Worth going to Uni for IT Qual or look for Job in IT?

Have you considered taking a year off to get some sort of work experience? I jumped straight into a job after college, but now I am looking to apply for uni... but then again, I always seem to do things backwards.
 
gord said:
:confused:Surely Uni requires stricter grades than the BT apprenticeship?
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My target grades I have atm which Im working towards should get me around 230 UCAS points I could get onto the courses I have already had offers via UCAS online for Uni.

Bah complicated man..
 
Also spotted this one...


Data & Networks Technician (Advanced)
Once our Network Designers have drawn up the plans, it's our Data & Networks Technicians who actually go out to the exchange and install them. You'll be responsible for maintaining our exchange switch and transmission (the stuff that makes the network work). That means hands-on experience with our unique, 21st-Century technology. If you'd like to become a Power Technician - working with compressors, chillers, and circuits - you can move on to that from this. Whatever path you choose, you'll also work towards an NVQ level 3 and BTEC in Telecommunications.

Required qualifications

5 GCSEs grade C or above which must include English Language, Maths and Science (Science must be at least double award including Physics).
 
Uni might be fun, but in my opinion there is really no need for it in order to pursue an IT career. Also, if having enough money in life is important to you, I would recommend not bothering with Uni, go straight into an IT career. If you are good with installing computers / network admin / even basic IT support, you will never be lacking job possibilities IMO. Uni costs a lot these days and IMO opinion unless you have to have a degree for what you want to do I wouldn't bother.

Also, I have met many people that work in IT that earn a decent amount but never went to Uni.

Only go to Uni if you are desperate for the Uni experience (which is good, I went and had a good time, but IT career wise it's not necessary IMO).

Rgds

Radderfire
 
Seems to be a limited amount of jobs in the north east working as a network tech. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough.
 
Anybody nowadays can get a degree if you train hard enough..

Someone recently said that a degree is now another thing just to pop onto your CV especially as not many people know what they want to do or even go into what they have been training hard for..
 
Depends on how far and good you want to get.

I work as a development support engineer for very large financial data company in Canary Wharf, for me to get my role and many more in the city, it's 95% essential you have a degree. My degree was just a 2:2 in Computer Science from Brighton. I've almost paid off my student loads (graduated in 2004) and in the long run (financially at least) it's completely worth it. But if you are planning on staying more rural, or working for a non-blue chip company, no need at all.
 
a) A Degree in computing will open doors higher up (maybe not initially, but for certain in the future), allowing chances for jobs that could take 20 odd years slugging at otherwise.

b) Uni is an experience, depends on how much this bothers you I guess.
 
If you get a good opportunity to work a for a large company that is prepared to keep giving you training and offers good prospects then I would seriously consider it over uni.

Unlike what many people think, a degree isn't the be all and end all and I know people who have ended up in VERY good positions from simply working hard at every job they've been given.

If you are hard-working and smart you'll get somewhere, regardless if you have a degree or not.

I've been lucky to get a job in the IT Department of a large company, although it's not an IT firm I can't really complain. I'm not doing a support job either.
 
For IT Support, I would say a degree is not worth it - real-life experience is much more necessary and relevant. Uni just doesn't teach the things you need for that role.

If on the other hand you were looking more at Software Engineering, then it's a must IMHO. Almost all the engineers where I work have at least a degree. There is one guy who only has an HND and we're restricted in the projects he can work on because some customers mandate a degree. He's an excellent programmer, but without the degree his career would hit a glass ceiling in many organisations (not ours I hasten to add)
 
Do what I did, I knew a fair few people at my uni, kipped on floors and in my car. i used a tent in a field for a while before I got reported to the police and deemed a gypsie.
Worked part time at marks and sparks. You get used to it very fast.
My parents couldn't afford to give me money for uni, I never bothered with a student loan or rent. Just a few quid for water and stuff here and there.

Which free'd up the rest of my money for booze, fags, drugs and food + water when i needed it.
 
Tom|Nbk said:
Hmm.

Just looking at the BT apprenticeship site now..


Seen this kind of fits what I'd be after, plus you study a foundation degree in IT.

Installation And Support Technician (Higher) - £13,800 starting salary
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Tbh that isn't a fantastic amount of money. To make a fair comparison, look at what you'd earn when 'graduating' from apprenticeship vs graduating from uni.
 
[TW]Fox;10591420 said:
I completely agree.



Errr you wont get that unless you fail like every means test out there. I get no bursary, no grant, and minimum loan. This is annoying as it means I have to make compromises I'd not otherwise need to make, such as chosing a 3.0 over a 4.4 :(
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Nope. £1k pa scholarship from achieving good A level grades and putting the uni as my first choice. And £800pa grant from the government.
 
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Well, I quit my job with BT after working there for 19 years and I've recently started an I.T. degree. The BT apprenticeships are pretty good, but a degree will get you further in the company, though after my experiences working for them I wouldn't want to go back.
I'm loving Uni even at my age, and I'm so glad I've made this move after being stifled at BT for so long.
 
Flying Gribble said:
For IT Support, I would say a degree is not worth it - real-life experience is much more necessary and relevant. Uni just doesn't teach the things you need for that role.

If on the other hand you were looking more at Software Engineering, then it's a must IMHO. Almost all the engineers where I work have at least a degree. There is one guy who only has an HND and we're restricted in the projects he can work on because some customers mandate a degree. He's an excellent programmer, but without the degree his career would hit a glass ceiling in many organisations (not ours I hasten to add)
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I agree with you completely for IT support you don’t need a degree. I was in the same place as you are 3 years ago "do I go to Uni or do I start looking for a Job in IT". I had studied at college getting a BTEC and GNVQ in ITC and computing. I really liked the ideal of going to Uni and applied for a couple of different degree's at Uni's across England and then one day I was talking to a friend at work who said "oh my bf works for a IT company you should have a look at there website see if they have any jobs going as your already really good with computers". So I did and there was a position for a level 1 support engineer applied for the position and got an interview. They asked in my interview are you planning to get a degree which I said that I had applied for Uni's but thought I would see what was out there first in case I didn’t need to go to Uni.

As anyone who works in IT knows when you go to interviews 98% of employers give you technical tests to see what level you are at etc and also to make sure you haven’t lied about your skill set. Anyway they tested me and I scored really high and got the job. When I started at this company every level 1 had a degree bar me but because most companies give training or pay for exams for Microsoft, Comptia, Cisco qualifications such as MCP's, CCNA I took it upon myself to study as if I was at Uni to get these qualifications. I was promoted within 6 months over other people that had degrees and quickly moved up the ladder.

Now personally I would say that in the last 3/4 years employer attitudes with regards to degrees have changed from you really need one to experience can count for much more. The only reason I say that is because I've changed between jobs a few times and I never get asked about anything about why I don’t have a degree or Uni qualifications. Most employers are looking for people that have experience plus qualifications in vendor and platform software/hardware such as Microsoft, Comptia, Cisco, HP.

Seeing that the people I worked with in my first position all had degrees and started at the same level at me was for one reason only ... they didn’t have experience and this has been the same in every job to date that I have worked in. Now I’m not saying Uni is a waste of time to be honest I wish I went to uni but more for the experience of getting drunk and living the uni life as I missed out on that. But really in IT support you will find that degrees account for nothing if you don’t have experience. I would guess thou that in software development and programming Degrees are really important.

It depends on the person really do you want to get a job within the IT support sector? If the answer is yes then I would say don’t get a degree get experience and qualifications through you employer as your be earning money and getting these qualifications paid for. But if you would like to go to uni for the experience and on top of this gain a degree then go for it. Everyone will try and tell you what to do I’m more telling you that I was happy with the choice that I made as I got a mortgage on my flat at the age of 21 have a nice car and I’m currently doing well for myself. If I went to Uni I would have just finished and would now be looking for my first job I would guess and wouldn’t have my flat. But then again I would have a wealth of wide stories and sure I would have done some interesting things while at Uni.

Your the only person that can decide just do what you thinks important in your life. I hope my long winded reply just helps alittle speaking from experience.
 
It's good to have a degree to fall back on imo just in case you dont want to spend the rest of your life in IT.

Esp if ou want a graduate IT job then obv you need a degree with a 2:1 or higher!
 
Energize said:
Nope. £1k pa scholarship from achieving good A level grades and putting the uni as my first choice. And £800pa grant from the government.
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Well its far from the norm, most people will not qualify for this regardless of their academic acheivement. How did you get a grant? I thought the government wouldnt give grants to anyone whose parents earnt more than £20k PA or something?
 
Several things that i allways note:

If you go Uni, make sure you live at Uni. Its not the same experiance otherwise.
My mates who have gone uni and stayed there, compared to the ones who've lived at home, have loved it.


As for IT jobs.
I personally say get the experiance.
If your applying for a technical IT job, like technician, network manager, support officer, etc; then, as mentioned, the interviewer will most probably ask you or give you a quiz on some technical related topics, and wont be all that bothered about your qualifications.

The thing with IT, and a challenge anyone to disagree with this:
Is that to get the good IT jobs, its a catch22 situation.
You need experiance to get the jobs. You need the jobs to get the experiance.
You just have to be in the right place in the right time to get your initial job and thus, foot on the ladder.

:).
 
[TW]Fox;10592619 said:
Well its far from the norm, most people will not qualify for this regardless of their academic acheivement. How did you get a grant? I thought the government wouldnt give grants to anyone whose parents earnt more than £20k PA or something?
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Probably from a specific company, they're quite common in degrees that are heavily related to the industry sector of the company. (Engineering, IT etc)
 
I think IT degrees are way over-rated, I wish I hadn't bothered with uni and just looked for some entry level crap job.
Coming out of uni I've got a useless IST degree, money owed... no (relevant) work experience and I'm working the same sort of **** jobs I always have... It get's tedious hearing that jobs have went to people with experience and the inability to live on fresh air means I just take what I get now.
I'd happily work low paid entry level IT positions, but they're just such a pain to get, especially when there's so much demand for them.
 
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