I've been working in IT since 1999, mainly focusing on Azure, and I've earned several Azure certifications (104, 140, 305, 500, 700). However, I don't have a college degree, and I'm not keen on returning to traditional school. I'm looking for educational opportunities that can genuinely boost my career. My company offers a great tuition reimbursement program, but I'm open to non-traditional learning paths. I've been exploring options like MIT OpenCourseWare and similar resources. I'm curious if anyone has pursued educational avenues beyond typical certifications and whether those choices were beneficial for their careers.
4 Answers
While my situation isn't exactly the same, I've been in Network Engineering for 12 years, and I’m considering completing my degree through WGU, mainly to check the degree box for certain roles. I’ve lost interest in conventional schooling, but I recommend platforms like Udemy for learning new skills. I’ve found some useful courses on LLM and agentic engineering there.
I think focusing on learning how to use AI prompts and integrate AI into workflows is a hot topic right now. It could really set you apart in the IT field.
Do you have any recommendations for courses? I’ve seen some around LLM on Coursera, but the tech changes so rapidly that I’m worried about the relevance of what I'm learning.
With seven years in IT, I'm going back for my degree to access higher-level roles. I’m currently a Network Admin and focusing on Terraform, HashiCorp, and Ansible certifications to help automate our processes. Manual configuration is a pain, and being able to version control would simplify everything. Learning about containerization could also set you up for roles in Network Reliability Engineering.
I've played around with Terraform as well, but I'm not managing infrastructure right now, so it's more of a lab exercise for me.
For your educational goals, consider exploring business or finance subjects, or maybe project management and ITIL certifications. Having a broader understanding of how business works in addition to tech can really enhance your career prospects. If you want something more traditional, a degree in Computer Science can also give you deeper theoretical insights that complement your hands-on knowledge.
That sounds helpful! I've been thinking about project management too.
I totally get that! I haven't needed a degree in years either, but Udemy always felt a bit... basic. I found a few solid BGP classes but wish there were more advanced options.