So my gf tells me I should be a...

[littlemack]

Computer Consultant like my buddy Kaiser here. How would one go about getting started? I've had a "little" programming experience when I was in school(started as a computer science major). So, should I go back to school for this or get Microsoft Certified? I wanna be a computer geek now!

 

[Kaiser]

Microsoft certs do not really buy you much. I started when I was 10, then was forced to get out of it at 12 and not allowed to have one until I turned 18. But I still had one anyway . I learned just by trial and error over the years, but for the most part it always made sense to me. It's my first language and English is second. I would suggest getting a coule of PCs at home, networking them, crashing them, and reloading them. I find its the best way for someone to get a good feel for it. You wont need anything spectacular as far as PCs are concerned, becuase you are only setting up a test environment. You can use the 90 evaluation versions of server and workstation for free.

 

[littlemack]

Ok. So this is not as bad as I thought! I've had some experience with an old NT Server. I don't know any linux. Knew a little Unix back in college.
What's strange is that I've been getting back into Mac's. Crystal only does Mac stuff with her graphic arts business.
I'll find some junk to throw together and get a small network up and break out my old "Doom" game and have some fun with it. ha
Thanks man.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Littlemack,

I think kaiser here knows what he's talking about. When I was looking for a service provider to install and configure my network we had a few proposals that had MCSE this and were solution providers for Microsoft but I was more interested in what they had done. What kind of work and what kind of references. To me, all that MCRAP and MSHIT didn't mean anything if the people they send out have no experience. I had an office in a buliding who had their own guy and he was a damn genius. Xept you could never get a hold of him. The next building co-opted a T1 line for everybody and the guys that handled the equipment still had pimples.

What I look for in a tech is usually I start off with say about 5'3, 105lbs, brunette preferrably, C or better, and completely into polyester pants.

 

[littlemack]

What I look for in a tech is usually I start off with say about 5'3, 105lbs, brunette preferrably, C or better, and completely into polyester pants.

So hire a little hottie to do the appointments. Gotcha. hahahaha

I never really paid much attention to that MCrap either, but didn't know if it was something needed or not. Thanks OTH. The customer knows best.

 

[Kaiser]

Yeah fellas believe me, I've taught many of them, and what they lerned on paper or on screen as a cheat test or test preparer, does nothing for them when they see an immediate 1000 or more nodes to handle. I have a guy that works for my company that I also trained in Lockheed that I brought up through the tiers. He is now parallel and one of my team mates. He was young and had the mind to understand what I was teaching him, yet he didn't have a degree or cert. I recognized his gift when he came to me with the eagerness to learn, without any thought of working his way up to lead infrastructure. He is very well rounded and started off the same way I did. Gathering computers and networking them together. At this point the only person who is qualified to question his judgement is me.

He does however know who the best is