Expert: Leigh Ishikawa - 8/3/2007

Question
I am looking into pursuing either a Master's degree in a computer related field or working on certifications.  Right now, I work as an IT Administrator for a civil engineering firm.  I have been working here for the past 3 years.  We are a small firm of about 20 people.  I am the only IT guy here.  In my job, I install and maintain software/hardware on user's machines, work on problems with computer equipment (pc's, plotters, printers, network, server) when they arise, and update the company's website.  I have also become pretty familiar with networking equipment like switches and firewalls, and am somewhat familiar with Windows Server 2003.  I also hook new employees up to the network and set up their pc.  My bachelor's degree is in Communications, which I received in 2001.  Since that time, I have worked as a Computer Aided Drafting technician in various firms and have helped with computer related issues in every job.  I am 32 years old now.  I would like to continue working in the IT field, since that is what I love to do.  I would maybe like to get a job in either networking/systems administration/IT security.  Would pursuing a degree be better for me at this point, or should I just pursue certifications?  Right now I don't have a whole lot of time on my hands, as my wife works nights, and I watch my kid, who's 20 months.  On top of that, she wants to have another kid starting next year.  What would be better for me long term?  I wished I had pursued a bachelor's in a computer related field, but will my degree hinder my opportunities for other jobs or more money?  I only make about $43,000 now, but would like to make a lot more.  Thanks very much for your help.

Answer
Hi Dave,

Sorry that this has taken a while, but I needed time to think this one through.

I am looking at this at couple of angles.
1. You are starting a new family and your family is in great need of you
2. You are interested in a long term career goals with better financial opportunities.

So, let's think about few things.
1. A Masters degree in computer science would be great as it will give you the degree in the field of your interst.  On the other hand, it will be time consuming, and financially a burden to your family depending on how little aid you get.
2. A certificate (CCIE - Cisco Certified Internet Expert) is great in a short term because you can spend time with your family and is less of a cost.

But what you really want here is a bigger salary and something that will help you secure a better position.

First of all, let's start off with what I believe the IT field is going to be.  I've said this to many people, but the goal of many larger firms (I work for one), is to make everything into an appliance.  That means a software that's packaged in a hardware.  There's a big thing about SOA (you can read it on wiki) and the goal is to make these contained models into an appliance that customers can purchase and put together an entire network infrastructure.  What this means is there are lot less IT guys needed.  Now this is something many companies have been interested for some time but only few have been able to make their way.  I can't talk about specifics because I am under NDA's but trust me on this one.

So where is the money in IT?  Well, this is a rather interesting topic because your job will change.

1. Day to day activities are not about handling problems, but mostly about proving interfaces.  The typical 'out of box' solutions will be easy, but people will want to do more complex things like "I want the payroll, benefits, medical, and everything to work together.".  So one aspect is someone who can understand this.  I would in fact go for masters in Computer Science for this type of role.

But these are all short term goals.  (5 years).  Coming from someone who is technical, I have to tell you that most people do not cut it in the tech field.  First of all, technology changes fast.  Second, unless you are talking about something low level (network at message level), applications and so forth go obsolete quickly.  There was one article which said if you are out of touch from tech field for 9 months, it's like starting the learning process all over again.  I am not 100% in agreement with this, but some of it is very true.  Also, being a technie is very demanding.

Though tech is attractive, it's not considered as a good long term career.  I have been fortunate to do well in this field, but I watch most fail.  Many go for management where the salary ceiling is higher and few do well at that.  The type of job you are using,

So with your family's well being first, why not consider a completely different alternative?  If you feel your past grade is sufficient to go for masters, why not go for MBA, where your starting salary would be higher and it will make you marketable?  You could do MIS (though I would recommend against it and go for finance), you could do this as a minor.

I know this is something different, but after much thought, that would be my recommendation.

Do let me know what you think and thanks for being patient.

L