I need out of IT
- Thread starter Relentless81
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I'm in exactly the same boat atm, I am so loathe of IT support I actually think of different ways to perform Harakiri on myself (that's a joke but it's not far off 
)
For the past 6 months I was involved in a seperate 'system test' team for a product that is about to now go pilot. So that bubble has burst and I started back on 1stline support this week and I already feel frustrated and just want out after only 2 days. I cannot stand it!
I really enjoyed testing and I think this is where I want to steer my career, I lack any programming knowledge but you got to start somewhere. I do know that if I want out, then studying something is the only realistic way to achieve this. I'm currently researching which books to self study, perhaps IT Software Testing is an idea?
Otherwise can't help you mate, only you can decide what you want to do - then act on it 100%
)For the past 6 months I was involved in a seperate 'system test' team for a product that is about to now go pilot. So that bubble has burst and I started back on 1stline support this week and I already feel frustrated and just want out after only 2 days. I cannot stand it!
I really enjoyed testing and I think this is where I want to steer my career, I lack any programming knowledge but you got to start somewhere. I do know that if I want out, then studying something is the only realistic way to achieve this. I'm currently researching which books to self study, perhaps IT Software Testing is an idea?
Otherwise can't help you mate, only you can decide what you want to do - then act on it 100%
Oxide, until very recently I worked in software testing, if you enjoyed it then go for it. You don't need programming knowledge (although some companies will want it), having an IT support background should be sufficient.
To be honest I kind of fell into it, I never even knew it existed as a career. Stick with it for a few years and you could easily be pulling in £40k+ in London.
To be honest I kind of fell into it, I never even knew it existed as a career. Stick with it for a few years and you could easily be pulling in £40k+ in London.
please don't. You sound like you would be poor at the job tbh
If you can somehow learn to program then there is great demand for Automation Test Engineers and they in general get paid more than Manual Testers.
sounds interesting. What does someone have to do to get into software testing?
I feel fo you OP, I'm in exactly the same situation.
I'd love to be able to bin off my I.T position and open a gym or become a personal trainer, but the money I get is good and I'm not sure I'd be abl to make ends meet as a new personal trainer.
I'd love to be able to bin off my I.T position and open a gym or become a personal trainer, but the money I get is good and I'm not sure I'd be abl to make ends meet as a new personal trainer.
Was talking with a personal trainer in the gym just yesterday about this. He worked in IT, and left to become a personal trainer. He's been at it for a couple of years now, but has just given in his notice. While he hated IT, the money was good, and while he enjoys being a personal trainer, the money is nothing in comparison......
This is so true. Im looking to quit IT after 5 years of support jobs and not getting anywhere with it. No doors open for progress in IT unless your a good ass licker or a super geek in a specific field. I could spend all my spare time reading up on coding/programming/design but at the end of it the competition is so damn fierce I would be very lucky to get a job in any other field than "phone monkey support".
I love computers, working with them and making them do things but its a pity the IT industry is full of ass holes who are up themselves and dont want to give the next guy a chance.
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Yes.
Haha fair enough
I have an interview next week!
In another support role, FML
Its better money with better prospects I suppose and it involves development which has been mentioned a lot in this thread, I just dont know what else to do other than fall back on my old experiance and go working in call centres again but theres no way i'm doing that
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Try escorting, very rewarding and pays well....
Do some searches on job sites like indeed.co.uk for “junior test analyst”, “software tester” etc. Look for jobs that don’t need much prior experience in software testing (some will), if you’ve been involved in testing as part of your system support work (aimed more at Oxide) then make sure you big that up in your application.
I think most (not all) employers are realistic, if they advertise an entry level (junior) role paying bottom end of the scale (£18-22k) they are not expecting people with much formal experience in testing. What they will want to see is a solid foundation in IT and an understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC); Computer Science graduates or similar should also get a look in. So you will want to do some reading on common methodologies (waterfall, iterative, agile etc) in case these topic come up in interview (also maybe worth highlighting in CV/covering letter any interaction you have had with such processes in previous roles, e.g. during UAT/implementation/support phases).
Testing roles vary quite widely between different organisations. If you have any particular skills such as SQL, unix, mainframe and so forth from previous roles then keep an eye out as there will be jobs out there requiring those skills (giving you the nod over rival candidates who maybe have just dealt with web based systems). Especially in the financial services sector this will be vital as many such institutions still run a lot of legacy systems. My advice would be to look for somewhere that either has fairly large and vertical management structure (e.g. prospects for promotions junior->analyst->senior analyst->manager) or is willing to find training for you. Smaller organisations can be a bit more risky as it is possible to get stuck in a basic testing job reporting directly to a fairly senior manager with no clear progression route (although that’s not to say you should discount it, additional responsibility or a wider-ranging role may help you use it as a stepping stone for another firm).
In terms of the qualifications a common one that employers/recruiters look for is the ISEB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing (or ISTQB equivalent); even if you don’t want to invest time and money into doing it maybe read up on it so you can express interest at interview. In my opinion its quite academic rather than vocational and is a bit dated, but employers seem to still value it.
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i love IT but hate my current employer
damn this recession for making me have to stay here
its better than being unemployed though.....peeps need to remember that.
This is the mindset I am moving toward, I took a huge risk getting into IT, I was lucky enough to get in but my current employers are liars and it is hard to move on because of the amount of jobs available and the competition for them, i'll just have to deal with it until something comes along and just keep on applying
