Assuming that you are completely computer illeterate, (which you may not be you can find your own level.) What I would suggest is a TRAINING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM of:

A+ (about 2 months total, gives you the basics of computer operations, etc..)

Then Move on to MCSE the microsoft certified exams, this will take about six months (average time though it only took me eight weeks to study and pass all six tests) Once you get one or two exams passed you will have a certification that will help you get an entry level job and then the company you work for will more likely pay for your schooling and test exams.

After becoming MCSE, you can branch out into MCDBA (which I did and later got my OCP) or you can work for about a year, make decent money, go back to a school, learn CISCO and then really tear some shit up.

Just my suggestion. Or combine your arts degree with some Cold Fusion, ASP, or other web development type training.

I was thinking the 4 yr route because I know at my company, new college hires (with cs degrees), start off at 50k, while those who do the same job with no degree make crap.

Also, what cert would yougo for? I used to do some Lotus Notes development.

Your starting salary shouldn't matter. There is no apreicable difference between $38K or $50K over one year...so don't worry.

If you are good, the money will come. it is as simple as that. After a year, it will become evident if you are god or not, and it is with a year or two of experience that you can make six figures. Good employees get paid. Losers don't. what you are is up to you. Starting salary is pointless. Think 2 years down the road.

Don't go to college for this shit. Colleges are useless. I got my MCSE the way JohnnyO did - I read the book. I got my CCNA that way too, although I did take some classes for the CCNP.

Start with A+. it is the easiest one and it will show you if this is for you.

Don't believe all the hype about those "boot camps" that get you your certs in like 14 days. No one is going to pay youany serious cash unless you have serious skills.

CCNA Study Guide Second Edition (exam 640-507) by Todd Lammle from Sybex. - If you're only gonna get one book this is the one to get.

Introduction To Cisco Router Configuration (ICRC) by Laura Chappell from Cisco Press.

Advanced Cisco Router Configuration (ACRC) by Laura Chappell from Cisco Press.

I have all three of these books and also bought the Sybex Virtual Lab e-trainer software. It's a simulated network with three Cisco routers (two attached to token rings), two host computers, a Catalyst 1900 switch, and a couple of WAN links. It's pretty good for practicing configurations and IOS commands.

I'm sure I could pass the CCNA exam on my own with just the help of these study materials. I decided to enroll in the Cisco Academy offered at my local community college. They offer a 2 year program and an "advanced" 1 year program. This is a great choice for anyone unfamiliar with networking. I took the classes just for the hands on experience. The labs are excellent. I'm not sure if this is the same everywhere but at my school we have open labs 2 days a week were you are free to work with the labs. You can use this time to get caught up on assigned labs or just use the time to practice with the equipment on your own.The Cisco Academy also offers a really good worked based learning program. It's an internship program for Academy students that can offer you some real work place experience and help beef up your resume for future employment.

The first two semesters were very boring for me. Things didn't start picking up untill the third semester. I would definately not recomend the two year program. That's just too much time for a certification that isn't all that difficult to get. If you have access to the equipment at work or home, then I wouldn't bother with the Academy at all. Cisco is real good about not letting their students just become paper certified and will provide you with some valuable hands on experience and the lab environment to accomplish this.

I took the 1 year program which is really only 9 months. We meet twice a week and the class is 4 hours long. I wish they could've condensed this down to about 6 months or less and maybe offered a more advanced level. It's far from a bootcamp. We have tests almost every class and they're usually around 25-30 questions. Then we have a final at the end of each semester (4 total) and then we have the final, final exam which is basically like practive run at the CCNA exam. You are not guranteed your CCNA after you complete the program. You still have to take the actual CCNA exam on your own. I think it runs about $100 for the exam. Your grade is determined by your test scores (60%) and labs (40% which includes your networking journal). The finals are determined by your final exam score and also a pass/fail hands on exam for each semester.

THE CCNA book is now called "Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices", published by Cisco press. Cisco publishes their own books at Cisco Press, and there is a ciscopress.com

Use that.

Microsoft certfications are explained thoroughly (as far as required tests) on their web sites.

Sybex is a good company to use.

Microsoft is now only awardiung MCSE certification in Windows 2000/NT5.0

NT4.0 certfication (the one I have) is done - or will be real soon. But it would still be good to know this operating system. It has a large installed base and don't look for that to change too soon.

Here is what I would do: buy some A+ certifcation books. it is an easy certfication to get and it will introduce you to the certifcation world.

After you do that (should be a few weeks studying) - I would get the Sybex NT 4.0 books and NT 4.0 workstation and server.

Do the exercises in the books, and get good with it. Once you can do this it will be easier to teach yourself NT 5.0 (Win2k).

Also investigate Cisco certifications. Cisco's web site is comprehensive on that. Just get started. The rest will come.

The knowledge to organize and plan projects is seriously needed and not a single person that works for me (who hasn't got a degree) can do either.

Here's a list of reasons to get a degree:
1. Employers want people with them.
2. Chicks dig guys with degrees.
3. More money.
4. More knowledge *.
5. You have more options for jobs.
6. It feels damn good.
7. It(they) looks cool on the wall.

I have 17 people reporting to me as of today and want to hire four more people in the next quarter. I look first at people who have a degree.

Most colleges these days teach one to aspire to and accept mediocrity....interesting that a "major" is only 1/4 of your credits.....

The greatest prgrammer of them all, Bill Gates, is a college dropout. So is Larry Ellison. Those are the two wealthiest men in the US. Michael Dell is up there too, another dropout.

College is good for people with average, or slightly above average intelligence. The top 2% don't belong there.

I regret going....how much more could I have accomplished if I wasn't working 15 hours a week toward bullshit??

Yes, employers like degrees. But if you have vision, don't close it off by going to college.

If you really want to look at overall contributions take a look at Bill Joy, Linus Torvalds or any of the original and present BSD team members.

I don't disagree that you don't learn everything going for a degree. But you do learn project planning, programming discipline and myriad other skills you could never get by self-taught learning.

1. Degrees do not signify talent or capability.
2. The do reflect drive and discipline.
3. Bill Gates is simply responsible for standing other people's accomplishments and selling them very well.

College smollege! You don't need a degree! If you know what you are doing, you'll get paid!

Become a web designer, start a porn site, sit back and let old nasty men pay $20 a month to look at young chicks....it's the american way.

you'll be banking 70-120K in less than 3yrs.
If your looking for certs: go with Oracle!!!

HTML?
C++?
MS.SQL?
Visual Basic?

Those skills are so common they're assumed you know them.

Oracle experience is a nice skill, although anyone who knows transact SQL can admin an oracle db.

I have a degree and certs.

Jumping right into the Cisco stuff may be over your head at first.

MCSE training is a good background for Cisco because you get familiar with basic networking concepts like TCP/IP, as well as what a router or switch does.....I had my degree when I got into the tech world.....but I went A+, then MCSE, then Cisco....took about a year to do all that.

The Windows 2000 stuff is kind of tough if you aren't familiar with NT 4.0. I would - if I were you - get your A+ and then decide what to do next.

There are some good tech bros here - if you were reading a book anbd had a techincal question, there are a handful of bros on here who could probably clear it up.