Career Decisions (IT Professionals please read!)

He sold no skills, he learned what he needed in only 3 months.

The self employment is a big thing also.
However, we are now quite off topic :p
 
Job Title/Description: IT Projects/Support Man

Typical day-to-day work: Depends, but currently working on a few projects like a SharePoint 2007>2010 upgrade, Office 2010 upgrade for a client. Windows 7 upgrade project and I'm building an Intranet with SP 2010 for a college. Unfortunately, some times I have to still deal with the occasional support problem as well, but try to avoid it. Oh, I also do general sys admin stuff as well.

Highest qualification (GCSE/Diploma etc): No degree or IT related A levels (French, Design & General studies (lol)) but have taken things like my MCSA/MCITP EA (2008) and have done my ITIL. Wouldn't mind my SharePoint ones next really, but only if work will pay.

Job satisifaction (do you enjoy your day-to-day work): Depends what I'm working on but generally yes

Job security(do you feel you are at risk of having your job outsourced to india?): Not really that worried. I have been made redundant (but not from IT position) in the past and it sucks, but a lot of the work I do I'd be happy to go out and do my own thing (the aim) contract wise/ build up my own clients. Not as worried about "the industry" as I was.


Salary(optional): ~£30k currently

I have like less than 2yrs experience in an IT role and I got in to it due to believing it had so much more longevity than recruitment which I was in previously. Got stuck in at support and as I have always liked IT/tech and pick things up quickly I just worked hard. As soon as you get that first bit of experience, everything else after that is easier. Just make the most of the time in each position you have and try and get something out of it, whatever that may mean to you personally.
 
Aaron445 said:
Hey guys first time posting here.

First off I'm 16 years old and doing level 3 IT in college at the moment. I'm hoping to go to Uni once I'm done with college (if it isn't 100k a year by then). I'm having real trouble deciding what I want to specialise in and chase a career in. I know I prefer the hardware side of computing in general to software, however I do enjoy programming.

Long story short, could you guys fill out the little questionnaire below for me, I'm trying to get an idea of what the job market is like in IT at the moment. Thanks all


Job Title/Description:

Typical day-to-day work:

Highest qualification (GCSE/Diploma etc):

Job satisifaction (do you enjoy your day-to-day work):

Job security(do you feel you are at risk of having your job outsourced to india?):

Salary(optional):


Thanks again
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Job Title/Description: Senior Consultant

Typical day-to-day work: Engaging in customer trials of software all over the world and being involved in deployments of software for telecoms companies. When not doing deployments, it's writing documents, attending training, etc.

Highest qualification (GCSE/Diploma etc): Degree

Job satisifaction (do you enjoy your day-to-day work): 's OK. Travel is a bit of a PITA

Job security(do you feel you are at risk of having your job outsourced to india?): Impossible really. Too much emphasis on customer communications and travelling and would not work from somewhere like India.

Salary(optional): Doubled my (quite high) starting salary in my first four years.
 
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Job Title/Description: currently 'Senior Systems Engineer', soon to be renamed to have Analyst instead of Engineer though. Both of which I am neither tbh!

Typical day-to-day work: at the moment its supporting the routing and reporting of a company with over 15m customers, that will soon jump to over 30m.

Highest qualification (GCSE/Diploma etc): Nothing of any relevence to IT.

Job satisifaction (do you enjoy your day-to-day work): Not at the moment, but then I knew what I was getting myself into and accepted it given the benefits it gives to me.

Job security(do you feel you are at risk of having your job outsourced to india?): No. potentially outsourced soon (yet to be confirmed) after a round of redundancies missed us.

Salary(optional): not enough!
 
You guys might be all perm I don't really care. Yes, network rail, siemens bid for contract to do so and so project(s). We kept getting new projects/packages.

Anyway, should I tell some of the guys I've worked with that they aren't contractors? They were earning far more on a day rate of £500+.
 
[TW]Fox;17991448 said:
Blackhawk, what's your annual holiday entitlement? Do you get a pay slip each month?
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Always been paid weekly according to number of hours and pay slip weekly.

Holiday was 28 days but to be entitled holiday pay you have to accrue your hours ie at £8 per hour my rate would be 7.83 and the remainder to build up holiday pay.

When I worked in Coventry I went through an umbrella company to claim back tax on expenses, mileage, substance etc.

Current job is with a bank as a data analyst which set hours at 35 per week.
 
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If you get a payslip each month and get holiday pay then you're not a contractor.

If you invoice weekly and fall inside IR35, ouch...
 
Blackhawk47 said:
Always been paid weekly according to number of hours and pay slip weekly.

Holiday was 28 days but to be entitled holiday pay you have to accrue your hours ie at £8 per hour my rate would be 7.83 and the remainder to build up holiday pay.
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Cool so a temp then not a contractor, glad we got this all cleared up ;)
 
Blackhawk47 said:
Fed up people questioning everything I do just because I chosed not to go to uni.
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woah I'm not questioning anything based on your educational background.

I am not doubting the skills required to do the jobs you have done, am not knocking anything like that in any way.

The only point I was talking about was that the roles sounded more temp rather than 'contractor', that is all.

I think part of the confusion is within IT the term contractor is used differently to other areas. Within IT it is almost always referring to the sort of person Fox has defined, an expert who is brought in with a specific skill set, who already knows what they need for a specific task.

Think this is done now, back on topic!
 
[TW]Fox;17992436 said:
Cool so a temp then not a contractor, glad we got this all cleared up ;)
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Only because I went the PAYE route at the time, others said that you could have called them to take the full £8 and its then you get any holiday pay...

Through umbrella company you are able to get the most you can out your hourly rate. ;)
 
[TW]Fox;17992436 said:
Cool so a temp then not a contractor, glad we got this all cleared up ;)
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Blackhawk47 said:
Only because I went the PAYE route at the time, others said that you could have called them to take the full £8 and its then you get any holiday pay...

Through umbrella company you are able to get the most you can out your hourly rate. ;)
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:o

Contractors do not earn £8 p/h.

For example -

Benefit admins earn about £18-25k per annum.
Benefit admin contractors earn £20-£30 p/h.

System Admin (LA) earn £17-25k per annum.
System Admin Contractors earn £20+ p/h.

None of the contractors i know have payslips, they are all registered at companies house and all have accountants.

A contractor controls and runs their own business.
 
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[TW]Fox;17992436 said:
Cool so a temp then not a contractor, glad we got this all cleared up ;)
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What about contractors in umbrella companies that do the bidding part? A lot of the contractors at my last place were like this, with only 1 or 2 actually contracted out themselves. They still get paid big money (admittedly the umbrella take a chunk) and I would still consider them contractors.

I see your point, but does it fly out the window when your a contractor working within an umbrella company that finds the jobs for you/does the paper work? I know for a fact even the test-monkeys were' on £300 a day with the proper devs being on about £1100 (:eek:).

EDIT: Just realised this is exactly what your talking about. :o
 
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aproctor said:
:o

Contractors do not earn £8 p/h.

For example -

Benefit admins earn about £18-25k per annum.
Benefit admin contractors earn £20-£30 p/h.

System Admin (LA) earn £17-25k per annum.
System Admin Contractors earn £20+ p/h.

None of the contractors i know have payslips, they are all registered at companies house and all have accountants.
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You do realise I was only 17 when I started there.... I am 19 and at the second company I was taking home £500 for 10 hour day, 5 days a week. 2 grand a month at my age... @OP/Anyone else DON'T GET A JOB JUST GO TO UNI AND DO A DEGREE IN MCDONALDS FOR 3 YEARS. :confused:

Not 40 with 20 years experience and this wasn't in the IT world in the sense that IT support is. I was just pointing out to the OP that you don't HAVE to go the first line/password reset role. :rolleyes:

Yeah fine, your comparing what I was doing as a contractor to someone who's a builder not IT. :o
 
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Blackhawk47 said:
You do realise I was only 17 when I started there.... :confused:
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Yes I am confused.

Blackhawk47 said:
Not 40 with 20 years experience and this wasn't in the IT world in the sense that IT support is. I was just pointing out to the OP that you don't HAVE to go the first line/password reset role. :rolleyes:
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No you don't have to be an IT monkey should you choose not to go to Uni, but an education does help avoid the crappier jobs.

Blackhawk47 said:
Yeah fine, your comparing what I was doing as a contractor to someone who's a builder not IT. :o
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No, i am making the point you do not run your business, take on contracts or file tax returns.

You are an employee. No shame, 90% (including myself) are too.
 
Job Title/Description: Communications Analyst / Web Analyst

Typical day-to-day work: Looking after RHEL LAMP web servers, and infrastructure. Support of telephony system for company, companies backups, general linux server administration.

Highest qualification (GCSE/Diploma etc): All manner of certs. RHCE im most proud of.

Job satisifaction (do you enjoy your day-to-day work): Most of the time. Some colleagues can **** me off.

Job security(do you feel you are at risk of having your job outsourced to india?): No, Never.

Salary(optional): £25k+
 
aproctor said:
Yes I am confused.



No you don't have to be an IT monkey should you choose not to go to Uni, but an education does help avoid the crappier jobs.



No, i am making the point you do not run your business, take on contracts or file tax returns.

You are an employee. No shame, 90% (including myself) are too.
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For christs sake, look at job adverts on the job websites, there's a choice of temp, contract or perm. Course I didn't bid for the work and then do it all on my own. Thats just daft... :confused: :rolleyes:

Fox, enlighten me, what is it you do, you haven't even added what you do to this thread?
 
Blackhawk47 said:
I am 19 and at the second company I was taking home £500 for 10 hour day, 5 days a week. 2 grand a month at my age... @OP/Anyone else DON'T GET A JOB JUST GO TO UNI AND DO A DEGREE IN MCDONALDS FOR 3 YEARS. :confused:
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I missed your edit.

All i can say is, of course you are.

Please do a print screen, save it and look at it in 5 years.

You will have this expression.....:o
 
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