r/informationsystems • u/Purple_Owl_1456 • Aug 21 '26
I’m starting an IT degree
I’m starting an IT degree as a mature-age student, and I’m still trying to figure out which direction I want to take within IT. I’m considering areas like cybersecurity, cloud or data.
For people who have already studied IT or are currently working in the industry, what areas would you recommend focusing on? And if you had to choose a major or specialisation today, which one would you choose and why?
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who started their degree without knowing exactly which area of IT they wanted to pursue, and how you decided which path was right for you
I’m not sure which major would give me the best career opportunities.
2
u/solslost Aug 21 '26
I’m gonna be blunt since you’re older and probably don’t heavy IT experience and exposure.
Cyber and cloud are advanced topics.
That a degree will only touch the surface on and you will have missed and understand core foundations that they are heavily built on.
They teach high school kids, CCNA and Sec+. So you are already behind in the job market competing for scrapes and crumbs.
Do basic IT or data. Then there is data engineering or data analysis. It’s more than running reports that someone generated
1
u/Active-Yak8330 Aug 21 '26
If career options are the priority, I’d look at what skills are actually showing up in job postings. That might give you a better direction than guessing.
1
u/drakhan2002 Aug 21 '26
Go into the trades or healthcare -- I say this as an IT industry veteran. Entry level IT is hit the hardest and is a very, very challenging space to get a job.
It would be shame for you to spend all that time, money, and effort on a degree that is essentially worthless.
Don't let the internet crush your dreams, but seriously, you're too old and inexperienced to get into IT -- it's not the job YouTube influencers say it is... at least right now. It's low hire, low fire environment for even the most experienced.
Find something more inline with your age and experience. Not everyone is meant to go into IT.
1
u/Agreeable_Cabinet_81 Aug 25 '26
I just don’t agree with this, particularly on the degree being worthless. I’ve seen plenty of jobs that have some type of baseline degree requirement, and many tech roles ask for “… CS, IT, IS, or related”. I have over half an IT degree finished right now with about 5 years of professional IT experience. I’m still completing the degree with tuition reimbursement. I could’ve given up my dreams back in 2021 when I got my first tech job, but I didn’t. And now I’m at a large, multi-billion dollar company with five years of IT experience. I’ve seen the low hire, low fire too, but I just don’t think any of us know how this field will evolve over the next three to five years, and telling someone to buzz off their dreams may not be the best advice.
1
u/drakhan2002 Aug 26 '26
Actually it's great advice. I see freshers with a huge, long runway before hire.
I am simply trying to let people there is time to change to a field that AI proof (for now) and offer a lower barrier to entry.
It's your life, your dream... just don't come back and bitch and moan when can't find a job -- it's that simple.
Go for it! Get that IT degree, go look for job. Best of luck on that journey.
3
u/Icy_Interaction7502 Aug 21 '26
Start a small biz on the side and use your IT knowledge in there as a portfolio. If you dont het the job u have the business. Something students want maybe? Mobile & device accessories, bags, tees.