What has a better career outlook : A programmer or a network administrator.?

I am trying to decide. I know VB, VBscript C++ , Java, Python, PHP , but don't have real world experience only class work leading to an associates so far. Also when I grad I will have my CCNA, mcse a+ and net+ and cna(novell) I am torn between networking and programming. Everybody says how hard it is to get into IT and that all the programming jobs are going overseas. Which way should I go or should I just change majors and forget the whole thing?

What has a better career outlook : A programmer or a network administrator.?
Most programmers I know end up learning everything a network admin knows, plus they know how to program. However, the reverse is not true. Network admins do not 'pick up' programming, or if they do, their knowledge is very basic.





Programming is theoretical in nature and requires higher mental function. Real programmers usually do not learn how to program from do it yourself books. They have a solid understanding of mathematics and numerical analysis, algorithms and algorithm analysis, and know the linguistic theory behind the syntax and grammar of languages themselves.





Network administration is task oriented. Any monkey can learn how to configure hardware, install an operating system, monitor a machine or server, and set up a routing table. Okay... maybe not ANY monkey...





Anyway, don't believe the hype. There are tons of jobs out there. You just have to know how to market yourself and your skill set. In the end, both will pay the bills. The real question is, what are you happiest doing? You will either hate programming or you will love it. Same goes for network tinkering, er, administration. Get an internship this summer, or as soon as you can. The experience will help you get a job later, and it will also help you decide which direction to turn.





Good luck.
Reply:Networking, go stat out in a NOC. BTW...MCSE is not a networking certification.





At this point though certifications are a joke for serious companies w/ serious network engineers. . Certifications in general are good if you are ready to go beyond a NOC (network operations center) and into a tier II position. The best way to get into network administration/engineering/architecture is lots of years (5+) working for ISP/NSP etc..doing cutting edge stuff.





If you wanna be a programmer better move to India.
Reply:I would say at this point unless you want to work for a chop shop, networking is the better way to go. More options.
Reply:Network administrator.


They need someone to maintain their networks so that they could sell their products to local people while hiring programmers from India and China :)


Learn some database like MySQL or oracle.


Wow you must know how to program CGI and such.


personally I prefer C++ ,Java and Perl. :)
Reply:You need to make this choice based on what you enjoy and where you would prefer to live. Not all firms are out sourcing to India and more firms are learing each day how huge the communication gap is between the two.
Reply:I recommend the one your better at. But just incase, you should be prepared for anything so that if one fails, you will have a backdoor.

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