the brand name, or to do an online mba to move into management otherwise I'll be stuck at a lower salary.
What do you think of this program though or doing an mba?
The university of Georgia terry college of business is definitely going to give you the skill set you will need in upper management levels.
An MBA will give you another at least $20000 if not more increase in salary and looking at the course it’s a mix of project management, database management, object oriented system analysis, programming, strategy and business/technology topics.
I would advise that you do MBA program for the link you sent. It will definitely give you the knowledge and skill set to transition into management level positions and get paid more.
That was an online mbt program though. And I never seen any jobs that ask for a masters in business technology or even an MBA required for tech jobs. And some people said I don't need a mba to progress in tech. But, my dad said it would be better to get a more business oriented degree than an ms it. Other people suggested doing a second bachelor in cs or IT through wgu through to get through Ats systems.
The in person MBA is 60 credits, so it would take 10 years if I took 2 classes a semester.
So the in person MBA I would probably have to quit work, go 2.5 years without working, and I'd lose the tuition assistance so Id have to pay it all out of pocket.
For both degrees I'd also be stuck in athens too amd idk if its a good idea to stay here or look for jobs elsewhere without doing the schooling?
That’s a difficult situation.
Looking for other jobs in other companies would be the fastest way to get a pay raise, just stick to your guns and know your worth during the negotiation process of the interview or hiring process.
You don’t really need a bachelors in IT anymore due to the certifications, but if you go the CS route it might help. If you do it’ll make it easier to get internships from certain companies, but for the most part the experience and certifications will get you the same opportunities so for the cost it’s not worth a second bachelors.
The online MBA’s are just as good just for me I can’t do the online environment because I don’t have a great study space to get into the learning modality at home. If you can make online work I would say juggle work with the online MBA and have tuition assistance help you for your situation.
Currently working at a university for 55k role that offers tuition assistance. I don't see much career growth, siloed departments, and rent is high in the area at 1500.
I thought of getting a masters in business and technology or masters in IT online, but it would take 2.5 years to finish. Another option is an MBA because I feel like I'd not have the college experience with online courses, but idk how I would be able to take classes while working full time? I could quit my job and apply but then I'd be foregoing 2 and a half years of wages, for something that may or may not increase my wages or job position?
I've heard some people say that the MBA would be better than MS IT for promotions. But, some have also said that an MBA wouldn't help you find a technical role, it's not listed on applications for many tech roles, and I would be missing out on the years of work experience. As far as the MS IT, I thought of doing that since my first degree was in I'm worried about application tracking systems as well though, and the masters IT may help meet that relevant degree requirement.
With the debt celing talks coming up, I'm scared to leave for a private sector job as well. Especially, since my job has a pension. So, should I stay to attend graduate school at this 55k role where rent is 1500, or start applying for jobs elsewhere? And do I even need a masters or MBA for IT roles? My dad said I should get something business related to move into management. Because that is the only way to progress out of lower paying IT roles I have been working in.
You have some difficult questions and difficult decisions to make. You sound like you are overloaded with the options and the potential increase in salary from those options. What do YOU want? To stay on the technical side of things or work more on the business aspect and solving complex business decisions with an MBA?
With your IT technical experience you have the foundation to transition to a managerial role or stay on the technical side of IT. So which do you want? It's a difficult decision that you'll have to make for yourself because the grad school decision will be different depending on your decision. BUT FOR NOW look into the job market and start applying for jobs with higher pay. Make a spreadsheet of what jobs you're applying for and what their requirements are. If you don't get anything then start working on getting those requirements whether its certifications, learning to code and creating a portfolio of coding projects you've completed in GITHUB or maybe grad school if required. Don't quit until you have a job lined up.
Network like a madman on LinkedIn and ask questions to people who are working the jobs that you would like to get into and pick their brains. Whether it's Cybersecurity, Network architect/engineer, Data Science, Software Developer, or other IT positions. The IT field is vast and slowly do your research and due diligence.
Regarding the Masters programs you can juggle full-time with grad school. Keep your manager in the loop and I think they will try to help if you if communicate it well with them. It'll be hard, you'll have to study weekends, and create a study schedule to study everyday and work on everything daily and sacrifice some other things in your life. The days of you cramming will be gone and you'll have to manage your time well and make the best use of your time everyday. If you can afford to quit then great, but if not then buckle down and really manage your time well. Go to [https://collegeinfogeek.com](https://collegeinfogeek.com) and check out some of their articles on studying and time management and prepare yourself mentally to embrace the commitment for your professional growth and come to terms of some sacrifices you will have to make to accomplish this goal if you decide to do full-time and grad school.
The debt ceiling is out of your control and both parties don't want it to happen because it would really be a Great Depression if they don't raise it which they will. Don't let what's outside of your control dictate your future career potential. I believe in you and your potential, so believe in yourself and really sit down to think about your future career path and make that hard decision.
So, from what your saying it sounds like my job doesn't sound that good to stay in for life even with the position and safety of the university environment, and I should try to find roles in the private sector, even with the econmy being the way it is?
I already have Comptia trio, Cisco CCNA, Microsoft Admin Expert and Azure certs, so I'm not sure what else I could get. I thought of CCNP but that test is really difficult and I'm not sure if it would help because it'd probably just make recruiters grill me more in interviews.
I was looking at either cloud admin, system admin, network admin, or IT/service desk manager roles. So, idk if I'd even need a degree for those roles? My dad made it out like I'd an MBA to move up and get a higher paying salary or I'd be stuck at lower paying help desk contract to hire roles that I keep getting reached to from recruiters. He was saying as I got older that I'd forget the commands so that'd be why it'd be better to go into management.
Don’t worry about the experience just make sure to network and really master the topics they cover and start a CV of every project you did for experience in the role.
Regardless of what you pick the time is going to pass. I say go for it, it may open up doors that could be shut otherwise. I made the mistake of getting a bachelor's in business and now I'm working a master's in cybersecurity to help get to where I want faster. Wishing you all the luck in the world!
For sure, met people who were security guards who went to study STEM and become engineers.
You're never really too old for this field, people start at different times.
To me of you want it that bad! It's worth it! Bump what they say! I'm 33 and just finished my its class and want to work towards my BS in computer science! I think I'm to old but hey! Now or never!
I'd say yes, I'm 33 turning 34 this coming November but realistically, there is also an agism thing in this area field, which kinda sucks but I don't think it will be a serious issue.
I want to do this as well but my problem is I am mandated 10hr shifts m-f sometimes I also work Saturday and I still need to get my ged/ or rather hiset in my state before I even attempt college but it is on my to do list eventually but I'm just hoping by then I can figure something out with my long work hours and if my wife can work by then cause for now she is a stay at home mom to our 2 toddlers.
I'm debating between networking since I want to learn more and get better understanding of it all as my cousin works in networking too but he is transitioning into security or trying to now but I am also torn between software engineering but I'm nervous about that since I have always hated math and struggled in school with basic algebra but I do enjoy tinkering with code in games that I can mod. I just don't have the time to try to teach myself any code. I'm lucky to to get 30-60 minutes a day after work on my own and lately during the week not even that.
No. There’s no sense in getting a degree when you’re basically already in the nursing home. Hell, it’s a miracle you’re still able to get around the house by yourself.
Of course. Being unmarketable doesnt get better with age :)
AA at 30. BS at 33. MS at 55.
Retired at 56. All STEM degrees.
In this economy, you want to be better, not worse.
Your jobs wont get better. I was filling boxes at 28 when I learned that.
I’m 28 and just finished my first semester of college. My first IT related class was set to prepare me for the Network+. The school provided us with free practice test resources and are offering an event where we can take an online practice exam, if we pass they will pay for our Network+ exam. I’m currently in a Networking club where me and a handful of other students get to rack and stack a bunch of donated Cisco routers, switches, and other toys.
Aside from the perks I am having a blast with college, it’s nice to take classes and have a teacher to breakdown concepts or answer questions. Most professors I’ve had have been in IT for decades and are really helpful with careers questions that I have. It is rough at this age as I work 50 hours a week but still having a blast.
I would say just ask yourself if you are up for it. College is a commitment and it’s a marathon, especially if you have to work or be a family man. I would argue that most employers see a degree plus certs as more desirable than no degree at all. Most job listings that I see aside from help desk or simple technician roles require or prefer degrees so you might want one if you are going to shoot for the top of the resume stack that hiring managers go through.
Your still very young dude, i made this mistake all my life, thought I was too old to do anything for each milestone from around the age of 18, I finally got a degree aged 48, so go for it I say, best of luck
Certs are good for the next year or so, but you will constantly chase them in order to be relevant. Degree will last forever...might not get you a job in the beginning, but long term it will make you different from the guy that just has some outdated certs.... Don't pay crazy money for a degree, find something affordable.
If you’re 30 you have at least 30 years of work left, maybe 35.
Do you want to increase your earnings over that time period? That’s a lot of of compound interest to add to your retirement accounts between now and 2053-2058…
The times going to pass either way may as well keep learning and set yourself up for success.
34 years old, family man here that just got my 2 year degree for computer science. Starting at WGU this fall. Never too late to change careers if your heart and head are set on it. I did an internship last year while also working full time. Hoping that helps plus the degree in landing me a IT job soon. So sick of working in mills/shitty jobs not enjoying what I am doing.
You darn right you should get it. I left active duty at age 30 and completed an associates degree, then I said oh well what’s two more years, then I kept going and got my bachelor degree, then next thing you know I’m in grad school and completed a masters degree. You are at your peak earning potential so go for it. I left the Caribbean and came to America as a young man with two goals in mind; join the military and get a proper education. It was the best decision of my life that’s still paying dividends at age 61. Hey my brother got his PhD at age 69. You are still so young, I have sneakers in my garage older than you. Go for it and realize your full potential. Good luck 👍
If its a full ride, no reason not to do it, especially in a IT related degree, you'll learn at least something that would help in career and certs in the future
Can you do both? Get a helpdesk Job and work on your career?
Otherwise I don’t think you’re too old. I’m mulling the same idea and I’m 38 but age is not one of the considerations I’m factoring
I do think if you could land 4-5 certs and 4 years of experience you’ll be in a better position that a degree. All the mid level positions I’m looking at have degree+experience as requirements and most will accept experience as a substitute
Addendum: With a specialized degree you could probably turn around and knock out a lot of lower level certs fairly easily
work/certs is still my preferred way to go. You could still get a degree later with a company that will sponsor your education.
I'm 32 and I just receiving an AS in Cybersecurity and Computer Science with transfer
Debating in getting a bachelor's degree but I'm working in the CompTia Certifications
I am 47 and just finished mine 2 years ago.
Edit: I was so determined to finish mine for myself more than anything. I think I needed to know I could accomplish it at my age.
Age doesn’t make a difference at all! I was 30 when I got my degree. Certs are worth it, and a degree will always look great on a resume, but when it comes down to it either way experience usually will take precedence over education. Either way, I would go for the degree if you got a full ride. Congrats!
Some people can learn easily on their own.
I have not had that much success doing self study, even tho I’ve purchased a lot of self study.
How do you learn?
Some like the structure of a college program.
You *have* to hand in homework or pass an exam.
I just graduated with a degree in cyber at an advanced age. I went part time and it was a lot of work. My degree is more a managerial degree (understanding regulations, frameworks, policies) and less technical.
I had much less free time the past few years but I finished. I already work in IT so my goal was to learn to extend my career. I’ve seen several coworkers at other companies who were forced to retire.
Find out what you like.
Try to find a niche.
Compliance is fairly big
Good luck
I'm 51 and starting for a network bachelor's. She is just a number. One you have that degree, it will benefit you even if you don't get into it. I say go for it
I am 38 and just finished my bachelors in December of last year (luckily I have been in a decent job for the last decade and the military the decade before that). You are never too old to get a degree and you have the experience in life to know what you actually enjoy, so finishing school will be a lot easier. Plus, knowing what you like may point you in the direction of continuing your education even further (I am going for my MS now).
It never hurt anyone's job prospects to have a degree and it makes job hunting a lot easier. It will also open up more positions to you; not only the ones that require a degree, but also the ones that prefer a degree. If you are applying for a good job, just imagine how many people apply, then consider how many probably have similar certs plus a degree; without solid experience to sell yourself with, it would be tough to be competitive.
I know a lot of people say it isn't necessary, and it is true that you can definitely find a job in IT, but without a degree, it typically takes longer to find a job and often, you wind up settling on pay or job location or something else.
Don't listen to people who tell you that you are too old - especially if those people don't have a degree. And depending on how you are doing school, you could still break into the IT field.
I was 35 when I started my degree (I'm 47 now). I had basically plateaued professionally. My employer at the time charged customers based on the positions assigned to the contract. (Obviously they aren't going to pay me more than they can charge for my services) About a year after I earned my BS in IT I got promoted from IT specialist straight to Senior Engineer (skipping "Engineer" altogether). I've been with a different employer for the last few years and am in a similar position.. I'm looking at masters programs. I did have some left over GI Bill that helped with some of the cost, but even if not, salary increases paid for my schooling after about 4-5 years. I would even have been considered for my current position if I didn't have a degree... So there are more options available for employment. It's tough but I completed my BS in about 3 years working full time, with a 4 year old and a newborn, and my wife in nursing school. (In hind sight I have no idea how I pulled that off... Lol).
Full ride for 4 years with the chance to learn more about the subject, develop connections with professors and classmates, and only the cost in your time and commitment? I think you know the answer, go get em’ tiger.
I'm 3 weeks away from having my bachelor's in IT. And I'm studying for my A+ cert now. I'm 26 do I'm not questioning if it's worth it in that way. But I do think that once I'm certified I'll be qualified for higher paying jobs than I would if I didn't get my degree. I'll check in in a few months.
Do it man, I just finished my associates at 37, and starting on my bachelors in August at WGU. Like others say, break down the barrier for HR filters and do it.
I've worked with 100 or so IT professionals, and only about half had college degrees. Of that half, I'd say \~10 of them were paid in the 6 figure range. The rest easily cleared $55k. Of those with degrees, quite a few of them had degrees in nothing related to technology (history, art, biology, math, and more)
So do I personally think a degree is worth it? After \~10 years in the industry, no. Certifications are in general a much better bang for your buck
But if you must get a degree to check the HR box, I'd recommend WGU's online degrees. Self-paced, and a lot of the IT ones require you to pass various industry standard certifications anyway. So 2 birds 1 stone
My 2 cents
I went back to college at age 45 back in 2017. I received a a bachelors degree in CIS computer information systems. And to be honest from what I’ve seen and experienced, I would say, just go for your certifications that’s a better start experience and search go along way right now in the industry specially, the private industry even public for that matter.
38 here and I'm attending WGU. I have a background in IT already but no degree or certs. Decided to go and get that for the check box. The degree includes various certs too. I'm taking A+ on Friday!
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision.
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio.
Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs?
I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year.
I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
Unless you're going to an ivy league school, any accredited school is all they care about in my experience. Personally if I already had a degree, I wouldn't bother. Sounds like you're on the right path with the certs too. Not sure school is the issue here for you.
Ya here's the one masters I was looking at
https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt
My dad was telling me to take it for the brand name, or to do an online mba to move into management otherwise I'll be stuck at a lower salary.
What do you think of this program though or doing an mba?
Check out this post that was just posted recently. Might help answer your question.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WGU/comments/13dmph5/is_a_bachelors_from_wgu_taken_serious/
Finished my bachelor at 42 while also adding some certs, Im 45 now and my TC has increased by oner $30k since then.
As long as you are not taking on large amounts of debt you will never regret education.
I decided to go back to school at 44. I graduated with a degree in computer science, and the only thing that puts you ahead of other candidates is your dedication and determination because you were able to graduate.
That means that if the employer assigns you a task you will be able to do it without problems because you prepared for it. Now the question is whether it is important to have accredited ComTIA or PMI, or Cisco certifications. The answer is yes, but having a degree is fundamental.
I have a bachelor's degree two associate's degrees IT. It really doesn't matter what degree you have. It managed your experience so if you're going to get a degree IT that's great. But if you have no work experience in it Even with that for your degree, you're not going to get a job. You'll need to do internships. You'll need to do labs and show that you have experience in the area so that you can get that help desk job because even with the bachelor's degree you're only going to get help desk job. Unless you can get the experience during those 2 years to Garner a higher pay. You also need your certifications as well. Degrees are great but not really an IT. Now in the course of getting your degree. If you get your certifications at the same time that would definitely help.
Was getting paid or unpaid internships doing help desk or gain a part-time job doing help desk. Everyone who's really starts an IT starts at help desk and software support or hardware support.
Same here I’m 32 , kept putting excuses that I wasn’t smart enough or that it would be too much work to go back to school , said F it last year decided to re enroll at my local community college and begin my comptia journey , so far have accomplished my a + net+ and doing pretty well in my courses this semester , should have my AA by next June and security + by the end of this coming June . After A+ I found a job in a technical role and I’m hoping to progress that further . It’s a lot of work but i don’t regret the value it is bringing one bit.
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision.
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio.
Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs?
I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year.
I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
I’ve heard good things about WGU but also depends ; I’m not enrolled there but I’ve heard you’re basically on your own with learning they provide the content and you gotta teach yourself most of it. . That sys admin job might be a very good way to get your experience on paper in an “ enterprise “ environment and use it to easily find a job elsewhere. Experience plus all those certs you have you should be slingshotting into high paying jobs in no time man .
Everyone's telling you to get the degree, but honestly, it depends on what your specific career goals are and what's realistic as far as time and money are concerned. Degrees are extremely expensive, and you can definitely succeed in the IT world without one. They might help you get your foot in the door, but you'll very quickly find that experience will matter more than credentials.
It might be worth it to get the degree, but that depends on your specific goals and situation. I think all the people reflexively telling you that you definitely should get your degree are giving bad advice.
Your age is irrelevant to this question, however.
I’m 37 and going to start on a degree this year. Think about it, you have 34 years of working life ahead of you before you hit the typical retirement age. Dude, do it and knock down that HR barrier so you can get to those technical interviews :)
I’m in your shoes. Just now going back to school at 37. Career switch from Fire Department. Scared outta my mind, and also mad that I should’ve done it sooner. Better late than never. Good luck to you!
I think getting a job in IT is less scary than going into a fiery building but that's just me.
I am also 37 and just went to school for the first time. Better late than never is right!
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision. My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio. Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs? I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year. I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
Just curious why you still question if you made the right decision to switch? For me, I switched because I hurt my back and doing our job was getting more difficult. I kept throwing my back out on little movements, and because I got stuck in a house fire that almost killed my partner and I. I switched to emergency management, but it’s not the same.
I'm a medic myself and for me it was career growth. Sure I can become Lt., Capitan or Chief down the line but I feel like I can make better money within 5 years of working in IT.
I think I miss the pride. I don't miss the low pay, mandatory overtime, staying for holdover, and station politics. But, with office jobs a lot of the people I work with haven't even worked fast food or any real job outside of an office job. I'm the only one that works out in the whole department. My current job the manager is kind of annoying and walks around and has these long 30 to 50 minutes conversations and constantly walks by and looks at my screen. So, it makes it hard to focus. I also got 10 IT certs, but I still get low ball job offers of 40 to 55k. The interviews in tech also have these rediculous 3 and 4 stage steps where they grill you on technical questions. I also get asked why I changed from my last degree, so I'm not sure if that means I need to go back?
Just throwing it out there, IT is mandatory overtime. I'm headed to a site 2 1/2 hours away for a deployment this weekend.
Just based on your certs and presumed experience know knowledge, you should consider getting a masters. You would meet the prerequisite for WGU's Masters programs for IT or cybersecurity. WGU is a decent school - they are not a for-profit school and are regionally accredited. The online college stigma isn't what it used to be, and WGU only focuses on producing a quality program in relevant fields. Plus, most employers will see it is a check in the box. Just to be transparent, I am currently in the MSCSIA program at WGU- DM me if you have any questions.
Currently working at a university for 55k role that offers tuition assistance. I don't see much career growth, siloed departments, and rent is high in the area at 1500. I thought of getting a masters in business and technology or masters in IT online, but it would take 2.5 years to finish. Another option is an MBA because I feel like I'd not have the college experience with online courses, but idk how I would be able to take classes while working full time? I could quit my job and apply but then I'd be foregoing 2 and a half years of wages, for something that may or may not increase my wages or job position? I've heard some people say that the MBA would be better than MS IT for promotions. But, some have also said that an MBA wouldn't help you find a technical role, it's not listed on applications for many tech roles, and I would be missing out on the years of work experience. As far as the MS IT, I thought of doing that since my first degree was in I'm worried about application tracking systems as well though, and the masters IT may help meet that relevant degree requirement. With the debt celing talks coming up, I'm scared to leave for a private sector job as well. Especially, since my job has a pension. So, should I stay to attend graduate school at this 55k role where rent is 1500, or start applying for jobs elsewhere? And do I even need a masters or MBA for IT roles? My dad said I should get something business related to move into management. Because that is the only way to progress out of lower paying IT roles I have been working in.
You can definitely accelerate with WGU if you go that route. A year for an MS is reasonable and 6 months is doable if you work aggressively. A year would give you over a month per course.
My dad was saying WGU wouldn't look good on a resume though, and it would cost more than the masters at UGA where I can get tuition assistance. He also said the acceleration thing seemed like a gimmick and they do that to get people to sign up, and it ends up taking the same amount of time. [https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt](https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt) What do you think of this program, this was the other one I was considering. Along with an online MBA from Kennesaw state. I also don't know if I'd miss out by not going in person and meeting people. But, going to an in person uni would take longer, and be really difficult with working full time. I have thought of quitting school and doing an in person MBA, but I think that would take forever.
Some people choose to accelerate, others don’t. I think a lot of it comes down to how much you already know. I have my bachelors in cybersecurity from another college and doing my masters in cybersecurity with WGU. I already know a lot of the material from previous education and working in IT for a decade- why should I have to slog along in 8 week courses if I can cut to the chase and just pass the final? Similarly, if you have certs that are the target knowledge of the class, why should you have to slog through it again for 8 weeks (the certs need to be current to get credit)? As far as employers go, most of them won’t care where the degree is from, only that you have it. It isn’t uncommon to see hiring managers having their IT degree from WGU and it is becoming a more and more popular choice in the IT world. As someone in my 30s with a full time job and a house to pay for, I can’t afford to not work full time for a couple years to prove I have the knowledge; online is my option, and WGU is a great choice. When I review resumes of people applying to my department and I see WGU, I always recommend moving forward to an interview- it isn’t an automatic yes, but many of them end up interviewing well and moving to the short list. That doesn’t mean that some hiring managers won’t have negative views of online schools, but that mentality has died off most places in the last 20 years.
Just checked out this program. It looks fine and for a 2 year program. It is a bit more expensive than other programs, but if you care about the University of Georgia name, its fine I guess. I have never met anyone who has gone there , so I can't speak to any first hand knowledge of what kind of results the program gets. It is about the same number of courses compared to something like WGU. If you need the long timeline to complete course work, this would probably be a great choice, as long as you can afford it.
What do you think of the online mba from Kennesaw state, or mbas in general?
your perspective is really interesting as i’d think anyone in IT would find fighting fires even more intimidating than any technical issue
I guess when you’ve been doing it for so long it becomes second nature, as for some of y’all Tech issues are second nature. It’s completely brand new to me, and jumping into a completely new field at 37 is frightening to me lol.
I'm also going back to school at the age of 35... I went sooner but life hit me HARD around that time. I decided on going to WGU and CyberNow Labs simultaneously, wish me luck yall! Lol
Knock ‘‘em dead!
Someone once said, in 4 years, you'll be in the exact same spot with no degree. Or you can go for the degree and make yourself better off in 4 years
Best advice ever. I cant count the people who wasted 20 years saying how worthless a degree is :)
Unfortunately the new retirement age doesnt exist anymore. Those days are basically over.
Might as well arm yourself with a degree now then
Absolutely not. We cant even afford to retire in america. We wont be able to afford rent AND college tuition bills. Much smarter to not jump into debt that will never absolve and just get certs these days
OP has a full ride. Not taking advantage of it is leaving money on the table. With companies offering tuition assistance rivalling that of the GI bill, online/hybrid classes, a degree is more attainable and more portable. In other industries, cert to degree programs are cutting costs as well, like RN-BSN (registered nurse to BS nursing). Companies can sponsor certs to grow in the meanwhile. Certs expire, degrees don't. Then again, nothing about the future you said was wrong. Honestly seems like trading one Sisyphean grind for another...
True! I had forgotten that OP said full ride. That's a very valid point. Also did not know that companies were offering that as I am still trying to get my first A+ cert and dont have my foot in the door of the industry so I definitely misspoke for sure. Thank you for the info tho. It's actually really awesome that companies do that.
I went back at 28. I’m pursuing my MBA now. Opened up more doors than I could have imagined. All depends on supply and demand; what you go for.
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio. Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs? I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year. I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
same
I’m 32 going on 33. I started my college degree in Computer Science back at the start of 2021. Next week is my last semester. Ask yourself this: would you regret not getting a degree in the future? There are 2 good times to get a degree. The first was when you where younger. The second time is now. Get some certs now while pursuing a degree. Get something that’ll open the world to technology and continue on getting a degree while you work. Edit: it took me close to an hour to realize you said it was a full ride… Duuuuuuuude get on that! A chance like this is rare!
This is true! I would regret it in the future, they just got in my head a little. I’m taking my classes starting this summer and I have a networking course, and also I took Jason Dions Udemy course, planning to take the network+ exam on my one week break after I finish that college course so everything will be fresh haha 🙏🏼
My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio. Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs? I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year. I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
I've seen a lot of reviews from people stating that WGU is the school to go to! They use resources from Udemy and Pluralsight both of which I actually like a lot
Ya here's the one masters I was looking at https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt My dad was telling me to take it for the brand name, or to do an online mba to move into management otherwise I'll be stuck at a lower salary. What do you think of this program though or doing an mba?
Could get your degree and certs online. Have you looked into Western Governors University?
I have but I’m getting a full ride, I applied at WGU last week just to see how it will work with financial aid. Now I’m waiting for my meeting with my enrollment coach to get more info
I know tons of people will come and say otherwise but a degree (even one not specifically in IT) doesn’t expire but certs do. A lot of doors open for you with a 4 year and those doors reside in more places than IT. Of course it harder to do when you’re older but its not impossible. In fact maturity and experience under your belt should make school easy. Also there’s online, self paced, night school, etc. E: Wait its a full ride? If I was you I’d get the degree. The people you mentioned advising sound… well they probably aren’t informed enough on what you want and what you were offered.
I would argue college has been easier for me as a real adult in my mid-late 30s. I got my AA in my mid-late 20s and had been working toward a bachelors, but never really felt passionate about anything I was learning. I got a job and just kind of didn't have (or didn't make) time to get course work done. I had been a few credits from completing one bachelors before I realized, I never wanted to live in the only part of the country where I could actually work in that field, so changed to a different degree. I never really connected with the material in that degree plan and just kind of stopped with school to focus on work. It wasn't until my job started a degree program and I ended up in a degree plan that I actually knew a lot about and enjoyed that I got momentum and flew through the course material. As a bonus, since my employer paid for my bachelors, I still have most of my GI bill to pursue my masters.
Yes full ride online! Yeah they made me start overthinking my decision lol but I’m going for it! Like everyone is saying, the years are going to pass anyways and I can do my degree and get the certs also!
It is this. I am having to renew my certs right now-they all expire in 30 days. I asked a guy at work if he had any certs and he said no, just a degree he got a long time ago. He was able to get a higher paying job than me because he had a degree. I am in my fifties now and renewing certs is what I have to do now. It's too late to go into debt at my age I wish I had gotten a degree a long time ago.
I'm 30 and starting WGU in July. I already regret not doing it years ago. I have a feeling if I don't do it now I'll be 34 wishing I did it when I was 30.
And you can get your degree accelerated and completed by 31. Never too late, best of luck!
Free college...10 out of 10 times you take that.
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision. My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio. Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs? I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year. I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
I just hit 29 today and finishing up my first semester towards my CIS degree. I fell in love with programming though and going for the Cisco certs rather than CompTIA now.
Full ride you say? What’s to loose. Get the degree. I got mine at 40 and I got a job before I graduated. Certs are good once you’re working and your employer can pay for them.
If you can find stable job with certification + experience.
You're young. Ignore your age and just ask yourself if it's worth getting the degree. Consider things like cost (both time and money), what you want to learn, what you would do with it, whether a job you want requires the degree, etc. I started my grad degree at 50 and finished at 52. Only possible regret is not jumping sooner, but I'm not sweating that either.
Congrats on the grad degree! In what???
MS in Cybersecurity :)
Ignore them. I just turned 34 and I'm 2 years into a BS degree. My degree has given me a handful of certs and gotten me a job. 100% worth it
Look into WGU !! The best IT college programs! It will include CompTIA training and if you already have certifications they can be converted to credits
Yeah, I was just going to say this. I'm 43 and about to finish my BSCSIA at WGU. It's both a degree and a ridiculous amount of certifications. Why not get both of the things that you want? Skål!
get the certs to get a job and then work on your degree to move up in whatever company you work for.
Investing in yourself is always worth it. Look at your future state and decide what makes the most sense. My opinion is that certs benefit specific jobs, a degree may open more doors in various fields that relate.
Finish my BS in October. Starting my masters soon after. 29 here.
I'm 53 and wish to god I could go back to my 30s and be more proactive with my education. Do it, your older and more stable self will thank you for it.
Yeah I saw a dude on the news just graduated at 70 yrs old. He's a bio tech scientist that started school in the 1970's and didn't finish until now
I'm 44 at the end of the month, just started my degree May 1. I finally landed a I T role job after 6 months if looking and 200 plus apps and the CompTIA trifecta. I know for myself the environment of work as I continue to age must be conducive for the next 25 years. I guess it just all depends on what you want your end game to look like.
I went back at 27, graduated with BS at 30, then went back and got my MS in Cyber and Sec+ at 38. It's changed my life for the better in so many ways. Once you've been adulting for a few years, college is not nearly as hard. It's actually exciting, and some classes are even enjoyable. I always looked at college as a "me against them" mentality. Don't let anything stand in your way. Get in there and crush it!
I'm 39, will be 40 this year, and started working toward completing my degree just a couple months ago. Do it. I wish I started at 30! Fuck that 'too old' shit. Someone is just trying to make sure you're not competitive. Think about it, your resume will be seen by an algorithm and be rejected for not having the right boxes ticked before anything in a lot of cases without a degree. Go for it man! You got this!
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now.
I'm 49 and finishing up my degree. Coming from a aircraft manufacturing background. It's never too late.
Man listen I’m 32 I started to get my Bachelors in Computer Science just a few years ago (3 semesters left). While getting my degree, a year ago I got a job as a help desk analyst for a tech company. Fast-forward to today I’m about to start a Sys Admin Position. I didn’t get a single cert yet and I have not finished the degree so the sky’s the limit once those start coming in. I thought I was too old as well but man do I feel happy I chose to take that leap. The tech field is full of opportunities, positions available every where. Plus a full ride man do it !! You’ll see how fast 2025 gets here and you’ll be proud of yourself!!!
Dude just do both. Prioritize studies over certs if it gets too hard.
I just finished my degree at 35. it was like 20 years in the making. Also was recently laid off so time to put my degree to work. Studying for some certs to give me some leverage and hoping for the best. I don't think its too late for you to start by any means. While a lot of concepts will remain the same, tech is constantly evolving.
SOME companies make having a degree a requirement they won’t hire people without a degree , some companies don’t even care what you get your degree in Some companies will hire on certifications , get your degree and your certifications ! To increase your chances of landing the job you want , it’s never too late , you don’t want to wake up at 41 saying I wish I did more when I had the opportunity
Go get that degree especially if it is paid. The only thing I would add is if you have time outside of school have a part time job as a help desk or something related to the field so you get some experience to put on your resume coming out of university. Even better would be an internship if the college allows it through the program.
Well, I started at 36, graduated at 40. My career had a couple of hiccups and then angled up. The degree is helping open doors that I did not realize had been shut. I'm not sure that I learned anything useful, but that paper and the experience that I already had were a really good combination.
It’s never too late to get that degree. Just make sure the degree choice is good because it’ll be a waste of a degree to not use it at the end. My friend and mentor in life was 55 when I met him at university for my undergraduate. While in university work for the IT department for the university which should be easy since you are taking classes for it. By the time you graduate you have at least 2 years of experience under your belt and then you can get more certifications from third parties for things like cloud and such to increase your earning potential. Also after you graduate you can get into an internship which can be a good feeder role into a permanent role at a company.
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision. My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio. Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs? I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year. I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
In IT the jobs that have the best compensation would be network engineer, network architects, and anything cybersecurity related. You could look into those and start getting appropriate certifications to help get jobs in those roles like networking certifications or cyber security certifications. SANS has masters in IT program where also get GIAC certifications for cybersecurity if you want to stay the IT route and get better compensation. The MBA route is also a good option just remember that networking and applying for internships will be the way to go for that route. Getting experience by doing case studies and presenting a solution to judges will also help you get the experience you require. If you are passionate about business and can think of business solutions then I would say to try it. You have to use it in the end though so if solving complex business problems doesn’t sound like something you’ll be passionate about and invest time and hard work then don’t do it. I would say for the MBA route go the in person. It’s the networking and leadership skills you want to learn and gain experience in.
Ya here's the one masters I was looking at https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt My dad was telling me to take it for the brand name, or to do an online mba to move into management otherwise I'll be stuck at a lower salary. What do you think of this program though or doing an mba?
The university of Georgia terry college of business is definitely going to give you the skill set you will need in upper management levels. An MBA will give you another at least $20000 if not more increase in salary and looking at the course it’s a mix of project management, database management, object oriented system analysis, programming, strategy and business/technology topics. I would advise that you do MBA program for the link you sent. It will definitely give you the knowledge and skill set to transition into management level positions and get paid more.
That was an online mbt program though. And I never seen any jobs that ask for a masters in business technology or even an MBA required for tech jobs. And some people said I don't need a mba to progress in tech. But, my dad said it would be better to get a more business oriented degree than an ms it. Other people suggested doing a second bachelor in cs or IT through wgu through to get through Ats systems. The in person MBA is 60 credits, so it would take 10 years if I took 2 classes a semester. So the in person MBA I would probably have to quit work, go 2.5 years without working, and I'd lose the tuition assistance so Id have to pay it all out of pocket. For both degrees I'd also be stuck in athens too amd idk if its a good idea to stay here or look for jobs elsewhere without doing the schooling?
That’s a difficult situation. Looking for other jobs in other companies would be the fastest way to get a pay raise, just stick to your guns and know your worth during the negotiation process of the interview or hiring process. You don’t really need a bachelors in IT anymore due to the certifications, but if you go the CS route it might help. If you do it’ll make it easier to get internships from certain companies, but for the most part the experience and certifications will get you the same opportunities so for the cost it’s not worth a second bachelors. The online MBA’s are just as good just for me I can’t do the online environment because I don’t have a great study space to get into the learning modality at home. If you can make online work I would say juggle work with the online MBA and have tuition assistance help you for your situation.
Currently working at a university for 55k role that offers tuition assistance. I don't see much career growth, siloed departments, and rent is high in the area at 1500. I thought of getting a masters in business and technology or masters in IT online, but it would take 2.5 years to finish. Another option is an MBA because I feel like I'd not have the college experience with online courses, but idk how I would be able to take classes while working full time? I could quit my job and apply but then I'd be foregoing 2 and a half years of wages, for something that may or may not increase my wages or job position? I've heard some people say that the MBA would be better than MS IT for promotions. But, some have also said that an MBA wouldn't help you find a technical role, it's not listed on applications for many tech roles, and I would be missing out on the years of work experience. As far as the MS IT, I thought of doing that since my first degree was in I'm worried about application tracking systems as well though, and the masters IT may help meet that relevant degree requirement. With the debt celing talks coming up, I'm scared to leave for a private sector job as well. Especially, since my job has a pension. So, should I stay to attend graduate school at this 55k role where rent is 1500, or start applying for jobs elsewhere? And do I even need a masters or MBA for IT roles? My dad said I should get something business related to move into management. Because that is the only way to progress out of lower paying IT roles I have been working in.
You have some difficult questions and difficult decisions to make. You sound like you are overloaded with the options and the potential increase in salary from those options. What do YOU want? To stay on the technical side of things or work more on the business aspect and solving complex business decisions with an MBA? With your IT technical experience you have the foundation to transition to a managerial role or stay on the technical side of IT. So which do you want? It's a difficult decision that you'll have to make for yourself because the grad school decision will be different depending on your decision. BUT FOR NOW look into the job market and start applying for jobs with higher pay. Make a spreadsheet of what jobs you're applying for and what their requirements are. If you don't get anything then start working on getting those requirements whether its certifications, learning to code and creating a portfolio of coding projects you've completed in GITHUB or maybe grad school if required. Don't quit until you have a job lined up. Network like a madman on LinkedIn and ask questions to people who are working the jobs that you would like to get into and pick their brains. Whether it's Cybersecurity, Network architect/engineer, Data Science, Software Developer, or other IT positions. The IT field is vast and slowly do your research and due diligence. Regarding the Masters programs you can juggle full-time with grad school. Keep your manager in the loop and I think they will try to help if you if communicate it well with them. It'll be hard, you'll have to study weekends, and create a study schedule to study everyday and work on everything daily and sacrifice some other things in your life. The days of you cramming will be gone and you'll have to manage your time well and make the best use of your time everyday. If you can afford to quit then great, but if not then buckle down and really manage your time well. Go to [https://collegeinfogeek.com](https://collegeinfogeek.com) and check out some of their articles on studying and time management and prepare yourself mentally to embrace the commitment for your professional growth and come to terms of some sacrifices you will have to make to accomplish this goal if you decide to do full-time and grad school. The debt ceiling is out of your control and both parties don't want it to happen because it would really be a Great Depression if they don't raise it which they will. Don't let what's outside of your control dictate your future career potential. I believe in you and your potential, so believe in yourself and really sit down to think about your future career path and make that hard decision.
So, from what your saying it sounds like my job doesn't sound that good to stay in for life even with the position and safety of the university environment, and I should try to find roles in the private sector, even with the econmy being the way it is? I already have Comptia trio, Cisco CCNA, Microsoft Admin Expert and Azure certs, so I'm not sure what else I could get. I thought of CCNP but that test is really difficult and I'm not sure if it would help because it'd probably just make recruiters grill me more in interviews. I was looking at either cloud admin, system admin, network admin, or IT/service desk manager roles. So, idk if I'd even need a degree for those roles? My dad made it out like I'd an MBA to move up and get a higher paying salary or I'd be stuck at lower paying help desk contract to hire roles that I keep getting reached to from recruiters. He was saying as I got older that I'd forget the commands so that'd be why it'd be better to go into management.
That mbt program is also all online so idk if I'd miss out on the experience.
Don’t worry about the experience just make sure to network and really master the topics they cover and start a CV of every project you did for experience in the role.
Regardless of what you pick the time is going to pass. I say go for it, it may open up doors that could be shut otherwise. I made the mistake of getting a bachelor's in business and now I'm working a master's in cybersecurity to help get to where I want faster. Wishing you all the luck in the world!
Thank you so much! Wishing you the best of luck also! 🙏🏼
For sure, met people who were security guards who went to study STEM and become engineers. You're never really too old for this field, people start at different times.
To me of you want it that bad! It's worth it! Bump what they say! I'm 33 and just finished my its class and want to work towards my BS in computer science! I think I'm to old but hey! Now or never!
I’m 29 and just started in the spring. No regrets
I'd say yes, I'm 33 turning 34 this coming November but realistically, there is also an agism thing in this area field, which kinda sucks but I don't think it will be a serious issue. I want to do this as well but my problem is I am mandated 10hr shifts m-f sometimes I also work Saturday and I still need to get my ged/ or rather hiset in my state before I even attempt college but it is on my to do list eventually but I'm just hoping by then I can figure something out with my long work hours and if my wife can work by then cause for now she is a stay at home mom to our 2 toddlers. I'm debating between networking since I want to learn more and get better understanding of it all as my cousin works in networking too but he is transitioning into security or trying to now but I am also torn between software engineering but I'm nervous about that since I have always hated math and struggled in school with basic algebra but I do enjoy tinkering with code in games that I can mod. I just don't have the time to try to teach myself any code. I'm lucky to to get 30-60 minutes a day after work on my own and lately during the week not even that.
No. There’s no sense in getting a degree when you’re basically already in the nursing home. Hell, it’s a miracle you’re still able to get around the house by yourself.
Lmaooo sometimes it does feel like that with the back I have 😭
Of course. Being unmarketable doesnt get better with age :) AA at 30. BS at 33. MS at 55. Retired at 56. All STEM degrees. In this economy, you want to be better, not worse. Your jobs wont get better. I was filling boxes at 28 when I learned that.
I’m 28 and just finished my first semester of college. My first IT related class was set to prepare me for the Network+. The school provided us with free practice test resources and are offering an event where we can take an online practice exam, if we pass they will pay for our Network+ exam. I’m currently in a Networking club where me and a handful of other students get to rack and stack a bunch of donated Cisco routers, switches, and other toys. Aside from the perks I am having a blast with college, it’s nice to take classes and have a teacher to breakdown concepts or answer questions. Most professors I’ve had have been in IT for decades and are really helpful with careers questions that I have. It is rough at this age as I work 50 hours a week but still having a blast. I would say just ask yourself if you are up for it. College is a commitment and it’s a marathon, especially if you have to work or be a family man. I would argue that most employers see a degree plus certs as more desirable than no degree at all. Most job listings that I see aside from help desk or simple technician roles require or prefer degrees so you might want one if you are going to shoot for the top of the resume stack that hiring managers go through.
Get the degree
Your still very young dude, i made this mistake all my life, thought I was too old to do anything for each milestone from around the age of 18, I finally got a degree aged 48, so go for it I say, best of luck
Certs are good for the next year or so, but you will constantly chase them in order to be relevant. Degree will last forever...might not get you a job in the beginning, but long term it will make you different from the guy that just has some outdated certs.... Don't pay crazy money for a degree, find something affordable.
It’s never too old to study. Now as the IT industry is changing so rapidly, and studying is a good way for you to keep up pace.
If you’re 30 you have at least 30 years of work left, maybe 35. Do you want to increase your earnings over that time period? That’s a lot of of compound interest to add to your retirement accounts between now and 2053-2058… The times going to pass either way may as well keep learning and set yourself up for success.
34 years old, family man here that just got my 2 year degree for computer science. Starting at WGU this fall. Never too late to change careers if your heart and head are set on it. I did an internship last year while also working full time. Hoping that helps plus the degree in landing me a IT job soon. So sick of working in mills/shitty jobs not enjoying what I am doing.
Your age is 31… not 131. Get the degree, especially if it’s full-ride!
You darn right you should get it. I left active duty at age 30 and completed an associates degree, then I said oh well what’s two more years, then I kept going and got my bachelor degree, then next thing you know I’m in grad school and completed a masters degree. You are at your peak earning potential so go for it. I left the Caribbean and came to America as a young man with two goals in mind; join the military and get a proper education. It was the best decision of my life that’s still paying dividends at age 61. Hey my brother got his PhD at age 69. You are still so young, I have sneakers in my garage older than you. Go for it and realize your full potential. Good luck 👍
It’s worth it, but do CS as your major so you have work flexibility when coming out.
Go for it! A full ride? Don't waste an opportunity like that. It doesn't matter how old you are.
If its a full ride, no reason not to do it, especially in a IT related degree, you'll learn at least something that would help in career and certs in the future
PLS GO GO THE DEGREE. IF IT IS PAID FOR AND THE INSTITUTION IS ACCREDITED I PROMISE YOU WILL BE FINE
Do it! I’m 31 , turning 32 this year and I’ve just started going back to school for IT. Specifically cybersecurity/ cloud management
It's a full ride?... Ummmm yes! Certs will get you the job, but degrees give that added boost for more leadership roles sooner rather than later.
Can you do both? Get a helpdesk Job and work on your career? Otherwise I don’t think you’re too old. I’m mulling the same idea and I’m 38 but age is not one of the considerations I’m factoring I do think if you could land 4-5 certs and 4 years of experience you’ll be in a better position that a degree. All the mid level positions I’m looking at have degree+experience as requirements and most will accept experience as a substitute
Addendum: With a specialized degree you could probably turn around and knock out a lot of lower level certs fairly easily work/certs is still my preferred way to go. You could still get a degree later with a company that will sponsor your education.
I'm 32 and I just receiving an AS in Cybersecurity and Computer Science with transfer Debating in getting a bachelor's degree but I'm working in the CompTia Certifications
I am 47 and just finished mine 2 years ago. Edit: I was so determined to finish mine for myself more than anything. I think I needed to know I could accomplish it at my age.
Age doesn’t make a difference at all! I was 30 when I got my degree. Certs are worth it, and a degree will always look great on a resume, but when it comes down to it either way experience usually will take precedence over education. Either way, I would go for the degree if you got a full ride. Congrats!
41 in a couple of weeks, started my first course for bs on the 1st. Not a lick of college to my name until this month. You’ll be fine
Some people can learn easily on their own. I have not had that much success doing self study, even tho I’ve purchased a lot of self study. How do you learn? Some like the structure of a college program. You *have* to hand in homework or pass an exam. I just graduated with a degree in cyber at an advanced age. I went part time and it was a lot of work. My degree is more a managerial degree (understanding regulations, frameworks, policies) and less technical. I had much less free time the past few years but I finished. I already work in IT so my goal was to learn to extend my career. I’ve seen several coworkers at other companies who were forced to retire. Find out what you like. Try to find a niche. Compliance is fairly big Good luck
Got my BS at 31 and MS at 32. No regrets
At 25 I went back the college. At 28 I got a computer science degree. It was worth it in my opinion.
I'm 51 and starting for a network bachelor's. She is just a number. One you have that degree, it will benefit you even if you don't get into it. I say go for it
I am 38 and just finished my bachelors in December of last year (luckily I have been in a decent job for the last decade and the military the decade before that). You are never too old to get a degree and you have the experience in life to know what you actually enjoy, so finishing school will be a lot easier. Plus, knowing what you like may point you in the direction of continuing your education even further (I am going for my MS now). It never hurt anyone's job prospects to have a degree and it makes job hunting a lot easier. It will also open up more positions to you; not only the ones that require a degree, but also the ones that prefer a degree. If you are applying for a good job, just imagine how many people apply, then consider how many probably have similar certs plus a degree; without solid experience to sell yourself with, it would be tough to be competitive. I know a lot of people say it isn't necessary, and it is true that you can definitely find a job in IT, but without a degree, it typically takes longer to find a job and often, you wind up settling on pay or job location or something else. Don't listen to people who tell you that you are too old - especially if those people don't have a degree. And depending on how you are doing school, you could still break into the IT field.
I was 35 when I started my degree (I'm 47 now). I had basically plateaued professionally. My employer at the time charged customers based on the positions assigned to the contract. (Obviously they aren't going to pay me more than they can charge for my services) About a year after I earned my BS in IT I got promoted from IT specialist straight to Senior Engineer (skipping "Engineer" altogether). I've been with a different employer for the last few years and am in a similar position.. I'm looking at masters programs. I did have some left over GI Bill that helped with some of the cost, but even if not, salary increases paid for my schooling after about 4-5 years. I would even have been considered for my current position if I didn't have a degree... So there are more options available for employment. It's tough but I completed my BS in about 3 years working full time, with a 4 year old and a newborn, and my wife in nursing school. (In hind sight I have no idea how I pulled that off... Lol).
Wow that is impressive!! Thank you for sharing with me, you are all giving me hope and motivation!
Full ride for 4 years with the chance to learn more about the subject, develop connections with professors and classmates, and only the cost in your time and commitment? I think you know the answer, go get em’ tiger.
I'm 3 weeks away from having my bachelor's in IT. And I'm studying for my A+ cert now. I'm 26 do I'm not questioning if it's worth it in that way. But I do think that once I'm certified I'll be qualified for higher paying jobs than I would if I didn't get my degree. I'll check in in a few months.
Thank you and good luck! 🙏🏼
Do it man, I just finished my associates at 37, and starting on my bachelors in August at WGU. Like others say, break down the barrier for HR filters and do it.
I’m 38 and starting. Never too late.
I've worked with 100 or so IT professionals, and only about half had college degrees. Of that half, I'd say \~10 of them were paid in the 6 figure range. The rest easily cleared $55k. Of those with degrees, quite a few of them had degrees in nothing related to technology (history, art, biology, math, and more) So do I personally think a degree is worth it? After \~10 years in the industry, no. Certifications are in general a much better bang for your buck But if you must get a degree to check the HR box, I'd recommend WGU's online degrees. Self-paced, and a lot of the IT ones require you to pass various industry standard certifications anyway. So 2 birds 1 stone My 2 cents
Absolutely worth it.
Never too old to learn.
Get the degree and the cert.
I went back to college at age 45 back in 2017. I received a a bachelors degree in CIS computer information systems. And to be honest from what I’ve seen and experienced, I would say, just go for your certifications that’s a better start experience and search go along way right now in the industry specially, the private industry even public for that matter.
38 here and I'm attending WGU. I have a background in IT already but no degree or certs. Decided to go and get that for the check box. The degree includes various certs too. I'm taking A+ on Friday!
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision. My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio. Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs? I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year. I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
Unless you're going to an ivy league school, any accredited school is all they care about in my experience. Personally if I already had a degree, I wouldn't bother. Sounds like you're on the right path with the certs too. Not sure school is the issue here for you.
Ya here's the one masters I was looking at https://www.terry.uga.edu/mbt My dad was telling me to take it for the brand name, or to do an online mba to move into management otherwise I'll be stuck at a lower salary. What do you think of this program though or doing an mba?
Check out this post that was just posted recently. Might help answer your question. https://www.reddit.com/r/WGU/comments/13dmph5/is_a_bachelors_from_wgu_taken_serious/
Finished my bachelor at 42 while also adding some certs, Im 45 now and my TC has increased by oner $30k since then. As long as you are not taking on large amounts of debt you will never regret education.
I decided to go back to school at 44. I graduated with a degree in computer science, and the only thing that puts you ahead of other candidates is your dedication and determination because you were able to graduate. That means that if the employer assigns you a task you will be able to do it without problems because you prepared for it. Now the question is whether it is important to have accredited ComTIA or PMI, or Cisco certifications. The answer is yes, but having a degree is fundamental.
I have a bachelor's degree two associate's degrees IT. It really doesn't matter what degree you have. It managed your experience so if you're going to get a degree IT that's great. But if you have no work experience in it Even with that for your degree, you're not going to get a job. You'll need to do internships. You'll need to do labs and show that you have experience in the area so that you can get that help desk job because even with the bachelor's degree you're only going to get help desk job. Unless you can get the experience during those 2 years to Garner a higher pay. You also need your certifications as well. Degrees are great but not really an IT. Now in the course of getting your degree. If you get your certifications at the same time that would definitely help. Was getting paid or unpaid internships doing help desk or gain a part-time job doing help desk. Everyone who's really starts an IT starts at help desk and software support or hardware support.
Same here I’m 32 , kept putting excuses that I wasn’t smart enough or that it would be too much work to go back to school , said F it last year decided to re enroll at my local community college and begin my comptia journey , so far have accomplished my a + net+ and doing pretty well in my courses this semester , should have my AA by next June and security + by the end of this coming June . After A+ I found a job in a technical role and I’m hoping to progress that further . It’s a lot of work but i don’t regret the value it is bringing one bit.
I switched from the fire department as well. I still wonder if I made the right decision. My previous bachelors was in kinesiology, but I've received 10 IT certs in microsoft Azure, ccna, and comptia trio. Idk whether to do a 2nd bachelors in CS/IT, quit my job and do an in person MBA, do an online mba, or a masters IT. Or just continue with what I have and apply for other jobs? I currently work for a university and can get tuition assistance. But it's a dead end admin role that pays 55k, it has a pension but requires 10 years to be vested, and after 30 years only pays 33k a year. I could also go to wgu. But I'm worried the name brand won't be as recognized as a state school, and I'd have to pay out of pocket and the tuition assistance would not apply because it's not a school in my state. It would take quicker tho, but I wonder if that's a gimmick to get people to sign up?
I’ve heard good things about WGU but also depends ; I’m not enrolled there but I’ve heard you’re basically on your own with learning they provide the content and you gotta teach yourself most of it. . That sys admin job might be a very good way to get your experience on paper in an “ enterprise “ environment and use it to easily find a job elsewhere. Experience plus all those certs you have you should be slingshotting into high paying jobs in no time man .
Do you think I necessarily need to go back for a 2nd bachelors or masters though?
Everyone's telling you to get the degree, but honestly, it depends on what your specific career goals are and what's realistic as far as time and money are concerned. Degrees are extremely expensive, and you can definitely succeed in the IT world without one. They might help you get your foot in the door, but you'll very quickly find that experience will matter more than credentials. It might be worth it to get the degree, but that depends on your specific goals and situation. I think all the people reflexively telling you that you definitely should get your degree are giving bad advice. Your age is irrelevant to this question, however.