Where should I go now ? Is it best for me to look for a new role ?

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Hi guys,

Well I'm in my third job now. Had two previous jobs. I work as an first line IT technician and I'm apart of a group of 7 tech guys with a line manager, one server guy and one network guy. Well, I'm pretty new and have been here for 7 months. I do everything the tech guys do and more, in theory i am lower then them. The pay is not good but I enjoy my job and get along with everyone and the customers like me.

I log calls, upgrade PC's. Migrate users from XP win 7 or 8. Set up PC's and laptops. Install software. Look after printers etc.

However, due to company growth they hired three new tech guys. I never got the role. I thought the new guys would have been tech experts and thought they deserved it etc but I was mistaken. They have started and have been here over a month but struggle with the basics. My manger uses the term they just started as an excuse. The only difference is they have a little bit more job experience than me.

My biggest concern is that they earn 14k plus than me and I am still doing all the work as the other tech guys are based at different sites.

I am stuck not just with regards to pay but also technical access. As I really want to get into 2nd line and get into the server / network sides of things but they don't let me.

What would you recommend please ?

 

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One thing you're not telling us is how old you are and how long you have been doing IT, if I tell you that I have been in IT for over 15 years now and until about 9 months ago was a senior (level 3) engineer then you must realise that it 'could' take you a couple of years to progress from level 1 to higher levels. It's not something that may happen in a year for example.

Another thing is that you shouldn't know how much anyone other than yourself is on, the reason for that is as you're experiencing now you feel let down that someone is earning far more than you yet you're both doing the same kind of work.

Now I don't know your job history, I don't know you're capabilities so I can't really say whether you're worth the same money as the other guys, what I would advise is that if your management aren't willing to increase your salary then you may have to look at further roles, please understand tho that you may not actually be at the level that these other guys are, I generally expect that new starters have 3 months to learn the systems before they are deemed capable and fit to be let out on the rest of the business without hand holding.

You also don't know how these guys are on their people skills, I knew an engineer previously who sucks as an engineer but as a people person has EVERYONE loving him, it meant that whilst he didn't close as many tickets as other engineers, he did always get positive feedback and when that include senior management that helps ALOT.

 

it sounds like you're stuck in a rut, and that'll be difficult to get out of if you're set on your views about these higher up engineers.

How long have you been doing level 1 support? that's going to determine on whether or not you're able to go out and look for that increase in salary / job role, and whether or not you have the experience to do so.

You mention about 2nd line and server access. most companies (speaking from my own experience) will have a separate team who manage servers, and 2nd line will deal with the issues that 1st cannot. So i guess you should decide on maybe one or the other? Personally if you're coming from a 1st line role i'd suggest going for that 2nd line role first, and then look at the server experience afterwards once you have more 2nd line behind you.

Please don't take this the wrong way - but there's probably a reason you didn't get the more technical role, be it your knowledge of certain aspects of the IT systems they use isn't up to speed, or there's whole new technologies that are being used that you aren't aware of, and many other reasons. The majority of my colleagues have no idea of the systems i use and access!

It's a slow process, it's taken me years to get from a 1st line upto an engineer level now. you will get that salary increase, but it's just going to take some time

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm 25, have been working in IT for a while. Since I was 20. I'm a uni drop out. I guess I never got role due to not having a degree like the others. One of of the other guys is only 23 lacks knowledge but has a degree and apparently has worked at top IT firms. I've worked on the basics. From PC repair all the way to cisco deployment. My manger keeps on banging on about their degrees but IMHO experience is king in IT.

I've been 1st line pretty much for 3.5 years now. Yes, there is a seperate team that deals with the server side. But it would be nice and helpful to get knowledge of servers for the future but its not going to happen here I guess.

They're younger than me and fresh from university as it seems. Thanks again.

 

Then if you've got 3.5 years under your belt, in my personal opinion i'd say jump ship and look elsewhere for that 2nd line role.

Do you have any certs? if not - get some to backup your experience to put on the CV

 

I agree, it may be time to take a gamble on your career and progress it

 

Thanks for the repies guys. I did certs apart of my apprenticeship when i first started off. I have a + and network + and ccna. But ccna is expired. Never really carried on after that.

I thought it was best for me to start a new role as well.

Companies want someone young and fresh so they hope to keep them on as long as possible.

Cheers.

 

You're laughing if you've got A+ and Network+ along with 3.5 years.

If i was recruiting for 2nd line and seen your CV with 3.5 years and those certs, i'd put that to the top of the pile.

 

So the amount of time under your belt is ideal, you're keen enough to have gotten the certs, not green enough that you're going to make silly mistakes and young enough that you can be moulded in to a decent 2nd\3rd line engineer.

If I were you I would just go for it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 

Cheers. Looking now for a new job. I think my manager sensed it that i want to leave I am really excited and cant wait to get started to learn something new. Thanks for the replies it means a lot.