Trying to break in to IT infrastructure field

Soldato
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So an interesting question.

At the moment my job in this new company is to bring a bit of standardisation, automation, control and security to the network.

From an internal standpoint they are a mess. It's a jungle and they have no set procedures for anything.

I've got a lot of things to get sorted. Asset Management system, WSUS, WDS, Automated software update mechanism.

This is just for the UK office. They told me on Thu, that what I do in the UK office will be pitched to the senior partners as a template to be rolled out to the French, German and US offices!! :eek:

I'm only one guy! I didn't know the job was this big.

At the moment I don't have a job title. They indicated they would be fine with IT Manager.... but ultimately my aim is to assist the Linux Admin they have so that I can then move on in to a purely Linux infrastructure role in the future.

This will happen once I've got the above sorted.

Whats a better job title to have on a CV. IT Manager or Systems Engineer? Considering I see my self moving in to a Linux role in the future. Or at least that's the plan at this point in time.

----

They also asked me if I would like to do the pitch! :eek:

I'm a techy!! I'm rubbish at public speaking!! They said they'd coach me and tell me what to say.... I'm honoured but I've only been at the company two weeks. Too soon!
 
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Associate
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To me, systems engineer sounds better than IT Manager. It sounds more focussed, as opposed to a "Catch-all" title that could include everything. I've known people who purely replace toners in printers and handle the photocopying, they were still listed as an IT Manager.
 
Soldato
OP
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Posts
22,294
Location
London
To me, systems engineer sounds better than IT Manager. It sounds more focussed, as opposed to a "Catch-all" title that could include everything. I've known people who purely replace toners in printers and handle the photocopying, they were still listed as an IT Manager.

:p:p:p

You know what thats too funny, as in my old job after 8 years my manager came up with an ingenious plan to get me to to monitor nagios alerts to change ink cartridges. :p:o:(:mad:

I eventually refused to do it as I told him this was not appropriate use of my time.

Suffice to say that was the beginning of the end and hence why I've moved on.

In this role, every day I'm learning. In that role, my job was just utter crap. I was just used to do the crap no one wanted to do.
 
Soldato
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22,294
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London
I'm a systems engineer and I'm fine with changing ink carts...

If it needs doing, just do it.

Yea. I agree if an ink cartridge needs changing because you need to print but not when your frustrated as the boss gives you nothing to do then one day turns round and says I want you to monitor nagios alerts and change ink cartridges around the company. Which would include traveling 45mins each way to other sites to change an ink cartridges.

:mad:

Especially when the other guys come and go as they please and doing higher level work to you and getting paid twice as much.

They never let me build up any experience in the job as they literally gave me nothing to cut my teeth on. So coming up with a scheme to get me changing ink cartridges was the straw that broke the camels back.

After 8 years of service, that was the best 'project' they could get me to do?

Pff... I've got a degree and a masters. I'm smart. Let me do something.

On top of that I was suspicious that the other two guys on my team where manipulating the situation to suit their needs. Basically, they where saying we can get me to do more and more of the basic tasks thus freeing them up to get on with the more interesting projects, which pay more.

My ex manager would give them lists and lists of stuff to do, while I'm sitting them twiddling my thumbs.

(P.s - I'm not in the role any more)
 
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