[TriLUG] OT schools

[Merle Watts]

Thanks for the info.
I think he sent an application to charlotte yesterday.  He's lookin at
network admin an he's interested in Linux.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Pitzer" <uncleben at mindspring.com>
To: <trilug at trilug.org>
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 10:38 AM
Subject: RE: [TriLUG] OT schools


> I'll agree with this, for the most part.  If you want a job in this field,
> then getting a 4 year degree is invaluable.  Getting one in the
> IT/CS/CIS/MIS/CompEng field is great, but no matter what degree you get,
> you'll probably start out on the bottom end of the job market quickly.
This
> business rewards competent folks still, in my experience.  The
incompetents
> are either good enough BS artists to get by, or else they get replaced
> fairly quickly.  The competent folks on the lower end are more likely to
> move up, especially if they learn and do individual career development
> outside of work (eg, buying an old Sparc and learning Solaris, an old HP
and
> learning HPUX, setting up a decent home network, learning software, etc).
> It's not as easy a road as it was 4-5 years ago, but it can be done.  I
> recommend that 4 year degree, but where he gets it from is less important
> that finding a way to get an 'in' on a job afterwards.  Internships can be
> invaluable.  IBM picks up alot of grads from various schools and throws
them
> into the software grinder to see who comes out whole on the other side.
>
> As for local schools, from what I hear, Duke's CS program isn't
spectacular,
> as that is primarily a LibArts school and focuses little money or
attention
> on CS/MIS.  CS at UNC is highly theoretical and focuses to a great degree
on
> graphics and graphical rendering technologies (again, that's hearsay from
> some folks who have done some undergrad work there in CS), and at NCSU,
the
> CompEng degree is more intense, but also more valuable later on than CS.
>
> CS in most schools traditionally has been all about programming.
Potential
> sysadmins and network engineers should probably stay on the compeng side,
or
> go for a CIS/MIS degree.  Network engineering hopefuls might also benefit
> from a standard electrical engineering degree, as sometimes that
discipline
> can be critical to truly understanding how an particular networking
> protocol/transmission medium works, and how it must be managed.  Of
course,
> that's also most valuable if he/she wants to work for cisco and design and
> build routers and switches.
>
> Basically, the earlier this kid decides what he wants to do 'after'
school,
> the quicker he'll be able to decide what he should be doing 'in' school.
As
> for myself, I got a degree in Public Policy (like poly sci, just less
theory
> and more analysis and practical study), and wound up being a sysadmin
> because I fell into a tech support job for a national ISP.  I developed my
> career from there.  Of course, I've had 4 different jobs in 5 years, but
> I've more than doubled my salary since then, and gotten better benefits,
> tons of training, and chances to work on more and better software and
> hardware each time.  Only one job ended involuntarily, and that only
because
> my job at the company was being eliminated altogether.
>
> That's my thought on this.  YMMV.
>
> Regards,
> Ben Pitzer
>
> ---------------------------------------------
>
> "Those that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
> safety
>  deserve neither liberty nor safety."
>  --Ben Franklin--
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: trilug-admin at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-admin at trilug.org]On Behalf
> > Of Jim Ray
> > Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 6:37 AM
> > To: trilug at trilug.org
> > Subject: RE: [TriLUG] OT schools
> >
> >
> > There is absolutely *no* replacement for the school of hard knocks.  If
> > you really want to succeed in the IT profession, get the software and
> > load it up.  Over and over again.
> >
> > I'll take practical experience over book knowledge any day.
> >
> > Now, there's a lot to be said about that 4 year degree as far as
> > employment goes...
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Jason Tower [mailto:jason at cerient.net]
> > > Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2003 9:10 PM
> > > To: trilug at trilug.org
> > > Subject: Re: [TriLUG] OT schools
> > >
> > > many of the IT people i know are recent graduates of the school of
> > hard
> > > knocks.
> > >
> > > jason
> > >
> > > On Sunday 23 March 2003 19:38, Merle Watts wrote:
> > > > Any body know which schools in North Carolina are good for IT.  My
> > kid
> > > is
> > > > in UNC Pembroke taking computer science, but they don't have the
> > classes
> > > he
> > > > wants.  He's interested in Network Administration and also
> > Unix/Linux.
> > > >
> > > > Looking into transfering and he doesn't want the most expensive
> > schools.
> > > > Just good ones.
> > > >
> > > > Any ideas?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks
> > > >
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