Network or Internet specialist

[jchambe4]

I am a middle aged female wanting to take a one-year certificate program at my local comm. college, just not sure which would offer the most job opportunites and pay, network specialist or internet specialist?? Any opinions would be helpful! Thanks.

[yawningdog]

A network specialist (which is am, sort of) is someone who specializes in LAN technology. This basically would make you a server-type techie. You'll know lots of services like SQL, AD(LDAP), SMB, and server platforms like Dell, Sun, and HP with Microsoft and non-Microsoft (Unix, Linux, Solaris, etc.) platforms. You'll probably want to persue certs in SQL Server, exchange, and Active Directory.

An internet specialist is a router/switch guru. Cisco will be your bread and butter and you'll gain most of your expertise in stuff like frame relay, ATM, spanning tree, and routing protocols like RIP (really old) OSPF, IGRP and EIGRP. You don't get to work with a GUI all that much, but then again you don't really have to deal with annoying users much. (The gripe is always "The server is down" and never "The router is down.")

I hope this helps.

[jchambe4]

Thanks very much for the info. I have actually decided to go with associates degree in computer programming (C++, SQL, AVB)with electives that include java, XML, Linux - which I think are related to internet programming. I am a medical transcriptionist now with only basic word processing knowledge, but can't wait to start learning it all. Thanks again.

[jchambe4]

Thanks very much for the info. I have actually decided to go with associates degree in computer programming (C++, SQL, AVB)with electives that include java, XML, Linux - which I think are related to internet programming. I am a medical transcriptionist now with only basic word processing knowledge, but can't wait to start learning it all. Thanks again.

I hate quotations, tell me what you know! Ralph Waldo Emerson