How realistic am I being?

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Hi I am new here,

This is probably a daft question, but I am sure you can put me straight....

I am currently working as a Process Safety Engineer, but I would like a career change. Retraining / certification doesn't daunt me - it's getting the experience on a salary that I can afford that poses the problem. The catch is I am pretty well paid at the moment (~£45k) and whilst I don't mind taking a salary cut, I have a limit as I have a family, mortgage etc etc.

What are the chances of getting a salary of ~£30k as a newly qualified CCNA? This is something that has interested me for ages, but I feel that I may have missed the boat as I now have too many commitments to be able to make the change.

I currently have no feel for how realistic I am being so can anybody shed some light on the situation for me please?

Thanks,

Iain

 

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Hi Iain, do you have any experience at all?
Have you worked with computers before?

 

Thanks for the reply.

I only have the experience of playing about with our home network - currently just 3 computers.

My job involves working with computers a lot - modelling, design work (chemical plant) etc etc, but not actually working on them or the infrastructure. Having siad that I spend my spare time playing about with them.

One of my skills is that I am a very quick learner, and pick most things up very quickly. I am sure that I can pick the required knowledge up easily enough, but experience obviously takes time.

Does this help?

 

Iain,

Welcome to Cert forums.
I am also trying to change career and have accepted the fact that when I do manage to get the first job it is not going to be near what I am earning now.
I know this sounds negative but I think it would be the same whenever switching from one path to another.
If you keep your eye on your post people who have been in the IT game for years will be able to give you realistic figures as to what you could expect.

Hope it works out for you.

 

Thanks for this - it certainly helps. I actually am located in Kent, but I will go anywhere (ish) including Europe.

In answer to Boyce - I am also expecting a significant drop in salary but with my currant commitments there is a limit to how much of a drop I can accept right now, and in turn this will help determine whether a career change is possible at the mo.

I am due to be made redundant, but have probably 18 months to 2 years before it happens. So I guess what I am doing is some research before I commit to retraining or sticking with my current career in the short - medium term (ie until my wife can get back into employment after her maternity).

The next question is what is the best method to go about getting qualified whilst in a full time job in another field, and how do you go about getting experience in these circumstances?

Thanks again for the help,

Iain

 

in all fairness it's unlikely, i know folks who have been in the industry for almost as long as me who are not on that sort of money, altho it is possible to get lucky ;)

Id suggest you would be lucky to rake in 25k with a CCNA, tie it in with an MCSE and a CCNP or something and you may be more likely to get that, especially if you can get some sort of voluntary experiance sorted
and thats in the london area by the way, i expect wages to be a tad less in kent

Its possible you could walk into a 30k first job in IT, its just highly unlikely

Sorry

 

Hi - thanks for that. I think I am going to have to find another way of doing this. At least I have some time to decide what and how to move on.

Thanks again,

Iain

 

Iain,

Hope it works out for you. Best of luck.

 

Iain, I'd agree with Phoenix. Most people in IT will never see 30k+ in their working lives so as much as I hate doing it I'm going to have to burst your bubble and say you would be very lucky to walk into a job of 30k without any experience. If you have any management experience then you have a better chance but as a normal CCNA engineer your talking about 20k-25k max.

Don't let me put you off as I hope you prove me wrong...

 

Thanks - that is the sort of thing I was hoping to find out and I would rather find out now....there is no point in jumping in if I won't be able to pay the mortgage! I'll just have to develop escape plan B.

Thanks again,

Iain