Author Topic: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?  (Read 9603 times)

unplugged

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Do we have any computer techs here that would be willing to advise a young man on career options in this field?

Some back ground. Our daughter will spend 3-7 hours a night to get all A's in her AP classes. Where a  son has really struggled in math and no amount of hours has fixed that. He is awesome at computers and is an intern at his school in the tech department. He is happy as a clam with this internship.

He has 90% of his technical college paid for through a state lottery program. Though he can't figure out which one of these options will keep him employed? Due to the math struggles, he would prefer the certificate programs vs the degree programs to lessen the math.

Do any of these stand out as being better than the others?  Also wanted to note that he wants to be the next MMM or Jacob though he knows his career choice wont pay as much as theirs did. So his goals will take a little bit longer. Thanks in advance if you can help and I promise to pay it forward.


-   CISCO CCNP Specialist Certificate

-   CISCO Network Specialist Certificate

-   Computer Support Specialist Degree

-   Computer Support Specialist Diploma

-   Internet Specialist - Web Site Design Degree

-   Internet Specialist - Web Site Design Diploma

-   Internet Specialist Website Developer Certificate

-   Linux/UNIX System Administrator Certificate

-   Networking Specialist Degree

-   Networking Specialist Diploma

-   PC Repair and Network Technician Certificate



Khao

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If your son is really bad at math I would already strike out developer and designer. These jobs require a lot of programming and coding and even though math skills are not exactly required, in my experience there is a strong link between math proficiency and programming proficiency. People who are not great at doing maths will struggle with all the logical thinking and solving complex problems in programming.

If he loves working with computers though, computer support, administrator, technician and network admin would all be great career choices. I would say network admin and system admin could be paid more than support or technician, but I suggest you do more research if that's a factor you would consider because this is just on top of my head.

Arbor33

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People who are not great at doing maths will struggle with all the logical thinking and solving complex problems in programming.

While this can be true, it's more of a correlation than causation IMO. If your son has any interest in developing code, he should give it whirl. Don't let the college course requirements deter him from doing what he likes (if he ends up liking developing). I have a BS in Computer Science and never took a day of calculus in my life. I think I only took around 4 math courses throughout my college career. There are generally enough opportunities for a student to receive help on campus, he just needs to be dedicated to the cause and ask for help when he needs it.

Just remember that math isn't a genetic trait. It's a skill and skills can be improved upon. With 90% of his schooling paid for, he should feel even less intimidated by the coursework because he has that much less to lose.

chicagomeg

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My fiance has a Bachelors of Business in Information Technology and works as a database developer. He did this for the same reason-he hates math (he's probably actually quite good at it, it's just lack of interest, not aptitude, which are definitely different). At any rate, he's about 4 years out of school and earns $75k. It's a very in demand profession. Just my two cents!

Khao

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I know it's not "You absolutely need to be good at math" thing, but from my experience of the people I studied with, those who struggled with maths were doing pretty terrible in programming classes, even if they were putting the effort. Of course there are still tons of career paths that are available that don't have to do with programming.

mobilisinmobili

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Some of these are a little too vague to even know what they mean / entail. I work in IT for a major Canadian telco and

CISCO CCNP Specialist Certificate
CISCO Network Specialist Certificate
Internet Specialist - Web Site Design Diploma
Linux/UNIX System Administrator Certificate
PC Repair and Network Technician Certificate

could all be good.

Depends on the work he's passionate about. Also actual skills programming/using the technology will be advantageous in many cases over outdated info they might be teaching you in class.

unplugged

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Thanks so much everyone!

 I forgot to mention that should he slip one time in grades the 90% funding is gone and there are no chances to get it back. It's just the way the lottery scholarship program was set up. The technical programs at the school all are about 2 years in length.  I agree that these titles are vague. He was looking at a school closer to home but their graduation rate was very low and concerning. So he's choses a much larger technical school with a better graduation rate. To be honest he wants to do what he's doing right now as an intern. Working for a school system.

Also he has found a site that teaches code for free and he is starting that this week. Not sure how that will go but it's worth a shot.


the fixer

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Having done IT in the past, I think the educational programs are great for someone lacking experience who needs to demonstrate capability, so by all means he should go for whatever on that list interests him. But I also recommend some outside-of-class "study" time tinkering with computers and networks.

[sorry about the length of this, I'm waaay too geeky when it comes to this stuff]

Linux/UNIX system administration can be learned by taking an old PC and installing Linux on it. Set it up as a web server and build a little website. Install a database. Then install Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla!, whatever. Set up a DHCP and DNS server. Try to find some old hard disks and assemble them into a RAID array. See if you can migrate the entire system over to the RAID array without reinstalling (if you can figure this out, you'll understand Linux internals way better than most). Set it up as a file/print server with Samba. Install Postfix and figure out how to set it up as an internal mail server. For a big challenge, try backing up everything you've done, blowing away the installation, and setting it up again from your backup configuration files. If you want it to be even harder, try restoring with a different Linux distribution than the one you originally used to set it all up (!!!) Are you sure you didn't miss anything? Big jobs require a pretty extensive test plan to make sure you didn't, say, get DHCP/DNS working again but the database is still broken.

Cisco equipment requires practice to really get good at it, especially for someone new to networking. Find an old, surplus Catalyst switch on Craigslist (a multilayer one is best like the 3750, but all this stuff can be expensive). Set up a small network including the Linux server. Reconfigure the link to the server as a VLAN trunk, and enable VLAN tagging on the server. Set up a router (either an actual router from CL, another PC, a multilayer switch, or the toy one you already have with iptables) and get your different LAN segments to talk to each other. Set up IPv6. Borrow other friends' or family members' laptops to connect to your network and see if they play nice on it.

All of the above would probably take someone months to figure out the first time, but the experience will be better than anything learned in a course. The courses will help him get that first job, but the tinkering will make him excel at that job and lead to all future raises, promotions, and better jobs later. Playing around with stuff like this can also help narrow focus and figure out what he really enjoys the most (by the way, enjoying all of it is okay, too; there are plenty of small businesses with one "IT Guy" who has to do everything)

By doing a bunch of self-study, you are also learning the MOST important skill in IT: the ability to use Google. If you're just following step-by-step instructions to set something up, or you're asking the instructor, you're NOT acting like an IT person. An IT person is frequently confronted with a crazy, weird problem (including the step-by-step instructions being wrong) and there's no instructor to ask for help (and more often than not your boss barely knows how to log in to his PC). The company will be relying on you to figure out the answer, and the secret weapon is to Google it. Knowing how to weed out irrelevant information in the problem, isolate the component that's failing, then looking online for the reason why is what IT people do that makes them so valuable. Fixing that problem, which is indistinguishable from magic to the general population, is also one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.

tkaraszewski

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Anything that ends in "certificate" is a way to try and break into shitty entry-level IT jobs where you plug cables into routers and reinstall windows on secretaries' computers.

If you want the sort of $125k/year programming job that MRM had, you want to major in computer science. Alternatively, you could major in computer engineering and design circuits and processors for a living. This will pay just as well. These are both challenging (and fairly math-heavy) BS programs.

"awesome at computers" doesn't really mean anything at all. If he can get the printer to work and the new laptop to connect to the wi-fi even when nobody else can, congratulations, he's qualified for a $40k entry-level help desk job.

If he's building his own apps or little robots or something, this is the gateway to the big six-figure salaries that silicon valley is known for.

SwordGuy

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If your son can't add, subtract, multiply, or divide and get the right answer most of the time, he won't succeed as a programmer.

If he can do simple arithmetic, he can get by.

If he has good problem solving skills, just not advanced math skills, he can do well.

But to do really well, instead of just being an overpaid productivity drain to the rest of the development team, he needs to MASTER the languages he uses.   If he can MASTER one programming language, really understand it and use it well, he can do very well in the field (and he can probably master any of them he works in).

unplugged

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2013, 05:33:46 PM »
Thanks again. This is great info! The last class he struggled with was Physics (not Math, but still required a lot of math).
He ended up with a B but that required  extra help etc.. 

Fixer, I like your idea of getting computers to tinker with and wish I had saved my old PC. I need to ask around and find a resource for that. Son has been asking to do that but we have a Mac and they last forever and that wont help him anyway.

tmac

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2013, 06:07:01 PM »
My husband and I own and operate a small and very busy IT consulting/systems integration company (5 employees, managing 700 seats for 40-odd clients). We just went through a hiring cycle, and I can tell you what we needed, and didn't find:

1. Microsoft Exchange and Small Business Server knowledge, along with the usual PC/network stuff.*
2. Troubleshooting skills. Figure it out. Know where to start, and then when that doesn't work, what's next.*
3. Self-starter. Dive in. Do it because you love it. If you were pulling apart PCs when you were 15, that's a REALLY good sign.
4. Good communications skills. Written and verbal, please. Good grammar, well spoken, good phone manner, polite. Be nice, and don't treat the users like they're idiots. Even when they are.
5. Organized. Log your tasks. Submit your hours and expenses. Keep us in the loop. Don't drop the ball.

*Notice that only two of these bullet points are tech related.

This person is hard to find, so we're chronically one or two people down, or we end up hiring someone who can kind of do it, but they have to be dragged along and it never really gels. When we do find that person, he gets paid a ton and we're super nice (bonuses, flexible hours, telecommuting, birthdays off, etc.).

Vilx-

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2013, 12:56:40 AM »
I'm a computer programmer myself, and I can tell you that that's a profession where good people are hard to find. The demand for programmers exceed the supply by a large margin. And nobody thinks that this will get any better within the next decade. So if your son gets excited by programming, that's definitely a good way to go. Programming and math are related (and programming studies will likely include a few obligatory math courses), but math isn't really a requirement to be good at programming. It's more like the two have similar modes of thinking. People good at one tend to be good at the other. So, yes - more a correlation than causation.

But the really important thing is that your son needs to enjoy what he's doing. Good specialists will always be in high demand, especially in IT, no matter if they are programmers, admins, analysts or anything else (btw - has he considered systems analysis or software testing?). And the best way to become really good at something is to love it so much that you do it in your free time. The 10,000 hour rule applies here as well as everywhere else, but loving what you do sure makes it easier and faster to reach that mark. :)

P.S. Read this: http://joelonsoftware.com/items/2012/01/13.html
« Last Edit: March 05, 2013, 12:58:20 AM by Vilx- »

rugorak

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2013, 07:16:20 AM »
I work as a sys admin currently. Short version is skip the web stuff. That is a dime a dozen and doesn't get you squat as far as work. Web design is all about your portfolio. My cousin who just picked it up for so is now doing web design. He has no certs, no degree, nothing. But he has examples of his work. Any of the rest is ok. In essence all it ends up being is a foot in the door. Keep in mine you have to update your certifications every few years or they are worthless. Being one version behind in your cert is ok, but two behind and it is worthless. Experience is what makes all the difference in the end. I have a BS in Computer Science and it does help (both having the degree on paper and the Computer Science theory that my program taught). But it won't get me a job at all. Another thing for him to keep in mind is he better love learning new things because the field reinvents itself every 3-5 years. One of my biggest issues with some coworkers are the ones who want to learn things one way once and never again ever. They usually came from other fields and got into IT just because of the job opportunities.

I'll also ask how exactly does he struggle in math? Math is a huge subject with lots of areas. I loved calculus and number theory but just barely passed differential equations. Also a 90% in physics with help isn't necessarily bad. Was it calculus based or not? I actually found the non-calculus based physics in high school harder than calc based because they came up with such convoluted ways to approximate what was being done with the calculus. Also teachers make a huge difference too. I have friends that are math teachers. They see it and their students tell them about it. The quality of the teacher can be the difference between a huge struggle and getting it and loving it.

In the end as long as he understands logic and enjoys learning new things he should do great. The rest can help but logic is the only part of math that you really need to get.

mm31

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2013, 11:17:30 AM »
I work at a software firm, our development environment is linux.  Forget those web classes, they seem useless. I'm also of certification programs. If your son wants to be a linux/unix sysadmin, he will have to know his stuff well, because of people like me who have used linux for over 10 years and know our way around it and because of the various tutorials I can use online to do some basic tasks.

As for programming: math is a very vast field. Your son doesn't have to like most of the field, but he has to be competent in entry-level set theory, calculus, logic, graph theory, discrete math. The ability to think and reason is paramount, even more that just knowing a particular language. Over the course of his career, he'll work with 10 different languages, and 20 different technologies so his ability to communicate and reason well will be important.

1. Microsoft Exchange and Small Business Server knowledge, along with the usual PC/network stuff.*
2. Troubleshooting skills. Figure it out. Know where to start, and then when that doesn't work, what's next.*
3. Self-starter. Dive in. Do it because you love it. If you were pulling apart PCs when you were 15, that's a REALLY good sign.
4. Good communications skills. Written and verbal, please. Good grammar, well spoken, good phone manner, polite. Be nice, and don't treat the users like they're idiots. Even when they are.
5. Organized. Log your tasks. Submit your hours and expenses. Keep us in the loop. Don't drop the ball.

*Notice that only two of these bullet points are tech related.

have you ever hired someone that fulfills 2-4, but not 1 (but could learn on the job)? Have you tried hiring old linux/unix sysadmins?

icefr

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2013, 11:57:53 AM »
If you want the sort of $125k/year programming job that MRM had, you want to major in computer science. Alternatively, you could major in computer engineering and design circuits and processors for a living. This will pay just as well. These are both challenging (and fairly math-heavy) BS programs.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and I took 7 math courses: two Calculus, two Algebra, Statistics and Probability, and one other one that I forget what it was. I have many friends who didn't do well at the math courses, but they still came out with their CS degrees.

tmac

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #16 on: March 05, 2013, 01:24:00 PM »
I work at a software firm, our development environment is linux.  Forget those web classes, they seem useless. I'm also of certification programs. If your son wants to be a linux/unix sysadmin, he will have to know his stuff well, because of people like me who have used linux for over 10 years and know our way around it and because of the various tutorials I can use online to do some basic tasks.

As for programming: math is a very vast field. Your son doesn't have to like most of the field, but he has to be competent in entry-level set theory, calculus, logic, graph theory, discrete math. The ability to think and reason is paramount, even more that just knowing a particular language. Over the course of his career, he'll work with 10 different languages, and 20 different technologies so his ability to communicate and reason well will be important.

1. Microsoft Exchange and Small Business Server knowledge, along with the usual PC/network stuff.*
2. Troubleshooting skills. Figure it out. Know where to start, and then when that doesn't work, what's next.*
3. Self-starter. Dive in. Do it because you love it. If you were pulling apart PCs when you were 15, that's a REALLY good sign.
4. Good communications skills. Written and verbal, please. Good grammar, well spoken, good phone manner, polite. Be nice, and don't treat the users like they're idiots. Even when they are.
5. Organized. Log your tasks. Submit your hours and expenses. Keep us in the loop. Don't drop the ball.

*Notice that only two of these bullet points are tech related.

have you ever hired someone that fulfills 2-4, but not 1 (but could learn on the job)? Have you tried hiring old linux/unix sysadmins?

We haven't, but that's not to say we wouldn't. As you can see from the tech-to-seat ratio, we don't have a lot of time to train, but if the person could persuade us that they would take the initiative to get up to speed fast (and I mean FAST), we'd give it a try, maybe as a contractor for the first few months so that none of us were locked in if it didn't work out.

Sparafusile

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #17 on: March 05, 2013, 01:50:29 PM »
I broke these into logical groups for you. I'll put brief descriptions and suggestions below.

-   CISCO CCNP Specialist Certificate

-   CISCO Network Specialist Certificate

-   Networking Specialist Degree

-   Networking Specialist Diploma

Unfortunately, this is the group I know the least about. It sounds like the first two is just a specialty of the second two. a CISCO specialist would certainly earn more, but may limit himself in job opportunities if that's all he knew.

-   Internet Specialist - Web Site Design Degree

-   Internet Specialist - Web Site Design Diploma

These are the kind of jobs that many, many people can do. A person with this degree would have to compete for work against all the other bozos that learned HTML and think they can create websites. I would not choose one of these.

-   Internet Specialist Website Developer Certificate

This is the closest to what I do. I have a Computer Science degree and use those skills to develop web applications. If he is self driven, there is no reason to go to school for this (except schooling is almost free in this instance). In my experience, nothing I learned in college was that useful when it came to getting a job and it was what I learned on the side that was most useful.

-   Linux/UNIX System Administrator Certificate

Linux is still a niche. If this is all he learned at school it would restrict where he could get a job. That being said, as others have said, this stuff can be learned without the school if he is driven to learn it.

-   PC Repair and Network Technician Certificate

-   Computer Support Specialist Degree

-   Computer Support Specialist Diploma

This is the sort of thing I learned working for a summer before I went to college. I have a hard time thinking of enough material to fill 2 years of courses let along 4. Perhaps the title is just too vague to be meaningful.

So my advice is - if he thinks programming is fun and has the ability to do it (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/07/separating-programming-sheep-from-non-programming-goats.html) then I would go with the Website Developer Certificate. If he likes programming enough to learn it on his own, I'd go with networking or the linux program.

freelancerNfulltimer

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2013, 04:04:44 PM »
Quote
Quote from: unplugged on March 04, 2013, 12:21:47 PM
-   Internet Specialist - Web Site Design Degree

-   Internet Specialist - Web Site Design Diploma

These are the kind of jobs that many, many people can do. A person with this degree would have to compete for work against all the other bozos that learned HTML and think they can create websites. I would not choose one of these.

I would kind of agree with this, but not completely. Many people can't do it well. Unless you have actual design skills or aptitude I wouldn't pursue these. However, if you can design really well and code well there are endless job opportunities. I make $60k/year as a Web Designer, and have more Freelance than I have hours to do the work in. The secret is to have a great portfolio. I don't advertise for work, it all comes to me. I didn't even apply for my current position, I was found and basically handed the job. But I love what I do and taught myself in High School.

unplugged

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #19 on: March 06, 2013, 03:46:29 PM »
Thanks again for everyones help! We decided to look again at the technical school closer to us to save on gas. I think that school may be a possibility after all. The options are similar yet some of the options require no math what so ever? (the options near the bottom show no math and he would graduate really quickly from the program). The issue still is being employed. He doesn't want to take these classes and not be able to get a job etc..SO many graduates here from 4 year colleges are working retail because they can't get jobs in their field.


Computer Support Specialist Curriculum Outline

Diploma Program (Major Code: CS14)
Credit Required for Graduation: 55 semester credit hours

Credits
General Core   8
   EMPL   1000   Interpersonal Relations and Professional Development   2
    OR       
   PSYC   1010   Basic Psychology   3
   ENGL   1010   Fundamentals of English I   3
   MATH   1012   Foundations of Mathematics   3
    OR       
   MATH   1013   Algebraic Concepts   3
     OR       
   MATH   1015   Geometry and Trigonometry   3
 
Computer Support Specialist Major   32
*  CIST   1001   Computer Concepts   4
*  CIST   1122   Hardware Installation and Maintenance   4
*  CIST   1130   Operating Systems Concepts   3
*  CIST   1220   Structured Query Language (SQL)   4
*  CIST   1305   Program Design and Development   3
*  CIST   1401   Computer Networking Fundamentals   4
*  CIST   1601   Information Security Fundamentals   3
*  CIST   2921   IT Analysis, Design, and Project Management   4
*  COMP   1000   Introduction to Computers   3
 
Productivity Application Course   3
Students must choose from one of the following courses:
*  CIST   2120   Supporting Application Software   4
*  CIST   2127   Comprehensive Word Processing Techniques   3
*  CIST   2128   Comprehensive Spreadsheet Techniques   3
*  CIST   2129   Computer Database Techniques   4
 
Electives   12
Students must select from the following courses:
*  ACCT   1100   Financial Accounting I   4
*  ACCT   2140   Legal Environment of Business   3
*  CIST   1510   Web Development I   3
*  CIST   2120   Supporting Application Software   4
*  CIST   2127   Comprehensive Word Processing Techniques   3
*  CIST   2128   Comprehensive Spreadsheet Techniques   3
*  CIST   2129   Computer Database Techniques   4
*  CIST   2130   Desktop Support Concepts   2
*  CIST   2311   Visual Basic I   4
*  CIST   2411   Microsoft Client   4
*  HRTM   1130   Business Etiquette and Communication   3
*  MGMT   1100   Principles of Management   3
* Students must pass courses with a grade of C or higher.

Computer Support Specialist Curriculum Outline

Associate of Applied Science Program (Major Code: CS23)
Credit Required for Graduation: 62 semester credit hours

Credits
General Education   15
Area I: Language Arts and Communications   3
   ENGL   1101   Composition and Rhetoric   3
Area II: Social and Behavioral Sciences   3
Students must choose from the following courses:
   ECON   2105   Macroeconomics   3
   ECON   2106   Microeconomics   3
   HIST   1111   World History I   3
   HIST   1112   World History II   3
   HIST   2111   U.S. History I   3
   HIST   2112   U.S. History II   3
   POLS   1101   American Government   3
   PSYC   1101   Introductory Psychology   3
   SOCI   1101   Introduction to Sociology   3
Area III: Mathematics and Natural Sciences   3
Students must choose from the following courses:
   MATH   1100   Quantitative Skills and Reasoning   3
   MATH   1101   Mathematical Modeling   3
   MATH   1111   College Algebra   3
Area IV: Humanities and Fine Arts   3
Students must choose from the following courses:
   ARTS   1101   Art Appreciation   3
   ENGL   2130   American Literature   3
   ENGL   2310   English Literature from the Beginnings to 1700   3
   HUMN   1101   Introduction to Humanities   3
   MUSC   1101   Music Appreciation   3
General Education Electives   3
Students may choose a course from Area II, Area III, Area IV, or from the following list:
   BIOL   1111   Biology I   3
    AND       
   BIOL   1111L   Biology I Lab   1
   BIOL   1112   Biology II   3
    AND       
   BIOL   1112L   Biology II Lab   1
   CHEM   1151   Survey of Inorganic Chemistry   3
   CHEM   1151L   Survey of Inorganic Chemistry Lab   1
   CHEM   1211   Chemistry I   3
    AND       
   CHEM   1211L   Chemistry I Lab   1
   CHEM   1212   Chemistry II   3
    AND       
   CHEM   1212L   Chemistry II Lab   1
   ENGL   1102   Literature and Composition   3
   MATH   1112   College Trigonometry   3
   MATH   1113   Precalculus   3
   MATH   1127   Introduction to Statistics   3
   PHYS   1110   Conceptual Physics   3
    AND       
   PHYS   1110L   Conceptual Physics Lab   1
   SPCH   1101   Public Speaking   3
 
Computer Support Specialist Major   32
*  CIST   1001   Computer Concepts   4
*  CIST   1122   Hardware Installation and Maintenance   4
*  CIST   1130   Operating Systems Concepts   3
*  CIST   1220   Structured Query Language (SQL)   4
*  CIST   1305   Program Design and Development   3
*  CIST   1401   Computer Networking Fundamentals   4
*  CIST   1601   Information Security Fundamentals   3
*  CIST   2921   IT Analysis, Design, and Project Management   4
*  COMP   1000   Introduction to Computers   3
 
Productivity Application Course   3
Students must choose from one of the following courses:
*  CIST   2120   Supporting Application Software   4
*  CIST   2127   Comprehensive Word Processing Techniques   3
*  CIST   2128   Comprehensive Spreadsheet Techniques   3
*  CIST   2129   Computer Database Techniques   4
 
Electives   12
Students must select from the following courses:
*  ACCT   1100   Financial Accounting I   4
*  ACCT   2140   Legal Environment of Business   3
*  CIST   1510   Web Development I   3
*  CIST   2120   Supporting Application Software   4
*  CIST   2127   Comprehensive Word Processing Techniques   3
*  CIST   2128   Comprehensive Spreadsheet Techniques   3
*  CIST   2129   Computer Database Techniques   4
*  CIST   2130   Desktop Support Concepts   2
*  CIST   2311   Visual Basic I   4
*  CIST   2411   Microsoft Client   4
*  HRTM   1130   Business Etiquette and Communication   3
*  MGMT   1100   Principles of Management   3
* Students must pass courses with a grade of C or higher.

CompTIA A+ Certification Preparation Curriculum Outline

Technical Certificate of Credit (Major Code: CA61)
Credit Required for Graduation: 10 semester credit hours

Credits
Technical Certificate   10
*  CIST   1122   Hardware Installation and Maintenance   4
*  CIST   1130   Operating Systems Concepts   3
*  COMP   1000   Introduction to Computers   3
* Students must pass courses with a grade of C or higher.

CompTIA A+ Certified Technician Preparation Curriculum Outline

Technical Certificate of Credit (Major Code: CA71)
Credit Required for Graduation: 18 semester credit hours

Credits
Technical Certificate   14
*  CIST   1001   Computer Concepts   4
*  CIST   1122   Hardware Installation and Maintenance   4
*  CIST   1130   Operating Systems Concepts   3
*  COMP   1000   Introduction to Computers   3
 
Electives   4
Students must select from the following courses:
*  CIST   1401   Computer Networking Fundamentals   4
*  CIST   2120   Supporting Application Software   4
* Students must pass courses with a grade of C or higher.

Help Desk Specialist Curriculum Outline

Technical Certificate of Credit (Major Code: HD41)
Credit Required for Graduation: 24 semester credit hours

Credits
Technical Certificate   20
*  CIST   1001   Computer Concepts   4
*  CIST   1122   Hardware Installation and Maintenance   4
*  CIST   1130   Operating Systems Concepts   3
*  CIST   1401   Computer Networking Fundamentals   4
*  CIST   2130   Desktop Support Concepts   2
*  COMP   1000   Introduction to Computers   3
 
Electives   4
Students must select from the following courses:
*  CIST   2120   Supporting Application Software   4
*  CIST   2411   Microsoft Client   4
* Students must pass courses with a grade of C or higher.

Microsoft Excel Application Specialist Curriculum Outline

Technical Certificate of Credit (Major Code: ME21)
Credit Required for Graduation: 9 semester credit hours

Credits
Technical Certificate   6
*  CIST   2128   Comprehensive Spreadsheet Techniques   3
*  COMP   1000   Introduction to Computers   3
 
Elective   3
Students must select from the following courses:
*  CIST   2120   Supporting Application Software   4
*  CIST   2129   Computer Database Techniques   4
* Students must pass courses with a grade of C or higher.

PC Repair and Network Technician Curriculum Outline

Technical Certificate of Credit (Major Code: PR21)
Credit Required for Graduation: 18 semester credit hours

Credits
Technical Certificate   18
*  CIST   1001   Computer Concepts   4
*  CIST   1122   Hardware Installation and Maintenance   4
*  CIST   1130   Operating Systems Concepts   3
*  CIST   1401   Computer Networking Fundamentals   4
*  COMP   1000   Introduction to Computers   3
* Students must pass courses with a grade of C or higher.

Spork

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #20 on: March 06, 2013, 03:56:13 PM »

Linux is still a niche. If this is all he learned at school it would restrict where he could get a job. That being said, as others have said, this stuff can be learned without the school if he is driven to learn it.


I can both agree and disagree here...  You could very well say "Windows is still a niche ... and would restrict where he could get a job."

I've worked some form of unix job since around 1990.  Almost every "big tech internet" out there is somehow loosely based on it.  Linux itself is far from new.  I've been using it in production since early 2000s.

If you want to work IT and manage desktops, Linux is a bad path.  But it is far from a dead end niche.

the fixer

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Re: Any computer techs willing to advise a young student on career options?
« Reply #21 on: March 06, 2013, 04:13:08 PM »
I would focus on network and server stuff. Most of this gets you a tier 1 helpdesk job, talking to clueless people on the phone who can't explain what their computer is doing.

Another option is to combine computer skills with another field and forge your own path. For example, someone who likes to write can become a technology writer/columnist for a newspaper or magazine. I don't recommend this path specifically, but it's illustrative of the kind of options that are out there.

Software QA is also a good career choice. It mostly consists of finding bugs, determining how to reproduce them, and documenting them. Intuition into how computer software works is extremely useful for these jobs. The above programs would probably be sufficient education to get started in this field, but a little bit of extra experience or picking the right electives would help enormously.