IT Professionals- In here!

Supercow said:
I very much doubt I can make any more than I do now, so the next step in the career is to try sustain this as long as possible, possibly into my 40's, and then hopefully be absorbed into a company as a perm at a more senior level.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I'd be lucky really, but just making the most of these times. I'd love to sustain it until, hell another 5yrs would be nice. I'm only 26 so any time would be a plus and like you say, get involved with the latest "buzz words" along the way :P
 
Maccy said:
I started my first 'proper' job in September after graduating in July. My company, albeit small, is recognised as the UK's leading performance and stress testing company. Joined as a graduate, training and learning what the company do, how they do it, and the technical aspects (obviously a major factor).
I'm now working full time as a scripter, recording web-based applications and writing C Code. Can be quite menial but also rewarding.
The starting salary was good, generally higher than other graduate jobs that I was looking at, but the career progression within the company is fantastic with some great financial incentives.

I hope to made a consultant by 2013 where the salary should start going into the £30-40k region.

EDIT - just read the comments regarding off-shore work. This is very prominent in our area and at the end of 2011 we were doing a lot of work with a national retail chain who then decided to send their work to off-shore companies. Whilst it's cheaper, most UK firms find that the quality of the work produced lacks a lot of quality and is constantly sent back for reworks/corrections.
Click to expand...

Maccy, does said company, being with an 'S' and are a sub-contractor for a HUGE world-wide company, starting with 'C'?

I could be on the wrong lines here, but you never know..
 
BSc Geography with GIS 2:1
Msc GIS Distinction

Straight out of uni - 2 months GIS consultancy for eu in denmark organised by a university consultancy firm - 175p day + expenses
6 months GIS gov consulting in Perth Aus for 30k / year
6 month GIS gov consulting in Perth for 40 k / year
2 years back in copenhagen GIS consulting for eu at 36k / year
Just started new consultancy job for a big engineering firm on 56k / year

work is going ok but the taxman really squeezes one's balls here in denmark so I'm thinking in the next couple of years to move into self employed contracting - can anyone please advise how to go about starting this? Would I need to get any formal licenses to practise?

Thanks
 
Bes said:
No, a 736% pay increase over 4 years isn't too bad I suppose... :p
Click to expand...

Meh it'd do I guess :p

There are lots of factors when it comes to salary and what you get.

My biggest problem is location, I don't want to move out of Devon which anchors me somewhat.

Contracting or even staying perm but taking a role in London or the like could see me with a very nice rise, but it's not where I want to me.

Left the last job after 5 or so months because I was living away all week coming home at weekends, wasn't good for the family life. No kids yet but especially wouldn't want to live like that with little ones around. got no problem travelling and staying away, but just not 4 nights a week, every week (plus my rent during the week was coming out of my own pocket, and a perm role so no tax benefits there!).

I just think I was very lucky to be offered my current role, whilst a massive company they seemed to (for this role anyway) value the person more than where they are located.

So whist it's 100 miles to the nearest office I only do that trip once or twice a week and I'm in a job whereby I'm lucky enough to be still working in an area I love.

If all goes well and to plan I can make another position here for myself as there's a big gap in a certain area of work that I'm keen to get going ;)
 
1982 - 1995 : Trainee Mainframe Operator £5K p/a -> Head of IT £75k p/a.

1995 - 2000 : Contract / Consultancy for a few companies who wanted things changing.

2000 - 2007 : Consultancy with BP.

2007 - 2010 : Two company start-ups (not my own).

2010 onwards : An outrageously expensive PC support guy for the rich of North London, in which I get asked to play golf / tennis with them.

None of it prior to 2010 was fulfilling in the slightest truth be told, but I worked hard when the circumstances needed it and just fell in to the thing I'm doing now after a chance conversation. I'm on about half of the money I was but I 'work' about a quarter of time. I don't miss the commute one little bit and for once I have the time to talk to some interesting people...and have steadily growing collection of hand-me-down clubs...
 
Mr Blonde said:
1982 - 1995 : Trainee Mainframe Operator £5K p/a -> Head of IT £75k p/a.

1995 - 2000 : Contract / Consultancy for a few companies who wanted things changing.

2000 - 2007 : Consultancy with BP.

2007 - 2010 : Two company start-ups (not my own).

2010 onwards : An outrageously expensive PC support guy for the rich of North London, in which I get asked to play golf / tennis with them.

None of it prior to 2010 was fulfilling in the slightest truth be told, but I worked hard when the circumstances needed it and just fell in to the thing I'm doing now after a chance conversation. I'm on about half of the money I was but I 'work' about a quarter of time. I don't miss the commute one little bit and for once I have the time to talk to some interesting people...and have steadily growing collection of hand-me-down clubs...
Click to expand...

a lot of respect for his, instead of money grabbing like the rest of us you're doing something you enjoy. Kudos :)

Personally, I haven't got a lot of love for my job, but there we are!
 
Went on a Jobcentre course for IT Engineering.
Finished course, then got asked to teach it as the current teachers were moving on.
Taught it for several years and got tired of putting up with people not wanting a job, so went looking for an IT Job.
Got put on a placement for It Support through the Future Job Fund scheme and that was 2 years ago..Been here since :D
 
I would just like the say thank you OcUK (you) for this thread.

I am having a crappy time at work currently feeling stepped on and ignored, having adopted areas from my previous mangers role in good faith that I would get the advertised position within our company our directorate decided to drop the position leaving me with no chance for advancement and practically doing (as I have been for the last few years) all the damned work. (lesson well learned from that one)

This thread has inspired me that there is something better out there, so thanks again :)
 
PoD said:
I would just like the say thank you OcUK (you) for this thread.

I am having a crappy time at work currently feeling stepped on and ignored, having adopted areas from my previous mangers role in good faith that I would get the advertised position within our company our directorate decided to drop the position leaving me with no chance for advancement and practically doing (as I have been for the last few years) all the damned work. (lesson well learned from that one)

This thread has inspired me that there is something better out there, so thanks again :)
Click to expand...

Don't be afraid to jump ship. I left a place after just a few months as I was bored to tears.
 
Teledude said:
My career path without earnings -
Helpdesk - 3rd line wintel support - field and project engineer - 3rd line contractor - 3rd line wintel support - 3rd line contractor - pre-sales/vmware consultant - lead infra architect - infra tda contractor - now where I am a lead architect for HP Enterprise Services on contract :)
Click to expand...

Did you achieve this from experience alone or did you progress with certification and training? If so, what do you recommend to achieve the same career path :P (Currently a wintel network engineer)
 
Jakeee said:
Did you achieve this from experience alone or did you progress with certification and training? If so, what do you recommend to achieve the same career path :P (Currently a wintel network engineer)
Click to expand...

By knowing the right people. Honestly if you are brainy and can cut it fine in uni level then you are capable of learning and achieving anything within IT especially software developers.

Just because you are a pro at say java, doesnt mean you cannot easily learn c++
 
2002 Bit of 1st line support for a summer
2003 finish uni
2004 riding my bmx all day woop!
2005 Pre sales for an ISP
2006 Head of the Broadband / Webhosting sales team for ISP
*--- change companies and into more technical stuff
2007 2nd line support (user support)
2008 3rd line support (networks and servers)
*--- change projects to something much more interesting
2009 Writing procedures, documentation, creating laptop and server builds
2010 Support Dude
2011 Senior Support dude
2012 Senior Support dude + about ten million extra things that im not paid to do yet but seem to be upto me to sort out

pay has just over doubled in 7 years
 
Last edited:
Jakeee said:
Did you achieve this from experience alone or did you progress with certification and training? If so, what do you recommend to achieve the same career path :P (Currently a wintel network engineer)
Click to expand...

Most was pushing myself along and up the ladder....

But am also VCP, CCA, MCITP and more recently TOGAF certified :)
 
PoD said:
I would just like the say thank you OcUK (you) for this thread.

I am having a crappy time at work currently feeling stepped on and ignored, having adopted areas from my previous mangers role in good faith that I would get the advertised position within our company our directorate decided to drop the position leaving me with no chance for advancement and practically doing (as I have been for the last few years) all the damned work. (lesson well learned from that one)

This thread has inspired me that there is something better out there, so thanks again :)
Click to expand...

Just to echo what jonneymendoza has said, consider moving on if it's not going as you would like it at your current place.
As mentioned in my post above I was in my first job for around 4 years and then have moved on to new things just about every year since then, and to be honest it's the best thing I've ever done.

Fair enough I'm a contractor now, and moving around so frequently might not look so good if I was permanent, but I've found that, even if the role doesn't turn out to be great, you will always learn something new and make yourself better at your job by moving around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom