InformationWeek

October 6, 1998

I am a 29-year-old military male with no formal college education. I have been involved in computers and computer systems for more than 11 years with the Navy and have managed to become very proficient in troubleshooting PC's, setting up networks and software, and training personnel in software use for the Navy and for individual use. I have even managed to hold titles of chief of information security, network administrator, computer security specialist, user support analyst, database administrator, help-desk specialist etc. Even though I have varied experience in each position, I don't know if I have the required job skills for a civilian job. Plus, I still don't have a degree or official training to back it up. What are my chances of landing a decent-paying IT job in the civilian world without any formal certifications or education? What is the basic route for education in the IT field?

Your odds of landing a decent-paying IT job are actually very high. The question really becomes, where do you go beyond that initial job? With your skill set and long-tenured experience, you will be able to find a job in the civilian work force. The bigger issue is that companies will penalize you for the lack of formal education and take advantage of your situation. There really isn't any way to avoid this out of the gate. This means that you'll land a decent-paying job, but probably 5% to 8% below where the market may be. As a 29-year-old IT professional, wouldn't it be great to know that by the time you are 35, you'd have your B.S. in information systems, and 15 years of technology experience both in the military and the corporate world? So here's your game plan: Find that decent-paying job with a company that has tuition reimbursement and begin the formal education process immediately.

More Questions:
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