career advice is needed....

Ok so I'm a computer tech at a local computer shop right...i sell and repair laptops and desktops for our customers...

im only 18 and I get paid fairly well for what i do but honestly im sick of it...andive already gotten all i can out of this job.

So this is my dilema..I want to stay in the IT industry but i dunno where to go..like programming or networking or what so i need some advice from people (allyou guys cause your honest and i like yas ) as to where the best place to start would be and where i can learn some more about different professions.

Thank you all in advance.

edit: also looking into starting to develop apps for Iphones/Itouches so if anyone has any info where to begin that i would love to hear from you

[ace]

Well what do you prefer to do? Would you rather deal with hardware, ie are you a hands on person, or would you rather sit there and code all day. You could always get started looking at certification websites like CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft. Read the descriptions of their certifications, and see which one(s) appeal to you.

As for me, right now I'm hoping I get this scholarship with the NSA, its a full ride & full years salary while I'm in college then after wards I have to work with them for 6 years, and get to major in computer engineering. But I'm a real hands on person, I love messing with anything like obviously my 360, computer, my truck, anything mechanical/electrical.

Programming pays more but you need a degree. I know programmers that didn't get paid squat without degrees even though they could program better than people that had them. Hopefully there is a company that requires programmers in a city you want to live in.

Network engineer will pay only if you get a government job. These days corporations don't seem to appreciate this position as much as they once did. Seems there are plenty of people out there now with network certifications so the IT project manager/director gets the big pay and the engineers with all the know how, are treated as the little guy. Sometimes you don't even need a certification to be an IT manager I have met 2 so far.

Of course either job will pay better than burger chef at McDonalds so you are at least looking in a good direction.

hmm im might start looking at some degrees and certifications today and see what i can find thatnks guys

[crait]

I dev for the iPhone. It's quite easy and free.
Unless you want to see your apps on the app store.
You need to dualboot Leopard and have an intel processor.

Hmmm I now may have to dualboot snow leopard on my laptop

[brentbizzle]

Certifications will get you no where. Especially in the economy today. You are much better off going to University. When there are economic hard times, the trend is to go back to school if you can't get work, so you'll be at a disadvantage in the future unless you get your degree too. I started with some Microsoft certs just for my own benefit because career wise they don't mean anything for the most part. It's kind of a garnish compared to education and work experience. Employers want to see experience, and to get experience you need education.

You might want to look at other places for work/career advice though. Most of the members here aren't old enough to vote. Many not even old enough to drive.

any suggestions as to where i can go to get some info?

[brentbizzle]

I really don't know. I haven't worked post-college in the US, only Japan and Australia. Best thing is just start googling around until you find something. Toms hardware will at least have some helpful people to point you in the right direction.

[ace]

Well I meant look at certifications as a way to see what field you would want to explore. You always hear that you will get a better job if you go to college, which is obviously true in most circumstances.

Current certifications WILL get your foot in the door.

However, if you are going to spend money on instruction to get that cert then you may as well get a degree because Certifications expire, degrees do not.

[brentbizzle]

The only certs that will be worth their money are really high level certs. Any basic cert by itself doesn't mean anything. There are websites that have the actual questions being used. When I was studying for my XP exam, I was using a lot of practice questions. Well, it turned out I had practiced the ACTUAL exam. 100% the same including the order of the multiple choice options...

So unless you are paying $500+ for advanced CISCO networking certifications, they aren't very substantial.