Tangled up in Cat-5's:
Working as an IT Professional

Would you like to know how to configure a mail server? Always wanted to know the difference between TCP and UDP? Are you dying to learn how to create a cron job? With a degree or diploma in information technology, you can learn all of this and more. Here are a few possible career paths:

PC Support

IT degree holders in entry-level positions can expect to work with both PC-compatible and Macintosh computers, performing duties like setup, repair, and upgrade. Essentially, installing operating systems and other software, trouble-shooting configuration issues, and optimizing performance. Along with working with personal computers, you'll be performing setup and maintenance on servers and network systems as well configuring mail and file servers, maximizing usability, and setting up LANs (Local Area Networks).

Network Engineering

If network engineering is more your thing, you'll learn about the different types of networks and protocols: token ring networks, PPP, SNMP, et cetera. You will even learn about the cutting-edge 802.11 wireless networks and IEEE 802 standards. In addition to this, you will gain hands-on experience working with physical hardware and creating networks, learning the use of routers, hubs, firewalls, and the like. Other responsibilities would include: evenly distributing network bandwidth, setting up routing tables, configuring firewalls, and creating a failover system, to name a few.

Systems Administrator

As a system administrator, your job will be to perform server configuration and maintenance, though typically on UNIX-based systems. Learning the difference between operating systems such as Solaris, Linux, and OpenBSD, you'll understand the nuances of each. From here, you will be able to setup web servers, configure DNS, create user accounts and permissions, write shell scripts, create clustered systems, and much more.

Getting started in an IT program will expose you to all of these areas of systems and network engineering. You'll also notice that each one has similarities and cross-overs with the other two, making knowledge of all three crucial to achieving maximum success in the field.

Get your diploma or degree in PC support or network engineering! Check our lists of schools and colleges offering programs in PC support/training or networking/LAN technology.