Stuck in a sloooooow paced role .. HEYELP!!

Discussion in 'Employment & Jobs' started by loca1hero, Sep 23, 2011.

  1. loca1hero

    loca1hero Byte Poster

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    I’m currently doing a IT helpdesk analyst role and this role is more hands on ..like going to ppl’s desk/PC to sort issues, to be honest I liked my previous IT call centre role more as this one’s just dead.. it’s a small company ..(there is only 4 of us in IT support, me, 1 apprentice, 1 x 2nd line and the IT manager) and not much to do and it has completely trashed my plans of progressing on the IT ladder through this roel..:rolleyes: well for now I’m just gonna carry on with this and gain some more exposure to hands on work while looking out for better roles … if there IS any out there..

    Any of you guys were in this situation ?.. and more importantly how did you cope with it..
     
    Certifications: Network+ (004), MCP, see signature
    WIP: MCITP & few oths.Cisco aft sum XPri
  2. dales

    dales Terabyte Poster

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    You probably find that jobs are rare indeed where you can progress internally up through the ranks (not at a sensible pace anyway). The normal progression route in IT is something like,

    get hired
    suck up as much technical ability as possible
    stagnent feeling starts appearing
    freshen CV
    Move on

    Rinse and repeat the above your whole career, normally your own instincts need to be followed in ever time, new roles are always exciting and provide opportunities for learning new stuff but once you think you've gained all that you can in a role its time to start hitting the job sites again. At least thats always how its worked out for me so far, I've always leaft a place better off than before which helps out on the references.
     
    Certifications: vExpert 2014+2015+2016,VCP-DT,CCE-V, CCE-AD, CCP-AD, CCEE, CCAA XenApp, CCA Netscaler, XenApp 6.5, XenDesktop 5 & Xenserver 6,VCP3+5,VTSP,MCSA MCDST MCP A+ ITIL F
    WIP: Nothing
  3. Cunningfox

    Cunningfox Byte Poster

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    If you are getting stuck in a rut you can always try and liven it up a bit. IT is all about solving problems and finding solutions at any level. Find an internal project or solution that you can recommend and get involved in. For example do some checking how old are the servers, any on last legs? Is Exchange at capacity and needs an upgrade? There is always something there somewhere. Is a VoIP implementation likely to make cost savings long term?

    Be prepared to do the leg work and find the problem, do the research of a solution and suggest or present it to the manager. If there is something specific you want to get into then look for potential problem in this area. Use the company you work for to service your own goals at the same time as servicing the company goals.
     
    Certifications: CCNP, CCNA, MCP
    WIP: ??
    simongrahamuk likes this.
  4. soundian

    soundian Gigabyte Poster

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    It's also about documenting things properly so that solutions can be found quicker and potential problems headed off at the pass before they become real problems. There's also a fair bit of mileage in automating processes.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+,MCDST,MCTS(680), MCP(270, 271, 272), ITILv3F, CCENT
    WIP: Knuckling down at my new job
  5. derkit

    derkit Gigabyte Poster

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    To add to the above, I have recently done most of the above in my role over the last 15 months or so and have now got very stale - my work load is sometimes zero as in I sit in the office all day and the phone doesn't go once and therefore no work is generated, and we don't have the ability to make changes nor suggestions because changes cost money (and another teams time) and secondly the system is being replaced in about 4/5 months time (the first reason still holds if the system wasn't planning to be scrapped).

    The new system is being designed, installed and setup by a completely different team and we don't have access to it until it is up and running (my role is as a systems administrators). And even then, if there was an issue with a part of it, the change, decision, implementation and installation still gets completed by other teams.

    I've also noticed similar in other positions I've had within the company, you are either crazy busy doing the same thing day-in day-out (like swapping out busted workstations) or you are sat there doing nothing waiting for a user ticket to come through. Pro-active work is actively discouraged and even if it wasn't, as we're supporting a external clients system, if they don't want the change, it won't happen (change includes doing things as simple as writing a script to change users in AD for example).

    My company has taken the ITIL framework as have implemented it to the extreme! :)

    Now, I've tried hard to find a solution to that - and I've reached the conclusion that there isn't - smarten up the CV and see what else is out there (I've moved 3 times within my company - I stayed as a position has opened elsewhere in the company around the same time as I've been looking, but I have applied and interviewed for external jobs also). As long as you have a job until you sign on the dotted line elsewhere, I'd be searching for a new role either within your company (which I know you've said is a non-starter) or outside. You're a long time retired/dead.
     
    Certifications: MBCS, BSc(Hons), Cert(Maths), A+, Net+, MCDST, ITIL-F v3, MCSA
    WIP: 70-293
  6. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    Over my 5 years working in various IT roles each support job Ive been in has ended working in a bit of a rut with slow pace. When pretty much all big projects are done you are left to waiting for the support tickets/calls to come in. Change a mouse, sort a toner, change a password etc.

    It really is hard I know when your stuck in a rut or its slow paced. Nothing worse than going to work everyday to that. Try and keep things fresh perhaps by starting a project or improving something? You said that it has trashed your IT Career? No don't look it that way. Nowa days you have to move on in most cases to move up the ladder or get more salary. This will probably be the case in my current position as well.

    I took up an internship in a big bank in new york in app dev proj management. I was hoping this would have helped my career. I learned a hell of alot and i became well utilised by different teams within the bank. Has this helped me progress my career? No. Now back to teching and sys admin..Found it particularly hard to find a well paid job. Sometimes you have to bide your time and wait for that ideal role to pop up. Nothing wrong with browsing around, sign up to job sites, get job emails through each day. Sooner or later something will come up. In the mean time improve your skills in your own time and slow time at work.

    Anyway back to your point I dealt with the rut by looking around for new positions. Learn what you can then go fishing without job hopping to much...How long have you been in your current position?
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2011
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  7. loca1hero

    loca1hero Byte Poster

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    Thanks for all your input, I have to agree with all of you in one way or another. I have been in this role about 4 months now and things are just pretty much like ‘we tend to wait for work\tickets to come in..’ also as mentioned by you guys ‘new projects’ .. well can’t see implementing new ideas and start other projects as it involves money and time, we have recently put everyone on office 2010 and replaced most of the old XP machines with Windows 7, replaced the server console, etc .. ..
    N so finally as you all have said I have come to the conclusion that I need to start my hunt by revising my CV and posting it out and applying …
     
    Certifications: Network+ (004), MCP, see signature
    WIP: MCITP & few oths.Cisco aft sum XPri
  8. Theprof

    Theprof Petabyte Poster

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    I feel you, for me too sometimes, it gets really quiet, etc.. but I would recommend you find a way to learn and progress... Try and stay for at least a year and then move on if you really cant progress and hate it, then you can move on... I personally always find things to do, whether reading an article on deployments, or installing a few VM's on my laptop and practicing stuff, as long as its work related, you're always benefiting and learing.
     
    Certifications: A+ | CCA | CCAA | Network+ | MCDST | MCSA | MCP (270, 271, 272, 290, 291) | MCTS (70-662, 70-663) | MCITP:EMA | VCA-DCV/Cloud/WM | VTSP | VCP5-DT | VCP5-DCV
    WIP: VCAP5-DCA/DCD | EMCCA
  9. derkit

    derkit Gigabyte Poster

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    I agree with Theprof - you don't want to be jumping too early, but I still stand by what I say - in my environment, I can't have a laptop on my desk virtualising stuff, and so surfing the internet was the limit of possible things to do.

    As a general thought - only you know what your working environment is like - I can't have a laptop nor a mobile phone switched on while I'm in the office, and the internet is limited to whatever doesn't run Flash, shockwave and uses anything higher than IE7! So if you feel you can't do what TheProf says for whatever reason - manager doesn't like it, company doens't like it, you don't like it - then its time to move on.

    Reading the internet foro 37 hours a week for month on end - I know from experience is so soul destroying!
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2011
    Certifications: MBCS, BSc(Hons), Cert(Maths), A+, Net+, MCDST, ITIL-F v3, MCSA
    WIP: 70-293
  10. Cunningfox

    Cunningfox Byte Poster

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    Bare in mind that if you go for a job and your CV says you left/leaving your last job after only 4 months it would be questioned. Especially if you don't have much history or you have other short job periods. It's certainly something that our company looks at when looking at CVs, I'm not saying it would count against you but you would certainly need to explain it and give the company some belief that you wouldn't be walking out on them aswell.

    I'd be suprised if there wasn't something you could look at doing inside your current role. It doesn't need to cost money to say implement a open source knowledge base to aid problem solving or some freeware apps that aid in troubleshooting issues or help with rollout tasks.

    If you feel there is no project work you can look into and nothing to get you going then do a cert and tune the CV. See what the others in your dept are doing. If you have a lot of downtime can you do a cert study while at work?
     
    Certifications: CCNP, CCNA, MCP
    WIP: ??
  11. loca1hero

    loca1hero Byte Poster

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    Further to your reply, I can see your point there and is definitely worth considering before jumping to conclusions.

    The thing is our IT is split into support and development and the idea of something new is never agreed by both sides for it to go live and often gets discussed between our two ‘IT’ and ‘Infrastructure’ managers for months and then it just dies down.. as what I heard from one of the guys here.

    Yes that is exactly what I'm looking to do, I am definitely thinking for the option of studying for another cert that will help sharpen my CV and move on .. may be not straight away but after I’ve done few more months in this role so I can justify myself in saying that 'I spent 6/8 miserable months in that role with nothing new to learn or do', .. think I will always go for interviews as an when I get them and now will always take that extra step to know as much about the team, their workload, no. of users, etc as I can before signing on the dotted line...
     
    Certifications: Network+ (004), MCP, see signature
    WIP: MCITP & few oths.Cisco aft sum XPri
  12. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    Just remember the grass isn't always greener...ask the right questions...get a feel for the place your inerviewing at next time. How many years experiance do you have working?

    I also have the same issues as you. My CV looks kinda job hoppy but thats due to internships, part time work. It is hard to gague how long to stay in a place but generally it appears most people seem to think a year would be acceptable for a place where this is no advancement/work/pay increase - in non contract work? If its really that bad...your next place should be somewhere where you could advance/train/get certs etc. For example my current place runs certiport which means I can do all the microsoft office certs and adobe certs for free adding some level of basic CPD.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2011
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  13. derkit

    derkit Gigabyte Poster

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    Depending on experience - nowadays a simple explanation of "temporary worker" or "short-term fixed-length contracts" tends to work - job hopping is less of a bad thing today compared to x years ago.

    And with the economy where it is at the moment, its even more explainable.
     
    Certifications: MBCS, BSc(Hons), Cert(Maths), A+, Net+, MCDST, ITIL-F v3, MCSA
    WIP: 70-293
  14. loca1hero

    loca1hero Byte Poster

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    And also even though it looks green it doesn’t always feel good just looking at it until you actually try it.. lol! sorry that’s a bad joke… but coming to the point I need to be mindful of that in my next role, having said that when I heard of this job first and when I had my interview it did sound good, I only took this for that reason n because my job at the call centre was not progressive and this current job was near to home, in my interview I heard they were doing an upgrade on all their computer to windows 7 and there were other small rollouts due to take place, but when I started they had already done more than half of the machines, and the small rollouts were really small and din’t last that long and got over with very quietly.

    I also took a pay cut as my salary on this job is less than previous one, I thought I could do with acquiring more skills then more money as it will benefit in long term so I took this role.

    One thing that I think is that in IT support roles its best to work for company or companies with a user base of around 500, were if there is a proper hierarchy in IT roles, than one can really benefit from it, although this is just my view on this.. and I have not worked for such company yet
     
    Certifications: Network+ (004), MCP, see signature
    WIP: MCITP & few oths.Cisco aft sum XPri
  15. Jiser

    Jiser Kilobyte Poster

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    So what have you decided to do? I am going to skill up or try - my current employers said there was training on the cards in my interview, turns out not for me (one of the reasons I accepted the 17k position over a 24k position) Unfortunately job hopping looks pretty bad and references can be a problem as a result.

    Bide your time and do your job well. Add to your CV and try get involved in some technical projects. Then start looking.
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), PGc, MCTS:Win 7, MCSA W7/MCITP EDST, ITIL Foundation, Prince 2 Foundation, C&G: Web Design, MOS 07: Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook.
  16. loca1hero

    loca1hero Byte Poster

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    I'm a bit late in replying but.. I'm out of work again now..how did this happen!!? .. well that company I was with din't want to extend my contract after 3 months as there were budget cuts in the company and they couldn't keep new employee's :dry, so I have been unemployed since 3/4 weeks now, I'm looking again but I must admit that job was plan boring.. ok so I have polished my CV and going to be mindful of the above points and start hunting again..
     
    Certifications: Network+ (004), MCP, see signature
    WIP: MCITP & few oths.Cisco aft sum XPri
  17. Boffy

    Boffy Megabyte Poster

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    Sounds like it did you a favor ;) Good luck on the job front, I'm sure you will get something soon.
     
    Certifications: BSc Computer Game Technology, A+
    WIP: MOS 2010

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