Money doesn't buy you happiness

Discussion in 'Employment & Jobs' started by noelg24, May 16, 2007.

  1. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    You're not allowed to work at that level because you're not AT that level yet. You've not been entrusted to do those jobs yet because you're a "generic" IT admin, not a server admin or network admin. Typically, what happens in most companies is that server admins will take the best-of-the-best system admins (which is what you basically are, assisting users with problems - a solid step up from PC/hardware tech) and will start allowing them to help out with server administration until they can be "trusted" enough to do things on their own. Until you "pay your dues" as a system admin and show to your supervisors that you're ready to take the next step, you won't advance to become a server admin.

    In my opinion, you're wanting to run before you walk (and because you don't like "walking", you're considering going back to "crawling!"). You've only been in this position for a VERY short while. Be patient, and use this job as a stepping stone upward. Otherwise, if you endeavor to be a server admin, and you go back "down" to hardware support, you'll likely have to work your way back "up" through system administration before you're entrusted with the "big toys". That's just the way it's done... one doesn't go from hardware admin straight into server administration. Trust me, you learn a LOT about how users interact with the servers and the network while in a system admin role.

    That said, if you haven't been given a chance to assist or learn from the server admins after several months to a year (NOT merely after a few weeks), then you should make a lateral switch to an employer who WILL give you the chance to learn from the server admin staff.

    Your complaint about distance is a valid one... but didn't you know the commute time going in? Ultimately, the decision is yours... but understand that you often have to go where the jobs are, especially as you progress up the IT career ladder. For example, I'm sure I could get a PC repair job where I live in Spring Hill, Tennessee... but if I want to be a network administrator, I'll most likely have to commute to Nashville, where the jobs are. And if I want to be someone who does nothing but configure Cisco routers, I'd best be prepared to travel all over the country.

    No, it's not about the money... but sometimes, it IS about being given the opportunity to advance in your field in order to get to where you want to be.
     
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  2. noelg24

    noelg24 Terabyte Poster

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    Again some good points there but i dont want to be a server admin...yes I wana know more about servers but thats later on...but this job really doesnt sound like any kind of server admin at all...all we are dealing with are the applications the banking staff use...there is no mention of servers at all...and when I say the applications, we dont even use the applications ourselves we just have access to give the users their passwords and accounts...

    And as for the time taking me to get there I thought it would be alot less than me cycling...it took me 1hr 20min to cycle to the interview...and by public transport its the same!! So really its very much pointless...

    Believe me, if you were at this job you will know what I mean...half the time we dont get calls coming in...and if we do its just users chasing up their calls that they logged in the system...

    The way I see it, if I cant log onto to a server to check backups or remote onto a users PC or create a new user account or check the physicality of a machine I am not even going to bother going to the job even if they pay me £300 a day...

    I will work the contract until its finished then I am out of there...as I said I was doing ten times more at my last job and I enjoyed it a lot...which included logging onto servers (2K, 2K3 and Exchange) and checking backups.

    I just have this feeling that this job im at now is not me at all...

    Incidentally when I got offered both jobs last week, I rang my old place and asked them what would be the job you would go for...they said the university without a doubt because I can progress further and learn alot more...this job I am at now, there are people who have been there 3yrs and are still doing the same thing as before...I know in some jobs people do the same position for most of their career or whatever, but now I have had a taste of the IT world I want to experience it even more...had I not been sacked at my last job, I know full well I would have progressed further...this job isnt offering that at all...and I need to be somewhere where I can show my true potential and make people aware I want to learn more and do more...
     
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  3. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    the job im in right now is account admin. basically it involves three core tasks:

    account creation
    account deletion
    directory access

    dull as hell (and i now want out), but the job is what you make of it. I spent the last year in this job learning all about AD, etc. I learned VBscripting in order to run custom queries on the accounts in the domain, and in some cases make modifications to the accounts. From that i developed some more programming skills, and am now looking for a job in that route.

    ultimately, you need to get everything you can of value from the job you are doing, and go with that. of course, if you are really not happy, then you need to go somewhere else.
     
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  4. Fanatical

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    Just to let all potential employers I will gladly give my left testicle for a job like Noels.... just so you know.
     
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  5. kat731
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    kat731 Megabyte Poster

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    Lol... Whats the matter with ya right one??:biggrin

    Kat
     
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  6. Luddym

    Luddym Megabyte Poster

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    To be quite honest, up until this week I was the same. Was looking for any job at all computer based for about 15 months, now I've managed to drop into a 1st/2nd line, hands on desktop support, helpdesk, server admin, physical admin, network admin....

    I think that nowadays we are living in an accelerated, patience free world, where everyone wants what they want now, without groundwork.
     
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  7. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    If you don't want to be a server admin, then why the whining about not being allowed to log onto the servers, work with Exchange Server, work with AD, check on backups, create user accounts, etc? Dude, that's what a server admin does. It's cool if you don't want to be a server admin... but I'm getting the opposite impression based on what you're upset about.

    That's the time you use constructively by studying to improve yourself.
     
    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+
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  8. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Agree, absolutely and completely.
     
    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+
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  9. noelg24

    noelg24 Terabyte Poster

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    See this is what I am talking about...the job Luddym has landed is the same as my last job but with more stuff to do...this job I am at now doesnt even touch any part of what he has described here...I was doing 1st/2nd line with a bit of server admin and network admin thrown in...trust me Michael the job I am at now is a whole different world to what Luddym says...

    And yes I agree with his last comment of the type of world we live in...and at one point I wasnt like that...but now I am as I have had my experience in IT and I want more...

    Let me see if I can put it another way...one of the guys who I work with, I told him what I like doing and what my ambitions were, he turned round and said to me, he doesnt like computers, has never had any interest in them, not built a PC or even did any certs...basically he's computer literate (cos of the job), but he would like to do something else entirely...but like alot of people he's in the job for the money...when I started to talk about servers and and stuff he didnt know what I was on about...that tells me this job isnt what I expected at all...

    In my last job everyone knew their stuff, whether it was servers, networking, hardware, software we were all in the same boat...

    But I do hear what you saying Michael and I am taking it on all board...I just want you to know that if u were in this job I am in...you will see what I am talking about and from what Luddym says this job is nowhere near that...
     
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  10. Luddym

    Luddym Megabyte Poster

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    To be honest Noel, I have a love for the whole industry. If I was offered a job like yours I would have happily took it, and persevered until It led somewhere. I'm just lucky that I've found my way into somewhere where i don't need to wait and persevere, but there are always pro's and con's with every job.

    As an individual, this sholdn't really have any bearing on yourself. If it is really as bad as you make out, then in all honesty, if it were me, i'd be happier about things. Knowing your stuff when those around you don't is always a sure way of standing head and shoulders above the rest.

    I also think that being sack never looks good to a potential employer, may I ask the reasons behind it. (Feel free to say bugger off. 8) )
     
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  11. Luddym

    Luddym Megabyte Poster

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    How long were you doing that and how much experience did you actually have?

    With an A+ compared to an A+,N+ and MCP's, it might quite simply be a matter that you haven't really got to the level that the employers would feel comfortable letting you loose on their precious machinery.
     
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  12. noelg24

    noelg24 Terabyte Poster

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    I was at my last job for 6mths...and the fact I had an A+ made no difference...they wanted me to learn more and I was more than happy to learn more...I told them I would like to be in the workshop (where we dealt with faulty machines and what not) as I love my hardware a lot...and thats what I was working towards...

    Its nothing to do with the fact they wont trust me...if my last company wanted me to learn more how come other jobs I turned down cos of this one want me to do hardware rollouts and install networks and help look after their servers?

    If my CV didnt mention all that then I can understand being in the job I am in right now...but since my CV states the experience I have gained in my last job I know I can do it and with more help I can progress further...
     
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  13. onoski

    onoski Terabyte Poster

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    Originally post by: noel24,

    I was at my last job for 6mths...and the fact I had an A+ made no difference...they wanted me to learn more and I was more than happy to learn more...I told them I would like to be in the workshop (where we dealt with faulty machines and what not) as I love my hardware a lot...and thats what I was working towards...

    Its nothing to do with the fact they wont trust me...if my last company wanted me to learn more how come other jobs I turned down cos of this one want me to do hardware rollouts and install networks and help look after their servers?

    Onoski writes:

    In your last job were you let go off or you decided to leave? Don't worry dude its all an experience and am sure next time you'd be more selective. I have been in a similar position a while ago.
     
    Certifications: MCSE: 2003, MCSA: 2003 Messaging, MCP, HNC BIT, ITIL Fdn V3, SDI Fdn, VCP 4 & VCP 5
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  14. onoski

    onoski Terabyte Poster

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    Originally post by: noel24,

    I was at my last job for 6mths...and the fact I had an A+ made no difference...they wanted me to learn more and I was more than happy to learn more...I told them I would like to be in the workshop (where we dealt with faulty machines and what not) as I love my hardware a lot...and thats what I was working towards...

    Its nothing to do with the fact they wont trust me...if my last company wanted me to learn more how come other jobs I turned down cos of this one want me to do hardware rollouts and install networks and help look after their servers?

    Onoski writes:

    In your last job were you let go off or you decided to leave? Don't worry dude its all an experience and am sure next time you'd be more selective. I have been in a similar position a while ago.
     
    Certifications: MCSE: 2003, MCSA: 2003 Messaging, MCP, HNC BIT, ITIL Fdn V3, SDI Fdn, VCP 4 & VCP 5
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  15. Luddym

    Luddym Megabyte Poster

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    He said previously he was sacked, but as far as I tell we don't know the reason.
     
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  16. noelg24

    noelg24 Terabyte Poster

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  17. Fanatical

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    Nothing, my right one is my favorite! :twisted:
     
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  18. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    If you are not happy in your current job then its best to look elsewhere, as it is a contract job then it won’t look bad on your CV.

    From reading your previous post it seems you want to be a system builder and also a network engineer!
    Perhaps for your next job aim for a IT support role in small company so you can get exposure to many different areas of IT.

    One day you could be rolling out desktops and the next you could be doing some AD admin. That should keep you interested as it sounds like currently you have well defined job role but no scope to learn new things.
     
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  19. drum_dude

    drum_dude Gigabyte Poster

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    Yeah I agree with Sparky! I've gone back to being a big fish in a small pond with the new job I'm about to take up. Trouble is at the council where I work at the mo there is just too many people - small fish in a big pond!!!

    When it's just you and a few others you can really get into the nitty gritty as opposed to call centre type roles where 20-30 people are chasing after that 2nd line role dream...lots of small ponds out there for you Noel! You just got to find 'em!
     
    Certifications: MCP, MCSA 2000 , N+, A+ ,ITIL V2, MCTS, MCITP Lync 2010 & MCSA 2008, Sonus SATP SBC 1k/2k
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  20. noelg24

    noelg24 Terabyte Poster

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    Funny you both say this...cos the jobs at the University and the college are exactly these. well mainly the college. the woman at the agency said it would involve hardware rollout and also helping out on the helpdesk and networking...so this is more my thing...so I will see this contract thru and if all goes well I will be at this job at the college...:biggrin
     
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