So, you are interested in a job in a specialist IT role? Working in IT can be well paid, interesting, and even let you travel, and it can also allow you to be a part of important innovations that make everybody’s everyday lives easier, so who wouldn’t want to at least consider the sector as a career path?
Getting Qualified
Of course, to land your first IT job you need one of two things: incredible experience in doing technical things off your own back – for instance writing some successful open source code – or a related degree like a CIS degree. Even if you have the former, the latter doesn’t hurt your chances in what is a very competitive market at the entry level, so studying for a computer information systems degree is a very good idea. You have a few ways to approach this including the expected route of going to a private university, community college, or doing an online CIS degree with one of the many universities like Boston University that offer this.
Online Degrees
Online degrees have lots of clear merits from the student’s point of view. They cost less to undertake – meaning less student debt. They are easier to fit around your other commitments. They can be done alongside a job. They don’t require you to move. They also allow you to learn in the ways that suit you best. But, being a newer thing, are they less well respected by IT employers than CIS degrees taken by students on campus in the traditional manner?
How Do Employers See Online Degrees?
On the whole, the way that employers across all sectors view online degrees is becoming more and more positive. A study as far back as 2010 showed 83% of CEOs to consider them just the same as any other degrees, and this percentage is likely to have improved over time as online degrees become not only more widely known about, but also better from a tech standpoint – thanks to things like tablets and smartphones allowing students to study on the go. In IT, acceptance of online degrees is likely to be higher than the average, too, because of course, IT bosses are very familiar with the capabilities of online media.
Online Degrees Can Even Show Some Positive Traits
Aside from showing you have acquired all of the relevant skills and knowledge to pass your degree, having taken it online can actually demonstrate some additional things employers see as desirable. Working on a degree at home requires you to be self motivated and have some good time management skills. It can also show that you can work on your own without too much direction, and that you are capable of achieving things even without someone there pushing you or a peer group to compete with.
All things considered, an online CIS degree or other IT qualification may not only be as valuable as one gained at college, but may even be better for your resume!
