Transitioning from Finance to IT careers - degree required? [closed]
Starting as someone transitioning from another field things will be a bit difficult at first, especially in this day and age - companies arn't hiring IT people off the street like they where in the 90's.
To address your specific questions:
Sure is. In fact I'd say IT is a field where not having a degree in an IT field doesn't really hurt you. Although in all honestly after about 2 or 3 years out of college I don't think anyone really cares what your degree was in - just so long as they can tick that checkbox off - and that's not just in IT>
I would look for a junior position at a small to medium business. You'll tend to get a lot more exposure to different technologies, and be able to get your hands in a lot more things than if you tried to get into a large enterprise.
I would suggest looking at the CCENT from Cisco, the LPIC 1, and the MCITP from Microsoft.
My personal opinion is to not pigeon hole yourself in one technology. Today's deployments are very heterogeneous for the most part. Your best bet to get a job would be Windows. But I wouldn't focus on that to exclusion of everything else. I also guessing you have some ability with the MS platform already. You'll find at the basic level the server OS is not too much different from the Desktop OS. I would highly suggest you install a Linux Distro without a GUI and start playing there - you will break stuff but IMHO you learn better that way.
It really depends on what kind of learner you are. But I would say on average for the entry level Certs you should expect to study for 4-8 months to give yourself the best chance of passing the exam on the first try.
I should also point out that this field isn't all fun and games. You really have to live and breath technology to excel.
I wish you luck in your transition to this field!
This question is very subjective, and I've marked it as such, but since you're interested in opinions/guidance here's mine:
Is it possible to make the transition to IT without a comp sci or IT degree?
Sure.
What type of entry level job would put me on the correct path toward an eventual sysadmin or network admin type career?
Helpdesk. Datacenter cable monkey. Junior admin if/when you've got some skills/knowledge.
(I'm not kidding about the first two - some of the best junior admins I've trained were pulling cable or answering level 1 "I can't get my email!" phone calls, but they had a keen interest and were willing to learn.)
What certifications would I need to get started
None, but if you have some Cisco certs those are usually smiled upon, as are Microsoft certifications if you want to work in a Windows shop.
On the unix side I find both the RHCE and BSDA exams to be worthwhile.
Which operating system should I start with to have the best chance of getting hired?
The one they're using at the company doing the hiring.
(Serious answer: Whichever you're most comfortable with. Don't expect a great many opportunities for an OS/2 guy though).
How long should I expect it to take to study for and pass the cert exam(s) assuming I am starting as a complete n00b.
A very long time if you're trying to learn it all from a book.
Most of the exams worth taking (the ones that are worth more than the paper the certification is printed on & carry weight with employers/colleagues) will require some level of practical knowledge, or at least knowledge useful in the real world.
You're probably better off tackling exams/certs after a few months of real world experience, with the possible exception of Microsoft exams: If you take a course and have a good instructor you usually come away with more than just a scrap of paper.