Damn it! My career is a pain in the ass these days!

[CptnBlues63]

Thanks man! You highlight one of my problems, which I know well enough. My experience is now a bit stale. What I do know, (PC/laptop work, Microsoft System Administration and Group Policy, basic network administration and a smattering of Linux) is known by many. The IT generalist label is just too common these days. I'll have to retrain and specialize. Now, on to the next problem, finding time in a busy family life.

Don't forget to look at post secondary. I work for a university and we have good pay and benefits. The bigger the Uni, the bigger the IT department(s)

I've been here 11+ years now as a "network technician" I handle all the layer 1 and 2 stuff as well as managing/maintaining equipment. I also troubleshoot/fix user networking issues when it's beyond the helpdesk's abilities.

FWIW, our "PC unit" are pretty much all "generalists" in the MS domain admin area. They create/deploy desktop images, manage servers, etc I'm sure most, if not all, colleges and universities require similar staff and you'd fit right in....even if you are a little rusty.

All my MS skills have turned to rust.........LOL The last MS server platform I worked with was Server 2003! But if you want to know about VLAN's, I'm your man! I can do layer 3, but our "security" specialist handles all the layer 3 with the exception of our client (staff) subnets. Those are done internally on our core switches by yours truly.

[Kenyth]

There are colleges in the area. Notre Dame is the big one. I would love to work for them. The pay is mediocre, but I would get tuition benefits for my kids college. Unfortunately, they have a departmental line between end user support and server/back end support. There are frequent openings for end user support, but infrequent back end support openings. Last time I was job hunting, the hiring manager said that I was plenty qualified, but a poor fit. They didn't want someone who would bail for another opportunity and there isn't a promotion path to the back end support department. I will start keeping my eyes open again.

[Kenyth]

As if to make my point. I was just informed that there is a reorganization of IT in the county. All the PD (me) and prosecutor IT employees are being pulled into the County IT department as of next year to provide consolidated support. We will still have jobs, just not the same jobs. Exactly what that means is unclear, but I'm probably going to have less for it in the end. Even if my salary isn't cut, I will probably lose my personal car, mobile aircard, and mobile phone. The car is a significant part of my compensation. The nice new computer workstation, MS Surface pro tablet I just got is probably not following me either. Job title will likely change for the worse as well. I will wait until I get solid details, but at this point it looks like a downgrade. They already have an IT Manager and System Administrator at that level, so I'm not sure there is room for more.

[ggiese]

As if to make my point. I was just informed that there is a reorganization of IT in the county. All the PD (me) and prosecutor IT employees are being pulled into the County IT department as of next year to provide consolidated support. We will still have jobs, just not the same jobs. Exactly what that means is unclear, but I'm probably going to have less for it in the end. Even if my salary isn't cut, I will probably lose my personal car, mobile aircard, and mobile phone. The car is a significant part of my compensation. The nice new computer workstation, MS Surface pro tablet I just got is probably not following me either. Job title will likely change for the worse as well. I will wait until I get solid details, but at this point it looks like a downgrade. They already have an IT Manager and System Administrator at that level, so I'm not sure there is room for more.

I've been on the private side for about 10 years now. The one thing I can say I've learned is a constant - CHANGE... I've been through a very significant merger and multiple department reorgs. It is definitely not the way it was when I started - some good, some not so good... The best piece of advice I can give you - ALWAYS evolve - don't stay static - and "know yourself!" A VERY good read - "What Color is Your Parachute" by Dick Bolles.

Good luck!