Re: Re: [Nolug] weekend computer job?

I was in a similar situation a few years ago. I had just dropped out of college after two and a half years (English and Philosophy major). Prior to that, I spent four years as a Cryptologist in the Navy. So, I’m waiting tables; badly, I might add, and I’m thinking its time to reassess my marketable skills. Buy a toga and scratch out differential equations in the sand to explain chaos theory or jump back into computers? The problem came in the fact that all my computer experience up to that point was military based and this meant two things: 1) no one really understood what a Cryptologic Technician (Communications) was so it was pointless on my resume, 2) the sum total, verifiable credit I received from the military was two credit hours of typing. Believe me, I understand the “National Security” thing, but toss me a bone here. It frightens employers when you know a little more about time division multiplexing, the OSI model, and binary math than it seems that you should.
         So I had potential but nothing worthwhile on my resume. Looking around, MCSE and RHCE were just too long and expensive, network+ seemed too specific and limiting for what I was trying to accomplish so I went with A+. It was a good decision, I didn’t learn anything, don’t get me wrong, but it got my foot in the door. And it gave me a chance to say things like: “I got the certification to substantiate what I know, but it doesn’t represent the sum of what I know.” And that seemed to keep me from looking like a liability to the employer. Now, granted, it got me stuck in 85+% Windows shops and that’s about as dull as you can get. But it also showed me what I didn’t want to keep doing, and it gave me a closer look at some jobs that I might want to pursue.
        Knowing what you want to do right out of that gate is helpful, to be sure, but I honestly didn’t care what I ended up doing as long as I was in front of a machine instead of ‘rolling silver’. A+ is right for some people because its quick and cheap, and all you really want is a bullet on your resume anyway because I think its about the most you can get out of a certification (no offense to anyone).

>
> From: Retrolin@aol.com
> Date: 2003/07/17 Thu PM 07:00:09 EDT
> To: nolug@joeykelly.net
> Subject: Re: [Nolug] weekend computer job?
>
> In a message dated 7/17/2003 4:53:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, dpuryear@usa.net writes:
>
> > >is there a such thing as a computer job available for those of us without
> > >A+ certification. how about on weekends only? Am I looking for something
> > >that doesn't exist?
> >
> > Isn't A+ for people that focus on PC hardware? I know I
> > have never even
> > looked into it. What are you trying to do exactly?
>
>
> anything other than the job I have now... I have the knowlege...just never had actual JOB experience nor any pieces of paper that say I know what I'm doing. I can do many hardware things...I can do SOME programming things.
> ___________________
> Nolug mailing list
> nolug@nolug.org
>

___________________
Nolug mailing list
nolug@nolug.org
Received on 07/18/03