Switching jobs, getting nervous

After studying, learning, working, networking...I have moved myself into a spot where I am one of two finale candidates for a network engineer role for a regional bank. This role would be 70% network, 30% leadership to three desktop support guys with a sys admin as a peer.

I find that I am nervous at the prospect of this. I have never had a role that is so heavily network based, I believe my skill set is below what they would consider to be "ideal" but then again I have been honest about all of this and they continue to move me along the interview process.

Some might laugh, but I think of the leadership role as something I can easily handle.

I am most afraid of moving into a almost "pure" network role, being the only "network" engineer and not having years of networking experience to fall back on.

Anyone make a move like this before or have some insight to offer?

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Comments

kohr-ah

Congrats!!! Way to go!

Cisco Inferno

congrats!

What kind of questions did they ask you for it to last over 2 hours?

byron66

That's freaking awesome!! Congrats!!

aderon

That's fantastic man. Good job

--chris--

Thank you everyone! They cut my hair last night for the drug screen and my two references both called me and said they had a "book" of questions to answer lol.

I still feel like its too good to be true because its such an upgrade, in every way a job can be an upgrade this is.

Cisco Inferno wrote: »

congrats!

What kind of questions did they ask you for it to last over 2 hours?

They were less technical and more strategic / situational / HR type questions. You know the ones, "Tell me about a time that you failed at something and this drastically changed how you work in IT now" (I told them about the time I blew up a server) and "how do you view subordinate failure" (I told them its my fault). There were some that asked me to explain in detail the network designs I have supported, projects I managed, etc...

There were more technical questions in the first interview than this one, but that lasted about 45 minutes.

100k

Congrats! It must be a government job for them to cut your hair for a drug test.

--chris--

100k wrote: »

Congrats! It must be a government job for them to cut your hair for a drug test.

AFAIK it is not; but the background investigation has been more thorough than any other job before so who knows if there isn't some reason for it.

Trying to schedule all my PTO off with my current employer before I leave (its a use or lose it situation). I have 10 work days left and 6 days of PTO to use....lol

Mow

Be careful that you don't put yourself negative with PTO and they charge you back for it. Some places will do that (my employer does), check your employment agreement and any HR docs relating to PTO.

Danielh22185

Awesome! Congrats on the new gig!

Blackout

Ultimately switching jobs comes down to one thing only, does the new employer have healthy or unhealthy expectations. You will find out soon enough which one they have.

Chitownjedi

Congratulations !

--chris--

Mow wrote: »

Be careful that you don't put yourself negative with PTO and they charge you back for it. Some places will do that (my employer does), check your employment agreement and any HR docs relating to PTO.

Not that I doubt you but.... Just curious, how would one go "negative" when their PTO days are less than avaiblle working days? This is not a concept I have heard of before.

Thanks everyone!

I go next Monday to sign on the dotted line and make this official.

Mow

For example, I get 15 PTO vacation days. If I take all 15 in January and leave the company in February, I can be docked pay to cover the prorated PTO I used, since I didn't technically work long enough to "earn" that PTO for the year.

kohr-ah

Mow wrote: »

For example, I get 15 PTO vacation days. If I take all 15 in January and leave the company in February, I can be docked pay to cover the prorated PTO I used, since I didn't technically work long enough to "earn" that PTO for the year.

Lots of places I've been work like that unless you work at a company that is earn before you can burn.
My current job is that way (what you described)

Mow

Yup, that's why I was letting OP know to be careful burning all his PTO before he leaves.

--chris--

Mow wrote: »

Yup, that's why I was letting OP know to be careful burning all his PTO before he leaves.

I get what you are saying now. Thanks for the heads up on this. The PTO I have left i accrued, my first year here I had none. Then 12 months in I was given 7 days which I never used (and need to use now!).

ITSpectre

Congrats on the job switch. Learn all you can and be the best you can be!

Mow

Just got nailed for what I was warning you about, lol. It was my last day today and in my exit interview I found out I owed the company .76 days in PTO that will be deducted from my last pay. D'oh!

--chris--

Mow wrote: »

Just got nailed for what I was warning you about, lol. It was my last day today and in my exit interview I found out I owed the company .76 days in PTO that will be deducted from my last pay. D'oh!

Ahh man! That sucks. I had to "give up" 3 days PTO because of pro rata, but still used 4 before my last day

Today is my first day at the new job. Not nervous at all...just anxious to get started. Its been a long wait.

joemc3

Bank jobs or any jobs that deal in finance typically put you through the ringer. A bad credit score and you most likely won't get the job at a bank.

--chris--

--chris-- wrote: »

Ahh man! That sucks. I had to "give up" 3 days PTO because of pro rata, but still used 4 before my last day

Today is my first day at the new job. Not nervous at all...just anxious to get started. Its been a long wait.

One last update. So I too had that common question, "is this the right move for me?". After 5 days at work, I can say hell yeah it was! In my first week I have done more network 'work' than I have in the last 6 months.

Setup RANCID and Cacti? Yep
(Succesfully) troubleshoot a HTTPs issue at a remote site? Yep
Setup a 12u rack of lab equipment in my new office? Yep
Learn how HP (and everyone else?) does trunking and access ports? lol yep

Drinking from the firehose and loving every second of it.

Mow

Awesome! Enjoy it!

NetworkingStudent

CHRIS:
I currently work at an MSP.
Chris, I remember you used to work at an MSP.
How do you like the corporate environment vs the MSP environment?