[sllug-members]: Getting into the IT industry, where to start?

[Chad]

Hello!

I'm attempting to change careers after ~8 years in Pharmacy.  I don't
have a professional IT background; so my resume reads of my
experiences using computers at home (which I'm sure has very little
merit).  Basically it's about 9 years of Linux on the Desktop (and
small home networking with things like email servers and ftp/http
servers) cataloged along with the various other things I've done
relating to computers such as becoming a Moderator at
linuxquestions.org and joining this Users Group.

So where am I going with all this?  It appears like starting out from
nearly square one towards a Bachelor's Degree in CS isn't appealing
and when looking at some of the jobs' requirements, rarely do they
even mention a CS degree.  They usually want a bachelors degree (vague
usually) and then a whole slew of certifications.  Which leads me to
believe that it's more important to focus on certs than on a track to
a CS degree.

Ultimately I'd like to see myself as a Linux Sys Admin, but I don't
see a whole lot of positions available for this 'title' leaving me to
guess on the requirements.  So, I've focused in on Cisco.  Currently
studying for the ground level CCNA, and plan on eventually moving to
CCNP.

So, my question is:
How does one know which certifications are important?  Also, does
having a CS degree hold any value if an applicant has all the "right"
certs?  And, as someone looking to get their feet wet in IT, does
anyone have any hints/pointers?  I'm also considering doing the Fast
Track for RHCE, but at $2700 I'd really like to first find out whether
it's going to pay off by actually landing me a position.

Thanks for reading this novel, and possibly responding!

-Chad