- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Looking for IT Career advice
Posted on 1/19/22 at 8:45 am to jdd48
Posted on 1/19/22 at 8:45 am to jdd48
quote:
I'd also say to anyone in IT, but especially someone starting out in this day and age, be very cautious of burnout
+1 this too. Companies, at least larger corps, seem content with turnover in support and thus don’t care when staff warns of burnout.
Having a mentor to break into more privileged roles is really helpful. Certs can be helpful in learning and getting familiar with jargon and fundamentals, putting them into practice in developed environments can be tricky. Having someone knowledgeable to put real context behind is valuable.
Keep an eye on workplace politics. IT is such a bottom line business that it’s so annoying when politics get in the way. Never realized until recently how important it was to have good management/leadership. Otherwise help desk can turn into a dead-end. PITA job very quickly.
0
Posted on 1/19/22 at 8:52 am to OldRebYeller
Scrum masters are making 6 figures with little experience these days
Posted on 1/19/22 at 9:18 am to OldRebYeller
quote:
Is Help Desk > Sys Admin > IT management a good path?
IMO no, it is not. I’d look for more of an IT analyst/data analyst/developer role. Help desk is a bit “dead-end,” and it’s tough to really make big career jumps in that sector.
Edit: or the CSM/PM path is a great one too. Obviously less technical but same earning potential.
This post was edited on 1/19/22 at 9:20 am
Posted on 1/20/22 at 9:39 am to OldRebYeller
Best piece of advice I can give you is to always be looking for your next IT job while you have a job....and learn as much as you can at your first IT job.
It gives you a lot more confidence/leverage to get what you want.
I don't have a computer science degree or certs. I took comp sci at Ole Miss for 3 years and learned what I needed to learn. I started my first IT job at an MSP in 2016 making $15 an hour. I got my first raise after 10 months because a got a job offer somewhere else and company bumped my pay to $20 an hr so I wouldn't leave. My first company was essentially my IT education and I learned most of what I know there.
After 2 years of experience I got a salaried IT manager position for a DoD federal contractor. I worked for them for 2 years, eventually got promoted to IT director.
After that I left to go work for a billion dollar food manufacturer and now I'm their System Administrator and make 6 figures.
I have some other companies talking to me now, so I'm most likely about to go to a new company and get another big pay increase. I don't even look for new jobs anymore. I'm constantly being recruited by new companies.
I'm at the point in my career where I feel like a big time NFL free agent and companies are bidding to get me to be their new star quarterback.
It gives you a lot more confidence/leverage to get what you want.
I don't have a computer science degree or certs. I took comp sci at Ole Miss for 3 years and learned what I needed to learn. I started my first IT job at an MSP in 2016 making $15 an hour. I got my first raise after 10 months because a got a job offer somewhere else and company bumped my pay to $20 an hr so I wouldn't leave. My first company was essentially my IT education and I learned most of what I know there.
After 2 years of experience I got a salaried IT manager position for a DoD federal contractor. I worked for them for 2 years, eventually got promoted to IT director.
After that I left to go work for a billion dollar food manufacturer and now I'm their System Administrator and make 6 figures.
I have some other companies talking to me now, so I'm most likely about to go to a new company and get another big pay increase. I don't even look for new jobs anymore. I'm constantly being recruited by new companies.
I'm at the point in my career where I feel like a big time NFL free agent and companies are bidding to get me to be their new star quarterback.
Posted on 1/20/22 at 12:17 pm to lockthevaught
quote:
I'm at the point in my career where I feel like a big time NFL free agent and companies are bidding to get me to be their new star quarterback.
I wouldn't go THAT far but I get that feeling as well now with 22 years in.
OP I would suggest you explore both sides of IT Operations/Infrastructure and Applications/Development/DBA
You have the chance now to study a little bit of both. Don't be afraid to do that. There's no rule against a Network Admin also learning how to be a DBA and program SQL. In my 22 years in the field, most of my bosses were versed in both sides of the Manufacturing IT world. Be BROAD! Learn errything. Also, for management, look into classes and certifications on Project Management.
This post was edited on 1/20/22 at 8:39 pm
Posted on 1/21/22 at 12:50 pm to OldRebYeller
I wouldn't be dead set on IT mgmt. If you find you enjoy 'hands on keyboard' work it will typically be the exact opposite (meetings, admin, planning). You can make good money being a developer or sa without any direct reports. If you decide to change focuses realize that anything operations will likely involve being on call
Page 2 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News