Should I start over, with a new career in computer networking?
Don’t bother with certifications. Sure, they’ll help you get a job if you’re already a candidate, but they won’t help you if the job thinks you’re unqualified. If you want certs, get your new employer to pay for them. They’re not cheap. By far, the two easiest jobs to get are web programmer and support. The job you want if you want to get into either a Network Analyst or Systems Analsyt jobs is a support job for a big company that has a big systems department — good choices might be a bank or other financial institution, a university, a biotech company (where your background would be helpful…) or something similar. Shit, if you don’t mind leaving NYC, I’ve got a job for you down here in south-central texas. We’re having a bitch of a time finding people… Whatever you do, don’t work for a company like Stream that outsources tech support. While they hire anyone with a pulse, that’s the kiss of death on a resume. As far as hours go, expect to always be tied to a pager/cell phone. Your
Another chime late to the party: I recently hired someone who is looking for a career change. He has a Doctorate in another field and is in his early 40s. He’s been fantastic. People who are hungry and curious trump someone who has a specific degree. The way I see it, someone with a degree in a particular field says they can follow instructions. I want someone who takes instructions and can do something extraordinary. When I introduced him software development tools like source control, he wanted to know how it worked. Telling him “I don’t know” is actually a pretty exciting thing. I learned something new as a result. If your curiosity comes across in a job interview, you have me sold (sure, you have to show aptitude). It tells me you will be better next month and better the month after that. Those are the people I want to hire.
