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

[Kenyth]

IT jobs kind of suck right now compared to ten years back. My earnings are the lowest they've been in 10 years and the amount of work I do is more. Primarily because they staff less people on average. Less jobs that pay less since the bubble burst. I can't say I'd recommend IT work to my kids anymore. Everyone is trying to move their services to the cloud and get rid of their servers. Every guy who lost his factory job moved into computer work it seems. Flooded the market.

I should have tried to get that federal IT job some years back. I knew someone. It was just a tech position, but very secure and had scheduled raises. I'd be making more than I am now with less responsibility.

Luckily, my wife is a skilled worker in an Accounting and Finance type of career and she kept moving up. Working hard only gets you so far. You cant fight it when your job's market value declines. I should probably seriously think about a career change or finishing up a Masters degree. Everyone I know who makes what I used to make had to get their Masters degree.

Ah well, time to quit whining and get back to work!

[ggiese]

IT jobs kind of suck right now compared to ten years back. My earnings are the lowest they've been in 10 years and the amount of work I do is more. Primarily because they staff less people on average. Less jobs that pay less since the bubble burst. I can't say I'd recommend IT work to my kids anymore. Everyone is trying to move their services to the cloud and get rid of their servers. Every guy who lost his factory job moved into computer work it seems. Flooded the market.

I should have tried to get that federal IT job some years back. I knew someone. It was just a tech position, but very secure and had scheduled raises. I'd be making more than I am now with less responsibility.

Luckily, my wife is a skilled worker in an Accounting and Finance type of career and she kept moving up. Working hard only gets you so far. You cant fight it when your job's market value declines. I should probably seriously think about a career change or finishing up a Masters degree. Everyone I know who makes what I used to make had to get their Masters degree.

Ah well, time to quit whining and get back to work!

Go to where the money is in IT - IT Security. Cyber Security is the fastest growing part of the IT world - and (if you have the right certs) one of the highest paid positions within most IT departments.

Even better - get the EnCase (or other digital forensics) certifications. Those are VERY hot positions within most firms (e.g. litigation holds, breach investigations, etc.)

Good luck!

[ashauler]

Right on George. I can certainly confirm that those freaking guys are expensive, and certainly no place to scrimp from my side of the table.

[Kenyth]

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.

[ggiese]

http://www.cyberdegrees.org/resource...nline-courses/

Check this out. As a start - they're online FREE college courses on various cyber security topics. Take them at your leisure - you only need to devote 3-6 hours a week. You will at least be able to understand your strengths and weaknesses - and find that area of cyber security that best meets your skill set and interests. There are so many areas within cybersecurity, I'm quite sure there's something for you.

Good luck!

[cigarsarge]

Wish I were younger...Would love that kind of work.

[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!