1. Receive a Bachelor's Degree
In today's competitive workforce certifications are not enough. To get the job or promotion you want a bachelor's degree is almost necessary. This will be on your resume forever and distinguish you as part of the highly sought after educated workforce. Many employers will use a degree as the first step in weeding out applicants, this is a simple and efficient manner for them to automatically find higher qualified applicants. Having a degree will get your resume viewed by more hiring managers than if you did not have one. Make sure you get a degree from an accredited university. You may want to seek out a traditional university, an online university, or alternative specialized university. Whatever choice you make the most important thing is that you learn new skills and get a degree.
2. Get Certifications
Attend a university that you will not only get a Bachelor's degree but also certifications. Some certifications you could receive are the Microsoft MCSD certification, Java 2, WebSphere, DB2, and more. This will help you meet requirements for high-end technology jobs. Think about what you want to do in the future, almost every computer field has specialized certifications that employers are looking for. Try not to waste your time getting a certification in a field that you do not necessarily want to pursue a career in. If you want to be a programmer do not waste time getting an A+ certification.
3. Gain Experience
Experience can set you apart from the competition when applying for a job. Find a university that has a strong emphasis on project-based learning or internship opportunities. Universities that help you gain more than an education by offering several projects you can participate in are worth pursuing. I have known many students who waste time away in college working as a waitress or telemarketer. In almost all fields you can find lower entry-level jobs that will give you a paycheck plus valuable experience that will be useful in the future. If you follow this guideline you will graduate with a list of experience that is impressive on your resume and be far ahead in the game compared to your fellow students.
4. Seek Out Financial Aid
Gaining an education costs money, but for those that need additional help there are programs available to help pay for tuition and education costs. Request more information from universities to see which financial aid plans you may be eligible for. If you are academically advanced, a minority, or financially disadvantaged there may be scholarships available to you as well.
5. Time is of the Essence!
Many people spend 4-6 years at a traditional university to obtain their bachelor's degree. This is ok in many cases because traditionally universities still look the most impressive on a resume. However if you know you want to work in the computer industry you may consider an accelerated program to assist you in getting the skills and education you need to get started in your career sooner. Online universities and specialized technical universities often offer programs where you can get your B.S. degree in under 2 years, this is worth looking into. It is also common knowledge that traditional universities often do not give their computer science graduates the actual programming skills they need to be competitive in the workplace, their curriculum often consists mainly of theory compared to application.
About Neumont University
Neumont University's class of 2005 averaged a starting salary of $60,700, thirteen percent above the national average.* The accelerated bachelor's degree program lasts just 28 months. That allows our highly qualified graduates to enter the workforce 1 ½ years earlier than their colleagues at four year universities. The campus is located in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. Each quarter, student teams work on a real business project. Each team works with the business representative and mentors to develop solutions that are ultimately implemented by the businesses. With more and more employers demanding real-world business experience from graduates, Neumont University's curriculum is proving to be a boon for students and their future employers. Most of Neumont's graduates are placed in their jobs before they even graduate, due mostly to the coursework our students do with businesses. Our first graduating class had a 91% percent placement, and most of the graduates had two job offers before graduation.
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Eric Morgan is an article writer at MWI - Search Engine Optimization. Neumont University is a specialty university with a B.S. computer science degree program and a MBA program.
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