Beautiful answer. I graduated from WGU back in 2016 and the IT world was a bit different, and kind of was the point where I think experience/aptitude to learn starting trumping education, whereas back in the early 2000's, they definitely wanted to see that degree. But honestly, it just depends on the hiring manager and his/her style and how they envision filling the position to be honest. That's definitely not something aspiring candidates want to hear, but it's more times than not the reality of it, but a degree does help, as it proves a candidate persevered through the rigors of said curriculum and if nothing more, took the initiative and achieved a feat that many quit or don't start. Keep doing your thing and appreciate you sharing!
I had to pin this!! Thank you for the assist. You touched on some pretty important points that it even took me a while to learn. Thanks for your support and insight. I know it will be helpful to others.
I can only give you my anecdote. I dropped out of college in the height of the economic crash of 2008. I looked around seeing peers recently graduating not able to get a job with a degree even for entry level positions and had to go to the service industry to be a prospect for other jobs. I think now days you can get a helpdesk job on certs pretty easily, but the pay will be not great and it is sometimes miserable, but it feels like that is kind of the easiest foot in the door method to start getting more jobs. Just get in, and keep applying to other jobs to get out and something better as soon as you can. As far as WGU. I am finally getting started and doing some more research to finish my degree asap so I can keep moving on. As someone who has worked the past 15 years without a degree; in my experience. It does regularly hold you back from advancement and while you can have an impressive resume that is focused on experience and long employment retention. You can still get automatically filtered out by some hiring manager or HR simply because you dont have a Bachelors.
This is the exact reason I'm going to WGU in September. I have a ton of experience and a good position in IT, but I really want to eventually move up to IT management / director positions which just isn't likely without a formal degree.
As a person who has been in IT, and done everything in IT, they just want to see you making the effort, and then having the degree is key. I am currently Senior IT Security Analyst, I was first doing Cyber Security WGU degree, but I feel like IT Management is the direction I want to go as I want to move up the chain of command, and this will assist me in doing so.
WOW. this is such a great video. I have been working in IT for over 13 years now. Im planning on getting my IT Management degree as well. I have been trying to get into management but not having a degree has been holding me back
Yeah, I understand, but sometimes, starting at Tier 1 with a manager mindset can help you solve problems, build relationships, and be a launching pad to a tier 2/3 role. Wishing you the best.
Man, what a great video! I’m 36, and am now trying to get out of a dead end job and possibly move into IT. I relate with what you said, at toward the end about being someone who isn’t a coder or a cybersecurity enthusiast, I just love processes and frame work. I have a question, do you find your work fulfilling? And do you find yourself taking work home with you (mentally)? Im looking to start in IT possibly in a year, doing my research now for the best roadmap to stand out of the crowd
ok so.... How did you earn your degree in less than 3 months!? not doubting you. I'm applying to WGU. i have an AA and multiple certs in Microsoft, AWS, VMware. just curious what to expect and how quickly i'll be able to earn a BS degree with what I already have. thanks
That's a great question. I'd give them equal value. So if I didn't have the education process, the recruitment and selection process could turn out poorly. However without experience working with IT employees, it would be difficult making a decision about which candidate to move forward with.
Not hard at all, IF you plan ahead and are realistic with your course completion goals. If you are experienced and comfortable with taking online courses that help, and if you aren't, then I recommend "practicing" by taking courses via Study.com and Sophia.org. Check out this video if you want to ease into WGU with low risk: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-739y6PIdwyk.htmlsi=lnIM8bPi9roJhS9u
It's hard to say especially when you factor in the time it takes to grade Performance Assessments (essays). That said, it's possible to complete it within 1 - 2 terms.
Would it make sense to get an IT management degree with no IT experience? If I am not mistaken this degree has business administration as well? Any ideas?
@@tehczavier I noticed this degree does not have any certifications , does this degree provide enough IT knowledge to get a job in IT? Or is it leaning more towards the business side. Thanks for engaging with your listeners.
@artsoto5459 it is more aligned to the business side of IT. That said, there is a strong need for more business savvy folks in IT who can make good decisions and think strategically.
Hi my friend. At the moment, I do not offer consultative services. I have a long way to go myself and wouldn't want to give any bad advice due to a lack of experience. However, if you want to connect with me on LinkedIn l, I am available there. Just look up Xavier Wharton.
Hello Zavier ! thank you so much for sharing your experiences, your story was for informative and beneficial to me. I had a question about my career journey, I feel as if you'd be an amazing resource to help get it answered. Do you have an email or something that we may be able to connect via ?
