Career Advice

Soldato
Joined
14 Mar 2005
Posts
16,818
Location
Here and There...
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?
Because waking up every day hating the fact you will be spending most of it sat at a desk doing something you loath is not good for your mental health or your productivity!
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Jan 2008
Posts
58,912
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!

But citing your individual experience and then generalising to IT as a whole is a bit dubious... perhaps it might be better to be more specific re: where it has become a race to the bottom. It is a very broad area and there will be plenty of people out there who have a completely different experience to you in their "IT" roles... You'd not get people working silly hours for startups if they weren't passionate about what they do, plenty of them would earn more money working at some bank etc..
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Jun 2006
Posts
12,365
Location
Not here
Because waking up every day hating the fact you will be spending most of it sat at a desk doing something you loath is not good for your mental health or your productivity!

So why don't you look for something else instead of being stuck in a job you hate if its effecting you that much? That's no way to live life is it?

I've worked IT for over 10 years, I enjoy my job and I've been in my current role for 8 years but I know it is time to move on. I am self studying, doing my exams, once Ive passed them I be looking for jobs outside the UK in the same industry and moving. Heck, never stopped from my friend putting his house to rent, taking his wife and kids to work in Dubai.

I don't get this, you could say first world problem "I hate my job but I am going to stay here anyway because it pays the bills" We live in a time where there are so many opportunities out there, especially to progress further in the world of technology but just stopping there in your comfort zone (because its the easiest thing to do), while loathing your job and not making a change is no way to go about it.

One thing I never do is tell people not to work in IT. We still need them in our industry :)
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
14 Dec 2017
Posts
2,040
Location
Aberdeenshire
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.

This is exactly what I have done, found my current job a bit volitile, combined with the fact I work away a lot!
I want a career change into the IT side of things. Something i have always been interested In. I found a place offering a good deal and enrolled in the A+,network+,Security+,CEH. They even give you bits of work experience along the way, help with your CV etc. I am really interested in cyber security/pen testing side. So I am hoping to get through all my exams this year and see where it takes me.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
6 Nov 2017
Posts
28
Because waking up every day hating the fact you will be spending most of it sat at a desk doing something you loath is not good for your mental health or your productivity!
Waking up every day to do something you enjoy that doesn't pay you enough and has limited long term prospects has the same effect. I think the trick is finding a balance.

This is exactly what I have done, found my current job a bit volitile, combined with the fact I work away a lot!
I want a career change into the IT side of things. Something i have always been interested In. I found a place offering a good deal and enrolled in the A+,network+,Security+,CEH. They even give you bits of work experience along the way, help with your CV etc. I am really interested in cyber security/pen testing side. So I am hoping to get through all my exams this year and see where it takes me.
Good luck. Feel free to send me a message if you want to chat A+ or anything.

I'm just doing self study at the moment. I'm thinking of just biting the bullet and booking my exams for 3 months time so I've got a target to aim for.
 
Associate
Joined
14 Dec 2017
Posts
2,040
Location
Aberdeenshire
Good luck. Feel free to send me a message if you want to chat A+ or anything.

I'm just doing self study at the moment. I'm thinking of just biting the bullet and booking my exams for 3 months time so I've got a target to aim for.

Thank you I might take you up on that in the future, I’m half way through the 901 modules there seems to be a lot to remember. First time digging Into the networking side of things:confused:


I got bored with A+, it literally had no bearing on day to day activities or what support people work with.

Talking about old ISA buses and crap, did my head in

I’ve been told I have to do the A+ first as it is a prequiset/requirement of the courses I am to do after it. It seems very Americanised and also speaks a lot about legacy stuff!
 
Associate
Joined
14 Dec 2017
Posts
2,040
Location
Aberdeenshire
That’s what I’m hoping for, started at the start of January just a couple hours here and there when I’m sitting around offshore so another few weeks I hopefully should be ready for the 901 part!

Been lucky so far the first half of the 901 seems just pretty much common knowledge. (For me)

Then on to the 902 just looks as long.

Mmcg1
Have you thought about what IT sector that you want to head for? I think even entry level positions employers nowadays won’t even look at you unless you are at least A+ certified or similar. I had a job as a lab tech for 3 years working with computers but it was very basic and came with no actual qualifications, they were also not keen to give me any
(incase I just left)
 
Associate
OP
Joined
6 Nov 2017
Posts
28
That’s what I’m hoping for, started at the start of January just a couple hours here and there when I’m sitting around offshore so another few weeks I hopefully should be ready for the 901 part!

Been lucky so far the first half of the 901 seems just pretty much common knowledge. (For me)

Then on to the 902 just looks as long.

Mmcg1
Have you thought about what IT sector that you want to head for? I think even entry level positions employers nowadays won’t even look at you unless you are at least A+ certified or similar. I had a job as a lab tech for 3 years working with computers but it was very basic and came with no actual qualifications, they were also not keen to give me any
(incase I just left)
I'm not sure at the moment. I think I'm going to get the A+ and Network+ done and then try to find a 1st line support job. From there I think I'd like to go down the network route, maybe CCNA or something similar but I'll wait and see what kind of job I get initially. I'm hoping to find a job that exposes me to a bunch of different things that I can eventually pick one to specialise in.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Jun 2006
Posts
12,365
Location
Not here
I got bored with A+, it literally had no bearing on day to day activities or what support people work with.

Talking about old ISA buses and crap, did my head in

But that's the point of A+, its for the people starting in IT so having a good understanding of the basic stuff will help.

I am currently studying my MCSA in Server 2016, stuff in there I will never use in any job such as subnetting but it helps to understand abit of it. Once Ive done that then I be going for Security+.
 
Caporegime
Joined
7 Nov 2004
Posts
30,194
Location
Buckinghamshire
But that's the point of A+, its for the people starting in IT so having a good understanding of the basic stuff will help.

I am currently studying my MCSA in Server 2016, stuff in there I will never use in any job such as subnetting but it helps to understand abit of it. Once Ive done that then I be going for Security+.

Having an understanding of retired and pretty much unused hardware is next to pointless
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Jan 2008
Posts
58,912
Well all developers have no experience initially.

congrats mmcg1 :)

I'm also a bit curious as to what people mean when they say .net developer?
 
Associate
OP
Joined
6 Nov 2017
Posts
28
I started off studying a bit of web development alongside my A+ but I quickly realised that I enjoyed development a hell of a lot more.

So I started spending all of my time on development through FreeCodeCamp and a Udemy course. I did most of the Udemy course and then decided I enjoyed programming more than I did websites so I started doing Harvard CS50 which is absolutely fantastic.

I'm most of the way through that and I really feel that it's given me a solid programming base as the first parts of the course have you doing some quite low level stuff in C.

The job is VB.net and MySQL development, both things I have no experience of but the employer knows this. I've got the next four weeks to cram as much of these languages into my brain as possible and I really can't wait to get started.

I've only been studying for five or so months now so I've gotten very, very lucky to get a job. Really hope I can hit the ground running as soon as I start and impress them.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Dec 2006
Posts
5,137
Cool update. best of luck with it. I work in IT. Mainly on the development side. I still love messing around with computers at home. Always have done.
 
Back
Top Bottom