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College degree path

Veteran

Ling Chu Hung Tacoma, WA

Background: I am currently serving as RA Enlist Soldier.
This semester will be my last I will earn my AS-Liberal Art from Excelsior.
I was 68w now I am in 35p. Medical certainly not interest me as much as I thought it would.

Question:
Recently I found that coursera offer the certificate for MOOC
https://www.coursera.org/recommendations

I am interested in IT, Cybersecuity, Networking because that's the job I want. Personally I am like to study philosophy and economics myself (on mooc). I also self proficient automotive mechanic that able to do majority mechanic work.

What degree path should I choose? I know I should get some sort of engineering (IEEE or Mechanical, Robotic or AI also very competitive for next 30 years )
but dilemma is since I am making RA my career, and there are no engineering degree offered online, how can I obtain a degree that worthwhile in civilian world?

I am looking for guidance for my education, and try to avoid try-but-not-like-it time wasting mistake I did when I first try medical field. Language certainly fun to learn, but I also don't think that is a career I want since I am not interesting in linguistic, or be a teacher.

Anyone know about Six Sigma? are they worth getting at all? How about Project Management certification?

Thanks for anyone help to answer my question.

1 October 2016 6 replies Education & Training

Answers

Advisor

Jennifer Polhemus Santa Monica, CA

I concur with Mr. Stevens. Part of the purpose for your AA work was to help you refine your interests and identify your strengths.

When you were working on your AA, what courses did you enjoy the most, the ones where you WANTED to study and learn all you could? And in what courses did you earn the best grades?

Gallup.com has an online personal assessment called StrengthsQuest that is low priced ($10) and high quality.

Meanwhile, I suggest that you read a weekly magazine (like Time or even People) and also that you read at least one quality English novel a month. This will help you with your writing and English usage. You could begin with a book like Hatchet.

Best wishes for a great future career!

2 October 2016 Helpful answer

Advisor

Henry ("Dr. Hank") Stevens Fort Lauderdale, FL

. . . . . something about, "the cart before the horse." Cutting to the chase, take a vocational assessment survey and find something out about what your talents are; THEN, worry about how to (academically) get there. I do vocational counseling and am fond of sending my clients FIRST, to a free website that has an great assessment tool:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/hr/jtypesresult.aspx

If you want to go the self-help route, I recommend you taking this assessment and reading up on their version of the results.

1 October 2016 Helpful answer

Advisor

John Nerison Boise, ID

I can provide input on engineering careers. Good starting salaries for college graduates particularly computer and electrical engineers. Other engineering disciplines rank in the top ten. 406-690-3388.

Advisor

Carol Lindberg San Diego, CA

When you are looking to attend college for the first time, it can be an extremely stressful event. This is especially true for the veteran population. If you are a veteran, you may be at a loss of what to do once you have completed military service. There are often many obstacles veterans see when they weighing their educational opportunities.

The idea of pursuing a higher education degree is a great step in the right direction, but recently the cost of a college education is at an all time high. After they completed their military service, financial adversity often stops many veterans from accomplishing their educational dreams. As a veteran of the United States, the GI Bill and particularly the new, updated Post-9/11 Bill has been created to provide you assistance and help you receive higher education without the financial hardship.

Have Questions about Higher Education for Veterans, the GI Bill, or Financial Assistance? Find more information here:
http://arealonlinedegree.com/college-resources/resources-military-veterans/

Advisor

June Webb Chevy Chase, MD

Hello Lin Chu Hung,

With today's rapid demand for advance technology and cyber security and coding, the best certification or degree you can get is "learn" how to code software. I'm a recruiter for a cyber security software technology company and also a mentor for college students around the DC area. I'm looking for qualified software tech coder who has to pass background check codes. Coding is a rapidly moving skill that is needed and pays really well. You may contact me for farther information if you are interested.

Good luck,
JWEBB

Advisor

Brandon Berlin East Hartford, CT

Hi Ling,

I am a Cyber Security professional working in CT. Back in college I took several courses on Six Sigma. I did not have the time to get my belts (certification) but one of the college courses was equivalent to the green/yellow belt certification. I haven't heard much in my area about Six Sigma.

With that being said, I would take the advice from the above advisors and find out what path you would really want to go down. It is important to realize that a lot of the jobs you have listed above all depends on location and demand. Most IT jobs are unfortunately being outsourced because the cost to house them in the US are too high. My previous employer laid off hundreds of employees and sent all of their positions over to India. With that being said, if you are really interested in a job in technology I would suggest getting your PM certification or CISSP. I think that both of those programs have an abundance of positions always available. Companies are always looking for PM's and with your CISSP...you will have a step up from other job seekers.

I also think if you are interested in mechanics or another trade, you should figure out which one appeals to you the best and maybe do that as a side job? Speaking with recruiters and other employers, it seems that trade jobs are the way to go now. They are in demand and will be around for a long time. As an example, people will always need a mechanic to fix cars busses etc. people will always need a plumber to fix plumbing issues etc.

Again, I think you need to figure out what path you want to take and go with it. Feel free to reach out to me directly for more information about IT Security or any other questions you might have! :)

Good luck to you sir and thank you for your service!

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