Member Avatar for KyleMIS

Hello everyone. I was hoping to get some constructive feedback on the direction I can/should go with my degree. I graduated spring 2009 with degrees in MIS and Marketing. I had a few interviews after graduating but, with the economy and probably my lack of specific skill focus, I was unable to find work. I feel that my MIS degree lacks specificity, that is it has given me a large number of low level coding skills, some basic networking knowledge, and some business knowledge. The only thing I feel truly proficient with is SQL.

I am a very quick learner so I was thinking about getting my brain fully wrapped around VB.NET in the next couple days. What other skills would proficiency give me a better chance in the job market? I was thinking about obtaining some certifications, as a means of displaying some of my knowledge to employers. Which certifications should I get? Ones that I have been looking at, that I think I can knock out pretty efficiently, are MCITP (enterprise admin), A+, Network+, Security+, CCNA.

Right now I am basically ignored by employers. What can I do to make myself marketable enough to actually find even a starting point for a career?

Because of my school situation I was unable to do any internships and that essentially killed me because I have zero work experience. I would literally work for free for a few months if it would give me experience enough to get hired for a permanent job. How can I get experience if I can't get hired?


If you could take the time to give me any kind of constructive feedback I'd really appreciate it.

Note: If you are wondering what I have been doing for a year and a half, the answer is I tried law school for a little while and realized I hated it, then started a business with a friend but found the pay wasn't worth the headaches. So now I'm back to what I enjoy.

Edited by KyleMIS because: n/a
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— you already have the most useful lever: SQL. Several replies here (for example and ) point to the same reality — employers want proven, current skills, and a way to verify them. Pick one clear focus (backend/.NET, data/analytics, or networking/security), build 3–4 small, finished projects that highlight that focus, and use those projects to get interviews rather than relying on a degree alone.

Certifications help when they validate current, role-based skills. Microsoft has moved away from the older exam tracks toward role-based cloud and data credentials; pursue a modern entry cert that aligns with SQL and data work (for example an Azure data fundamentals path) rather than legacy exam codes. For networking, vendor certs still matter: Cisco’s CCNA validates core networking fundamentals. For baseline IT/security roles, industry certs remain useful as resume signals (CompTIA is still the common starting point). (learn.microsoft.com)

On language and platform choices: market demand for Visual Basic (.NET) is much smaller than for C#, so shifting your .NET learning toward C# and ASP.NET Core will open more job postings and modern teams. Keep your SQL strength front-and-center — a single demo app (API + database + simple UI) that you can deploy and explain beats multiple shallow certifications. (survey.stackoverflow.co)

Concrete steps that produce results: publish code and polished READMEs to GitHub; deploy a live demo (GitHub Pages, Azure, or similar); contribute to a small open-source repo; do short paid gigs or volunteer projects for local businesses; and tailor your LinkedIn/resume to emphasize outcomes (what you built, tech used, and impact). Use templates and GitHub Pages to get a professional portfolio live quickly. (docs.github.com)

A note on tone: ’s frustration is real, but MIS degrees aren’t inherently useless — they just need to be backed by demonstrable, current skills and a crisp portfolio. Focus, ship, and let concrete work speak for you.

Member Avatar for SamJA

Buddie! this seams an exact story of mine. Got my MIS last year. Tried a local company for VB.NET job. (before I could figure out what exactly VB.NET was I got fired).
Please some one guide what certifications are required to make a degree worth.

Member Avatar for jbt52

In my experience, have cisco certs like ccna are really your framework and building block to show that you have the basic knowledge they really require, getting microsoft certs are important as well to boost you up and show that you are into continuing ed and self improvement, the kind of thing that companies are reallt looking for. Adding certs is like investing in your future, it can never hurt

Member Avatar for MyMISDegree

I am interested to know how you all have advanced since posting... it has been a while! I'm an MIS student.

Edited by TrustyTony because: plug snipped
Member Avatar for cincat

MIS degrees are useless. My son has been searching for over a year, and barely gets even an interview. Mostly, applications are ignored. He is working at a minimum wage job unrelated to the field.

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