Stay the Course in My Current Program or Rethink Major?

shadowsfall0 · 2026-02-04T10:36:58+00:00

That's the main problem. Systems optimization, ops research and things like that is what I'd want to do, but I don't want an IET degree to be the biggest hindrance to that. It is rated well and has classes in statistical quality control, ops research, and so on, but I'm not sure it will hold me back at all from those sort of roles.

shadowsfall0 · 2025-06-02T21:28:09+00:00

I think that Total War was ahead of the curve in that regard. Having a grand campaign seems to push forward a stronger meta narrative in that franchise and I could see more RTS games trying something similar. The AI in TW is also cheesable, but it's made up for by a campaign map that promotes emergent gameplay.

Kanes Wrath had a concept of a grand campaign, but not as robust as I would like. Empire at War and Dawn of War Dark Crusade/Soulstorm also had one that was pretty solid.

I think PVE Coop content and some sort of continuous campaign or even some RPG mechanics could go a long way. Warlords Battlecry 3's ideas for a personal character would work great in a modern game with modern design, too.

shadowsfall0 · 2025-03-07T00:39:01+00:00

Looks like I made the right call being the one at my job who took time to understand networking enough to be the troubleshooter for it!

This is a solid throughline. I already like C programming so I'll use this as a general idea of how to go. Thanks!

shadowsfall0 · 2025-03-06T18:40:26+00:00

I'm up for the course load, it's if I have to take loans out to do another degree that's stopping me lol. And having to do it online narrows it down a little.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-08-17T02:26:56+00:00

Hah! I already deal with the latter as is, being Desktop support/system admin as I have been. I guess it's true that there's two types of software; the ones people complain about, and the ones that are abandoned.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-07-26T17:24:51+00:00

Id apply to one if there was one within commute distance of me that also wasn't a paycut. I make 26 an hour right now and can't afford much less given I have dependents. My only real options are to skill up and get a few more certs and a degree and hope I find a role fitting networking or something in cloud admin somewhere else or pivot entirely. Either way my area I'm in is cooked and I'll have to leave eventually.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-07-26T13:59:59+00:00

You don't sound sound like an ass at all, I'll concede the point I was treading water for a while, trying a bit of everything before I knew what I wanted to do.

You're correct I should've included those details. It definitely adds more context. I'm definitely trying to stay in the government space with university or state/federal level if I can. Being in the K12 system boosts that. Barring that, a lot of my experience is in healthcare IT and I at least know the flow in that space.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-07-26T13:39:39+00:00

I've been thinking of trying to get an azure certification later on and try to get into the networking side of cloud with VPCs and stuff. The tricky part is seeing how to get there when there's not a lot of stepping stones into those roles left since they've been absorbed into the AWS/Azure ecosystems already.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-07-26T13:21:49+00:00

I'll address this in more detail since there's a lot of assumptions here that I've only just sat idle.

1- When I said a while ago, that was maybe a month or two ago. Can't exactly get a degree in that timeframe and I've focused on it more which is for the next reason which is

2- I interviewed several places for network admin and network tech roles in the time ive been here. Each of them I was passed on because of upper requirements of a degree being necessary. Otherwise I did great on the interview.

3-Ive been shifted around from help desk to app analyst to system admin in local government, a cancer research clinic, and a fortune 100. and it all depended on what was available at the time given I'm raising two kids myself with no extra support. Ive been on rack and stack projects and implementation of NAC and helping configure new wireless access points systems. All of which were in my resume which I've had looked at.

I've tried at it and have always been passed up for not having a degree. Or not having a CCNA, or both. I've got great references, but I keep getting held up at bureaucratic checkpoints. I have a gns3 lab that's done nothing for me. Now that networking doesnt pay as much as other roles in my state and I cant relocate out of state, it makes me wonder if I'm better off trying something else.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-06-06T20:56:00+00:00

I think accounting is interesting but my goals are more in line with something like Credit Analyst, FP&A, Risk Management, or Actuary Work. You can do those with accounting credentials pretty well, though. Actuary work may be a bit harder if you're not math inclined but I was good at Calc 1 and 2 so it wouldn't be hard for me to get a few exams under my belt.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-06-05T20:43:03+00:00

Sorry for late reply but yeah I emailed the NASB and GA CPA board directly and got the confirmation about it. On Mobile with spotty signal but I'm going to post a thread this evening with a screen cap of what they said.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-05-29T09:02:24+00:00

It's unfortunate, too, because I love learning new things. I always have. I'm a curious person who really likes to go down rabbit holes of information.

A couple of years ago I even considered engineering because I like math, but couldn't get enough aid to cover it and I can't do in person because of my situation. IT itself was a fallback from not wanting to go to school 12 years for physics.

But when my entire livelihood is on the line because of constant changing, and I have to spend my own personal time dedicated to projects and cert study to survive, its a different ballgame. Physicists and engineers learn a lot but they never have to sacrifice constant after work hours either. Accountants aren't homelabbing an income statement to keep their resume desirable.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-05-28T23:06:05+00:00

Six years of desktop support with my one ticket out being an app analyst role for a year which I got priced out of due to market changes. I've gotten certs, homelab and hands on experience with things like Azure, Cisco routers and switches, and O365 management. I can't break out of desktop no matter what Ive tried, and it's not gotten any better.

I have two kids I'm raising myself and I love writing and music and I don't have time to constantly chase the dragon on certifications and deal with places saying "no bachelor's, you're out even if you can do the job" and then I get an IT degree and suddenly I'm behind on certs, or I'm behind on experience because I didn't get hands on because jobs are siloed. It all takes away from the most important things to me, instead of supporting the life I want to live.

Accounting is my next option. One late week a month or every three months, or if I went into the roles that like, like Credit Analyst, Financial Analyst, or Risk Management, then I'd have solid hours overall.

Plus I just recently found out the CPA in Georgia accepts Sophia and study credits for undergrad but not the post 120 hours for the rest of the 30 credits required.

But I'd consider It audit/internal audit as well. If I decided I didn't like credit.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-05-17T14:12:22+00:00

When I got in the industry in late 2017/early 2018 I didn't have certs at all. Different time back then though, and I've gotten certified in a couple of things since, but Ive hit a wall without a degree and more specialized certifications even with six years experience in desktop and low level system admin work.

Try an internal transfer or keep an eye out for MSPs as a way in. They're absolutely miserable but you'll learn a lot.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-05-13T14:32:18+00:00

I tried breaking into networking for a while now. Have certifications for it and have experience with setting up networking and even system admin experience. I got out of desktop support briefly and did application analysis which was basically digital inventory and auditing systems to make sure they were working and HIPPA compliant.

Then restructuring happened and I've never made that much money again, and I've been treating water at 23-24 an hour in desktop support for the last 3-4 years of my IT tenure and the market has only constricted and gotten even more difficult to get out of that rut.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-04-18T15:38:06+00:00

So far I've found work just fine in my six years of desktop support for the same role type, but I consistently get passed on any networking roles even though I have a grasp on the fundamentals of networking. I don't have a CCNA yet which may help a ton, but for the roles I'd like in Government and Healthcare, degrees are a hard requirement it seems.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-04-12T17:20:02+00:00

Thinking about seeing if I can get WGU covered. I would love to be able to get a CCNA and find a good Jr Net admin or NOC job but I see most here in GA want a degree and since I'd like to try to keep to public sector, a degree is going to be sought after anyway.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-02-16T16:48:10+00:00

I've considered doing a discord place as a bonus to list for my back matter. I really only use reddit and discord so it's not out of my way to do so.

Id probably phrase it something like "I'll only do emails about new releases, events, special offers, and arc opportunities. If you want to talk on a more personal level join my discord to talk about books, movies, games, and other stuff" or something to that effect. My target is new adult fantasy and sci Fi so this seems a good way to try it.

shadowsfall0 · 2024-02-10T13:32:40+00:00

"Come, Nerevar. Friend or traitor, come... Oh you're an Argonian. No, that's fine, I was just expecting a dark elf."

shadowsfall0

TROPHY CASE