tollyboy5:

most of you advising on education I mean bsc don't read the part where he is the bread winner of his family you guys are just typing what you felt was best not what he needs right now.

young man, So bread winners must be unschooled? or you think everyone in schools today depend on someone else.

My advice stands, if 6years in a university proves too much let him enrol to a polytechnic and work at his own pace.

Nothing should leave you unschooled in this time of life.

IJMB abi what is it called? The one u do that will make u gain admission into 200L in any university, OP u can enrol in that programme while u pursue ur professional certification.
This is Nigeria, before anyone will help u, the first thing they will ask is what is ur qualification?

It is better u pursue a degree along with the professional certification.

Logobenz:
You assume too much!
I would have loved you to send that PM and receive the shock of your life.
There is still room for you to reconsider Anyways,so you get schooled properly.Then you'll know...

Shock of my life you said . There's no point sending a PM, especially for security reasons. Pls understand me. In case you have read my post recently, my aged mum's personal nurse was kidnapped 2 wks ago, only to be released a few days back after paying a huge sum as ransom. The trauma still lingers. I'm not doubting you personality and I don't look down on people. The only PM I've replied to so far was that of a lady who said she needed a job at ayinke house(LASUTH), the day PMB came to lagos to commission the hospital building and I made a comment under a post here because i was also there .We didn't eventually meet. I only gave her a Dr's number to call.

See let's be pratical and realistic.

you are 25, if you go back to study csc, 5-6yrs FULL-TIME

it means you will be age 30-31 upon graduation.

The question is are you ready to take this gamble?

Professional certfs is expensive and a longer route but never to make up for a degree.
Cost of training and exams has cost me slightly over 500k from just CCNA to CCNP R&S (CISCO)
and I still have a long list of IT certfs/skills I want to attain.

Years from now, when there is a position for you to attain at the board of directors or to sit with the managerial team, you will most likely not be considered because you don't have a Degree to show for it.

If you can attend a part time class, while you still work (that's the BEST).
at the end of 5yrs of the part-time class, you have a degree and also 5yrs of IT experience at your current place of work (plus you could also have attained some certfs within the 5yrs)

Professional Certf can never replace the need for a Degree, and this is from me who has IT certificates, so you know I am talking from the heart.

[quote author=Richdad50 post=82735399]

I am so proud of you and your resilience in life. You desire to take care of your Mum and siblings and the willingness to sacrifice. God will oil your hands with prosperity and your feet with good tidings.

Son, wisdom in this time is profitable to direct. Go for the part time program of six years and alongside, write professional certifications within the said time. You would have killed two beautiful birds with one stone. Six years is quite a short time with plenty of room to acquire as much certifications beyond your imaginations tailored towards your choice career in computer science.

Perhaps you are inclined towards Cybersecurity and Networking. I had love to see this as your introductory name in six years time;
Bamidele Chukwuma Bsc. CISSP, CISM, CISA, CCNP, CRISC, CCSP, CEH

Richdad

This is just the best answer. God bless You Richdad

And to You, Our plans are just plans without God. May God guide you right.

This decision should come easy for you. Remember, we are in a third world country, so what is obtainable in developed nations is not obtainable here. I'm glad you are already on the right path. A university degree, though considered by many here as a mere paper, could open doors of opportunities for you. In other to stand a compete favourably with your mates, you need one.

Remember, your fight is different!

fairfora:
Shock of my life you said . There's no point sending a PM, especially for security reasons. Pls understand me. In case you have read my post recently, my aged mum's personal nurse was kidnapped 2 wks ago, only to be released a few days back after paying a huge sum as ransom. The trauma still lingers. I'm not doubting you personality and I don't look down on people. The only PM I've replied to so far was that of a lady who said she needed a job at ayinke house(LASUTH), the day PMB came to lagos to commission the hospital building and I made a comment under a post here because i was also there .We didn't eventually meet. I only gave her a Dr's number to call.

I'm Sorry about your mom.
Security reasons?who said anything about meeting you?Atleast not with this attitude!
Wheew,you are really something else.
Careful with the way you talk to people,you never know....

PrimadonnaO:
No matter what anyone says, you still need a degree in this country. Trust me. You'll never get over not having it... corporate organizations would take advantage of you... or not even give you a chance to begin with.

Go to NOUN while you continue working. Or better still, do the part-time for the 6 years. You can still add whatever professional certs you feel like having. Time flies quickly, you'll be all done before you know it.

Vote Mike small na.

If you can study on your own without much assistant, I will advise you enroll in National Open University Of Nigeria (NOUN). it gives room for flexibility to run other professional courses while still working.

PlzAdvice:
Career Crossroad: Please I Need Professional Advice

I'm making this thread in hope that it will filter through to persons who would be in good position to offer advice.... Not necessarily on "WHAT I SHOULD DO" - but advice that can help me better understand the pros and cons of the 2 choices before me. Thank you.
7
Here it is.

I am a 25yr old Nigerian male, I completed my secondary school education (SSCE) in 2010 (I had an issue with maths - I had to resit for another exam 2yrs later due to financial limitations).

After my SSCE same year, i had to go for computer training as a "handwork" - Mum was the only one taking care of us, so the prospects of tertiary education wasn't very bright. Along the line during my training, i developed real passion for ICT...and though my training was just on basic computer appreciation and desktop publishing... I gave it my best.... And was really good.

Not to bore us with many lines, time and seasons came, highs and lows.. But I survived through it all... And I shunned all forms of illegality even when it wasn't easy, seeing the ill-gains others were getting from it.

Currently I work in a place, where God, humility, my skills and proficiency got me to and not even my qualifications (I work as (and more than) Secretary - let's say I am the fix-it guy). I've been getting advice from some of the people around that i should try and upgrade myself (qualifications) - atleast to get better shots - but we all know how the job market is today.

Thing is, irrespective of my age, I really desire to get an "education" to better myself than i currently am - not limited to school (the educational system of our dear country is a sorry state, and the leaders of the institutions are more concern about fees than actually making anything out of the graduates other than offering a certificate backed with signatures and transcript on request) - �

I can't quit my job to go full time after 9yrs of my SSCE, plus i need the job to support myself, siblings and Mum too....and should i consider schooling, I need the job to finance myself - seeing that there's no sponsor in sight.

In the light of the above, I can only go for a part time programme, but when the advert for the school i intend getting the form from, I saw that it would be a 6-year long programme...Good Lord! I had been told it was 5years (Which was still a bit considerable) before now!

Now this is where I'm at cross roads:

Should I really give in another 6 years to acquire this degree (Computer Science)?

At the end of it, would I have really gotten anything marketable from the programme (Unless what I learn out on my own) apart from getting the certificate?

It's no news how even some graduates remain unemployed or under employed even after school....Is the value of a B.Sc any more important to getting success?

What I really want is an to learn professional skills in ICT that can make me really marketable and not just going to school for 6years to get the degree. Are there less lengthy professional courses or career paths that I can follow to master certain fields in ICT that can make me employable for my skills? Certification courses et al?

I'm really confused.

I would recommend that you acquire professional skills/certification that will make you more useful to employers, and that you can use to start out as a freelance too. But whatever you choose, time is running out.

fairfora:
Shock of my life you said . There's no point sending a PM, especially for security reasons. Pls understand me. In case you have read my post recently, my aged mum's personal nurse was kidnapped 2 wks ago, only to be released a few days back after paying a huge sum as ransom. The trauma still lingers. I'm not doubting you personality and I don't look down on people. The only PM I've replied to so far was that of a lady who said she needed a job at ayinke house(LASUTH), the day PMB came to lagos to commission the hospital building and I made a comment under a post here because i was also there .We didn't eventually meet. I only gave her a Dr's number to call.

You have divulged too much of a personal information already. Just let the guy go and focus on what is important.

You have made your point intelligently without disrespect unlike he did and you keep going back and forth with him.

Silence they say is golden and it works in a situation like this.

Logobenz:
I'm Sorry about your mom.
Security reasons?who said anything about meeting you?Atleast not with this attitude!
Wheew,you are really something else.
Careful with the way you talk to people,you never know....

Thank you

Alfredah01:
Professional curse should be the best for u, because you get to learn and master the skills more and might even be an employer than limiting yourself to be an employee, u can employ the same graduates and use their knowledge to grow your firm

Professional curse

Sirwallace:



You have divulged too much of a personal information already. Just let the guy go and focus on what is important.

You have made your point intelligently without disrespect unlike he did and you keep going back and forth with him.

Silence they say is golden and it works in a situation like this.

Thank you so much

fairfora:
Thank you

You're welcome.

OP @ PlzAdvice, I’ve read so many advice on this your thread. Many are good.

Just to add mine because I can be of help. Please and please, don’t abandon your job, don’t ever do that. It will help you to sustain yourself.

Please and please, go for part time, it will not only allow you to still have your job but also allow you to have a degree certificate. Now, having a degree certificate is not only for Nigeria. It will allow you to travel out to places like Europe where education is free whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Because ICT is where the world is going both here in Nigeria and abroad, try learn programming languages as you go on with your studies, it will help you. You’ll need it. Go to Programming section and try see topics that might be of help. Also you can PM me to see if I can help as regards the right programming language to go for.

You will succeed. Amen!

wman:
Your BSc is extremely important. Forget any rubbish talk of school na scam
IT firms and companies will pick someone with a BSc over a school cert holder regardless of how skilled you are. The discrimination is high, competition is tough, and there are several skilled graduates available for hire today.

In the future, you might want to migrate to Canada, the USA and other European companies as a tech expatriate. A university degree makes it much easier for you. That certificate is tied to several things.

You can register for the part-time program, work in your spare time to earn money for yourself and your family. You can even go into graphics design, video editing, website design, data science, machine learning, A.I and other advanced skills that you can earn money freelancing part time.

Please, don't let anyone tell you that school is a scam. It will broaden your horizon and open you up to several opportunities.

Nigeria is hard. Being a Computer Science graduate with diverse skills will make things easier for you.

Forget about the little you are earning at your place of work. You can earn much more, employ others, live a comfortable life and build houses if you don't limit yourself.

Don't get too comfortable with the little you earn that you deprive yourself of a bright future.

GO BACK TO SCHOOL! and learn better skills.

I stopped reading after this line. This is how you know someone that has never travelled out of the country
I would say that IT is probably the field that doesn't rely too much on degrees. They want someone with experience that can do the job, and if you have professional certifications to back you up, even better.
Your statement is the EXACT opposite of what is applicable
That is not to say that getting a certificate would not come in handy in the future. If you can get it then go for it, because some management positions might require you to have one. But you can prosper in this field (Programming, Networking, et al) without one. Don't let anyone discourage you

Good luck!

No wonder Nigeria is the way it is. People with their degrees earning a pittance as salary

Bros do part time degree and spice it up with professional courses in ICT, this won't affect ur job. I pray God will c u thru

Logobenz:
You assume too much!
I would have loved you to send that PM and receive the shock of your life.
There is still room for you to reconsider Anyways,so you get schooled properly.Then you'll know...

Nna, if he's not interested in sending PMs, let us that are ready send PM. You guys seem to know your onions.
Both of you could be good friends if you'd agree to disagree

Richdad50:


I am so proud of you and your resilience in life. You desire to take care of your Mum and siblings and the willingness to sacrifice. God will oil your hands with prosperity and your feet with good tidings.

Son, wisdom in this time is profitable to direct. Go for the part time program of six years and alongside, write professional certifications within the said time. You would have killed two beautiful birds with one stone. Six years is quite a short time with plenty of room to acquire as much certifications beyond your imaginations tailored towards your choice career in computer science.

Perhaps you are inclined towards Cybersecurity and Networking. I had love to see this as your introductory name in six years time;
Bamidele Chukwuma Bsc. CISSP, CISM, CISA, CCNP, CRISC, CCSP, CEH

Richdad

God bless you for this

Richdad50:


I am so proud of you and your resilience in life. You desire to take care of your Mum and siblings and the willingness to sacrifice. God will oil your hands with prosperity and your feet with good tidings.

Son, wisdom in this time is profitable to direct. Go for the part time program of six years and alongside, write professional certifications within the said time. You would have killed two beautiful birds with one stone. Six years is quite a short time with plenty of room to acquire as much certifications beyond your imaginations tailored towards your choice career in computer science.

Perhaps you are inclined towards Cybersecurity and Networking. I had love to see this as your introductory name in six years time;
Bamidele Chukwuma Bsc. CISSP, CISM, CISA, CCNP, CRISC, CCSP, CEH

Richdad

This advice made my day...

I support it completely

PlzAdvice:
Career Crossroad: Please I Need Professional Advice

I'm making this thread in hope that it will filter through to persons who would be in good position to offer advice.... Not necessarily on "WHAT I SHOULD DO" - but advice that can help me better understand the pros and cons of the 2 choices before me. Thank you.
7
Here it is.

I am a 25yr old Nigerian male, I completed my secondary school education (SSCE) in 2010 (I had an issue with maths - I had to resit for another exam 2yrs later due to financial limitations).

After my SSCE same year, i had to go for computer training as a "handwork" - Mum was the only one taking care of us, so the prospects of tertiary education wasn't very bright. Along the line during my training, i developed real passion for ICT...and though my training was just on basic computer appreciation and desktop publishing... I gave it my best.... And was really good.

Not to bore us with many lines, time and seasons came, highs and lows.. But I survived through it all... And I shunned all forms of illegality even when it wasn't easy, seeing the ill-gains others were getting from it.

Currently I work in a place, where God, humility, my skills and proficiency got me to and not even my qualifications (I work as (and more than) Secretary - let's say I am the fix-it guy). I've been getting advice from some of the people around that i should try and upgrade myself (qualifications) - atleast to get better shots - but we all know how the job market is today.

Thing is, irrespective of my age, I really desire to get an "education" to better myself than i currently am - not limited to school (the educational system of our dear country is a sorry state, and the leaders of the institutions are more concern about fees than actually making anything out of the graduates other than offering a certificate backed with signatures and transcript on request) - �

I can't quit my job to go full time after 9yrs of my SSCE, plus i need the job to support myself, siblings and Mum too....and should i consider schooling, I need the job to finance myself - seeing that there's no sponsor in sight.

In the light of the above, I can only go for a part time programme, but when the advert for the school i intend getting the form from, I saw that it would be a 6-year long programme...Good Lord! I had been told it was 5years (Which was still a bit considerable) before now!

Now this is where I'm at cross roads:

Should I really give in another 6 years to acquire this degree (Computer Science)?

At the end of it, would I have really gotten anything marketable from the programme (Unless what I learn out on my own) apart from getting the certificate?

It's no news how even some graduates remain unemployed or under employed even after school....Is the value of a B.Sc any more important to getting success?

What I really want is an to learn professional skills in ICT that can make me really marketable and not just going to school for 6years to get the degree. Are there less lengthy professional courses or career paths that I can follow to master certain fields in ICT that can make me employable for my skills? Certification courses et al?

I'm really confused.

Get your professional certificate now, you can always go for degree but have it at the back of your mind that you must go for degree.

You have a good course to study and yes you have to upgrade your self with degree

Try and save some money for your future education while you are assisting your family

I see you have this drive and urge to succeed in life, both academically and career wise. My brother I will advice you to pursue a partime degree course, you have skills already.

As you pursue your degree go for professional courses. Nigeria no matter how good you are, without your BSc you may find it a little bit tough as most work in Nigeria needs a minimum of Bsc to have you work for them.

Go get your degree added with some professional certifications and watch yourself soar like the eagle.
Best of luck my friend..
See you at the top

#JayD

Go for professional certification to get you into your career and afterwards you can do an online degree

fairfora:
Now I'd answer you intelligently. Sorry sir, if I sounded arrogant to you. This day and age, you do not have to physically appear in a university , abandoning your business, family et al to earn a degree up to PhD in any part of the world sir. There are online options available to everyone who's interested in bagging the so-called degree. I had an MBA from UCLA and it was purely online-based. I only appeared on the graduation day physically. All the course modules were available online which I took. In same vein , dangote doesn't have to go to a Cairo uni to take a course. While in his office or on weekends, he can do the same online. Does that make sense to you now?

How much credence does online based degrees including your MBA have?

And why do people still travel abroad to study with thousands of dollars if they could have just done it online?

zicoraads:

Vote Mike small na.

Lol. But you already know my response, baby. Not even a single vote! 150 to Mercy... just because I wanna root for a girl!

50 to Omashola, just because he's been a cool fella. I don't want him being the first to be evicted on that day.

Op ,take this advice

wman:
Your BSc is extremely important. Forget any rubbish talk of school na scam
IT firms and companies will pick someone with a skilled BSc over a skilled school cert holder. The discrimination is high, competition is tough, and there are several skilled graduates available for hire today.

In the future, you might want to migrate to Canada, the USA and other European companies as a tech expatriate. A university degree makes it much easier for you. That certificate is tied to several things.

You can register for the part-time program, work in your spare time to earn money for yourself and your family. You can even go into graphics design, video editing, website design, data science, machine learning, A.I and other advanced skills that you can earn money freelancing part time.

Please, don't let anyone tell you that school is a scam. It will broaden your horizon and open you up to several opportunities.

Nigeria is hard. Being a Computer Science graduate with diverse skills will make things easier for you.

Forget about the little you are earning at your place of work. You can earn much more, employ others, live a comfortable life and build houses if you don't limit yourself.

Don't get too comfortable with the little you earn that you deprive yourself of a bright future.

GO BACK TO SCHOOL! and learn better skills.

Nice write up.u story is very similar to mine,just dat in my own case I had to learn graphic design,it's so sad that the country we find our self 2day.base 80% of success rate on certificate rather than skills..just like some comment I HV read everytin still boils down on our Government.. had it been the Government can make vocational schools, Polytechnic ,and other institution certificate more relevant like the almighty bsc.i think there will be a massive reduction in unemployment.they re so many people with different passion that re not found in university, everyone can't go to university for instance someone dat has passion in fashion design shud be in vocational school.doctors , lawyers engineers, shud be in uni.etc.my advice for u is to develop ur skills and enroll for part time since datz what our beloved country is all Abt now..it will surely get to a point where a security man will need a B.s.c to get a job.

ithink7:
Guy, no amount of certification can cover for a degree. You still have a lot of years ahead in life so you should be thinking bigger.

In this our IT industry, certification is only an addition. Without a degree, you would be sabotaging your own future. The case might be a little different if you're in the USA where people are employed based on skills and not necessarily degree. But even in United State, as an immigrant, your chances are very slim without a degree.

2. University isn't just a place to get a degree, it's also a networking environment. You can never tell who you'll meet in school. Maybe one of your classmates might have the opportunity to work at Mobil and help you get in, or another classmates might show you the way to get a masters degree in the US and you end up moving all your family over. Even if you decide to be an entrepreneur, university friends and colleagues are always invaluable. This is a tip: The higher you go in life, the more people judge you based on your association. People will be reluctant to give you some opportunity if they get to realise "he no go school".

3. University isn't just for a degree, it's also a place to learn culture. When I say culture, I mean work ethics and composure. Those difficult days in school are meant to teach you never to give up in your dreams. You also learn how successful people work. Most people don't get to realize that successful people are workaholics. No one can do shakara for you after going through those nerve wrenching experience of a university.

Get a degree no matter how long. You're not getting the degree for today but for latter opportunities in life. Get certifications with it. The sky is your limit.

Your point 2 not get relevance in Naiha

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ithink7:
Guy, no amount of certification can cover for a degree. You still have a lot of years ahead in life so you should be thinking bigger.

In this our IT industry, certification is only an addition. Without a degree, you would be sabotaging your own future. The case might be a little different if you're in the USA where people are employed based on skills and not necessarily degree. But even in United State, as an immigrant, your chances are very slim without a degree.

2. University isn't just a place to get a degree, it's also a networking environment. You can never tell who you'll meet in school. Maybe one of your classmates might have the opportunity to work at Mobil and help you get in, or another classmates might show you the way to get a masters degree in the US and you end up moving all your family over. Even if you decide to be an entrepreneur, university friends and colleagues are always invaluable. This is a tip: The higher you go in life, the more people judge you based on your association. People will be reluctant to give you some opportunity if they get to realise "he no go school".

3. University isn't just for a degree, it's also a place to learn culture. When I say culture, I mean work ethics and composure. Those difficult days in school are meant to teach you never to give up in your dreams. You also learn how successful people work. Most people don't get to realize that successful people are workaholics. No one can do shakara for you after going through those nerve wrenching experience of a university.

Get a degree no matter how long. You're not getting the degree for today but for latter opportunities in life. Get certifications with it. The sky is your limit.

Your point 2 no get relevance for Naija

Go for professional courses my dear