My question is, Why college? Is a tech degree enough?

Hello Peter,

That is a great question. My answer is: it depends.

It depends on what you want to do in a career. A four year degree does not necessarily mean a good paying job. If you major in something that does not have an industry with jobs, then logically, that major wouldn't provide good career prospects.

I would look at what job you are aiming at and what are the educational requirements for that job.

There are a lot of good jobs out there that DO NOT require a four year degree(i.e. medical technicians, electricians, etc...) and there a lot of good jobs that DO require a four year degree (engineer, finance, accounting, etc...).

The key is finding the path that you want to take.

Hope it helps :-)

College is all about getting away from home, and having a life changing experience. You learn so much more beyond academic material in college, you build lasting friendships, and you make choices that affect the remainder of your life. It's so worth it, if you can, go and enjoy it.

I think the most important part of going to college is the experience. You'll get to meet and make new friends from diverse backgrounds. It'll take you out of your comfort zone. You'll get a chance to learn about other topics and fields of studies. You'll learn how to manage your schedule, prioritize your studies, and balance school and life.

I certain fields, having a 4-year college degree will help you advance faster and make more money. Some companies strongly prefer a 4-year degree over a technical degree.

Frankly, it would be easier to solve the age-old question "Which came first the chicken or the egg?" than to ever reach a consensus on the question of whether it's better for an IT pro to have a technical degree or certifications.

It may be one of the oldest, yet most hotly debated, issues ever to post on TechRepublic.

It's constantly debated because there are no clear-cut answers. So I'm not going to throw out any concrete facts and I can't hope to change anyone's mind on the matter, but here are a few things to consider when weighing the benefits of a degree vs. a cert.

First of all, keep in mind that the degree/certification matter is only a part of what you should concern yourself with when you're marketing yourself for a new job or a better position. Degrees and certifications may comprise the bulk of your "calling card," but you should not depend on either to be the overall marketing strategy for what you're selling to potential employers — yourself.

Once you get into a job, above anything else, your employer will want to see you as a person who can get the job done and do it in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. No one is going to temper your good results because you lack credentials.

However, this is IT, one of the most constantly changing industries there is. Keeping up with technology is important, and certifications demonstrate that.

Who's going to see your resume?

Another variable in this equation is whether an HR person or an IT manager is the one looking at your resume. Unless specifically instructed otherwise, the chances are that an HR person is going to respond to the presence of a degree before a jumble of Microsoft acronyms. In this way, "Bachelor's degree" is a universal language. Is that a reason against certs? Not at all, just something to keep in mind.

The flip side is that if you have an HR person who does a lot of tech hiring, you might get someone who knows all of the certifications and simply uses that as a criterion to filter candidates. For example, if you are applying for a job as a Windows administrator, you must have an MCSE to be seriously considered for the job.

If a technical person, however, is vetting the resumes, it helps if you have some certifications. It's a language a technical person speaks.

And another possibility to consider is that if the person doing the hiring is an "academic" sort, he may be of the mindset that if he suffered through getting a degree, it's the very least he would expect from you.

Like I said, there are really no hard-core facts here, just things to consider.

The perception

There are lots of good reasons to get a degree, both personal and professional. In the eyes of some employers, a completed four-year degree shows that you can finish what you start. It gives them an idea of your dedication and work ethic. And, as an article from DataStronghold.com says, "Through the courses covered in a four-year degree, students are given the opportunity to learn a variety of skills in different portions of the major they have chosen. Technical as well as analytical talents are developed and tested."

On the other hand, degrees can become dated. Certifications have to be renewed as technology evolves. You may have earned a computer science degree 10 years ago, but that doesn't ensure that you've demonstrated proficiency recently. A certification does.

The timeline

The timeline is a very important factor in the degree/cert question. Let's say you've been in a job for five years and you haven't been promoted because of a company policy requiring managers to have degrees. Then, by all means, you might want to explore the option of going back to school. But if there is no formal policy and you haven't been promoted, it may be because of something that neither a degree nor certification would have any influence over. In other words, don't waste money on a four-year degree if the problem is you're a general pain in the butt or don't show any initiative in other ways.

A solution may be to pursue a goal that could be achieved in a shorter time span to show your desire to better yourself. And that could take form in a certification.

The power of specificity

We've all heard stories like the guy who has a Masters degree in Computer Science but can't figure out a simple problem that anyone with an A+ cert could. That could be an issue of specificity. Some IT shops only have the budget for a "Tech of all Trades" so to speak. But some have the luxury of being able to hire those with specialties and that's where a cert does some talking.

I asked Ramon Padilla, an experienced IT manager, what he looks for in a job candidate — a degree or certs, and he said it depends:

"If I am looking at a highly technical position (DBA, network engineer, etc.) then I lean more heavily toward certification. Someone with experience and a CCNA or CCIE for Cisco equipment or Oracle certifications for database admin goes further with me than someone with a generic IT degree. However, if I'm looking at a managerial, administrative, or analyst type position, the degree is more valuable."

Renewable knowledge

As I said, degrees can become dated. Certifications have to be renewed as technology evolves. Degrees can prepare the foundation for dealing with technology, but you can't generalize everything. Let's use a car analogy: You may be a mechanical person who is used to taking apart muscle car engines with your eyes closed. But that may not help much if the electronic sensors fail in your new car.

The answer to the age-old question of degrees vs. certifications is "it depends." Depends on the specifics of the job, on the person doing the hiring, and on your capabilities in general.

This is a complex question...

A college degree will provide you with the discipline of working with a team and thinking analytically and will also provide a strong alumni network you can tap into.

However, you will need to have a career plan of how you will use your tech degree or college degree.

A college, masters, phd degree will only get you so far if you don't know what you want to do with it. but you can also get a fantastic job and start building experience and making money immediately from a basic tech degree if you have a good mastery of the work you are doing and have passion. Consider having a backup plan in case things don't go the way you want it.

You dont go to college to get a degree. I would suggest you to not to go to college if you just want to have a degree.
But, please think of going to college if you want to LEARN. There is a lot out there. not just with respect to course but also with respect to life. Being a professional now, i still look behind and get a smile thinking of those moments i had and learning i took forward in my life.
if you have enough resources to go to college, then please go get those precious 4 Years. Its for your good.

College is about learning life skills, getting used to being away from home, and adapting to new environments. While a solid education comes as a benefit of college, the aforementioned are what differentiates college from just going into a trade as an apprentice. If you have the opportunity, always go to college to get adjusted to life outside your family or guardians home, in an environment designed to nurture, and challenge you, while providing an awesome experience.

hi,

college degree is recognized world wide to declare that you have a degree from a profound universities, so its mandatory.
Most the companies recruit techs with a valid college degree.

additional tech certificates act as addon to your degree