Career Change

[Litespeed]

I hope this post is in the right area.

I have been in science for years now and see nothing in the future. I am currently thinking of getting A+/Network+ Certified. I have just begun researching different areas. This post being considered one of the first steps. I have a lot of respect for the points of views from individuals here. This is kind of tentative, but some thing I want to check into.

Should I do one of these "Boot Camps" that promise certification? Or should I go to a reputable school and take night class? I already did the undergraduate and masters school thing for Chemistry so I am really not sure if I want to start all over. Or should I look into computer programming?

I have been working on computers as a hobby for two years now. I can easily build most anything and have worked with linux for fun. I can usually work around most all OS. My friend just graduated with a computer science degree and has taught me alot. And I am a pretty quick study. But the bottom line is I have no formal education. So, the main question is will certification in these two fields (A+/Network+) open doors for me. Also, are there other aspects I should consider studying?

Sorry if the subject matter of the post seems to go all over the place. I am just getting my feet wet. Thanks for any information. -Matt

[ric449]

They may open some doors, but don't expect anything big. Remember the tests are entry level. It depends who you go to, some places will hire you for passing these entry level testsd, some won't. Either way it will look good on a CV that you have another qualification.

As for classes, it depends on what type of learner you are, if you can learn from just reading books then just buy a study book and you should be fine. If you prefer to learn by a teacher actually being there, then the classes are for you.