4)
Gonna be selfish and ask something for me.
Been taking Cisco Curriculi. finishing up CCNA I . Is Cisco Certs and such really that big of a deal? Marketable? Cisco Routers and Protocols such as IGRP, and EIGRP really that "good" . Is Cisco really teaching what one needs in the real world , a good outline of study - or just marketing in selling Cisco to students, whom in the real world will use other 'products' [Jupiter for instance].
Bottom Line : I am not getting any younger.
I was raised into and stayed with a business for 35 years. I learned it as an apprentice.
I mean College was not something my family, or folks around me did. A peice of paper did not pay the rent or put gas in the vehicle - sounds tacky, but titles never these for me either. I either knew how - or I didn't. I saw folks with paper and titles that did not know how to cross a street without getting hit.
Yes I have peices of paper, I just went to learn the new stuff, tools and whatnot as it came about, they mailed me the pcs of paper, most stayed in envlelopes, and most are probably lost by now- means totally nothing to anyone except those persons in that business.
So I attend College and see folks doing Networking, or similar in CIS/IT. I have classmates - one in the Air Force for instance, been doing Admin for sometime. He will retire in a few yrs, and is taking this because he can and wants to , taking spanish too, just for something to do. His AF experience is most likely worth more than the CCNA cert...I dont' know.
Another has been a Network Admin since he got out of the Army. Just learned by doing. He was taking this to satisfy his company that he could in fact do the work he has been doing and training new folks in the company.
Then he finds out his company is selling out and ...well...he is having to figure out what to do as far as a job. He will be getting severance come 'official time" - he thinks he can manage on the $62K package he will be getting. He never attended college, only to take some stuff for his curiousity [ mini- skirts 101 where he met his wife] and does not have a college degree. Just started out learning from the ground up.
Seems to me (what do I know?) Not so much what you know - but whom you know. Always been this way in my experience. Corp / Bus is not what it used to be. Seems the ideas of Employer/ Employee being a team is a long forgotten memory. I mean folks were like family and worked for the common good of business and employees.
I feel like Buffet's "Pirate looks at Forty" - 'occupation being - occupation is not around anymore'.
My Resume' basically sucks. It reflects somethings I did over and over forever. More recent it reflects doing something while going to College. See I did some things in that other life that very few folks are aware of that happened in that business ( and similar) We do not talk about it. It was how things were done before Express mail, FedEx or UPS even were around. Not something one puts on a Resume'. All legit, just very private for security reasons.
I am giving serious thought as to finding someone in CIS/IT that will let me learn as I go along. Perhaps not a Cisco based curriculi. I mean once one gets out they are going to be taught how that company wants things done - observing standards and protocol of course, still the textbook is not real world all the time. I know that.
College is like making sure you can show up / log in on time for on-line classes, follow instructions, meet deadlines, and research stuff as need. I guess if one can find a parking place, find the right bldg, or get logged into WebCt and all...well employer figures you can at least show up on time and flush the toliet.
A bit cynical perhaps, but kinda the way it seems. I had folks taking classes that worked with/ for me. Some stuff - like I do is to see if you can just hold onto sanity and deal with the stress. Has nothing to do with much else.
Yes I am looking to move. Not real comfortable with opportunities here. Everyone is selling out and not many new folks coming in. I like this smaller college, like the instructors. Just evaluating the whole picture is all. Might be best to get past all this negative stuff that hit and have been trying to overcome [ID Theft for one] and just work and learn and worry about pcs of paper later.
One of them life things I guess.
Not wanting a big house, to be filthy rich, or big city. Just a small town, comfortable housing, an older truck that runs, and content.
Oh well, back to IP addressing and figuring submasking I go...pre- final was fun, gotta work on weak areas.
steve
