Moving on to clear your desk?

Discussion in 'The Lounge - Off Topic' started by Sparky, Sep 9, 2009.

  1. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Sep 9, 2009 #1
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    Ok, stay with me here! :biggrin

    I was speaking to a guy at a reseller’s presentation a few weeks back and we were chatting about workloads etc. and I explained that things were very busy at work to the point that I was working night and day and looking like a ghost!

    The chap then went onto say that’s the norm for the time I have been in my current job as you get so integrated in the business side of things and day to day stuff that you actually lose focus on your IT goals. He even said “I bet you are dealing with the same problems you got a couple of years back” which is true as some customers just don’t listen and we end of getting the same problems to the helpdesk which are a b1tch to sort out and will always be there until some money is spent fixing the problem once and for all.

    We chatted some more and he explained he was in the same situation and ended up leaving his job so he could leave behind all the BS and projects that would never really be finished due to awkward customers or whatever and now he has started a new job with a clean slate so to speak.

    Has anyone considered doing this? I’m thinking this is something I should consider as non IT stuff at work is starting to drag on and I’m struggling to get any momentum with the certifications which is pi55ing me off big time.

    Opinions please! :biggrin
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2009
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  2. JK2447
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    JK2447 Petabyte Poster Administrator Premium Member

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    Hiya Sparky,

    I did this this year. I worked for a great company who let me get involved in a lot of stuff. I originaly started off in Mainframe Ops but over the years, after showing some aptitude, ended up doing network, server and some security work. I basically made myself a jack of all trades and was allowed to do so because they thought "I was handy". My problem was that my core role was still mainframe ops so as much as I enjoyed getting involved with other teams and broadening my skill set, I still always had to return to the job I was contracted to do, which is fair enough, and I did get good training etc.

    I explained to these recruitment fellas one night at a works party how I'd love to be a permenant jack of all trades but how its not possible where I am now. It was a great company but its an institution so while I had a lot of freedom, I couldn't break free of my primary role, which I'd mastered long ago and gone as high as I could without becoming a line manager (I don't want to go into management yet, I'm too much of a nerd. I do like to lead tho).

    Cut a long (and boring) story short, I jumped ship and its the best thing I ever did. Change of scenery gave me a renewed lease of life. I was on the cert trail at the start of the year but since moving in July I'm a demon now. My motivation is through the roof, occasional blip but I'm very happy and can basically write my own ticket and specialise in anything I want as long as there's a business need for it. My employer is a global IT outsourcing company so they have a need for every type of IT professional.

    Sorry if thats an essay but in summation my advice is this: Apply for other jobs, but don't sell yourself short. Apply for fantastic roles that suit you. If you get it, fantastic, you'll be very happy and I'm sure have a new lease of life as I have. If you don't get it count your lucky stars that you are employed and remain as well off as you have always been.

    James

    PS I was certain I'd stay with my 1st employer for the rest of my career. Now that I've moved I'm going to evaluate my situation every 2 years and ask myself, "Am I happy", "Do I have a good work/life balance" and "am I being recognised/rewarded". If not I'm going to look for bigger better roles and push myself. Family man now, changed my whole outlook.
     
    Certifications: VCP4, 5, 6, 6.5, 6.7, 7, 8, VCAP DCV Design, VMConAWS Skill, Google Cloud Digital Leader, BSc (Hons), HND IT, HND Computing, ITIL-F, MBCS CITP, MCP (270,290,291,293,294,298,299,410,411,412) MCTS (401,620,624,652) MCSA:Security, MCSE: Security, Security+, CPTS, CCA (XenApp6.5), MCSA 2012, VSP, VTSP
    WIP: Google Cloud Certs
  3. danielno8

    danielno8 Gigabyte Poster

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    Sep 10, 2009 #3
    Pretty similar to you jk. My old position was great, two of us in the IT dept, i was employed straight from uni, but i took over day to day administration/problem solving of servers and anything Cisco. However i was employed as IT assistant, and also had to deal with the alarm system and swipe card entry system. My boss was not very knowledgable, and didn't really have a passion for IT. He would never take on my ideas of things we should implemement (SSL on our OWA for one :blink) , i was not getting involved in choosing new technology, he would just speak to a reseller and buy whatever they suggested.

    So to me my position became quite stale, so i moved and the scope of opportunity in my new position is huge.
     
    Certifications: CCENT, CCNA
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  4. zebulebu

    zebulebu Terabyte Poster

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    I find my shelf life in a job is usually 18 months-2 years. By that time I've fixed any glaring problems, implemented all the systems I need to (or get the budget for) then start to get bored. Strangely, in my current job, that hasn't happened and I've already been here nearly two years. I'm hoping I might have found somewhere that I can bed in for a good few years - it will look better on my CV when i do decide its time to move on if I've got at least one place I've stayed for five years or so.
     
    Certifications: A few
    WIP: None - f*** 'em
  5. Qs

    Qs Semi-Honorary Member Gold Member

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    Sep 10, 2009 #5
    Pretty much identical to me. My current position (the one I'm leaving tomorrow) is 'I.T Assistant'. Since starting the role I've completed a HND, a CCNA, a handful of Microsoft certs and I still couldn't find room in the company to progress (financially or professionally). Ironically, I originally only started the MS certs because I was literally sitting at my desk day in, day out, being bored out of my mind. My boss and co-worker are both really nice guys, but they have no drive, and are quite happy to sit in their current position, doing the SSDD for the rest of time. That's not for me.

    I'd rather be focused on something that I want to do. Techy stuff. Not be my boss' go to guy and take on some of his managerial responsibilities (at least not this early in my career)

    In addition, due to numerous consistent problems that rear their ugly heads again and again (outdated back-end systems etc) I'm very happy to have found a new role, which as Jim says, should provide me with renewed vitality.

    In answer to your question Sparky, I'd seriously consider it.

    My two cents.

    Qs
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2009
    Certifications: MCT, MCSE: Private Cloud, MCSA (2008), MCITP: EA, MCITP: SA, MCSE: 2003, MCSA: 2003, MCITP: EDA7, MCITP: EDST7, MCITP: EST Vista, MCTS: Exh 2010, MCTS:ServerVirt, MCTS: SCCM07 & SCCM2012, MCTS: SCOM07, MCTS: Win7Conf, MCTS: VistaConf, MCDST, MCP, MBCS, HND: Applied IT, ITIL v3: Foundation, CCA
  6. Josiahb

    Josiahb Gigabyte Poster

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    Sep 10, 2009 #6
    This is a lot of the reason why I think I'm finding myself feeling restless at the moment, I'm not good at the day to day drudge stuff. I need interesting projects etc to be getting on with otherwise I'm just bored and some of the day to day stuff starts to slip.

    My current role suffers from 2 big problems:

    1) big IT projects tend to get outsourced.
    2) many projects have to be done half arsed due to lack of time/funding.

    My last act here looks like its going to be actually putting some proper change management processes in place so who ever follows after me stands half a chance of knowing anything.
     
    Certifications: A+, Network+, MCDST, ACA – Mac Integration 10.10
  7. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Sep 10, 2009 #7
    Cheers for the comments guys.

    Plenty to think about. :hhhmmm
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs

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