Is IT ever a 9-5?

jerseyIT92

Just wondering what other people feel about this. Is it ever 9-5? Or is there always on call, weekend shifts, etc?

d4nz1g

It depends on your role.
For operations staff, for example, it is always 24/7.

NetworkNewb

Well I work an 8-5. (Don't get a paid lunch) I check out pretty much exactly at 5pm everyday and pick my kid up from daycare. Have had to work probably 2 weekends and have been at my place over a little over a year.

Rumblr33

Depending on your role in the organization, it can be a 9-5 type job but in my experience IT is always 24x7.

dave330i

If you're on the engineering side, it's usually 9-5.

seigex

It's 9-5 if you plan on staying at the same position the rest of your life.

anoeljr

I'm 8-4:30. Sometimes I have to log into servers if a backup doesn't run or if there's an outage, or when we push patches. If I have to work a little over normal hours it's no problem. There was a thread about this same topic a few months ago actually. BUT, there are some on here that think if you DON'T work more than the standard 9-5 then you'll always be in the same place, or something stupid like that.

markulous

At remote MSPs, they can typically work 8 hours every day.

NetworkNewb

seigex wrote: »

It's 9-5 if you plan on staying at the same position the rest of your life.

or if you're just terrible at your job

Gorby

There are plenty of positions that are typical day jobs that don't require a shift like schedule. Typically, positions that are operations will require a 24/7 shift like schedule..these are usually help desk (some), MSP's, NOC/SOC environments. I don't believe you are bad or complacent at your job if you manage to work a regular 9-5 type of position most of your career, it really just depends on what company and role(s) you've had in your career.

I managed to avoid operations for the most part except for working in a NOC for a few months and I currently work in IT security doing GRC. I do work overtime sometimes to complete projects for my company though.

aspiringsoul

I've always worked 8 to 5, on call 24/7 in my current and previous role.

beads

Only if were contracting for a 40 hour work week and overtime was a "no-no". Otherwise I will find more ways to fill my time after hours due to my own curiosity or need to see one more problem resolved before I go home. Though I am security I often have detailed enough knowledge and breadth of view (I get to see everything) that I am often speaking to other teams about non-apparent problems. Why is this box acting this way..? Because another box its not supposed to be talking to it is spewing bad data at it, etc. Love that stuff.

Eight or nine to five? Rarely, if I have someplace else I need to be that nice then yest. Otherwise, probably not. You want a job with set hours? There is always retail or fast food.

- b/eads

SoCalGuy858

I'm a 9-5 security analyst. Brand new position, brand new department, still trying to get into a regular ops tempo. Previous systems administrator position (same company) was also 9-5, though it did have the rotating after-hours support cycle (and the uncommon need to jump if something at my site went to crap).

E Double U

I've been pretty fortunate to have never been on-call and worked OT by choice. There have been a few occasions when an incident occurred that required that I work late, but it isn't a regular thing. I just pick up my boys from daycare then clock back in whenever my wife gets home.

/usr

I've had jobs where it's 9-5, but multiple 24 hour days over the past 4 years tells me that's no longer the case

I think it depends largely where your responsibilities lie. If you're infrastructure and something breaks, you or someone on your team better be available to work until it's resolved. If you're helpdesk, not so much...

NetworkNewb

Can definitely tell the discrepancy in priorities by a few these answers... different strokes for different folks

N2IT

dave330i wrote: »

If you're on the engineering side, it's usually 9-5.

Strategy side as well.

Danielm7

In my current job they are very sensitive of working hours. There are maintenance windows for some teams like systems or networking, but they are able to do some of it remote and they are also comped the time back later in the week if they want. Not every company insists that you work 50+ hours a week, and yes, people here get promoted and get paid fairly.

the_Grinch

I typically stay with my 8 am to 4 pm (with an hour lunch) for the most part. When I do have to stay late, it's typically for a long stretch of time, but it is really pretty rare. But when the Fit hits the Shan you gotta do what you gotta do (and do it for free because my job title doesn't allow for overtime even if it was approved).

jerseyIT92

beads wrote: »

Only if were contracting for a 40 hour work week and overtime was a "no-no". Otherwise I will find more ways to fill my time after hours due to my own curiosity or need to see one more problem resolved before I go home. Though I am security I often have detailed enough knowledge and breadth of view (I get to see everything) that I am often speaking to other teams about non-apparent problems. Why is this box acting this way..? Because another box its not supposed to be talking to it is spewing bad data at it, etc. Love that stuff.

Eight or nine to five? Rarely, if I have someplace else I need to be that nice then yest. Otherwise, probably not. You want a job with set hours? There is always retail or fast food.

- b/eads

I love this answer man, thanks. I'm happy to be reassured that's it's not just my company.

networker050184

It seems like the mid level operations type is where the long hours come in. Help desk guys are usually normal eight hours. Engineering/design usually work normal hours. The ops guys that take the escalations and run maintenance are where the long hours come in. So just suck it up while in that stage of your career and you'll be to the promise land in no time!

Master Of Puppets

This can be very different depending on the role. For example, I'm in a SOC and there are day shifts and night shifts because 24/7 coverage is needed. At my previous job it was 9 to 5 with the occasional time when you have to stay after that.

Mooseboost

We work a rotating shift here, so I am occasionally 9-6 (hour unpaid lunch) or 7-4

rebelution

Got promoted to a new position a few months ago in a Planning/Engineering/Design capacity and am working 8-4:30. Was previously in a more ops related role and being the technical expert I was basically on call 24x7 and worked whatever hours the job needed (typically 6:30-4 was a "normal" day).

Jency83

I am lucky to have "flexible hours", our team covers 6am-6pm + on call roster. So I can start anytime and I usually come to work at 7am and finish 3pm-ish (my contract is only 7h30m a day). It's nice to have the afternoon free, especially during summer This is engineering. My previous helpdesk roles usually had fixed roster. I've never understood the "9 to 5" term. I've worked in different countries and you always had to work 8 hours + 1 hour unpaid lunch, so it is actually 8 to 5.

Edificer

9-3 and 24/7 on-call.

kohr-ah

830 - 5 M - F
On call for emergency issues only. Occasional Maintenance. Maybe once a month and even then that is an extra 4 hours which I get back as flex time.

Fulcrum45

I work 8-5 with scheduled weekends and evenings here and there. I will ONLY answer at night in the event of an emergency- i.e. the building is on fire etc. Otherwise I have a life and a family to get back to. 24/7? No thanks. I'm not curing cancer or fighting the War on Terror- the world will keep turning with or without me.

hurricane1091

I work 8-5 but I know there's going to be after hours work at some point here just based on the position.

stlsmoore

My hours state 8am-5pm but within my small team that's dispersed geographically we work flexible hours. Sometimes more sometimes less a day. My team members are all on Eastern time and I'm on Central so there are some early 7am conference calls but I take those from home usually. Typically only work late nights or really early mornings for maintenance windows to implement infrastructure or make production changes.

MeatCatalogue

dave330i wrote: »

If you're on the engineering side, it's usually 9-5.

This. Once you move into engineering or architect roles, you work when the "decision makers" are available, not when problems happen.