Career Advice

mmcg1 · 30 Jan 2018 at 08:50

Hi all

I'm looking for a bit of career advice as I simply don't know what to do with myself. Apologies if this is the wrong section.

I'm 27 and I've been working full time since I was 18. I spent 6 years working as a technician in an electronic production company and then three years ago I managed to get a position on the brewing team in a brewery. I only had homebrewing experience so this was quite the coup and very exciting for me. I initially was the head brewer's assistant but within a few months he was sacked and I assumed a sort of lead brewer role. I was the head brewer in all but name as the owner (who couldn't brew tea) wanted that title for himself.

After two years there I moved back to my home town and I'm now the assistant head brewer at a small brewery but to be frank my career is going nowhere.

I don't make a lot of money and half the job isn't particularly enjoyable. Scrubbing walls and hosing out drains etc. There also doesn't appear to be any future prospects due to the industry being so small. I don't want to have to move halfway across the country every time I want a pay rise. Which tops out at around 30k for brewers anyway.

One of my ideas is to move into IT. I don't have any experience or qualifications aside from using computers almost my whole life but I think with 6 months or so of studying I could get two or three entry level certifications under my belt which should be enough to make the move.

Any help would be much appreciated.

MowyTone · 30 Jan 2018 at 09:47

IT is a pretty broad family of genres these days. What is it in IT that you are looking at? From there people will be able to suggest qualifications that would give you the best chances to get a job. Also bear in mind that nearly all qualifications are going to cost you money to obtain - some of them £1000's.

Some areas in IT:

Project manager (not specific to IT)
Database admin (DBA)
Unix administator
Network admin
Windows/LDAP/AD/Exchange admin
Infrastructure/data center admin
Architecture / design
Helpdesk work
Security / Group security

byeo · 30 Jan 2018 at 10:02

You might be better asking in here.

exhashdotdot · 30 Jan 2018 at 10:03

MowyTone said:
IT is a pretty broad family of genres these days. What is it in IT that you are looking at?

OP definitely needs to answer this question. It's great you've identified a passion for IT, but it's an enormous area.

On Holiday · 30 Jan 2018 at 10:30

Look for some Datacentre/NOC positions, depending on the company, they might not require any previous related working experience. It's the sort of position that opens a lot of pathways.

The workload varies incredibly depending on the company but for the mostpart it could be likened to 1st Line Support.. But generally with end-users that do have a clue what they're doing.

Stretch · 30 Jan 2018 at 10:43

Have you considered being an IT recruitment consultant. They work in the industry and have no experience or qualifications. You should be a natural.

a1ex2001 · 30 Jan 2018 at 11:06

Don't do it, IT is an awful career.

Have you considered opening your own brewery, Micro Breweries are big business at the minute

Ayahuasca · 30 Jan 2018 at 11:34

a1ex2001 said:
Don't do it, IT is an awful career.

What do you mean by this? There’s literally thousands of positions within the IT sector.

Sure some entry level stuff might be tedious as with most areas of work but as long as you’re willing to improve and move on there’s some incredibly interesting paths to go down.

DomBruv · 30 Jan 2018 at 11:45

a1ex2001 said:
Don't do it, IT is an awful career.

How is it? everything has moved to computers... Starting in IT was the best thing I have ever done and I've already had 2 pay rises since working here after a year.

My previous jobs I never got a pay rise and this wasn't because I was bad at my job, just more easily proven in IT when it comes to who does the most the fastest i guess but still, IT you can't lose... very rarely IT businesses goes out of business.

Our IT Company provides full Mac and Windows support which many don't around my area, we have some of the biggest clients in the UK should as Channel 4 and Royals Royce etc.

Delvis · 30 Jan 2018 at 11:53

Ayahuasca said:
What do you mean by this? There’s literally thousands of positions within the IT sector.

Sure some entry level stuff might be tedious as with most areas of work but as long as you’re willing to improve and move on there’s some incredibly interesting paths to go down.

I've become rather fed up with it, work in support, came from a system building and testing role originally...

Would like to say I'd like to try other areas but having no experience there it's not exactly easy to switch over

Quartz · 30 Jan 2018 at 11:58

mmcg1 said:
After two years there I moved back to my home town and I'm now the assistant head brewer at a small brewery but to be frank my career is going nowhere.

Are you aware of the Worshipful Company of Brewers? You could make some serious contacts there.

DomBruv · 30 Jan 2018 at 11:59

Delvis said:
I've become rather fed up with it, work in support, came from a system building and testing role originally...

Would like to say I'd like to try other areas but having no experience there it's not exactly easy to switch over

no matter what job you've got it will always get boring when you do it day in day out for years and years, I bet even the top gear presenters were like "**** sake, another 3million dollar car I've got to drive around today when all I want to do is stay in bed"

malachi · 30 Jan 2018 at 12:09

Delvis said:
I've become rather fed up with it, work in support, came from a system building and testing role originally...

Would like to say I'd like to try other areas but having no experience there it's not exactly easy to switch over

That can happen with any job. Its great to be a teacher, doctor or a police officer but I know people who have given that up to do something else completely different because they had enough.

If you want to try other areas then you need the motivation to get skilled up, its not going to be easy. That's what I am doing so I can move into Server or Network Security.

a1ex2001 · 30 Jan 2018 at 12:09

DomBruv said:
How is it? everything has moved to computers... Starting in IT was the best thing I have ever done and I've already had 2 pay rises since working here after a year.

My previous jobs I never got a pay rise and this wasn't because I was bad at my job, just more easily proven in IT when it comes to who does the most the fastest i guess but still, IT you can't lose... very rarely IT businesses goes out of business.

Our IT Company provides full Mac and Windows support which many don't around my area, we have some of the biggest clients in the UK should as Channel 4 and Royals Royce etc.

IT has become a race to the bottom, all anyone is interested in is cheap I've done various different roles over about 15 years and it's just dull, plus it has completely destroyed computing as a hobby for me as the last thing I want to do after a day at work is look at a computer! I'd quit but I'm well paid in a flexible job which suits my lifestyle and I have a mortgage to pay and kids to fund!

mmcg1 · 30 Jan 2018 at 12:15

exhashdotdot said:
OP definitely needs to answer this question. It's great you've identified a passion for IT, but it's an enormous area.

I'd probably be looking at an entry level support job after getting the A+ and Network+. Once I was in the industry and gaining experience I'd then start to think about what I wanted to specialise in.

a1ex2001 said:
Don't do it, IT is an awful career.

Have you considered opening your own brewery, Micro Breweries are big business at the minute

If I had the money to invest, maybe. There's simply no money in it though. I'd be doing what I'm doing now but with ten times as much stress and probably similar levels of pay. It would be nice to work for myself though.

malachi · 30 Jan 2018 at 14:46

a1ex2001 said:
IT has become a race to the bottom, all anyone is interested in is cheap I've done various different roles over about 15 years and it's just dull, plus it has completely destroyed computing as a hobby for me as the last thing I want to do after a day at work is look at a computer! I'd quit but I'm well paid in a flexible job which suits my lifestyle and I have a mortgage to pay and kids to fund!

Exactly, that's what working in IT can get you, who doesn't want a well paid job??? Regardless if you think its a race to the bottom. If its well paid, flexible and is whats keeping you there then who is going to be put off by that?

Delvis · 30 Jan 2018 at 15:00

malachi said:
Exactly, that's what working in IT can get you, who doesn't want a well paid job??? Regardless if you think its a race to the bottom. If its well paid, flexible and is whats keeping you there then who is going to be put off by that?

No point having the money if you aren't happy for most of your working life

Hagar · 30 Jan 2018 at 15:32

Robots will soon be able to run IT, a good brewer will always be in demand.

mmcg1 · 30 Jan 2018 at 15:33

Delvis said:
No point having the money if you aren't happy for most of your working life

Conversely, even doing something you enjoy can be soul destroying when the pay isn't great.

Delvis · 30 Jan 2018 at 15:49

mmcg1 said:
Conversely, even doing something you enjoy can be soul destroying when the pay isn't great.

Of course, I just want to be comfortable where I can save enough to do things

Love to move out for instance, but simply can't afford the deposit