Future Career Research

[dclamp]

I was doing some research for my future career, and for college, and i found the career i would like to do the most, the site refers to it as "Local Area Network Administration Technician", so basically an IT administrator.

The description sounds very desirable to me. The sites says hourly wage is about $20 and around $39,680 yearly. Is that about right? And is that a good pay?

My second choice is "Cyber Detective". I have always wanted to be a police officer (i am currently taking a Criminal Justice class), and i love technology. With this career, i get to do both, pretty much...

The hourly wage is $33.40 and $69,470 yearly.

What do you guys think

[RobDog888]

Of course it depends upon the location but here in LA those rates are very low. You shouldnt go into a career just for the money or you will burn out and end up changing careers.

I dont think anything in LA, when it comes to programmers or net admins, pays those amounts, not even entry level junior positions.

Where did you get those numbers?

Sounds like you may be more interested in the criminal division of IT.

[RhinoBull]

Wages depend on many factors and geographical location is one of the most important not to mention amount of businesses concentrated in your specific area of interest.
Without knowing average pay rate in your area it would be difficult to say whether or not it's good - one thing I know for sure is that in my town neither amount is even close - but with today's economy situation you never know though.
No one however shall advise you a carrer path - that should really be your own choice.

Good luck.

[dclamp]

Im not really in it for the money, but it is never a bad thing to make good money.

Actually, the criminal justice class that i am taking it a slack off class. My teacher is an ex-cop, but we do nothing in that class. We usually just talk to eachother, and the teacher. He is really cool. So i cant say that i have really learned that much about it so far.

I am really interesting in network administration though. Not so much investigating computers, and searching for kiddy pr0n.

I want to like set up computers and network, wake up at 2am to plug in someones computer because they are dumb, and stuff like that.

I got the information from http://access.bridges.com/

[RobDog888]

Then there is your decision then. Go for it.Take classes at college for it, make Computer Science your major.

[RhinoBull]

Why are you takng CJ class if you want to become network engineer?

[RobDog888]

Maybe net admin at the po po station?

[dclamp]

i have family members who where/are police officers, and it has always appealed to me. So i took the class to see if i wanted to pursue that as a career.

I would take computer classes at school, except the ones at my school teach the basics stuff (Word, excel, powerpoint) and i know all the stuff already, so it is not use to me.

I only wish my school had a networking class of some sort.

[RhinoBull]

Are you still in the high school or already in the college? If you plaaning on entering some college then maybe (and since you love it so much) computer science is for you?
But don't rush into decision that you may regret later - talk to your family, don't ignore their opinions.

[dclamp]

I'm in my 3rd year of high school. The website i mentioned helps you find a college for the selected criteria, but there are so many crappy colleges on it.

All of the DeVry and ITT Tech are on there. I have no idea what school i want to go to, but i want to go to a good one. I know some people have been set on going to a certain college all their life, and to me, i dont really care what college i go to as long as it isnt one of those 2 year schools that cost you like 2000 dollars a semester to go.

I dont want to leave southern california for sure. I want to live on campus... This is driving me crazy.

[RhinoBull]

I see your concerns but ...

- you should not spend a lot of money to get associate degree - it's only a little better than high school so 2G sounds about right
- choose better school to get bachelors
- choose good school for your masters

And after all, if you didn't graduate from one of the Ivy League colleges (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale) nobody's give a turkey really.

So, spend your (or shall I say your family's) money wisely.

[dclamp]

I am looking at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and it sounds nice. Has computer science classes, and business (which i would like to minor in).

The tuition + room&board is 16,000

I can get my Bachelors/ Graduate in Computer Science and Bachelors in Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other

[RobDog888]

If money is a concern then go to a lower end college to get your AS. Then transfer to a 4 year college like UCI. Save alot of money that way and yet your BS will still be from UCI.

[Shaggy Hiker]

That's more than I spent for a BS at a private college twenty years ago. I'm amazed that a public school can charge that much.

I'd like to emphasize something RB mentioned: Nobody cares where you got your degree from. If you go to an ivy league school, that can get you a step ahead for just a few careers, partly because they tend to have very strong alumni networks. For all other careers it just doesn't matter. I've done a fair amount of hiring, and been involved with much more hiring by other people. The first question is whether or not there was a degree. If the answer is yes, then the rest of the decision is based on experience and references. I don't know of a single instance of somebody being hired because of the school they went to unless the school had a special connection with the person doing the hiring.

I wish I'd known that when I was your age, as I would have gone to UNH for about 20% of what I actually spent on my undergrad degree. I ended up with significant debt until age 35, even though I was actually paying back student loans during grad school rather than incurring new ones. Depending on how you will be paying for this, keep in mind that you may be taking on a decade or more of debt that will keep you from buying cars and houses unless you get a pretty good paying job.

I was always under the impression that Southern California was FAR more expensive than south Idaho, where I live, yet the pay you are talking about would be reasonable starting salaries for government, and about 50% low for private industry in this cheaper part of the country.

[DeanMc]

You could become a binman. Those guys are on serious money.

[Pino]

Dclamp - Your location says Portsmouth England is that incorrect?

[dclamp]

Yes I want to travel to UK really badly, so in my mind, i live there.

[DeanMc]

Its not all its cracked up to be believe me. And what the hell is with the 18 ciggies in a twenty box...........