Computing Qualifications

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old.=DI=Penry

Guest
I got a degree, (many years ago) - ended up moving back to my home town to stay with my old mates from school !

It seemed that everyone who got jobs straight after GCSE's/ A levels were all doing well (5 or 6 working in IT). All had cars - some had houses.

The only benefit of the degree is getting job apps put at the top of the heap, and advancing further quicker in jobs etc. It wont really help you get the job - but it'll get you into the interview !

Now - 7 years on - those of us who went to college have nearly caught up with the folks who started work 3 years earlier, (except one who's progressed to a 6 figure salary before he was 20 !!! ) - (although they havn't gotta pay off huge student loans, and seemed to turn into bizarre adults very quickly !!!)

Definatly worth doing tho' - three years 'studentism', a good break before starting the drudge which is likely to become the rest of your life. (I mean.. - four weeks ish holiday a year, now whats that all about !!! - still wishing i had 22).
 
S

(Shovel)

Guest
Well, I'll bet that computer science probably counts as a science ;)

The maths I'm doing at college includes discrete, I had computing in mind when I chose that.

I can also see the attraction of doing a course with placements - loan payments (of course!) as well as the experience.

I'll be assuming then, that drugs aside (ahem, TDC..) that there aren't a great deal of extra qualifications other than either computer science or software development? Or at least, none that can get up the ranks quickly? (lol, not quite as ruthless as that sounds, but I'm sure you know kinda what I mean).


Anyway, thanks for the help so far :)
 
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old.[CS]Sentinel

Guest
I finished my A-levels last year and took up a work placement in the e-Business department of a major drinks company (we own Strongbow n stuff) as my year out. I got this placement cos I know the CEO :)

But anyway, they've found me very useful as I'm cheap (in every sense of the word) and I learn quickly. I've actually progressed to doing some 'technical' bits such as ASP and Flash, which isn't bad considering I new fuck all about making web stuff when I joined 8 months ago. But the genius thing is about computers, young people these days (like us) pick everything up on them very quickly.

I'm going on to do a degree in Economics at Nottingham Trent, but they've already offered me a summer job up here as well as Job after I finish (in fact some contractors for this company offered me one too!) and on top of that have made me a Student Marketing Manager for their new product!!

My point is, do a degree that shows you have transferrable skills and a willingness to learn. Whether it ends up being an IT-related course or not really won't matter as its the transferrable skills and adaptability they are looking for (well thats what they told me anyway!).

Sent
 
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old.[MAD]Lexx

Guest
Agreed, although saying that I think the degree in the coming few years is going to be worth a hell of a lot more. Especially seeing the number of students going now. It's something like 35% of students now as apposed to like 7% 20 years ago.
You've got to think about it from the employers point of view, if they see 2 guys with the same experience and one of them has a degree, I know which one I'd choose...
 
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old.spagbog

Guest
Although I do not have a degree, I think doing a degree is in fact a good thing ( shit..starting to sound like my dad :) )

Could it work the other way???

If there are so many many people now with degrees are they becoming less valuable, would employers prefer someone without a degree who has three years extra experience??
 
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old.[MAD]Lexx

Guest
Originally posted by spagbog
Could it work the other way???

If there are so many many people now with degrees are they becoming less valuable, would employers prefer someone without a degree who has three years extra experience??



Good point, but I can't see it. Because of all the people doing degrees now it means universities will make more different types of courses, especially vocational ones which are more specific, i.e. companies will be able to pick people who have been trained specifically for that kind of job. Also a lot of courses now offer a placement year which is a better than none.

Agreed though, I imagine experience is worth something, but eventually you get to the point where somebody has 8 years experience and the next person has 5 years experience and a degree...
 
M

Mellow-

Guest
So basically, degrees help set a standard, but jobs get you the experience.

"You can't get a job with no experience, you can't get experience with no job"

catch 22 and all that y'know.
 
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old.spagbog

Guest
Yes........but only if it's in home economics ;)
 
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old.hoaxter

Guest
hmmmm!

:puke:
hi guys!, i'm doing history and Biology at SA level!, it sux!!!!!.
I wanna do programming or make websites so i'm gonna do a 5 year media course at Plymouth uni, the best unis for comps is Leeds uni!
 
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old.[MAD]Lexx

Guest
Originally posted by spagbog
Yes........but only if it's in home economics ;)

I hear those d00ds can make some really good cake - I'll allow them to cook for me! :)
 
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Wazzerphuk

Guest
Re: hmmmm!

Originally posted by hoaxter
:puke:
hi guys!, i'm doing history and Biology at SA level!, it sux!!!!!.
I wanna do programming or make websites so i'm gonna do a 5 year media course at Plymouth uni, the best unis for comps is Leeds uni!

Media and what you want to do have nothing in common, they won't teach you how to code in Media, fs. And SA levels, is that some kind of special level for over exciteable people? :p
 
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old.Kez

Guest
rofl Wazz.

God, I have to choose college courses soon (well, should've done so about 3 months ago, but nevermind) - and I've still not got the prospectus from half of them :| cunts.

More to the point, why can't all my fucking amobea (friends) go to the same pissing college, fking 4 different groups of the cunts.

Life is hard :)
 
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Wazzerphuk

Guest
Kez - the friends issue isn't as important as it seems, you really do make fuckloads of new friends and stuff. I don't even keep in contact with the people I was friends with at my secondary school anymore, barring a few of my better friends, of course.
 
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Wij

Guest
Most ppl make new friends wherever they go. You only keep in contact with a few from each place or you'd never be off the phone :) That's life init.
 
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Wazzerphuk

Guest
Yeah. I was one of the people that was really worried and stuff because I barely knew anyone who was going to my college. :)
 
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DAN200

Guest
Acid? schrooms? does nebody actually police these forums???
 
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Wazzerphuk

Guest
What's to police about talking about past drug experiences?
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest



aye.
you deffo won't catch me promoting them heh =P
 
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Summo

Guest
Well, I never went to uni at all, and stumbled into an entry-level IT job three years ago. I'm now a network infrastructure specialist with an MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) to my name. There are people with degrees working under me.

The point being, I feel I missed out on not having a three-year piss-up but a degree is not at all necessary in IT design and implementation. Companies look at your skill set and experience before your education.

In this industry anyway.
 
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old.[MAD]Lexx

Guest
Aye, agreed your experience is important and you're skill set is obviously going to be looked at but I just get the feeling that in a few years time, when probably something like half of all students are going to uni, a degree is just going to be pretty damn important. And not just a degree, but a good one.

Also you do see that people with degrees go up the ladder faster than those without, I'm not sure why though. It's probably something to do with the company favouring these people, or simply that people with degrees have done management modules etc which might make them better at impressing... This is only a guess though...
 
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old.frankie

Guest
it seems the fact of "if u work hard enough/want enough to do somming you get there" is true...
 
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Testin da Cable

Guest



Originally posted by frankie
it seems the fact of "if u work hard enough/want enough to do somming you get there" is true...

sure it is :)
and if you aren't totally thick, you'll get what you want a bit faster than you expected too :D
 
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old.hoaxter

Guest
Re: Re: hmmmm!

Originally posted by Wazzerphuk


Media and what you want to do have nothing in common, they won't teach you how to code in Media, fs. And SA levels, is that some kind of special level for over exciteable people? :p
I meant Media Lab Arts!, i can do the programming in a seperate course!
-hoaxter
 
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old.Reverend Flatus

Guest
My 2p worth...

I have no degree or even A levels but for the last 15 years I have worked for a large international finance company supporting their production software and getting paid a damned good salary. (I used to be in engineering which is low-paid, dirty work.)
The way I got into it was to do a three month course in applications programming. Armed with this I then applied for the training scheme which our company used to run. The advert actually asked for a degree but I managed to blag my way onto it!

I have interviewed people for jobs as part of my work and, to be honest, all a degree shows me is that the candidate is capable of applying themselves to reach a goal. More important is experience (at least in the work I do) and how they come across at the interview.

As to the drugs...:rolleyes: mmm drugs...:D
 
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old.[MAD]Lexx

Guest
Hmm, yeah I guess if you are willing to work then you can pretty much get anywhere without a degree - look at 'ol Bill Gate$. But Rev, do you not think people are more likely to get that first interview with a degree?
 
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old.[CS]Sentinel

Guest
It's true, a degree is not needed to get a good job. However you would be taking a very big gamble if you turned down the chance to do a degree, and instead choosing to work. Degrees are proven to increase your salary compared to the next one, and having a degree doesn't stop you getting experience either!

Sent
 

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