|
December 3, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR SUZETTE MINORINI
IN TX
Ashley, it depends on what you're looking for. If you are
currently not
planning to attend a vocational school or go to college, I
suggest you
begin looking at current computer technology job postings
to get an idea of
what's available and what experience and background is required.
For those
that spark your interest, make a call and speak with a recruiter
for
further information. You will benefit greatly by having this
information
and using it to determine what path you'll take next. Good
Luck!
********************
December 3, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR AIMEE WILLOZ
IN MN
Hi Ashley! The field of Computer Technology is very broad,
so you could
choose to do something focused more on either hardware or
software. It's
really up to you. If you're looking for a 1 to 2-year program,
you could
get into something like a) Electronics Technician (more hardware-focused),
or b) CCNA/CCDA, which would be a combination of hardware
and software.
Let me explain CCNA/CCDA: These are just certification examples
I picked;
I'm sure there are other programs like these. Basically, Cisco
Systems (a
networking company) has set up different types and levels
of training and
certification that one can get through them. Being certified
is a big help
in that particular job market. CCNA is "Cisco Certified
Network Associate"
and CCDA is "Cisco Certified Design Associate".
Check out www.cisco.com
for more information on these and other training programs
Cisco has. If
you're looking for a full college degree in Computer Engineering
or
Computer Science, there are many colleges you could pick.
You could also
choose your focus with a college degree, as well (that is,
choose whether
you want to be more hardware-focused or more software-focused).
As for good qualities, there are lots! I work in the disk
drive industry
(my experience is primarily in hard drive firmware development
and
testing). It's very challenging -- it's unbelievable how complicated
a
disk drive is! It's very exciting to see all the new technologies
(magnetics, electronics, interfaces, etc.). My experience
has been that
the work environments are generally positive, and the disk
drive industry
is very fast-paced. There's never a dull moment!
I'm not really sure how to give a useful outline of the job,
because they
vary so much. I hope this helps!
|
