IT Support Employment Qs

Fr0dders

Fr0dders

Fr0dders

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
33,478
Location
West Yorks
Im vary wary of getting stuck as a helpdesk chicken. To conform with the swiftcover ad stereotype

Ive been in IT support about 2 years now, and currently do systems support. Covering Hardware, Software, Networking, Servers, etc.. anything and everything.

I want to progress onto something else, rather than being stuck as a helpdesk mokey. I could go down the route of being a more senior monkey, but im just wondering where my next step would be.

Anybody who knows the industry care to suggest a job advert in the leeds area offering something i might be intereted in ?

all the jobs i seem to find are either well out of my reach currently (project manager, Service Delivery Manager etc..) or just going down the same route of being a more senior helpdesk monkey, or field engineer. With the silly ammounts of travelling and long hours that go with it.
 
I know you said you did h/w, s/w, networking, etc... but what specifically did you like or what were you good at?

How much experience in total have you got, or is your current job your first one? What sort of salary are you looking for? Prepared to commute - if so, how far?
 
Specialise imo - head down the consulting path.

What do you enjoy? I have a similar background to you, and ignoring the next 18 months, intend to head down the Cisco-VoIP path - with certifications to back it up.
 
Consulting is good, if you're OK with everything that it entails. You quickly become very adept at packing suitcases, and you'll know your local airport better than you will your own home. Also, if you have a girlfriend/wife/family then consider what's the most important thing for you - a career in consulting or a stable family life?

I'm not saying that consulting is a bad career choice, but that potential employers always forget to mention certain aspects of the job.

/me == ex-Andersen Consulting employee btw ;)
 
deffo want something nice and cushy based in an office monday to friday 9-5. Ive got a wife and kids, whom i dont get to spend enough time with as it is working 9-5.

So consulting itsnt for me

I really want to specialise in networking. But just cant seem to find anything inbetween fully qualified network engineer with tons of experience ... and helpdesk monkey :(
 
In that case, Mr.Stu's advice about getting certification is very sound. Then you just need to get some experience to prove you can do the job in the real world.

How about starting in a junior role and working your way up. Something like this...

http://www.jobserve.com/W20F6876C390E3C45.jsjob

Don't know what you salary expectations are, and I don't know if the location is suitable (cause I'm a Southerner). However, from the advert I'd say the position they're trying to fill is a "Jack of all trades" kinda role, which could give you some freedom to do your own thing. Then you use it as a stepping-stone to something better, highlighting the experience you've gained in that role when you're moving into the next position.

Otherwise, there's this one... http://www.jobserve.com/W7A49724A7713699C.jsjob
 
GarethDW said:
In that case, Mr.Stu's advice about getting certification is very sound. Then you just need to get some experience to prove you can do the job in the real world.

How about starting in a junior role and working your way up. Something like this...

http://www.jobserve.com/W20F6876C390E3C45.jsjob

Don't know what you salary expectations are, and I don't know if the location is suitable (cause I'm a Southerner). However, from the advert I'd say the position they're trying to fill is a "Jack of all trades" kinda role, which could give you some freedom to do your own thing. Then you use it as a stepping-stone to something better, highlighting the experience you've gained in that role when you're moving into the next position.

Otherwise, there's this one... http://www.jobserve.com/W7A49724A7713699C.jsjob
Click to expand...


First job is just on site IT monkey. They dress it up fancy, but saying you'll be installing printers says it all.

2nd one is good. Its doing about what i do now, but again just on site instead of remote support.

I suppose the next logical step in my career would be to go from supporting servers / clients / networks remotely to on site ...
 
Yeah, gotta always take anything a recruitment company says with a large pinch of salt... in my experience they're the scum of the earth.

Sometimes, though, it's worth looking at the bigger picture. An "IT monkey" job for a small/medium-sized company may lead somewhere if you're in the right place at the right time, and you show that you're ambitious and capable. Whereas career progression when working for bigger companies is usually more structured and formalised.
 
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