So I already have a degree in general education but have been unemployed (by choice) the last 6 mths. I really just lost interest in my previous carrer as an Executive for Target Corp. I ran the 40+ team that restocked the store along with the shiping/receiving of store supplies. I did it for 8 years in two 4 year periods seperated by 4 years of military service. It payed well but I found myself managing people that where difficult to motivate (since the minimum wage they where making didn't suffice), it stressed me out having to either councel them or send them packing.

I am math oriented, read pyhisics books for fun and have always been interested in computers. I have taken mine and others computers apart, doing various upgrades but have very little programing knowledge. I am about to return to school for information tech at a local community college. I will be focusing on getting various certifications. I have approx $35,000 in MGI bill money leftover to pay for my education in the field. I am looking for a carreer that relies on my skills as the deciding factor for advancement. I do work well with others but want to move far away from managing subordinates.

Anyone have any suggestions that would help?

Skills to focus on?

Is there a particular job in the IT field that does not or rarely manages others?

What certifications do employers Value most?   ( this is obviously field dependant)

Thanks for your time,

Dave

on this side of the... ditch? .NET programmerses are in huge demand. mainly though you should show off you're ability to be programme in multiple languages, know a few who knew X Y and Z, then started a new job, given a new book, told to fook off for a month and come back with a new language.

projects and crap are just as importnat as that piece of paper you will earn./ seriously, go off and take the initiative yourself, there;s more than enough resources out there for you too teach yourself a  new language. go above and beyond th e call... it's not fuckin' hard either...

So I will be taking C++, Visual Basic and Java during spring semester.

Question #1 Will all they mesh together nicely?

Question #2 Do the languages have similar formats?

Question #3 Which laguage might be the most trouble?

Questio $4 Anyone have any related reading that might help get me "thinking" in terms that that thses classes will use?

I'm taking  a music class also to keep my sanity.

Creating interactive software for music engineers is what im shooting for. Along the same type of programs like "Reason" or "Sound Forge".

Hey Warmachine,

Just wanted to say it's fun playing with ya on the servers. Good soldiers are a plus in my books.

On with the question. I went into college for Computer Engineering at a prestigious university here in Canada. I can comment on a University degree as it gives you very good applied knowledge (programming, hardware), as well as good theoretical knowledge you need to eventually move up. I think a lot of the times my peers want to move into a executive/managerial position as it's more pay and after talking with some people, it's impossible to be coding for 30+ years of your life. So the consensus is that people want to move up.

Listening to your concerns it sounds like you're sick of rallying unmotivated people. Good news is that the research companies I see (Blackberry), they are surrounded by uber-nerds who dress funny and talk about programming all day. It sounds like even if you're a head of a team, it'll still be very fun. There's definitely an element of not having to deal with people, as most of your day is really sitting in front of your computer. So it will still be a fresh start, and maybe your past experiences can be utilized here.

Funny thing is that I dropped out of my program and switched into something in the social sciences. So take my advice with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, hoped that helps, and feel free to ask for any clarification. Leon

Why you should listen to me: CS degree, i live and work on the west coast (programming jobs are really different from place to place so if your not west coast then disregard me), and well because some of the info given previous on this thread seems sorta inaccurate.

You stated that your goal is to create interactive music software for sound engineers.  This is a fairly specific goal and one which will require specialization on your part.  You said you are taking java, c++, and basic.  Frankly that's crazy talk.  Drop basic, you will never ever ever ever ever ever use it(did i put enough ever's?).  Basic will hurt your resume.  Next, think what kind of software you want to develop, the kind that you just install and run like 99% of everything you download?  Then go with c/c++.  Basically it'll be the hardest thing to learn but give you the most knowledge in the end.  It doesn't hold your hand, it does exactly what you tell it to.  Now i've gotta say that i've never seen anyone fuck up an OS by coding as virgin said, i've seen labs of dumb civil engineers learning to code in C++ and never did they break a machine so don't worry about that. 

Now for the most important advice i can give you:  the things that are important are not certifications but skills.  Ideally in your resume you want to list off a few very important programming skills you have (networking applications, gui applications, 3d graphic programming, ect) and have a portfolio with an example program of yours that does each of those things.  Trust me if you have aspirations to work on a specific type of project then start now on something of your own that is similar to what you want to do.  It doesn't have to be something amazing, maybe something simple like a music file splitter or a music file converter, something that shows you are A. Passionate about the field and B. have some experience working with music! 

If you ever need help with some coding or coding related task message me and I'll be glad to help (I really enjoy coding otherwise i would be doing it 8hours a day 5 days a week) 

War- I believe Leon has the best Information.  I am 35 and a retired tennis player so I can not comment on computer knowledge because I have none but  I have met many different types of people from around the world.  The most succesful people I have ever met all had 1 belief in common.  I was first told at a young age by this 60+ yr old millionaire who never graduated high school but had this huge empire and since then from my travels around the globe people have said the same thing he did to me way back when. He said, " Find That  One thing that you are good at.  It will usually be something that you excell at and enjoy.  You will know it because you be better or as good at it as those with the same skill around you and then.....stick to it and perfect it.  Be better than everyone else at that skill."  I asked him well what if you are good at it but don't enjoy it.  He said, "kid?  I started out as a plumber at 16 yrs old.  I hated it. But I kept at it because I was good at it and it opened up other doors like homebuilding that I do enjoy."  I always thought about what he had told me and as I grew older it made more and more sense.  As Leon stated that your environment may have alot to do with your happiness and well being.  I heard about this one guy a long time ago that had an environment at work that he hated and was under paid.  So he decided to leave and start his own magazine.  He had no money, his dad thought he was foolish for leaving a good job and refused to give him money to help so  his mom out of love gave her life savings to him and he started this little magazine that turned out to make a few dollars in the future and he ended up a very happy man.  His name was Hugh Hefner.

Find what truly makes you happy and the skill that goes with it and perfect it.  The down side is you have a skill set already and perhaps all you need for happiness is a new surrounding..You never know

Good luck with whatever you do,

 

hax: Archangel // King Ghetto Rooster