New user - old hat to certification

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Been A+ certified since 1999.
MCP, MCSA, MCSE and MCTS certifications.
Have been Dell, HP and Apple certified but they have lapsed.

Working on my CCNA and may go to get my CCNP - haven't really decided.

Currently back in school after 22 years to get my degree. Graduate with my Associates in Computing Information Systems - Network Administration coming in December. Do not know if I should go for my Bachelor's degree or concentrate on certs or ???

Suggestions as to what path you would recommend would be appreciated. I can move pretty much anywhere from NM but prefer places where snow is a foreign language and the only ice you get is in your glass - the cheaper the better. I am thinking either TX or AZ but know I cannot stand staying in NM much longer. IF I move to either state, what school would you recommend for me to get my 4 yr degree (should be public to save $) or place to attend to get more certifications (financial aid would be nice to have).

Sorry for all the questions but life is up in the air come December and can go any direction I desire. I just cannot make a decision on where to go from here.

 

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Welcome to the forums, I have to be honest with you and advise that the majority of posters here are European based, obviously we do have the smattering of US\Canadian and Middle Eastern posters but for the most part we are Brits.

As far as certifications and school are concerned, you need to be careful not to over do both because getting a role based purely on academic qualifications can be very difficult (where is the real world experience etc). I know a lot of companies do hire graduates but those graduates tend to be 22 years olds fresh into industry and can be shaped by the companies whereas mature students may find it more difficult being accepted into a graduate role. Additionally a CCNP with no real world experience will also find it difficult walking into a role where they expect to go hands on with the hardware, what network manager in their right mind allows someone with no real world exerience access to their live production\corporate network.

If I were you and I were finishing off a degree I would look at the market place and ask myself what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be, a newly qualified graduate with that kind of qualification wouldn't be walking into a senior role and would instead be walking into an associate \ junior role and be expected to earn the chance of being given access to the more demanding work after a period of observed time. I have to be honest and say that in my opinion I would rather take on a person with 5 years commercial experience and one or two certifications than a graduate with 4 or 5 certifications because the first person has real world experience and that's what really counts in industry, yes it's nice having a degree etc but it's not the be all and end all of getting work (as a side note and just to prove that not having a degree isn't an issue where work comes in, I am a Senior Engineer earning a decent wage who left school at 16 with little to no academic qualifications (I actually failed my English exam), it's certainly never held me back where salary and job offers come in).

Perhaps it's time to finish school, go out and get some more experience (yes I know you're an old hat but if you've been back at school for the last couple of years thats time out of the loop where the technology is concerned).

 

People do do part time degrees you know, so we do not know if flyboy is 'out of the loop'.

22 years out of college and a bunch of certs kinda indicates that they most likely have some commercial experience too, possibly as much as 12 years...

'Experience' can be overrated too, people can spend years doing the same basic tasks in a dead end job. Training is very important, its just that on the job vocational training can be just as good or better than academic training in many instances.

 

Welcome to CF, its good to have you here.

 

Hello and welcome to CF, I believe in continuous learning and you've have been demonstrating that so I'd spit out the bones and take the flesh as to what has been adviced.

Please, feel free to ask any questions and participate with discussions

 

Welcome

NB

 

Welcome to CF!