Hi everyone! I am currently finishing year 12 and I'm looking to go to University next year. I need some advice and I thought what better place to get it than the fountain of knowledge and wisdom that is the QGL forums :)

I have to submit my uni course preferences this week thus i need to decide on a course.

But first some background info on me:
I am doing well at school. I am studying the equivelent of Maths C, Physics, English Advanced, Information Processes and Technology and Design and Technology.
I expect to end up with an OP of around 4-8, hopefully ;). I'd also liek to add that Im a great public speaker and that I am quite good with a range of aspects of computing.

Some courses that i am particularly intersted in at this stage are:

- Multimedia Design (UQ)
- Communication Design AND Information Technology (QUT)
- Media Communication AND Business (QUT)

I want to know whether any of these degrees are likely to land me reasonably paying job (especially multimedia - im not sure about htis one...)

I would like to be able to make use of my public speaking/management/communication type skills if i can, i.e. i would rather me up in front of ppl rather than behind a desk all day ;)

Any advice at all would be appreciated, if you can suggest any other courses i should consider please do!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this! I know theres alot of people with some good advice that use this forum!

Cheers :D

thats a tricky one
i think the IT industry is a bit over supplied with uni grads atm
that said though, a confident people person IT person with good communication skills will always get work an do well
id be inclined to go with the IT degree, but only coz its what i know and did
my pays not fantastic, but i love my work, its a great job

forget head hunted, there is an outcry for engineers in a number of fields these days.

Civil, Elec, Computer Systems == very good chance of coming out with a career.

yeah thats why im quiting it !

I'm in second year doing microelectronics and IT duel degree at griffith. Although I'm mainly an IT guy I wanted something to give me an edge over the hundreds of IT people. I got an op 4 to get into that. Don't let the general view of griffith turn u away from it. It is a very good uni. At least the parts that I have been involved in: Micro eng, IT, pub (new one on the way :D). I was skeptical going into it, but after the first few weeks I got over that.

I definitely agree with what people have said. If you enjoy what you are doing then it will be much easier. Your communication skills will be used no matter what you do. They will help u get you a better job and get you further ahead once ur in one. gl

Check out the Information Environments degree at Ipswich too ... It is more tech based than MMDS.

thats wrong. u can loathe your uni just don't loathe what you're doing AT uni.

its hard not to loathe a uni which is obviously not putting our hecs payments back into the students degrees.

the Engineering facilities at UQ are 2nd to EVERYONEs.

i think the IT industry is a bit over supplied with uni grads atm

The bloackage is with trailer trash/used car salesmen IT people who have been there since the IT boom. For the most part these people are the scum of the universe who often don't realy know anything about the profession they are trying to scam a living out of, except how to sell you dodgy as s*** computer parts.

The only reason most of these people are still employed is the fact that they have been there for so long, and show up every day.

which doesn't necessarily use much of the stuff you learnt at uni

I don't know much about other unis and their skill set at the end of of a degree, in fact I can't realy talk much about other degrees.

In my degree, in the technical aspects in regard to coding most of it pretty down to earth. Only in a few subjects do they give you stupid unearthy assignments to answer.

Even our projects are realitivly hardcore; from making game applications using PDAs running J2ME, GPS and wireless networking vs players on PCs. In other other subjects we make IRC chat clients and servers (simple ones) and FTP servers and clients (again simple ones).

In future years we design and implment various information bridges (to aid in communication cross campus) ... all of which, while fun and entertaining to make, all teach practical and needed skills though actual design and implementation.

## EDIT ##

Of course that being said, real work experiance is a real key. Some realy good research has said that the best way of hiring someone is to talk to the people that they last worked with (not worked for).

Then you can find out what kind of person they are, and what skill levels they have.

If a person comes straight out of uni it can be realy hard to gauge that kind of information. Even if that student has a gpa of 7 that doesn't show you what kind of person he was, and generaly you can't ask his fellow students what kind of person he was.

There are a lot of things that you have to balance when interveiwing someone. Quite often I have found people would rather higher someone who has almost all of the right skills, but a great personality and his previous team is actualy sorry he had to leave, than some highly skilled a*******, who nobody likes.

Thanks everyone for your replies! :)

Cisco and Typhophdemo(sic), what degrees are you doing/have done?

Also, does anyone know if a degree in Multimedia is going to land me a job?

Everything request for help or opinion thread should have go check google reply no matter how inappropriate.

So go check google.

t[yp|py][o|i]demon

While I wouldn't say not to take a helpdesk role to anybody who wants to get into IT, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I worked helpdesk for a bunch of years and Helpdesk realy are not seen as tech staff, they are seen as customer service staff.

**********************************

t[yp|py][o|i]demon:

I think your wrong, in Information Tech/Multimedia industry, its lifeblood is clients/customers, be it external or internal to the organisation, so the inability to communicate with clients/customers effectively will guarantee you will never get a job past a computer/desk, as the original statement/question stated that he would like to have a career not a just desk job indicates that yes you may have great communication skills, but has he exercised that in anyway or proved that. Work experience in a customer care position be it technical or non-technical is one way, so any job that is help desk is great, I don't know what you did before but if you gave it up, that was not a smart idea (not trying to cause anything here) maybe you didn't like it, that is up to you, but to be earn something in the industry be it IT/Multimedia, you need to know the technical side which is easy but you certainly need the soft skills also.

You must first start somewhere and work your way up, you ain't going to finish a degree and expect to earn major bucks, can't even guarantee a job when you finished. But if your smart about it, and gain the technical skills and soft skills you will have a better chance out there.

Just wished people told me this when I left grade 12.

Plecostomus:

I am doing a BA of IT, First Year at Griffith Uni, Nathan Brisbane, almost finished first year, only have a GPA of 5.25 but I have been trying to go for this traineeship for MVA, AS/400 Middle-Server, Mainframe with IBM (Pays great money down the track) and the company director arranging it says that my grades are not the best but because I am in the Industry (working help desk in a Internet Firm is being in the industry) for two years, I have an edge compared to some with a GPA or 7.0 and working at Macca's.

In regards to Multimedia, at my firm, you will have to be a s*** hot graphics designer, you cant bluff your way around pretty pictures, but that is not too hard if you have heaps of creativity, the Multimedia Industry is surely better than I.T. in Brisbane, however it is really competitive with freelancers.

I suggest you find a small part time job in the Industry somehow (?) (Remember if you have work related self-education, you can get majority of your tax back, check with your accountant, he he I got back a lot last year and this year)
work your way up and after you finish uni, you have work experience that will develop soft skills (communication etc) and technical skills at uni and work.

Well this is too long, hope it helps.

this isn't much of an advice, but Communication Design at QUT is great fun. Been though it before they restructured it with alot new stuff that's pretty cool.

I think your wrong, in Information Tech/Multimedia industry, its lifeblood is clients/customers, be it external or internal to the organisation, so the inability to communicate with clients/customers effectively will guarantee you will never get a job past a computer/desk, as the original statement/question stated that he would like to have a career not a just desk job indicates that yes you may have great communication skills, but has he exercised that in anyway or proved that. Work experience in a customer care position be it technical or non-technical is one way, so any job that is help desk is great, I don't know what you did before but if you gave it up, that was not a smart idea (not trying to cause anything here) maybe you didn't like it, that is up to you, but to be earn something in the industry be it IT/Multimedia, you need to know the technical side which is easy but you certainly need the soft skills also.

You must first start somewhere and work your way up, you ain't going to finish a degree and expect to earn major bucks, can't even guarantee a job when you finished. But if your smart about it, and gain the technical skills and soft skills you will have a better chance out there.

Just wished people told me this when I left grade 12.

Don't get me wrong, a Job is a job and people will look better on you for working and maybe a little more favourable of a look in if you do helpdesk (if you are applying for a IT related subject).

You also don't need to praise the skills of your average helpdesk jockey to me. I have worked more than 5 years in helpdesk.

However.

In every position where I have worked in helpdesk, or customer related positions (Energex, Telstra, Gil) helpdesk staff where the bottom of the low. Repeatedly looked over for job applications, and advancement because (and often quite rightly) "they have no current skills except phone skills".

I know people who have worked for 10+ years in helpdesk, where their wages have been decreased almost every year for the last 10 years.

All in all it isn't a bad job, however it isn't a job that you recommend to people as a keystone to getting work in the IT industry. In fact you would probably be served better making a portfolio of your work while you where working helpdesk (or any job) and using that to show your leet hardcore skills to people (Obviously not while you are actualy at work :P).

I don't know what you did before but if you gave it up,

Before that I was a webdeveloper who played around at being a windows adminstrator

that was not a smart idea (not trying to cause anything here)

For someone who promtes helpdesk as a way to learn people skills you realy suck at it. It was a realy smart idea, after five years my average pay package was going to go down no matter where I went. Helpdesk positions across the board are being cleaned up by kids with no real skills who can tell customers how to insert there email server in outlook express for 10 dollers a hour at some ISPs.

maybe you didn't like it, that is up to you,

You just hit the nail right on the head for why this line of statements is realy dumb. You know nothing of why I quit and yet it is apprently "not a smart idea".

Essentialy helpdesk isn't hard. Smile when you talk, don't abuse the customers know all the answers (of which you learn pretty fast when you are on the floor).

but to be earn something in the industry be it IT/Multimedia, you need to know the technical side which is easy but you certainly need the soft skills also.

I agree, and yet I would argue that very few people realy learn real people skills while doing helpdesk.

Besides that getting real technical skills is not easy, well at least not more easier than real people skills. Communication is a entire range of study which is indepth and hard... One of the hardest things I have realy had to accept while learning usability and interaction design are communication barriers and my verbal communication skills are very high.

As you have stated I really do suck at people skills, its no matter to me what you think, because working in helpdesk position has taught me alot about people, communication and organisational skills,

Sure ... as I said you don't need to sell helpdesk to me.

you have your opinion and I have mine, obviously I think we could never be part of a team of some sort ;)

Think about what you have said. You have no idea what kind of person I am, you have about 3 minutes of reading my posts and all of a sudden I am apparently not able to work on a team with you?

Not only does that show your lack of professionalism, by making sweeping assumptions about individuals, it also shows that you realy haven't learned a lot from your time on helpdesk, or any of your jobs so far. Just because you think the work sucks ... doesn't mean that they don't do the work well.

Some of us are professional enough to put in 100% even if they are not having a good time.

I understand that helpdesk may be the bottom of the heap, but it seems you are a little angry, because help desk people are looked over promotions, but don't sterotype the entire helpdesk industry,

Helpdesk often isn't even the bottom of the heap of the IT industry. It is becomming the bottom of the heap for customer service roles. That is what is frustrating about helpdesk, helpdesk personell being overlooked for job applications is a sideeffect of that.

that maybe the case for a large corporation were every employee is just a number, however I am just stating help desk (work experience, not just a personal portfolio of work, which is fine mind you) is a good starting base, not a keystone to the industry.

It isn't even a good starting base for a IT industry anymore (it used to be mind you). The main problem with helpdesk is that it is two major roles, customer support and tech support. Un-fortunatly you don't learn anything new (after the first month or so) as you spend all of your time at work.

My point (about the portfolios) is that just about any job can suffice for the bonuses of Helpdesk. Most jobs that people get these days involve customers at some point (even working at maccas (and yes even helpdesk)), and then developing lean mean technical skills during your own time and showing them off in your portfolio is the win.

When I have interviewed people I have been concerned with 4 major points (and f***loads of little points):

1. Can this person do the work that I want?
2. Is this person a good worker?
3. Does it look like this person can adapt to new work well?
4. Will this guy be a boon to the group or just a goon?

It gives you contacts,

That is the best thing it does, except that to realy push it forward you realy need other skills than just helpdesk.

One of my best friends is the SysAdmin of Gil, he wouldn't have hired me to do anything else but helpdesk (because after 5 years I was becoming specalised).

gives you an understanding of what really goes on in the industry,

The industry is so large and so varied that this statement is so obviously wishfull thinking it isn't funny.

It gives you a understanding of the place you work at.

gives you a good gauge on what you want to become

That isn't unique to helpdesk. F*** you learn that information by going to the right parties.

(I wanted to just be a simple software/web dev, however saw the work, the pay and the respect, didn't like it much, but I saw manager/project leader type roles, I liked that, so that is what I am aiming at)

What will get you managerial work is probably your degree.

Look, it really depends were you work, I work at a small/medium organisation and its great, been offered promotions all the time, because of my skill set, however been concentrating on uni study, but I will take up a promotion after this year has ended.

My advice is that if your promotion takes you out of helpdesk then take it (after uni).

My whole point about this is that helpdesk isn't some magic IT job that people should neccesarly be aiming for (which is what you alluded to). It is a job ... end of story

Want good reliable work in IT ? ... become a trainer

so don't steam your anger at me because it took you so long to understand that.

Phwoar ... steaming anger towards you? F*** dude you really need to learn the way these forums work.

To imply that I am steaming anger towards you essentially means that in some way I actually care about you; I mean to be angry you have to go past thinking and straight by frustrated and bam! into Angry.

In summery the only times today I have thought about these posts is when I get bored enough from assignments, and decide to troll the forums. Then I see this post is updated and I engage in a debate (or argument if you will) with someone who is spouting crap that I can debate on.

Why did I post in this thread (in regard to helpdesk positions) because of...

Also if you want to stand out of the crowd, work experience in the field you want is so valuable, I have been a help desk operator for a small internet firm, something like that is great as work experience plus quals on paper is what will make you stand out of the crowd

... out of what crowd? The go nowhere helpdesk crowd?

I am just saying help desk is a small step in the I.T. corporate ladder,

Oh but apparently...

You must first start somewhere and work your way up, you ain't going to finish a degree and expect to earn major bucks, can't even guarantee a job when you finished. But if you’re smart about it, and gain the technical skills and soft skills you will have a better chance out there

... Did you read any of my posts where I said it was just about as good as any other job you can get, or that I mentioned that I wouldn't tell anybody not to accept a job, just not recommend that they pursue helpdesk?

Never did I indicate that Help Desk is a magic job for IT

Hang on a second...

Also if you want to stand out of the crowd,

You could read into that (and the rest of the quote) that you think it is some magic fairy job for IT. I mean heck ... it sounded like a sales pitch from optus telling me that moving from netstats to 3g a month is cool and exciting.

As for being closed minded, majority of communication is non-verbal, and as I can see with the tone of your post's, always trying to out do me with your statements compared to mine,

Actually I wasn't trying to out do anybody... I was speaking from a point of experience. If anything you have gotten all pissy trying to tell me that I am wrong.

that you never try to understand what I reply back,

I understood what you replied back, I just don't agree with it.

there is always a good/bad side to anything, I am stating the good, you are stating the bad,

I suggest that maybe you re-read some of my posts. I was claiming that it is work ... pure and simple, it isn't going to assist you in getting core IT work, well at least not much more (if any) than just about any other non IT related work.

so it seems you look at the glass half empty,

Read them again, you should see that I also said that you don't need to sell me about the skill set that helpdesk operators have, and you won't see me bagging the kind of work it is (as it is important work (way more important than a lot of managers really care for)).

How about I don't pretend that the world is full of magic mung beans and you do? Does that sound fair? No of course it doesn't because I don't know you from the next forum n00b.

My current assumptions are that you really haven't worked helpdesk very long, and are still pretty much quivering like a schoolgirl when you think of the coolness of your job.

You seem to have gotten all pissy because someone has the audacity to think that helpdesk is a crappy end job, and that they think that it shouldn't be offered as a stepping stone position to IT.

Then to make things better for you self you start to essentially call that person names. Like inferring that they don't work well in teams, or they are not pro-active. If I called you ignorant and stupid I am sure you would get offended too ... but until now I hadn't.

Helpdesk should be a stepping stone for a lot of IT staff, generally it isn't though.

so I can tell I will never work with you or be part of team with you because it seems you are not pro-active.

How can you tell if I am pro-active or not? You have talked to me on one topic over what ... 3 posts each and you can tell if I am pro-active in the workplace?

I feel really weird offering defence towards, that because anybody who has ever worked with me in team positions would offer that pro-active, and positive are not what I lack. If you said a little bossy, loud, blunt and opinionated I would agree with you but pro-active? Not a chance.

I wouldn't have left a dead end job to go back to uni for a career change if I wasn't pro-active.

If you have a positive outlook to everything you do, you will find that your much happier and much more satisfied than being angry or negative all the time, so what ever you do Plecostomus, keep positive with what ever you choose and I will surely meet you at the top

I assume this is directed towards me, because in your amazing depth of knowledge about me, you assume that I carry a negative outlook to everything I do. Well Mr "I know everything about everybody in 10 minutes of talking to them", I don't. In fact negativity and I don't often go hand in hand with each other. If anything I am normally the one who keeps going forward.

Unless it is b**** time ... but then hey, b****ing is a normal part of group dynamics.

I can keep arguing untill the cows come home ... I find it a good way to relax from a day of coding and design.

First impression counts, be it in person or not, I was offering the guy some of my knowledge (or lack of it, it seems from you) geeez, then there is a reply back from you just bagging my statements, hey I don't know you, I wouldn't like to get know you at all, just you b**** for b**** sake, hey we sound like politicans, anyway I have had my beef on this issue, I was offering the guy advice, in which you didn't not feel was correct, its a free country, you can say whatever you want.

Just think if we have an argument in person, that yes I could go on and you could go on for ages, so I am just going to offer that it was a nice debate about helpdesk, good/bad sides, but hey life is all about good/bad and up/down, so this conversation would go forever so that is it for me ;-)

Depends who you work for.

You can also argue that working at maccas can have as much corporate ladder ... Chances are it won't.