Well first I ought to begin this by saying, I am a full time student attending the University of Phoenix. I just want some input from people already in this field on what they think of this school. Also, I currently work in a warehouse as a forklift operator. I heard rumors that there was an IT position open, but I wasn't sure if it was true or not being that this warehouse only has two IT professionals. I asked HR and told them my situation, being in school and such, and they told me no there was no position open. A couple of weeks later I had been talking to my supervisor and he told me well, let me talk to the IT guys here. I was excited right away before I even knew what they had told him. Well yesterday, I went into work and he told me he talked to them and to be at work early the next day. Surely enough, I was early for work and met the IT professional at the warehouse. He was asking me about school and such, but told me that by Monday he was going to have a project together for me to complete. He said we will go from there. I'm so nervous, I have no idea what type of "project" he is going to put together. Has anyone every been in a situation like this? If so, what happened? I'm sure there are things that you guys recommend, what would they be? Is there any certain thing in the IT field I should do some extra studying up on? Thanks for everyones input on this situation!
There are too many IT practices to list. You should ask him what type of project: hardware or software and go from there. If you are tech savvy and can figure things out quickly then you should have no problem. Chances are the project you will be working on will be small; it could be a test to prove yourself.
I too went to the University of Phoenix; I went to the ground campus in Phoenix, AZ. I received my BSIT and an MBA in Technology Management. Overall I thought it was good, I did learn a lot but like any university who teaches IT, they can show you the many fields but it is up to you to master one of them, getting a few certifications could also help out. It’s a lot different when learning IT online though, you have to work harder at it. I’m in the middle of my PhD right now and for the most part it’s all online (it keeps you busy everyday) accept for the residencies which you are required to attend every year.
Take Care
1. If you're going to get a degree from a non-traditional school, you may need to compensate in some managers' eyes, by having real experience on real projects, so it is good that you have this opportunity.
2. Try to get projects where you are responsible for the end result - and are not just the assistant - when you can.
3. Do work on multi-person projects, and document how you worked together.
4. Focus on the bottom line - show how your project helped the organization, how it saved time, money, reduced waste, improved efficiency, etc
5. Learn how to learn - you never have to say "I don't know how to..." because, with the Internet and books, you can instead say "I'll look into that tonight and try to have an answer first thing tomorrow morning."
I agree with the previous poster that said you may need to have some extra work experience when dealing with one of these types of schools. I personally have helped a few friends that were students of University of Phoenix. Coming from the "traditional" school system (including a Master's degree in Systems Engineering) I must admit I was shocked (in a bad way) at the quality of the course material I was exposed to from U of P. That was my first experience with that school, but I'm sure the whole online system does not have a good reputation.
This being said, don't think you're throwing away your time and effort, as you are being exposed to things you haven't seen before, and a good manager will see this when they are interviewing you. Just don't compare yourself to someone that has gone through the "traditional" school system because you get the same degree. It took me a long time to realize that the quality of the school is just as important as the degree you receive.
The previous poster said, "shocked (in a bad way) at the quality of the course material I was exposed to from U of P. That was my first experience with that school, but I'm sure the whole online system does not have a good reputation."
If the whole online system does not have a good reputation, why were you shocked?
As I see it online course work is more of a "you only get out of it what you're willing to put into it" situation. In a traditional lecture/classroom situation you're almost bound to get some knowledge just by being in class. With an online/mail-order instruction YOU must do a lot of the work.
I do agree the more "hands on" experience you can get the better off you'll be, even if it pays poorly. Look at it as an apprentice situation. And, be sure as someone already said, document, document, document!
I was the one who you responded to.
I had heard that online schools left something to be desired, but did not have any experience with them, either way. The reason I was so shocked with the U of P courseware I saw was how poorly it was laid out and taught. I have honestly seen high-schools with better programs. The reason I was shocked was because as I had mentioned, I had heard they weren't great, but I didn't realize they could be THAT bad, and still have the gall to charge students what they do.
I actually teach math and science online, and those courses are a lot of work, but fairly well laid out.
However, some of the comments I've gotten from students tell me that some of the others are much easier, and the grading is easier in them as well.
Generally, though, most students do put in the work and do well in my courses, or they disappear.
I do think they charge a lot for tuition, though, especially considering how little of it I get.
But then, being able to work anytime and pet dogs while working makes up for it.
As a longtime IT manager (over 10 years managing) I value techs that can think logically, read, and understand. When operating in a cutting edge environment I'll guarantee that you'll come across stuff that wasn't around when you were in college. That's when its important to know how to think logically and to know how to find out and understand information that you need. If you can do those two things well then it won't matter where your degree is from. Do those two things and you'll do fine.
I will comment on this point.
University of Phoenix is mostly considered a joke, and no seriouse IT person would be caught dead attending it.
They are known spammers, and operate in the "gray" area. Interestingly enough, one of thier main "campuses" is located in Pittsburg PA, pretty far from AZ.
Myself? I would never hire someone if that was thier only source of training.
If you're rejected for a job application because of UP, then you're probably fortunate. Consider it employer screening.
When hiring, I have never asked anyone about their degree(s) although I did reject a PhD on one occasion. Our hiring criteria has always been what experience you have (even on entry level, you must have some past experience at some job), what computer knowledge you can demonstrate (I use tough questions but it's not a pass/fail) and how you think. This last is the most important factor: how do you approach problems? How do you resolve difficulties? ARE YOU WILLING TO ADMIT IGNORANCE? I'd rather hear a simple "I don't know" from someone willing to learn than a load of bull from someone who won't.
This said, you're more likely to find this attitude at a small shop than at a major corp .. but you can learn a lot more there too.
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Comment: Oh yeah, I just posted this
Oh yeah, I just posted this and as I was reading it, I didn't state that I was attending University of Phoenix ONLINE! Any inputs? Suggestions? Thanks!