Anyone left IT for another job path?

I switched from IT to CIMA too!

Graduate in Computing/Business -> to 7 year career in IT / Sales Support -> to Commercial Finance and CIMA -> to Financial Controller of £100m Business Unit.
 
Feeling the pressure at the moment working in a data centre, makes me hate IT quite a lot, so much pressure, a lot of work, worrying, people breathing down your neck and critical situations sometimes. Doesn't help with a small team!
 
What put me off IT support in the end was the Management seemed to know nothing about IT. They seemed to think their job was solely man management, they could provide no support to the juniors at all other than a *******ing went things went wrong.

They qualified when when windows 95 was imminent but not released and showed absolutely no interest in computers on any level.

I got sick of researching and studying, staying up to date when the people above me couldn't even have assembled or used a 486.
 
IT Career:
First/Second Line Support -> Software Dev (Spec and Testing with some consultancy) -> Systems Manager....never felt satisfied even though I was progressing in salary and responsibility ...

Jumped ship and started my teacher training in Sept, teaching secondary school maths and am really enjoying it. Think I have finally found my career for life (at the age of 35!). Workload is heavy and I am doing this while still trying to spend time with my wife and 3 boys but it is definitely worth it!

Never too late to change career!

Imps
 
IT Career:
First/Second Line Support -> Software Dev (Spec and Testing with some consultancy) -> Systems Manager....never felt satisfied even though I was progressing in salary and responsibility ...

Jumped ship and started my teacher training in Sept, teaching secondary school maths and am really enjoying it. Think I have finally found my career for life (at the age of 35!). Workload is heavy and I am doing this while still trying to spend time with my wife and 3 boys but it is definitely worth it!

Never too late to change career!

Imps


Teaching is hard work but so rewarding. I got into it about 32.
 
Love the sig Kwerk :)

EDIT:- For a bit of relevance (not really) to the thread, I've just got into IT at 33, from Architecture, never too old to change career.

Nate
 
Last edited:
Impy77 what programme did you do to become a teacher, just a PGCE open university or elsewhere? Did you have prior teaching experience? How did you find getting used to dealing with the behavioural aspect of the job? i.e. time wasted scolding rather than teaching?

Do you worry covering the same topics repeatedly and not covering new things or things you find complex will eventually lead to the job becoming stale?
 
Impy77 what programme did you do to become a teacher, just a PGCE open university or elsewhere? Did you have prior teaching experience? How did you find getting used to dealing with the behavioural aspect of the job? i.e. time wasted scolding rather than teaching?

Do you worry covering the same topics repeatedly and not covering new things or things you find complex will eventually lead to the job becoming stale?

I'm doing a GTP rather than PGCE (so more in school training based than a PGCE - I am still affiliated with a University College though). This suited me better as I get a training salary and no tuition fees, and was fortunate enough to get a place this way. Its changing next year though - look up Schools Direct as that has the info for next year - if your teaching a in demand subject you can get a bursary for the PGCE route or you can get training salary. Now is the time to apply...

No prior teaching experience, but once I know I wanted to teach I got myself a weeks work experience with a local school to boost my application (I also linked my application to the training of adults within IT I had done).

Behaviour management is very much a part of it, you are managing behaviour to get the best out of a class of 30 pupils...as for variety - every day if different - I am just starting and mainly teaching key stage 3 (Y7 and Y8 at the minute) - but I still find every lesson interesting - teaching the older ones and eventually A Level will only broaden my interest.
 
I'm doing a GTP rather than PGCE (so more in school training based than a PGCE - I am still affiliated with a University College though). This suited me better as I get a training salary and no tuition fees, and was fortunate enough to get a place this way. Its changing next year though - look up Schools Direct as that has the info for next year - if your teaching a in demand subject you can get a bursary for the PGCE route or you can get training salary. Now is the time to apply...

No prior teaching experience, but once I know I wanted to teach I got myself a weeks work experience with a local school to boost my application (I also linked my application to the training of adults within IT I had done).

Behaviour management is very much a part of it, you are managing behaviour to get the best out of a class of 30 pupils...as for variety - every day if different - I am just starting and mainly teaching key stage 3 (Y7 and Y8 at the minute) - but I still find every lesson interesting - teaching the older ones and eventually A Level will only broaden my interest.

Yeah they're offering 50 bursary's of 20k for Computer Science teachers who do GTP and meant their standards. Hasn't officially launched yet but I'm on the mailing list and imagine if I go through with it, that I would get one as my CV looks pretty damn good.

May I ask how you knew you wanted to teach? Do you just do Maths teaching or take on anything additional?
 
I really wanted to use my passion for maths and my knowledge and wasn't able to do this in IT. That and a desire to enable kids to better themselves and try and pass on some of my enthusiasm for my subject to them. I truly believe maths is for all and the reward is so great when you see the kids 'get it' which can be from a the lowest ability to the highest achieving.

I love getting up in front of a class, explaining and discussing something new and seeing them understanding it. That is the ultimate job satisfaction for me. I'm sure that any other forum members in this profession would agree.

You have to have a passion for your subject, and a lot of patience, but the reward is really worthwhile. That and realisation that teaching is not a 8.30 to 3.30pm job ...I am working more hours than I have done ever before (50+ a week) - but it is well worth it because I am enjoying it,
 
From the posts in this thread, there seems to be a trend for those leaving IT to go into a finance/accounts type role (myself included ;)),
 
Back
Top Bottom