Career going down the tubes

Discussion in 'Employment & Jobs' started by michael78, May 10, 2010.

  1. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    Guys just packed my contract in as the place was a joke (no training, management issues etc) I was on £36k in Newcastle which is good for 2nd line Security Cleared but couldn't handle being messed around any longer so left. At present there are no 2nd/3rd line jobs in the area and having meetings with agencies it doesn't look good. I personally think that 2nd line support jobs are becoming redundant and the agencies have pretty much agreed. I can see more companies going to a centralised IT support or outsourcing with technologies leading to not needing people like me supporting onsite. I worked for a multinational company who did just this meaning I lost my job.

    Now onto my question I know I need to branch out of 2nd line and thought about getting my Exchange exam done as I haven't much exposure to Exchange over the years for one reason or another. After that I want to do ITIL foundation and then I come to my dilemma. I want to study an area or technology that is going to give me a steady career (I know there isn't a guarantee). I have a pot of £1000 for training if needed and I thought about Project Management doing PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner or Sharepoint or lastly Oracle. How realistic are any of these to learn from scratch and any ideas if I'm being realistic in shifting direction.

    Any input much appreciated as I only have one crack at this.
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  2. westernkings

    westernkings Gigabyte Poster

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    Prince2 and ITIL are not too difficult to do, but they do not make you a project manager or an expert in IT services. What it does do though, is get you the overall understanding and allow you to pull bits out for the better.
     
    Certifications: MCITP:VA, MCITP:EA, MCDST, MCTS, MCITP:EST7, MCITP:SA, PRINCE2, ITILv3
  3. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    Yeah mate totally understand that I'm going to have to get some commercial experience but I've focused my career on 2nd line support which over the years I've seen declining so I'm rapidly becoming unemployable. I figure I need to change tact and switch my focus on an area that is going to give me a steady career. I'm under no illusion I will have to get experience from somewhere but I need to at least have a direction and the rest I'll worry about later down the line. I think Sharepoint is going to be big as MS are focusing a lot on it with removing shared folders in Exchange for example and Oracle is always going to be in demand but I'm not sure if it's realistic to learn it in 6 months or so. Again Project Management is big but again how realistic is it to switch to from doing 2nd line support?
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  4. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    Personally, I'd be inclined to pick something out of the bag that will make you a specialist in a field with less competition.
    There are plenty of people out there with Server or Exchange skills, so why not get into something like CRM, GP or Sharepoint?
    Prince2 is great, but of little practical use. Where it would help is if you were able to market yourself as a freelance consultant. Public sector like consultants to have Prince2 in their portfilio, even if they don't know what it is.

    Like most customers, what businesses out there want is solutions - answers to their problems. So rather than say that you're 2nd line support with xyz experience, think what you need to do in order to be able to say 'I can provide your business with xyz, save you money on abc and implement something-or-other that will meet your expansion needs'.

    Dunno, might be rubbish, but it's what I'd have a crack at under the circumstances.

    Either that, or do something totall not IT which will add to your appeal while giving you a few more options. Learn Chinese or renewable energy. You never know when someone might be desperate for someone to administer a Chinese Exchange server, and you can name your price.
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  5. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    lol cheers mate I'll look on amazon for a Dummies guide on Chinese Exchange server. Some good points about PRINCE2 might rethink that one. I thought about Oracle but it looks a nightmare to learn and classroom training is expensive. Sharepoint is one area that will takeoff as MS push it to businesses. It's a scary time in Newcastle if you work in IT :( I know I'm shi**ing it.
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  6. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    It's not good anywhere at the moment mate! :cry:

    I'm really trying to branch out of IT at the moment and get some softer skills under my belt, which hopefully will increase the range of things I can look out.
    You can study IT forever, but unfortunately it means there's only one thing you can type into the 'search' box.
    I was going through TechNet the other day, and I was surprised at how many products and technologies were on there that I'd never heard of. Fancy being a Groove consultant? How cool would that be? 8)

    Does anyone actually use it? :blink
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  7. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    Personally I would like to move out of IT as I've become disillusioned about my future but don't know anything else. Not a bad idea branching out into other areas but wouldn't know where to start on that. Might speak to the wife tonight and see what we can afford to do.
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  8. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    Couple of things to consider, which can be done p/t at college etc and don't cost the earth:

    PGCE (or equivalent teaching qualification) - Education and training are always good but you'll need to appropriate certificate to go anywhere near a classroom. There are a few alternatives depending on your current level of education etc so I'd take advice on that from someone who knows more than me! :biggrin

    CIPD (or part CIPD) - HR is a load of waffle and it's not going away. There are always various HR jobs around, but you'll need to have (or be working towards) your CIPD to get there.

    ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) - You can do this at college or I believe self study. Generic management/leadership skills are always handy.

    The OU - You can do a 6 month course if you're short of cash or time. Creative writing, business studies or conversational mandarin. Whatever. It gives you a good insight into other possibilities. It's part-time so it doesn't prevent you from finding another job, and it makes it look like you're doing something useful if you can't...
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  9. Dave_unemployed

    Dave_unemployed Nibble Poster

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    wow, dropping a 30k job because the management is a joke? :eek:
    With the state of the IT job market and difficulty in finding a paid job in the region of 30k i would never give up even if the management uses me as coffee boy. I would have just got on with the job while at home look for alternative placement/training. Since personally i and **** loads of people here are out of work or working less than what we were earning before.

    Now it just depends on what you want for your career now...with your experienced, might consider training as a teacher in IT? or if you gonna do a complete career change than i wish you luck in what ever you decide to do.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCP and MCDST
    WIP: 70-680
  10. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    You've probably heard me say this before... but certification isn't designed to show an employer what you want to be doing... certification is designed to show an employer what you already have experience doing. For example, getting Oracle certified isn't going to magically make you qualified to administer Oracle servers... nor is it going to convince an employer to hand over the keys to their business-critical DBMS - and if they've got Oracle, I can promise you, the integrity and stability of that database IS critical to their business. The same holds true for other technologies and platforms.

    The employment situation there must be different than it is over here. It's the entry-level jobs that are harder to find, as everyone and their brothers are looking to get into IT. And while there is no lack of applicants for 2nd and 3rd line jobs, it's harder to find someone who is truly qualified (experienced enough) to hold those positions.

    If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't have left my job before landing another... not in this employment market, anyway. Management might have been bad, but unemployment will start looking worse and worse the longer it drags on.

    I wish you well in finding a new job.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  11. JohnBradbury

    JohnBradbury Kilobyte Poster

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    I can understand you becoming frustrated in your role as it often happens to me. I suspect that a lot of people who come in to IT are drawn in because of the constantly changing environment - they are people who don't like to get stuck doing the same old thing day after day.

    I was a self-employed contractor for the best part of a decade and I loved it, when your feet started to fall asleep in one role you just dropped a line to your various agencies and moved on to something new. Unfortunately the market has changed and this type of freedom doesn't really exist anymore.

    What's done is done, but for me I would be very scared of jumping out of employment right now. The market is pretty quiet especially from a contract point of view and new opportunities for advancement are slim on the ground.

    It's a shame because I like money as much as they next guy but in all honesty I just couldn't see me doing anything else. I'm a geek, bottom line...

    I hope you find something soon... good luck..
     
  12. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    Your not far off with the coffee boy joke mate as that sums up my time there. Normally yeah I would say to anyone stick it out but I sat and stared at a wall for 5 weeks as I hadn't had my clearance through and when it did come through I sat for another 5 weeks doing nowt. No training and then the management realised they hadn't enough staff so the hours were going to be horrendous and I wouldn't of had a life or saw my wife and son as they were going to a 24/7 service. Plus they forgot to say I wouldn't be allowed to log into the system as I needed the next level of clearance so overall it was a joke. Gutted it didn't work out but that's life. They just didn't put anything in place for me to get up to speed.
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  13. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    I agree mate but a lot of companies still won't touch you without the cert. I'm not expecting to walk into a £40k job and will have to go in at the bottom end again. I have enough experience in IT to hopefully appeal to an employer to take me on but nothing is certain. The only thing I do know is that jobs in my area of work are becoming rarer.
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  14. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    I think I'd be prepared to stare at a wall for £36k.
    Beats staring at a wall on benefits. :biggrin

    But fair play, you've got to do what you feel is right and it takes a fair old pair to make that kind of decision.

    Never know, sometimes these things work out for the best...
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  15. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    That's when you avail yourself of the free time and train yourself, my friend.

    ...so you went from "nothing" to "way too freakin much to do"? :blink

    Many people would cut off their right arm to be able to do nothing (except learn on your own) and get paid for it, particularly with unemployment as it is.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  16. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Nor will they touch you with a cert but no experience. Just sayin... being overcertified isn't a good thing, so I'm not sure your plan is a sound one. But what's done is done.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  17. Asterix

    Asterix Megabyte Poster

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    Virtualisation seems to be a specialist area that is increasing on a yearly rate and is defo the way things seem to be going!
     
  18. westernkings

    westernkings Gigabyte Poster

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    I'm in the same boat, just called it a day after 3 days at a place I knew I would hate. Now officially unemployed but not that concerned. They wanted me to move away from actual IT work to Service Desk effectively script reading, granted it happened to be with servers for high profile customers, but it was sit at your desk 9-6 with no real break from it. Wasn't even allowed to eat a chocolate bar at my desk or leave 4 minutes early, or take a quick break to get a drink.

    I swiftly said, thanks for no thanks.
     
    Certifications: MCITP:VA, MCITP:EA, MCDST, MCTS, MCITP:EST7, MCITP:SA, PRINCE2, ITILv3
  19. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    If that was the case then there wouldn't be a lot of people working in IT. What you do need to do is find a company willing to take a punt or get a more junior job.
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  20. Dave_unemployed

    Dave_unemployed Nibble Poster

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    i apologise for being over critical....but god damn it man! im banging my head right now trying to study network +
    and posting cv off!
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCP and MCDST
    WIP: 70-680

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