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Posted on 10/03/2001 8:46:57 PM PDT by operation clinton cleanup
I am (was) a COBOL programmer and am in need of a new meal ticket. I served in the U.S.A.F. from 1989-1997 and have a B.S. Degree in Information Systems. My question to my fellow Freepers is: A: Should I use my G.I. Bill to pursue an MCSD with only 4 years programming. and #2: Should I pursue an MCSE and a CCNA? No jobs now for straight COBOL/DB2 programmers with so little exp. Like programming, but what opps' does system eng. involve? Need some Freepin' feedback!
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous
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To: operation clinton cleanup
go ahead soak the benefits. while you're at it, get a certificate in para-legal temporizing and buggy whip making....there may also be crash course programs in vertical marketing franchise schemes.
To: operation clinton cleanup
Your choice,
if you earn a bona fide MS in Comp Sci/Comp Eng you should be employable.
It would be good if you enjoy it.
3
posted on
10/03/2001 8:51:07 PM PDT
by
a_witness
To: colormebemused
Thanks for your constructive input.
To: operation clinton cleanup
Bump to help get exposure!
5
posted on
10/03/2001 8:52:28 PM PDT
by
JustAmy
To: operation clinton cleanup
Shoot for MCSE and CCNA first. Can get both in less than 6 months, then go for your degree.
6
posted on
10/03/2001 8:52:37 PM PDT
by
Bommer
To: a_witness
Truth be told there are pleanty of MSCEs and MCSD out there. I would pick the one you already have experience with. But to be real, the best route would be to get as much of both as you can. A Programmer/Admin is quite sought after, and I've been looking. Just out of curiosity, are there no opps for your COBOL/DB2 knowledge?
7
posted on
10/03/2001 8:54:27 PM PDT
by
paul544
To: operation clinton cleanup
If you like programming, do that. There are far fewer programmers than system engineers.
Pick a couple of the hot technologies (check who is hiring for what) and go that route.
I can't stand programming, so I went the MCSE route. Doing pretty good, but could probably make more if I could sit at my desk all day and write code (blah!).
8
posted on
10/03/2001 8:54:36 PM PDT
by
birddog
To: operation clinton cleanup
Why write Common Business Lanquage? But seriously ... got 3 of my degrees while on GI Bill. It was a God send for a married college student
To: a_witness
I was saving the G.I. Bill for my masters in Computer Science. But the economy has forced me to make a choice. With only 4 years exp. in the field, I need a certification just to get in the door! A college degree aint workin right now!
To: operation clinton cleanup
Why go from developer to network admin? I would go with mcsd. Or maybe go for Java. Java with SQL experience is always in demand.
To: operation clinton cleanup
Go for the Cisco certs first. The CCNA is worth about 30K a year more than a MCSE. In fact, right now here in California, MCSE's are cheap. The hot systems skills are Cisco and UNIX (Solaris and Linux)
To: paul544
I was wondering the same, I do MS SNA server and I have almost no mainframe knowledge, except for what I have read about and learned from Vendors we connect with.
I know there are a ton of institutions that have mainframes - should be plenty of oppertunity somewhere.
13
posted on
10/03/2001 8:59:18 PM PDT
by
birddog
To: operation clinton cleanup
If you need that just to get in the door then you do not possess the right skills. Get some skills in high demand. :) There's a glut of cobol programmers now that y2k is history.
To: operation clinton cleanup
Listen ... I design ASIC's from my house on the river. When I work I keep one eye on my fishing pole. Salary way in 6 figures ... no commute ... very few meetings. Travel to sillycon valley once a week get there at 11:00 leave at 2:30. The degree is most certainly worth the time and trouble.
To: birddog
I live in RTP and am competing with retired IBM'ers with 30 years exp. I moved here in 1997 from Seymour Johnson A.F.B. and caught the tail end of the mainframe Y2K craze. I have JAVA and VB 6.0 class time... but that does not count at the interview! I cant believe all the freepin response here! Everybody really does look out for thier fellow Freepers!
To: operation clinton cleanup
Well either one is good. CCNA will help with understanding and implementing WANs and MCSE will look good on paper. MCSE doesnt quite hold the weight it used to. I think either MCSE or MCSD with a CCNA is a good solution, Cant believe you are a COBOL programmer, I took a class on that and had to drop, that was hard and boring. My hats off to ya!!
To: Old Professer
Right up your alley.
To: patriot31u
LOL!!! Reading this thread, he should be totally confused now.
19
posted on
10/03/2001 9:06:10 PM PDT
by
paul544
To: patriot31u
Cant believe you are a COBOL programmer, I took a class on that and had to drop, that was hard and boring Didn't you just hate those damn punch cards ???
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