InformationWeek

June 30, 1998

I am a network manager with two years experience. I have two degrees: a bachelor's in sociology and another in medical technology. In the past year, my annual salary has increased 25%. I am very familiar with Windows NT and have completed four of six classes for a MCSE license. I want to push myself further, because I know my field is growing quickly. What steps can I take to make myself more appealing, enabling me to take on more responsibility and increase my net worth to a company?

My suggestion is that you find some type of certification that interests you and go full-throttle into it. You'll probably need to work harder than most of your contemporaries because of your lack of hands-on experience., which means you should be tapping the shoulders of the folks on the technical side who can help you ramp up in that particular area.

More Questions:
I have a lot of experience as a government contractor, will that hurt my chances for moving to a job in the private sector?

I have 15+years of experience, but no degree, will this hurt my career in the future?