The economy may have slowed but companies haven’t stopped using computers or depending on people to keep them running. The end result has left the information technology career sector holding its own. The Computing Technology Industry Association reports that the number of open IT jobs has tripled since 1999.

“It’s America’s No. 1 career opportunity right now,” says Bart Saxey, president of MicroSkills. “Not only are the jobs there, but the salaries are some of the best out there because of the shortage of people.”

However, a certificate doesn’t guarantee a high salary. The market is filled with entry-level certified individuals, all looking for the same jobs. With all this competition, it is important for job candidates to set themselves apart. Students and professionals looking to change to a growing career should study the education and employment market, then be selective with their time as they go about learning and gaining job experience.

Evening and weekend courses make it possible to earn a new degree while maintaining a job. Full-time enrollees can obtain some level of certification within three to 16 months and be earning $40,000 with one year’s experience. Microsoft reports that six to eight years of experience can return an $80,000 salary.

“It’s quite simple (to change your career to IT),” says Jan Gentner, admissions officer for Coleman College. Gentner confirms this is a hot sector and says Coleman is helping students find what’s out there and how they can best fit into an IT career. She suggests students seek out an area of IT education that will be motivating, and encourages graduates to stay flexible in order to get ahead.

While job opportunities abound in computer applications and networks, computer information science and computer network technology, the competition for upper-level positions remains fierce. Even landing the first job may require more than just obtaining a paper certificate.

“The problem is people trying to make the (career) transition learn how to pass the test and then get hired with the assumption that they know the equipment,” says Gary Parks, information systems lead professor at National University. Students need hands-on experience if they want to work on more than the help desk.

“It’s a challenge in the field,” Saxey says. “It’s great if you can pass the test, but can you operate the equipment?” It is possible for a person to become certified by looking up answers on the Internet, but a good school will get students into a laboratory to operate equipment. “Our students can be productive immediately after graduation,” says Richard Funk, director of admissions at Coleman. “Most of our graduates stay at entry level only about 18 months,” Gentner says.

Coleman College’s admissions and career services offices work to give students a solid foundation to prepare for the IT job market. Faculty assist students in assessing industry trends and understanding how individual skills will translate into jobs.

A strong career services department helps applicants focus and hone their interview skills and then guides them into employment. Coleman programs can be completed in seven to eight months with a full-time schedule of day classes or 16 months of evening classes. The networking programs require 72 units, and CIS programming requires 84. At a fee of $150 per unit, students are looking at a tuition of $10,000 to $12,000. Government funded financial aid, scholarship programs and VA loans are available.

Hands-on training has become a priority at National University and resulted in a recent overhaul in the information systems courses. “The outlook is good,” Parks says for the future of IT. He suggests interested students analyze the field and understand all the options within IT before enrolling. Students can obtain certification at National University within 12 months, but need three to five years’ experience to land a choice job, Parks cautions. He also points out that San Diego County pays only 70 percent of the salaries offered on the East Coast. “It’s been said we get paid in sunshine here,” he says. Courses cost about $900; those enrolling with an associate’s degree may need 15 or 16 classes. Government funding and financial aid are available.

National University operates on a lock-step program. Students who enroll in January take the same classes together for 10 months and then spend two months engaged in a real-world project. Classes are evening-only from 5:30 to 10 and include an occasional Saturday. “It takes about a third of the time as SDSU,” Parks says.

SDSU’s Extended Studies offers several IT programs. J.P. Clark, media relations and marketing specialist for the university, says system administration is a hot area right now. The costs of the Client/Server Technology certificate, UNIX C/C++ Programming certificate and the Configuring and Deploying-Linux for Business certificate are each $7,195. SDSU offers part-time and full-time enrollment options.

“Although a lot of people are calling to inquire, the actual enrollment is low, which may be a reflection of the cost and the time commitment required,” Clark says. SDSU’s programs offer several different options for tuition help for students. “We work with VA grants, Employment Development Department’s Workforce in Action program (from which students can get up to $5,000), Vietnam Vets of San Diego, GI Bill, private lenders and there also is a payment plan that is spaced out over 17 months and starts six months after a participant graduates from the program,” Clark says.

Post-secondary school programs can certify students faster and are just as costly or more than the university setting, but don’t have the benefits of government grants. It is imperative that students investigate an institution before shelling out tuition.

One key thing to look for before enrolling in a career school is ensuring the school is licensed with the Bureau of Private Post Secondary Education. Saxey warns that since IT is so hot right now, fraudulent situations are popping up that leave students with a worthless certificate. Attending a licensed school also insures the students’ tuition should something happen to the school.

These schools also should be certified by the manufacturers as authorized academic training partners for the programs they teach. MicroSkills considers itself an institution that specializes in career changes and provides the opportunity after six to nine months of intensive training. Its programs begin at about $8,000. Payment plans and deferments are available to students.

Much more affordable and secure, albeit more time consuming, are classes offered at community colleges. Geared toward adult re-entry students and their schedules, these classes cost $11 a unit with most certificates requiring seven courses. It takes about a year for students to become certified with seven required courses and each class taking nine weeks.

“Over the nine weeks, students have more time to absorb the material,” says Rose Hicks, interim dean of business and information technology at City College. “We also bring the industry flavor into the classroom to the students,” Hicks says, referring to the instructors she has hired. Instructor Adrian Mok, an employee at BFGoodrich, brings his day-to-day experiences at his full-time job with him to the classroom. In addition, he teaches customer skills, something he and Hicks say is important when students apply for jobs.

Mok is proud of his students’ accomplishments and has seen them double their pay by receiving their Microsoft Certified System Engineer certificate. In addition to book work and hands-on study, City requires a community project be completed. This and internship opportunities prepare students for employment.

Nancy Davis, student development services supervisor at Grossmont Community College, says the nice thing about a community college is not only can students take the courses and go right to a higher-paying job, they can transfer those units taken at a community college to a four-year college. In some cases, specific courses may only be taught at the university level and students who have studied at technical schools will not have the units required for enrollment. She has seen people stuck in this situation, and cautions they have to re-take courses to get their associate’s degree before transferring.

Of course, once today’s skills are learned and the certificates achieved, new programs will be released requiring new certifications. But as long as computers are relied on, people will be needed to work on them. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts this industry to continue its growth well into the year 2008.