Another Decision

Today I received a letter from DePaul University notifying me that I qualify for the Double Demon Scholarship, which goes to graduates of DePaul’s undergraduate program’s who earn admission to either the College of Computing and Digital Media or the Kellstadt Graduate School of Management. Should I decide to attend for a Master of Science degree in Computer, Information, and Network Security, I will start my program in Autumn Quarter 2013. This changes my plans because I will not have to get the Advanced Certificate in Networking Technologies and Systems and the Basic Certificate in Computer Security and Forensics Investigation because both of these subject areas will be covered in my degree program. I will still at some point earn credentials in emergency management so I can assist during disasters. Basic CERT Training will suffice for now. I will also volunteer at FreeGeek Chicago.

However there are some intermediate steps before I can gain admission for the Autumn Quarter 2013:

1. Earn A+, Network+, and MCITP certifications
   These certifications will allow me to obtain a help desk analyst or entry-level technician position so that I can make more money and become more self sufficient.
2. Obtain 35 hour A+ Internship for 17 days of Summer term at City Colleges of Chicago
3. Complete application process for DePaul University College of Computing and Digital Media
4. Complete a budget estimate, including projected cost of attendance and the 25% tuition scholarship, for full-time and part-time study
5. Complete CIS 116 Introduction to Operating Systems and COMP SFI 101 General Technology Essentials with grades of B or better
6. Obtain new employment from DePaul University or elsewhere

Improve Your Soft Skills

People skills are an essential part of your job. It goes without saying that you need working knowledge of technology for a successful career in IT. After all, the basic role of your job will be working with hardware and software. However, it’s important to remember that a good deal of your duties will involve working with other people, whether they’re other IT professionals, customers or co-workers in other departments. In fact, even vendors realize the importance of these “soft skills”: CompTIA has even made them a graded portion of their A+ certification.