When looking for a job in the IT field, what's more important to employers?  Experience or College degree?
486663
I worked in the IT field for years before finishing my degree.  Experience kept getting me better and better jobs, but if you ever want to go into management they will want a degree.
1085218
With no experience, don't spend your time on a degree just yet. Spend your time (and your money) on classes that prepare you to take the industry-standard certifications for your feild. Networking's a big topic. If you want to work with infrastructure (routers, switches, the way data gets from Point A to Point B) then study for Cisco. If you want to work with servers and systems (how the data is stored, and how it's used by the users) opt for Microsoft. If you want to work with the data itself (database design/administration, data mining, data warehousing) go for Oracle. Get the premier certifications--- for Microsoft, that's MCSE,  not MCP or MCSA.\n\nEmployers in the IT industry these days are very reluctant to hire a candidate that has no experience, but they'll be more likely to take a chance on you if Microsoft (or Oracle or Java or Sun or whoever) says you know how the product works, as opposed to a degree. Even though a degree takes longer to earn, employers just don't trust it as endorsement that you're qualified if you don't have experience to back it up.  If you already had experience, the degree would be the way to go as you'd earn a lot more money, but for an entry-level position for an inexperienced person, you will have a very, very hard time getting a job without being certified, no matter how many degrees you have.\n\nTuition reimbursement is a common benefit in IT in the US. You can take college courses that count towards your degree in anything you want, and your employer will pay you back a percentage of your tuition, provided you get good grades. So once you're working, take advantage of this benefit and finish your degree taking night classes.
190903
This is the old question of education vs. experience.  Both are important and both help to thrive.  However, if you want to have experiences on the better side of town you should give some serious thought of getting an education.
89526
In a word, NO. Your college education should be well-rounded.  Even a 10-month course will give you some exposure to other subjects, people, interpersonal communication, etc.  You also get other invaluable things with going to college - making friends, making industry contacts, better career placement, etc.\n\nAs far as employers, your education is only part of the equation. You need some job experience and you need to get into interviews and ace them. You need a well-written resume and a professional presentation / demeanor.\n\nGood luck.
40994
Business - Administration, Management, whatever. While an Information Systems degree will get you big bucks down the road, a Business degree on your resume will draw attention from just about any type of employer.
1070553
I asked a couple friends, one that owns a large IT service center and another that has a B.S. in Computer Science.  They both agreed that it would be best to start in your career now with what you have. Then go back to school and get some more knowledge.  They both agree that knowledge is 49% of what gets you paid and experience is 51%\n\nBut the choice is yours, it's your future, don't let anyone decide for you
140193
depends on your career goals. not having one is a negative in many careers and it has been shown that college graduates earn better salaries than non grads.\n\nthe more educated you are the more options you have. Now having said that, my college education did not have any influence on my career as I was self employed mostly.
315069
a college degree or a diploma
8988
It depends on what you mean, do you mean really which one is better or just which one is popular.\nWhatever you like to do is the best degree for you. Since you like your job, you won't whine about your it, and will be the most creative and productive.
1170464
It depends.  There are many jobs in IT that don't require a degree but most of them are entry level and require some OJT (on the job training) for you to be able to advance.   Many high school graduates may get these kinds of jobs if they were able to get some computer classes in school.\n\nBeyond that, you probably will need some kind of certificate in a specific computer area.  Many community colleges offer certificate programs geared specifically for you to pass the certification exam and that may help you to get into a higher level position.\n\nHowever, most of the advanced kind of jobs, especially those related to government or corporate business require a bachelor's degree.  The reason is the expectation that not only do you have computer  experience but be able to communicate well, both verbally and written, can interact with a wide range of people and have fundamental knowledge of the concepts that underly why things are done the way they are.\n\nAs a professor of computer science, I have had many students who returned to school for an undergraduate or graduate degree even though they have been working in the IT field for years.  The reason is they lack the fundamental insight about the concepts that drive the IT marketplace and have a disadvantage compared to those with degrees.\n\nMy advice is rather than looking for jobs that don't require education, look for the education that will prepare you for better and higher paying jobs.  This in my opinion will prepare you much better for a prosperous future especially since many of the lower level IT jobs are being sent overseas.
731844
I think depends on what kind of careers you are talking about.\n\nAny specialized degree like MD, engineer and architech definitely require certain degrees to obtain the job. But something like journalism, photography, marketing..it is a good idea to have a degree, but not required. \n\nI graduated with a degree in journalism and omg, I have met so many people out there with more experiences and all without any degree, but make more than me, can do better than me over times. So in my case, I don't think degrees are that important.
220414
Well, from my experiences, pedigree (experience) is always stronger than any degree. There's are people with lots of knowledge, but are working mediocre jobs just to pay for the knowledge. It doesn't matter where you get your degree from, if you don't have the experience to back it up, 80% of the jobs will not even give you a chance. Sure, some people may prefer if you have a college degree, but if you know how to talk the talk, that "degree" is overlooked. \n\nThe question you should be asking is if you are getting the education from the courses you are taking. If you feel you learned something, then more power to you. If you feel that it's a waste of time, then pay up and leave it alone. This nation is nothing but a bunch of "B and C students" anyway.\n\nI won't worry about degrees, I worry about experience because degrees are papers with general knowledge while experience speaks volumes. So, if you are taking an online course, better get a job to match that degree while you are taking that course... or you'll be sorry!
354398
I'd go with the job with the experience.  Once you have experience, you can always move on to a job that is more financially rewarding.  You stated that the job with the better pay is not your degree or interest.  You could become un-happy with that in a short period of time.  Experience always counts, you're young enough you can make the money a little while later.
1105366
Doesn't matter.\n\nAs far as most jobs are concerened a 4 year degree is a 4 year degree.\n\nBuisness, Information Technology, Personal Finance or Accounting are your best bet.
18990
What kind of jobs are you applying for? Grads with MIS degree usually are not as competitive as grads with engineering or computer science degrees (not you personally, but the programs themselves). So if you are applyign for developer or programmer positions, it'll be more competitive. \n\nIf you just lack experience, you can try internships or positions in IT departments. Companies like Intel, HP, and other large corporations have large IT departments which will give you exposure to IT-related work. From there, you can pick up experience and also skills for programming/developing if that's your interest.
915633
I would talk to human resources of the potential employer and find out what THEY hold stock in.  While certification is fantastic and always job-specific... a general degree means that you took the extra time to learn the concepts from general courses first and then moving on into your field of interest and is often the better long-run resolution.  If you need a career TODAY I'd go with certification over degree, but if you are patient, ALWAYS go for the degree first and ALSO get certified after that.. but I'd honestly go with a degree.  \n\nThink about this : Let's say you get a good career with just certification and some hot upstart with an MBA comes in and knocks you out of your office because you don't have a degree.
451679
This depends on a couple of factors.\n\nThe first factor is the person who is examining the degrees.  If he or she doesn't understand education, it probably won't make a difference.  If he or she does understand education, the reputable degree will be taken more seriously.\n\nThe second factor is the reason for the degree.  For a person who already has a job and is performing effectively, and needs to provide the company an excuse to keep her or him, or to give a raise, the online degree may be completely acceptable, since it's just a formality.  But, for a person who is looking for a job and needs to demonstrate serious study in a particular field, or just in general, the online degree may be worthless (so long as the first factor doesn't negate the meaning of the difference).