| u're considering a career working in Information | | | | a focus on technology, and can also help with job |
| Technology - a fancy way of saying "working with | | | | placement. |
| computers" - congratulations! I can tell you from | | | | What you should beware with some technical schools |
| personal experience that it's one of the best | | | | is an unrealistic emphasis on how much money you're |
| decisions you'll ever make. I can also tell you from | | | | going to make when you graduate. Some schools are |
| personal experience that it is never too late to begin! | | | | fond of mentioning the MCSE Salary Survey, making |
| I started my IT career 10 years ago, and it was a | | | | it sound like you're going to make $65,000 or more in |
| tough decision. I was 34 years old, and really knew | | | | your first IT job. I’m not saying that |
| next to nothing about computers. I decided to attend | | | | can’t happen, but it’s not very |
| a technical school to get my career started, and it | | | | realistic for your first job. When you visit a school |
| was the best decision I've ever made. Ten years | | | | you're thinking of attending, ask to speak to |
| later, I write ebooks and teach classes dealing with | | | | someone in the job placement department and ask |
| different facets of networking, I’ve earned | | | | them point-blank where they've recently placed |
| the most difficult computer certification in the world, | | | | graduates and the salaries at which they were hired. |
| and I've never been happier. The same thing can | | | | Find out how many of the classes include hands-on |
| happen for you. | | | | labs. This should be close or at 100%. The only real |
| As with any new venture, there are some things you | | | | way to learn about software such as Microsoft |
| have to watch out for, so I'm going to share my | | | | Server, or any computer hardware, is to really work |
| experiences with you in this new series of articles. I'll | | | | with it. Just reading about it isn’t enough. |
| tell you what worked for me, what didn't work for | | | | Believe it or not, computer hardware and software |
| me, and some tips and tricks on developing a fun, | | | | doesn’t always work the way the books say |
| exciting, and financially rewarding career in | | | | it will! |
| Information Technology. | | | | You should also ask the school if any of their courses |
| The first decision, and one of the biggest, is to | | | | include preparing for computer certification exams. |
| decide what technical school to attend. If you think | | | | Professional certifications such as the CCNA, |
| you can't afford it, think again. Ask yourself this | | | | Network+, Security+, A+, and MCSE can be a huge |
| question: Can you afford not to go? | | | | boost to your career and your salary. We'll talk more |
| Almost every college and community college offers | | | | about that in the next installment of this series. In |
| some kind of technical class, so look into those. For | | | | the meantime, stop dreaming about a computer |
| many of us, though, a technical college such as ITT | | | | career and start planning on how to make it happen! |
| or ECPI is a better bet. These colleges have more of | | | | |