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Shortly after I retired from the United States Army
and began searching for opportunities in the civilian job market I became interested in furthering my college education.
A Baccalaureate in Science from University of Maryland and the experience I gained in the field on Information
Technology (IT) while in the service provided me marketable skills and helped me secure a good job. However, after
a few months in private industry I discovered that there, just as in the service a higher level of education and
training are necessary to further your career goals - to empower you with knowledge and skills that can help you
secure the best jobs and salaries.
I began working on a Master's program at a local University but soon found that a lengthy commute to work and time
required for classroom sessions left little time for study. Disappointed, I stopped attending school after only
two courses. Over the next eight years I continued enhancing my technical skills through a series of industry certifications.
From Novell NetWare I achieved Certified Novell NetWare 3.x and 4.x Administrator (CNA), Engineer (CNE) and Instructor
(CNI) certifications. From Cisco I achieved Certified Cisco Network Associate (CCNA) and from Microsoft, Microsoft
Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Trainer (MCT). These valuable certifications
helped me get the salary raises I wanted. In fact, since I retired from the U.S. Army 10 years ago my income has
more than tripled. However, the products and services offered by these companies are in constant evolution and
in order to retain certification status you must return again and again for training and testing. If that's something
you enjoy doing then … great!.
A couple of years ago, someone very special (Ev) walked into my life and I … into hers. She teaches for the University
of Phoenix (UoP) Online program. I was a little skeptic at first but after doing a lot of research found that these
programs are fully accredited and that my company would reimburse me for attending them. With renewed enthusiasm,
I decided to try again. I must tell you that of all my education experiences, this one has been the very best.
These programs require a lot of self-discipline and motivation. The assignments are by no means a "piece of
cake" and reading assignments, research, individual and group projects are very time consuming. The program
offers me however something that other classroom based education programs have not - "flexibility".
Flexibility means that I don't have to be in class at a particular time of the day. I can download and submit my
assignments through a UoP Internet Web interface and share work, collaborate and share ideas with other students
in my class through the online classroom. Here is the greatest part of the deal; as long as I have access to a
telephone line I can participate from almost anywhere in the world - and I have.
I attended my first class while on vacation in Amsterdam with Ev. I was also able to keep up with my homework and
make classroom appearances while working in Canada, vacationing in Puerto Rico, at the Bahamas and from other states
- even from our trailer on the New Jersey shore.
This is how I sum my perspective on education and what I want to leave with you:
First, it's never too late to go back to school - hey, I'm almost 52!
Second, technical certifications are a great return on investment not just for you but also for your employer too.
Whenever these are offered or made available to you, take them!
Third, a Bachelor's or Master's program may not be the best alternative for you but ... many outstanding vocational
training programs are available - even over the Internet. If this is what your heart desire then great!
Fourth, and last, don't give up on the idea of furthering your education and particularly not because of time constraints.
You will be surprised how many adults with full time jobs have returned to school through online classrooms. Several
online vocational, technical, undergraduate and graduate level programs are available and I am sure some will be
well suited for your needs. Don't give up on your dreams, hopes and aspirations. Research, find out what is available
and … press on!
This link (http://www.online-colleges.us)
will take you to a Website where you can find information about online University programs.
This link (www.technosphere.net)
will take you to a site where you can find information about online certification courses and other excellent training
programs.
Good luck on your research - see you on graduation day!
Eduardo R. Zayas
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2002-2004 Self-Published. All rights reserved
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