I just graduated from college two weeks ago with a degree in computer science. I have worked as a lab proctor, a help desk technician, and an assistant system administrator and it was still almost impossible to find a job (Out of ten graduates from the department, I am one of three that got a job). I was hired as a system administrator at a place that does not accept anyone without a degree. You can, of course, get a job as a sys admin without a degree but I think that the lessons you learn in college are very valuable. Most of what I do as a sys admin I learned from just tinkering with machines so it all comes from hands-on experience but my classes taught me lots of theory that I would have missed out on, otherwise. I would recommend a degree in computer science to anyone that was just starting out, in the field. As far as certs go, I would recommend them, as well. I looked for jobs from October until 3 weeks ago, when I was finally hired for one and almost every job wanted a degree AND certs. I would definitely recommend Cisco certification for a sys admin because everyone seems to want it. Also, Sun, Java, and *yuck* Microsoft certification seem to be in high demand. Many people have told me that no one wants an MCSE anymore but I see it in job descriptions all the time so I can only assume they are wrong. I really wish I had my CCNA cert right now because it would have made me much more marketable. Hope this info was useful to you and good luck with whatever you choose.
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I just graduated from college two weeks ago with a degree in computer science. I have worked as a lab proctor, a help desk technician, and an assistant system administrator and it was still almost impossible to find a job (Out of ten graduates from the department, I am one of three that got a job). I was hired as a system administrator at a place that does not accept anyone without a degree. You can, of course, get a job as a sys admin without a degree but I think that the lessons you learn in college are very valuable. Most of what I do as a sys admin I learned from just tinkering with machines so it all comes from hands-on experience but my classes taught me lots of theory that I would have missed out on, otherwise. I would recommend a degree in computer science to anyone that was just starting out, in the field. As far as certs go, I would recommend them, as well. I looked for jobs from October until 3 weeks ago, when I was finally hired for one and almost every job wanted a degree AND certs. I would definitely recommend Cisco certification for a sys admin because everyone seems to want it. Also, Sun, Java, and *yuck* Microsoft certification seem to be in high demand. Many people have told me that no one wants an MCSE anymore but I see it in job descriptions all the time so I can only assume they are wrong. I really wish I had my CCNA cert right now because it would have made me much more marketable. Hope this info was useful to you and good luck with whatever you choose.