Changing Careers in IT?

[mid_gen]

My fear with that is I actually enjoy games! I used to enjoy computers in general but working with them day in day out has turned me right off them I don't want the same to happen to gaming! I've actually turned down money for photo's I've taken as it's a hobby and I enjoy it so I'm keeping it separate from the grind!

Hasn't affected my enjoyment of gaming. PC gaming perhaps as now I almost exclusively just play consoles, but that's just me getting old and not wanting the hassle

If anything I enjoy game development more. I get up early and put in an hour or two coding little game projects before I head into the studio.

 

[Delvis]

My fear with that is I actually enjoy games! I used to enjoy computers in general but working with them day in day out has turned me right off them I don't want the same to happen to gaming! I've actually turned down money for photo's I've taken as it's a hobby and I enjoy it so I'm keeping it separate from the grind!

I'd take both those options... Particularly the photography thing

 

[a1ex2001]

I'd take both those options... Particularly the photography thing

Fortunately my photography is nothing like good enough to be my main source of income so the temptation is minimal but I have twice turned down money as I made a conscious decision that I wanted it to be a straight forward fun thing!

 

[Delvis]

Fortunately my photography is nothing like good enough to be my main source of income so the temptation is minimal but I have twice turned down money as I made a conscious decision that I wanted it to be a straight forward fun thing!

I'll take anything right now tbh, need a second income

 

[Hades]

I've been in the IT industry, mostly in banks, for around 30 years now. The late 80's and 90's were fantastic. Now it's utter crap although maybe I'm just jaded. My current employer can't even be bothered to give us all desks and we have to hot desk or work from home when there aren't enough.

I'm physically surrounded by people flown over on temp visas (who are actually genuinely good at their job to be fair - but they displaced other people equally as good) and work mostly with people offshore that I can't understand, can't understand me and mostly aren't as good as the people flown onshore. I've seen good friends made redundant frequently and the remaining jobs de-skilled. My job is no longer about technology and no longer about people management (my two skill areas).

Enough is enough for me. I can't move out of the industry as I have a family to support. So the next step is to start building something on the side. In other words use the massive IT and people skills I've accumulated over the years as a tool rather than use it as the reason to work. So that's what I'm doing in my spare time to see where it goes.

Onwards and upwards...

 

[XeNoN89]

I'm in the same boat as well. Been doing General IT Support 1st/2nd line for nearly 10 years and have had enough. Don't know what to do next. Things like security interest me but from having a quick look around I will need a lot of training/certifications to do that and i just don;t have the money for it. I need to find somewhere that is willing to take me on and let me learn on the job!

 

[dowie]

My current employer can't even be bothered to give us all desks and we have to hot desk or work from home when there aren't enough.

I'm physically surrounded by people flown over on temp visas (who are actually genuinely good at their job to be fair - but they displaced other people equally as good) and work mostly with people offshore that I can't understand, can't understand me and mostly aren't as good as the people flown onshore. I've seen good friends made redundant frequently and the remaining jobs de-skilled. My job is no longer about technology and no longer about people management (my two skill areas).

Is this RBS by any chance?

 

[malachi]

I'm in the same boat as well. Been doing General IT Support 1st/2nd line for nearly 10 years and have had enough. Don't know what to do next. Things like security interest me but from having a quick look around I will need a lot of training/certifications to do that and i just don;t have the money for it. I need to find somewhere that is willing to take me on and let me learn on the job!

Why don't you self study in your spare time and pay for the exams?

 

[Hades]

Is this RBS by any chance?

Nope. But a very similar company.

 

[a1ex2001]

I've been in the IT industry, mostly in banks, for around 30 years now. The late 80's and 90's were fantastic. Now it's utter crap although maybe I'm just jaded. My current employer can't even be bothered to give us all desks and we have to hot desk or work from home when there aren't enough.

I'm physically surrounded by people flown over on temp visas (who are actually genuinely good at their job to be fair - but they displaced other people equally as good) and work mostly with people offshore that I can't understand, can't understand me and mostly aren't as good as the people flown onshore. I've seen good friends made redundant frequently and the remaining jobs de-skilled. My job is no longer about technology and no longer about people management (my two skill areas).

Enough is enough for me. I can't move out of the industry as I have a family to support. So the next step is to start building something on the side. In other words use the massive IT and people skills I've accumulated over the years as a tool rather than use it as the reason to work. So that's what I'm doing in my spare time to see where it goes.

Onwards and upwards...

The abuse of temporary work visas really is killing the industry, the company I work for have a continuous rotation of people coming temporarily onshore so in effect they are doing a full time UK role which isn't what the scheme was designed for but nobody seems to care as long as IT is cheap. We've lost customers who admit they simply don't care about quality when sourcing IT suppliers all they want is a cheap price and a contract that they can use to charge service credits against to further reduce costs when the service is inevitably poor.

 

[XeNoN89]

Why don't you self study in your spare time and pay for the exams?

I could self study in my own time but can't pay for exams without getting myself into debt which i'm not going to do

 

[dowie]

Nope. But a very similar company.

fair enough, I reckon that narrows it down to maybe one other, possibly two (obvs you'd have said if you wanted people to know so I won't try to guess again )

Is it too risky for you (with a family) to think about going contracting somewhere else perhaps?

 

[Hades]

fair enough, I reckon that narrows it down to maybe one other, possibly two (obvs you'd have said if you wanted people to know so I won't try to guess again )

Is it too risky for you (with a family) to think about going contracting somewhere else perhaps?

Yes having a family means I have to be risk averse. However contracting is always an option. Eventually I will be made redundant here so will go contracting at that point. The problem with contracting before redundancy is that rates are quite suppressed now and I would likely take a pay cut to go contracting (I negotiated a good salary to join this company).

Regardless it will be more of the same in any of these large financial companies. So contracting or moving is simply putting a temporary bandage on the issue. The long term solution is to build my own company using the skills I have.

 

[Delvis]

I could self study in my own time but can't pay for exams without getting myself into debt which i'm not going to do

Aye I'm the same really, want to do something in the creative industry but can't fork out for courses etc.

Perhaps look at a career development loan? Barclays do one.

 

[dowie]

Aye I'm the same really, want to do something in the creative industry but can't fork out for courses etc.

Perhaps look at a career development loan? Barclays do one.

But the point about self studying is that you avoid paying for courses no?

 

[malachi]

I could self study in my own time but can't pay for exams without getting myself into debt which i'm not going to do

It depends on what you are looking to do, I'm sure exams cant be that expensive?

I am self studying, yeah it still in IT and its about £160 for the exam but it beats paying £3500 for the course then for the exam after.

Small price to pay when it comes to career progression or opening up myself to better opportunities.

 

[Delvis]

But the point about self studying is that you avoid paying for courses no?

Then have it as you will..... You either fork out for the exam or you fork out for the training. OR you get very lucky and get on job training

 

[dowie]

Then have it as you will..... You either fork out for the exam or you fork out for the training. OR you get very lucky and get on job training

Well obviously you pay for the exam, but the point is that exams generally don't cost much and generally don't require loans etc..

 

[Ev0]

An entry level security role shouldn't really be asking for any particular certifications, maybe a Security+.

Lots of resources out there to start learning things without having to pay for things, if it's something that interests you then go for it, certainly is a good part of the industry to be in right now

 

[Delvis]

Well obviously you pay for the exam, but the point is that exams generally don't cost much and generally don't require loans etc..

He doesn't have any money, so the point of a career development loan may still be viable, even if it's a smaller amount