Hi @Logan,
I'm a student studying IT which is mostly based on programming. I'm taught Java, C#, HTML CSS and Android Programming. I have not graduate from a Polytechnic (Diploma) from Singapore and I'm in a difficult spot.
First off, my results for my study are not good enough to have a direct admission to university. Which leads to this problem, I don't think I can find a job or very difficult to find a job with a diploma, not to mention I will need to serve the country's military for 2 years. This is because there is a ton of diploma holders out there. Since I'm unable to get into a university directly, my only option left is to study private university which I cannot afford as of now. I will need to work or take a study loan to pay for it. My family are not doing well financially so I really want to get off making money as soon as possible.
Second, I'm looking to get Cisco certification, but I'm afraid that I might not be able to pay for it or worse, not getting any return from this investment. I do not know anything about the IT space in my country other than the fact that Microsoft and Google are around. There are also many horrid tales of local companies not willing to spend much on networking which might turn my certification useless.
I was advised by a friend that I should venture to US, maybe get a degree there after I make enough money for it. My country is too competitive and I'm really uncertain of my future. If I were to make this choice, I will need to invest on Cisco certifications just to get myself an edge to go there. This is one of the riskier plans as I'm worried my family might collapse financially before I can even start making money.
I would love to see you opinion on this as I really don't have anyone else I can talk to.
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This is a good question.
I hope they can get to it.
I come from a poor family, never went to university, and now I work for a major multinational consultancy firm (with offices in most countries including yours). I'm CISCO CCNA1 certified but I don't think any job I ever worked required it, it's just a nice CV filler and something I was able to get easily as my college paid for it.
I don't think you should waste a penny of your own money on CISCO or any other certifications unless you are already employed and will get a promotion by doing so.
You can do what I did, get an admin level job at any small IT company, and work up.
I started working for minimum wage at 18, after 3 years I was on a respectable wage at a bigger company, and after 8 years I'm now a consultant at one of the biggest companies.
You could probably do it faster than that. I took the path of least resistance and played the long game. I kept my ears to the ground and learned how to do the jobs that are actually available in my area. I spent time on forums talking to industry insiders, and ignored the stuffy old professors who just want to sell their out of date textbooks.
There are good qualifications but you really need experience so that they fit in your CV as part of a total package. For example, a previous employer paid for my ISEB (on condition that I passed it) and that helped me get my current job. It fits with my skills and I can demonstrate that I have applied those skills in my career.
If I just had the certificate and nothing else, it would be worthless. Less than worthless, because I would have had to pay for it myself.
You can do it if you're smart. It just takes patience and perseverance (just like university or life in general). Good luck.
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My polytechnic strangely enough do not sponsor Cisco studies when it is widely considered as the best polytechnic in terms of IT field in the country. There is absolutely no way I can get any internship other than the school arranged ones as of now.
Mind sharing some insights on your work at 18? I've got no family members in this field at all.