[grimzz R]

I want to be able to get these jobs with few troubles:

Customer service representatives (helping people with their technology)
Computer support specialist
Forum Moderator

I also want to make animation and upload to YouTube similar to Darkmatter2525, I don't know whether are not it is necessary to go to college for that....

Also, I want to be able to work at night such as 7pm to 11pm so I can work while I'm in college to study other things in the future.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Get a COMPTIA A+ Certificate. There are many ways to get it - including through gov't funded programs that are offered in partnership with community colleges. Register with temp labor companies like AppleOne or Kelly Services.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I want to be able to get these jobs with few troubles:

Customer service representatives (helping people with their technology)
Computer support specialist
Forum Moderator
 

 

You're kidding, right?

 

I mean, no, seriously: all those things you can see on the internet about idiot customers, like the one who complained that his computer wasn't working but eventually it came out that there was a power outage or they didn't plug in everything. Yeah, those actually happen. I have one friend who worked for ONStar when she was in college (yes, we unlock your doors from the other side of the Pacific), and her most memorable call was this person who was frantically complaining that the Suburban's "Prendel" wasn't working and if they can remotely activate or reset it like the door locks. She couldn't find any such part or feature in the manual and was wondering what the heck Beowulf could do about it in case the caller got confused and referred to electronic gremlins as "Grendel" and she misheard the pronunciation. Her boyfriend picked her up after work and realized when she jumped into his car that the caller was actually referring to the gear selector - "P(ark)R(everse)N(eutral)D(rive)L(ow gear)."

I have another friend who's a CSR for Dish, and he has to deal with for example this guy who paid for one HD cable box then complains why his TV isn't showing any signal; turns out he hooked it up to one TV, then he expects the other TV in another room to have the same signal. Then there's that other guy who was arguing that since he was on vacation, he shouldn't be billed for that month because nobody used the TV at home for that time period. Oh, and that ghetto witch who kept screaming over and over about why she's being billed for PPV movies, and she's yelling into the phone instead of interrogating her (probably foodstamp-funded) boyfriend because the charges were for hardcore porn all made at just about any hour of the day.

 

Oh, and the worst part? Call center rules. You have to stick to a strict script, even if the customer already said something that should override that in normal conversations, and you have to deal with infuriating customers while trying to keep bad marks off your record. And then, if you have to escalate the issue, depending on how loosely the company words its policy and/or how much of an arse your supervisor is, it's taken against you even if you have no authority to address the customer's request to begin with. When it's something like horrendous billing for example we've gone as far as getting the government involved all because some schmuck would penalize a guy who isn't authorized to do anything. Imagine paying unlimited international data for $50, then the bill reflects not only that charge, but also every megabyte that they're charging $0.025 for, and every front line person you talk to would rather put you on hold for half an hour risking coming back that you're still on the line to yell at them all because they will lose promotion opportunities because there was this one call they couldn't fix on their own.
 

As for forum moderator...I'm not sure if they get paid unless it's some company hosting the online forum. And that's not a trouble-free job either since you basically have to be a referee-judge.

 

[Asr]

I want to be able to get these jobs with few troubles:
Customer service representatives (helping people with their technology)
Computer support specialist
Forum Moderator

I also want to make animation and upload to YouTube similar to Darkmatter2525, I don't know whether are not it is necessary to go to college for that....

Also, I want to be able to work at night such as 7pm to 11pm so I can work while I'm in college to study other things in the future.

 
First, forum moderators aren't "jobs" per se as they're almost never paid positions. Moderators in general are volunteers and don't typically receive any form of compensation—you have to really enjoy an online community in order to get any benefit out of being a moderator.
 
Second, service & support reps are extremely basic jobs and you really don't need much training or knowledge to be able to get them. You need people skills more than you need technical computer skills, and even then you don't need much computer skills—you should be able to type fast (higher than 60 wpm) and able to multi-task, that's about it.
 
If you want to learn 2D animation there are two primary ways you can go about it: (1) You can skip college and just learn the tools on your own, develop a strong portfolio, and look for an entry-level position at a studio. A portfolio is especially important for a career in the visual arts because if you don't have one, you won't easily get a job. (2) Or you could attend an animation-specific school, or an animation/visual arts & design curriculum at a college or university.
 
Most of the animation you see on the Web, especially the 2D cartoon-type stuff on amateur sites (or YouTube channels), is usually done by people who learned it on their own and taught themselves how to use one of the common software tools.
 
Spend some time on Google researching your ideas, you don't need to keep asking people here on Head-Fi.

 

[grimzz R]

Another question, I heard that you can get a masters degree in a different subject then your bachelors....is this true?
Would I be able to get a bachelors in computer science then get a masters in business administration?

 

[billybob_jcv]

Sure. Many technical people (including me) have a science or engineering BS and an MBA. The requirements of many MBA programs is simply to have a Bachelor's degree with at least a B average and a decent score on the GMAT. Some don't even require the GMAT.

For example, here's the requirements for the Pepperdine Part-Time MBA program: http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/programs/mba/admission/requirements.htm

 

[Asr]

Another question, I heard that you can get a masters degree in a different subject then your bachelors....is this true? Would I be able to get a bachelors in computer science then get a masters in business administration?

 
(1) Depends on which degree you're considering and which college or university you're attending since it varies based on the degrees and institutions, and (2) in most instances, yes you should be able to get a B.S. in CS and an MBA later on.
 
You should really consult an advisor on your academic & professional future, Head-Fi (or any other online site) is the wrong kind of place to ask these kinds of questions. No one here knows anything about you and you need to talk to someone that's familiar with your background and does academic advising for a living to give you the proper guidance.
 
The last point I'll leave you with is that a B.S. in CS plus an MBA tends to be a general track towards IT management. If that doesn't interest you, you should pursue something else.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Another question, I heard that you can get a masters degree in a different subject then your bachelors....is this true?
Would I be able to get a bachelors in computer science then get a masters in business administration?

 

That's technically how everyone does it (although it doesn't mean people don't do the reverse). Lots of MBA programs are tailored for different businesses or departments, and same with Public Admin.

 

[grimzz R]

My ultimate goal is to become a CEO or maybe a Top executive/general operation manager
 
 For this would it be a problem if I only have a masters in business and not a bachelors AND masters in business?
 
 It seems to me that If I don't have a Bachelors there would be lot of courses that I will miss and wont be qualified to be a CEO or Top executive/General Operation Manager...is this true?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grimzz R /img/forum/go_quote.gif

My ultimate goal is to become a CEO or maybe jobs like Top executive/general operation manager

 

 For this would it be a problem if I only have a masters in business and not a bachelors AND masters in business?

 

A lot of older CEOs have bachelor's degrees in unrelated degrees, like History (yeah, I know one who was a bank president, close enough). These days as long as you don't do something as unrelated to your company's line of work and you should be fine. Heck, you don't actually need the degree, go with the experience: how many CEOs who built their own companies didn't actually finish their bachelor's degrees? The credentials only really matter if someone else is hiring you.

 

[billybob_jcv]

The easiest way to be a CEO is to start your own company. Then you can have any credential you want, or none at all. Of course, starting your own business is also the riskiest thing to do, the hardest thing to do and the most satisfying thing to do - all rolled-up into one thing...

OTOH, credentials can matter even if you start your own company. For example, try owning a construction company in California without being a licensed building contractor. Even if a specific license or credential is not required, you might find it difficult to obtain financing & investors for your business if you can't show that you are qualified with experience and education. We all hear about the famous success stories of college dropouts like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg & Ted Turner. But those few famous people are unique individuals, blessed with the right idea, at the right time, surrounded by the right people and with the courage to act in exactly the right way. They are completely unlike the other 7 billion people in the world. That's not the kind of odds I'm willing to bet on!

To your direct question: Top Executives come from all disciplines. Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Operations, Finance, IT, etc, etc. I think it's far more important to be successful in whatever field you choose than it is to be a "business major". Look at it this way: It might take a senior executive 20-25 years (or more) to work their way up to a seat at the corporate leadership table. Do you really think anyone is going to care what your bachelor's degree says 25 years from now? That was just 4 years of your life back when you were just a snot-nosed kid.

 

[grimzz R]

So If I get a Masters in business no one will care that I didn't get a bachelors in business?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  So If I get a Masters in business no one will care that I didn't get a bachelors in business?

No, your performance at work will matter more at that point. Your bachelor's degree will only impact how you get started out, so don't take something like Art History and there are like a one hundred fifty in your batch and there are only so many museums and galleries that need these people.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Like everything else - it all depends. If you are trying to get an entry level job in the Accounting department of a company, then you better have a degree in Accounting. Having a degree in Computer Science and an MBA is not going to get you a job as a Corporate Accountant - and it also probably won't get you a Manager of Accounting or a Controller job. If you have never held any of those positions, it's pretty unlikely you would get a job as a CFO. The point is that the degree helps MOST in getting your first job after college. That job probably leads to the next job, and that to the next, etc. It's all a progression - a journey along a path.

At my company, our CFO has a BA in Economics & Math (double major). She does not have a Masters degree. She is also one of the founders of the company, and she has been in Finance & Accounting her entire career. She is now an Executive for a $100M public company. I guarantee you that NO ONE questions her lack of a business degree or a Master's degree - she has high-roller investors hanging on her every word. She also knows corporate finance better than anyone I have ever met - not just the high-level deal making that many corporate execs do - but the details of how the money actually flows around a company and how to tear apart the P&Ls & Balance Statements and find the key levers that are pulled/pushed to move the company in the correct direction. They don't teach that in schools - you might get exposed to the tools and techniques, but being able to do it takes experience, intelligence and good sense.

There are no absolutes. There is *nothing* you can do to guarantee you will eventually be an executive. There is also *nothing* that will definitely prevent you from becoming an executive (well, except for perhaps a life sentence in prison). The best you can do is try to increase your chances of achieving your goals.

PS - why do I keep answering these questions? Not for the OP - I'm not sure what the deal is with him. Nah, I'm writing for anyone else that happens to be reading this tripe...