Where are you at, where do you want to be?

Krones

A little over two years in. I am a JOAT but primary station is helpdesk with facilities thrown in there as well. Not much time to learn on the job as I am constantly in keep-up mode. Not where I want to be but at least I know a direction. I would like to be a Linux admin and advance into a DevOps oriented role and maybe security down the line.

snunez889

I have about one and a half years in this field and currently hold the title of systems administrator.

Skill wise I dont believe I am anywhere where I would like to be. Money either

UnixGuy

I'm where I want to be - Still building up my skills and learning. Senior sec position in a Bank.

Where I want to be: I want to know much much more than I do now. I want to earn the title of Principle security architect. I want to know more about mobile security, forensics, pentesting, information leakage,...etc. So ideally I want to become an expert.

Polynomial

Lots and lots of Salesforce. Such a good industry to be in these days.

Don't want to technical deep dive forever though, want to end up in management.

pinkydapimp

Sales engineer in the security space. Not where i expected to be, but loving it and earning far more than i ever expected. Not sure whats next. I was actually just thinking about this. I'm looking at some certs that might be helpful(for my knowledge and resume) and i also need to finish up my masters. Will probably stay in the sales engineering space for a while until i find something interesting like a C level position at a startup. I think thats where i will eventually end up. But im a go with the flow type and im always keeping an eye on the IT world to see whats new and exciting. I just try to always keep myself relevant so that i have as many options as possible when something comes along that interests me.

markulous

I'm where I want to be. A little under a year and a half in and I'm in a help desk role that gives me experience on servers and firewalls. I anticipate being out of the help desk before I hit the two year mark. I'd either like to get into a networking role, virtualization/sys admin role, devops, or security (audits, policies, pen testing). There's quite a few things I'm interested in as you can tell.

junilinux

Today: System engineer, deal with storage solutions.
Future: want to operate my own company and to be CFO or CTO or CEO or something of a consultant, distribution technology company

Nyblizzard

Assigned on a team at a leading company in Automation.

I know I want to be (for most of my career) working as an Information Management Specialist with the Foreign Service component of the Department of State.

mamoreno89

Currently: I am currently a graduate student, pursuing a Master of Science in Digital Forensics. However, I am currently seeking an opportunity in the IT industry as I do not have any relevant IT experience yet.
Goal: I want to break into digital forensics, however I want to get a help desk job dealing with IT so that I can get that experience. In addition, apply for an internship next summer for digital forensics so I can obtain that relevant experience before I graduate.

bpenn

I currently work Tier 2 Help Desk with some dabbling in information assurance and compliance for a DoD contractor. I want to be a network engineer or get government civilian job doing information assurance and compliance. I am at the point in my career where I have been doing Help Desk work for 3 years and want to move up. I passed the CISSP in March and passed CCENT in July, also starting my bachelors track in September. The only way I can move up at this point is to land a better job and I am having a tough time doing so...

10Linefigure

Past: Signal JOAT
Present: Network Analyst - past few months.
Future: Network Engineer

SteveLord

Current: JOAT for a small govt agency

Future: Larger department or at the NOC/SOC. With degree in hand by then.

Dakinggamer87

I'm currently a Data Center Operations Cloud Systems Engineer and I want to be an IT Manager at a gaming company such as (SEGA, Ubisoft, Capcom).

Stevecb06

I am currently working in a desktop support role. This is my first job in IT since I graduated a year ago, so I can't complain.

Short term goal: Working on my CCNA right now and would like to get into a Jr. Admin role to start gaining some admin experience.

Long term goal: Not quite sure yet. I am pretty interested in the security side of things so I am leaning towards that. However, I am a firm believer that I will not be able to secure a network until I am able to manage it first, so this is something I will really need to work up to.

TLeTourneau

I am happy where I am for now, I am a Senior IT Systems Engineer focusing on Window and Linux server maintenance for a moderately large healthcare provider. I am working towards the architect level in my current organization in the next few years. I currently do not have an interest in management.

pevangel

I'm a Network Engineer doing network design. I would like to be a consultant for ISPs some day. Travel the world and be part of building the network infrastructure for developing countries.

Blackout

I am currently a CSE, and at this moment I want to be employed lol

paul78

Such a thought provoking topic - @Pat - you would make a good talk show host

I have been struggling for the past few years wondering where I really want to be in my career. Not being an introspective person, when challenged by such as question as where I want to be, I think I can never really be happy unless I'm running my own business.

For now, I live by Jon Kabat-Zinn's thought that "wherever you go in the universe, there you are...."

N2IT

@ Paul

I really want to start Podcasting it's something I have thought about for quite some time. I'd like to do a think tank with several IT professionals and be the intermediary and let everyone discuss the state of certain pieces of IT.

An IT talk show host, that would be awesome!

ThePrimetimer

I'm currently a "Service Engineer" (Tier 2/3 Help Desk and small project work) in an MSP, dealing with any issues that the HelpDesk can't handle or isn't experienced in much. Very busy as it seems that when one ticket closes, 2 or 3 take its' place.

Where I want to be is an SME in something, just not sure what. I want to be the guy that people come to cause they know that if they do, their going to get the right answer quickly and effortlessly. I always remember Walton Payton's quote "When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you." Really can drive the motivation up.

Phileeeeeeep651

Currently working as a Monitoring Analyst, finishing my BS and getting some more certs.

My goal is towards a Network Engineer position, working in an enterprise or ISP setting.

If I can't do that then I'll throw all the chips on the table and try fishing professionally, lol.

dave330i

Now: Sr. Consultant. Good pay and high in demand.

5 years: Senior/Enterprise Architect.

10 years: Executive?

gex598

Now - official title 'Network Analyst' what I really do is run the security program, and rehab & design the architecture

Where I want to be - I love my current job but the pay sucks because it government work, so doing the same thing as I do now just getting paid more! I find tying security and architecture together gratifying, nothing like being able to make it work better and make it more secure at the same time.

kenrin

Now - "Data Center Technician" - work night shift in small data center by myself take care of all the support tickets (contact engineers for what I can't do) - pay sucks but plenty of downtime to study for certs or "professional development" as my boss calls it.

Where I want to be - Linux Admin or Network Admin or analyst or whatever other crazy job titles pop up (I live in the south someone could be called the Desktop Support Security Analyst and doing pure CCNA stuff, lol). Whatever I do, I'd love to be able to afford a one bedroom apartment in the same city I work, CCNA & RHCE are on my 5-year list...

aderon

I am currently working in a NOC. I get a lot of hands on time with a bunch of technologies I'm really interested in (Lots of linux and networking experience). And since we're a small company that's stretched fairly thin, I get to play with a lot of things I don't think I'd be able to anywhere else. I'm fairly comfortable financially and have paid for my own house, car, and college tuition without any loans at the age of 25 (All thanks to IT!).


Within the next 6-12 months I'd like to have graduated with my Bachelors and, after a short break, will begin on my CEH. I'd like to be living in Washington, D.C. at this point and working in some aspect of computer security (I have some ideas of which areas I might want to specialize in, but haven't made up my mind yet). I want to progress towards a master's at some point, probably in computer science. And ultimately I have a picture in my head of exactly the type of house I want and the kind of financial freedom I desire.


I've also thought about going a completely different route and working in one of those "danger zones" in the middle east where network/systems personnel are making 150-250k/year mostly because of the risks associated with the area the job is located in. I can see myself doing that for 4-5 years. The only thing stopping me is I'm not sure if I have enough experience to apply for those kind of jobs yet. I'll most likely apply for them at the same time I apply for the D.C. jobs and see what comes of it.