When someone is looking to get into the field, it depends on what part of the IT field they want to be in. I break the field down into three broad areas, programming, computers and networks, and data (how to extract the right information that someone needs to do their job). CS tends to be focused on programming and data, while certifications, generally developed by IT companies, focus on computers, such as becoming a Dell certified technician, and how systems work together, Cisco or Microsoft. A choice can be affected by personality. For example, while I took programming in college, I hated it because it was VERY detail oriented and I prefer dealing with broad pictures. Those outside of the field have a tendency to think we are interchangeable but we tend to good in one of those broad categories. One other issue is that you read the salaries and think, well heck, Ill do THAT and Im set. Those salaries are cherry picked by schools from people at the heights of their careers. So for example, the top-tier Cisco certification pays $100,000 or more, but those folks typically have 10+ years of doing that type of work. I started out making $10/hour in 2000. So dont get caught up in the salary game.
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