Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 21:29:33 -0400 From: Nathan Mace <nmace85@yahoo.com> To: achornback@worldnet.att.net, freebsd-questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: what is the best subject to concentrate on? Message-ID: <20010930212933.2e4f43d6.nmace85@yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <005d01c14a12$9665b840$6600000a@columbia> References: <20010930182239.17b404fc.mace_nathan@uchaswv.edu> <005d01c14a12$9665b840$6600000a@columbia>
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noway man....i don't anything to do with M$ software if i can at all help it. the only reason i took so many VB classes is because i had to have so many credits, and there wasn't anything else to take. you asked me what i would rather do..programming or networking? by far i would rather go into networking then programming. as i said above i'm not cut out to be a programmer, and i really don't want go into desktop support. it is most defiantly not my cup of tea i know this doesn't amount to much but for my senior project i'm setting up a streaming video server for the unversity. it's used for streaming required video's out to computer labs so that students can watch them for their class.(ex: alot of history and nursing video's). it's running linux & Real Networks realserver software. like i said it's not much but it requires setting up the system, securing it, etc, etc plus there's running *nix as my desktop OS for 3 years...that has to at least put my ahead of wanna be's like me that run win98 right?..not that thats the reason i run *nix, i use it cuz it rocks and it works better for me than anything M$ ever made to be totally honest my 'dream' job would be working for a *nix consulting firm or a *nix 'solutions compnay' but A) i'm not qualified and B) there aren't any of those companies around here. as far as the certfications go, i tend to agree with you...i was just asking to cover all the bases so to speak. you said that you worked for an IT consulting firm? mind if i ask you what you would require of someone that you would be hiring for a *nix related position? i don't mean a senior level position either, but then again you probably wouldn't be hiring someone unless it was a senior level would you? i know that i'm NOT qualified for a senior admin job, thats not what i'm looking for. basically all i want is a job that involves networking, and unix. NOT prgramming java, vb, or C....i am learning shell scripting and maybe perl....but i'm not into the heavy-duty stuff like C. any pointers at all from anyone about how to go from being a college grad to a network admin(or even a junior level admin)? can anyone recommend getting a masters for this? if so what degree? i'm guessing CS? would that make a difference? i know i hear alot of people saying the want people with real-world experience...how would i go about getting that experience? thanks nathan On Sun, 30 Sep 2001 20:47:03 -0400 achornback@worldnet.att.net wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG > > [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG]On Behalf Of Nathan Mace > > Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 6:23 PM > > To: freebsd-questions > > Subject: what is the best subject to concentrate on? > > > > i would have posted this to the freebsd-jobs mailing list, but after > i > > joined i read the description and i decided that it might not be the > > best place to post this question. if it is please let me know and i > > will repost it there. > > > > I am currently a senior at a liberal-arts university in what quite a > few > > people would consider a small city(about 50,000 people). I am > > majoring(4-year degree) in Computer Information Systems, currently > my > > university does not offer a unix class of any kind, but i believe > there > > are plans for one next sememeter. > > Sounds much like the situation here... > > > Most of my computer related classes have been programming or > networking > > class. > > So you have two basic tracks... networking or programming. Which > would you > rather do? > > > I have had several semesters of VB, one semester of C++, and i > > am taking a semester of Java right now. > > Okay, so, you'd be looking for something in the Microsoft arena. > > > I've been using Linux on my > > desktop computer for about 3 years, I switched to freebsd about 3 > months > > ago and havn't looked back. So although i havn't had any 'formal' > unix > > classes, > > i think that i have a pretty good grasp on things. I've compiled > > several kernel's in both linux and freebsd, i am also running samba > on > > my machine with very good success, i have also played around with > apache > > some. i have also managed to troubleshoot and get the little things > > like decent video resolution and sound working. i know that isn't > > anything major or groundbreaking, but i *do* know how to find a doc > > online and i can use the 'man' command. i have also worked been > working > > as a STA(Student Technical Assistant) for the college for the past 3 > > years, where i have learned how to trouble-shoot PC's running win95 > & > > 98, how to deal with cranky users when their PC starts acting up, > basic > > network(Ethernet) troubleshooting, and PC repair and how to build a > PC > > from various components(mo-bo, cpu, ram, etc, etc), and million > other > > little things that people learn when they start doing tech support. > > when i > > graduate,i would to be able to get a junior level *nix sys admin > > position. > > What it sounds like is this, you'd be more cut out for either desktop > support, or programming. I'm not sure that you'd want an in-depth Sys > Admin > position, unless you've been doing some work in the area of automating > things like backups, doing system security, auditing system logs, etc. > > > my question is what should i focus on during my last year of college > to > > increase my odds of getting a 'good' job(ex: one that i will enjoy). > > Focus on leaving town. *grins* Seriously, in this economy, and the > way > things are, with a 4 year degree and somewhat limited experience, > you're > probably not going to find something that you will enjoy. Mainly, the > major > things out there are going to be phone based technical support. If > that's > your cup of tea, go for it. > > > i'm not expecting to get a senior network admin position, just a > junior > > level job where i would be able to increase my skills/knowledge > about > > *NIX in general or freebsd/linux specifically. > > Unless you can take a Cisco router based network and make it perform > miracles, you're not going to find a senior network admin position. > If > you're looking for something where you get time to learn various > things, I > seriously doubt you're going to find that. They want you to show up > with > the knowledge, not learn it as they pay you. > > > since i havn't had a > > 'formal' unix class, would it be worth my time/money to get > certified in > > A+/Linux to show that i at least know a little bit about it? > > An A+ might be a good investment, if you want to do tech support > and/or > deskside support. Or you just want to take it for the hell of it. > > Certifications are becoming basically useless anymore. Community > Colleges > and Diploma Mills are turning out MCSE folks left, right and center. > Why? > Years ago, an MCSE would be able to get you a job making $50k or so. > Problem is, people that went through those "boot camps" came out with > no > real world knowledge, just paper. Hiring managers would see the > letters > MCSE and go ga-ga. They'd hire these folks with no real world > knowledge and > when the folks couldn't get the jobs that they're supposed to be able > to do > done the way that they should have, they got canned. From personal > experience, as the Principal IT Consultant for a firm, I've > interviewed > MCSEs that were going to be hired to go on my "team". There were > people > with their certifications that applied that had done things as diverse > as > commercial baking to law enforcement to "sanitation engineering". > These > folks might know what was on the MCSE exam, but ask them anything else > computer related, and they're as lost as a newborn babe. It was > pathetic. > > > once again if this is the wrong mailing list for this i am sorry, > please > > tell me where i should send questions like this and that is where > they > > will go. also, i am trying to get the formating of my mail client > fixed > > so that when you guys read it isn't garbled. i believe i have got > it > > fixed, but if not please let me know. > > Nah, not the wrong mailing list as far as I'm concerned. And I hope > that > someone out there has better experience with these things than I do, > but > this is how I've seen them and experienced them from this point. It's > also > why I'm back in school to finish my Engineering degree. *Grins* > > --- Andy > _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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