Associates in Computer ... something?

[dfrecore]

As an older millennial, the thing we struggle with is "how do you get experience when everyone requires experience?" It's easier to get internships while you're in college. I think generation X and the Baby Boomers are often unaware of how much the job market has changed. Experience is great when you have it. It is kind of meaningless to tell a young person that people with 20 years of experience in the IT field don't need a degree or certification because those people got into the field 20 years ago when degrees were less important across the board.

So, how does someone break into the field today when the entry-level requirements are higher?

It's that catch-22. You need to be able to work for a pittance or even unpaid to be able to get experience. But how does someone who wants to switch career fields do that? Any hiring manager looks at a 40-yr old and thinks "no way is this guy going to stay here in this job for this pay!"

And, some of the best certs require years of experience just to sit for them. For a CISSP, you need 5 years of experience in 2 areas of the cert. A 4-yr degree will only knock 1 year off of that! You need this cert to get a great job, but you can't sit for the cert because you don't have the experience.

I think that even with the explosion in the IT field of jobs, it's harder than ever to get into the field. You kind of either have to start young and at the bottom, or you're kind of screwed.