Welcome to IT Life... Enjoy the ride.
I just wanted to make a thread based on what I have seen and experienced in my own life. Maybe it will help someone else out a long the way....
Tips for life and IT work
1. Go with your gut - I have been in this situation many times. Maybe a job was too good to be true, a recruiter lied, a bad manager, a co worker said they would do something and then didn't do it. If something feels off 99.99% of the time it is. If it is too good to be true, then it is.... the grass is not always greener on the other side.
2. IT is HARD work. - I learned this myself.... you cannot get a few certs, and expect to make 100k a year in a year. Life as well as IT work is a journey. Rome was not built in a day.... and you can't expect to get to the top of the mountain when you have not climbed it first.
3. Believe you can do it. - In my own life My own parents (both mom and dad) never believed in me... from a child growing up that is the hardest thing you as a person can ever go through. Even today they are the same way.... but like they say "success is the best revenge". Believe in yourself, recite daily affirmations, meditate daily, pray.... do what works for you but always tell yourself that you CAN do it... you WILL succeed. You will NOT fail.
4. Stop looking for a shortcut. - IT work is not going to be fruitful if you are looking for brain ****, handouts, tests, etc.... none of those help you, in fact they HURT you. So what if you can get a certification from a ****..... guess what? You can/will be barred for life from that certification and that will not look good on you, or a potential employer. It's better to learn, study, and get the certification the old fashioned way... then **** your way through it... remember the tortoise beat the hare!
5. Before you post on any forum/blog/website check to see if a post has already been made - I cannot stress this enough. 99.99% of the time a question has been answered 10 different times by new people that come to forums, websites, blogs etc...
6. Learn from others, and sit back and listen - On this forum a lone I have learned a lot about myself and about IT just by browsing the forums and reading the threads. My fav threads are success threads, and journey threads... i love those because I can follow a long with the person as they complete their cert and learn about what they did, the mistakes that happened... etc... which brings me to my last point
7. Don't fear failure - Failure is good because it teaches us a two fold lesson. 1. What we did, did not work and 2. we can try something else that may/may not work. Failure is life's best teacher because either you are going to make it work, or you aren't. If a server goes down either you are going to step up and bring it back on.... or you wont. If you are thrown to the wolves, so what?? show that job what you are made of... you will fall down MANY times... but you have to get up and keep going.
8. Downtime is study time - In IT you may/may not have downtime. USE that time WISELY!!!! You may want to catch up on netflix, watch youtube, talk and chit chat... but while everyone else is bored or wasting precious time... you should be studying, reading a blog, reading something related to what you REALLY want to do. If you wanna get a head in ANYTHING you have to work hard!!!!
9. Develop a good work ethic early - I was always told "Be the first one to work and the last to leave". And that is true because humans we are creatures of habit. What you do the most becomes your habit. So get in the habit of coming to work early to study.... leaving later because you want to get ahead for the next day, take a shorter lunch or eat lunch at your desk and keep working.... trust me you will see a difference... Bosses love hard workers.
10. No question is a stupid question - Granted we are not all knowing... but do not be afraid to ask questions. When I was in high school I hated asking questions, now I always ask them. How can you learn something if you do not ask to have it explained differently, or shown to you in a different way.
11. Take care of yourself - Sometimes in IT we can get fatigued or burned out at times.... But
- make sure to get adequate sleep
- stay hydrated
- Eat regular meals (don't skip meals)
- be social (talk and have a life other then working)
- Don't neglect friends or family
- Don't neglect your pets
12. Big Brother is always watching - always remember that when your at work, you are always being watched, monitored, listened to, recorded etc... never do something at work that you would not want to be saved, stored, or copied. Pay attention to the banners that pop up on your PC before you login.... they are basically telling you that everything you do on this PC is monitored and saved etc.... Keep it work related.
13. Dont be afraid to ask for more work - What I mean is we all may/may not have teams at work. for example there is NetOps, SysOps, FieldOps, Help Desk, etc.... Be friends/associates with someone from each team and get to know what THEY do and how they operate. Find something they can teach you... ask questions, take notes... for example: I work on the desk but I learned how to use VmWare Vsphere client to check on servers and outages by talking with a sysops guy at work... I learned about groups in AD because I had downtime and I asked my manager to show me what it is and how to use it and how to create groups.
14. Leave Romance out of the work place - I know it may be tempting to hit on the new hire, or get with your cute co worker.... but its better to go to work for work, then to date a co worker. I have seen MANY friends get fired because of a relationship gone bad. You are there to work, not to hookup with your female lead etc... Its ok to be nice, say hi, keep it friendly.... and also do not harass or make sexual jokes towards women in the workplace... because its rude and you don't want to risk your job. If you MUST date a co worker.... get a new job with a different company then date them.
15. Write a blog - This may seem mundane but as much as you learn it would be a good thing to track your progress, and see where you were a year or two ago. Also blogging can also count toward CE credits!
16. Help others a long the way - This is important to me as a IT guy and a person who loves to help others. If you are going to the top take someone with you!!!!! We have all been there.... the new guy/girl the person that does not know anyone... you may be fresh into the field or someone that is coming from a different field.... Be a mentor to someone! take them under your wing and show them the ropes... train them in your spare time, develop a friendship with them... then teach them to do the same thing.
17. A Short Term Setback can make for a BIG Comeback - What I mean by this is, you may have to step back to leap forward.... Example: I had a job that I disliked... I had to work with printers and copiers and it was more of a hands on job, me I like having the office atmosphere of working in IT. But I had that job for about a month before I was let go. Due to that job letting me go about 2 months later I ended up in the job I am in now doing what I want to do! Always remember, WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER OPENS!!!!! I am a living testament to that fact...
18. Keep Trying and never give up - A job not call you back? No where to turn to? Upset that all your work to get a new job may be in vain??? I was without a job for 6 months!!!! I felt the same way you feel.... Maybe careerbuilder is not yeilding results.... try monster.... network, linkedin, meetup.com, go out in your community. Don't loose heart because things WILL turn around for you. Just because a job says no does not mean you are bad!!!! Maybe the timing was off, the job ended up downsizing, the manager was in a bad mood....and have patience!!!! wait but never put all your eggs in 1 basket!
19. Co Workers and Social Media - Keep co workers, managers, old bosses, etc off social media. And above all... never EVER badmouth a company you used to work for on ANY social media.... twitter, youtube, google+, instagram, etc.... Because it will come back to bite you. What you put online STAYS online!!! even if you delete your social media profile there is still a record of it somewhere. Above all always err on the side of caution.... before you put anything online ask yourself "Will this come back to bite me in the butt one day?" and "10 years from now will I be kicking myself for what I said".
20. Leave Religion, Money, and Politic talk at home - Work is a terrible place to discuss religion, money and politics ESPECIALLY when you have many people of different belifs, faiths, and customs working in the same office. I had a co worker who always discussed race and politics and I quickly left the room or exited when he started. There is a time and place for politics and work is not the place for it.
And Finally....
21. Office Parties - Office parties are meant to be a fun gathering of co workers for drinks, food, and music. My advice to navigate these is keep it 100% professional, do not get drunk or over do it, and do not hit on your co workers. When you are at work you keep it professional and that goes for ANY work gathering!!!! Picnics, parties, and company outings ex: golfing, etc...
I hope this post will help the newbies and people that work in IT.
"The power is YOURS!" - Captian Planet
Tips for life and IT work
1. Go with your gut - I have been in this situation many times. Maybe a job was too good to be true, a recruiter lied, a bad manager, a co worker said they would do something and then didn't do it. If something feels off 99.99% of the time it is. If it is too good to be true, then it is.... the grass is not always greener on the other side.
2. IT is HARD work. - I learned this myself.... you cannot get a few certs, and expect to make 100k a year in a year. Life as well as IT work is a journey. Rome was not built in a day.... and you can't expect to get to the top of the mountain when you have not climbed it first.
3. Believe you can do it. - In my own life My own parents (both mom and dad) never believed in me... from a child growing up that is the hardest thing you as a person can ever go through. Even today they are the same way.... but like they say "success is the best revenge". Believe in yourself, recite daily affirmations, meditate daily, pray.... do what works for you but always tell yourself that you CAN do it... you WILL succeed. You will NOT fail.
4. Stop looking for a shortcut. - IT work is not going to be fruitful if you are looking for brain ****, handouts, tests, etc.... none of those help you, in fact they HURT you. So what if you can get a certification from a ****..... guess what? You can/will be barred for life from that certification and that will not look good on you, or a potential employer. It's better to learn, study, and get the certification the old fashioned way... then **** your way through it... remember the tortoise beat the hare!
5. Before you post on any forum/blog/website check to see if a post has already been made - I cannot stress this enough. 99.99% of the time a question has been answered 10 different times by new people that come to forums, websites, blogs etc...
6. Learn from others, and sit back and listen - On this forum a lone I have learned a lot about myself and about IT just by browsing the forums and reading the threads. My fav threads are success threads, and journey threads... i love those because I can follow a long with the person as they complete their cert and learn about what they did, the mistakes that happened... etc... which brings me to my last point
7. Don't fear failure - Failure is good because it teaches us a two fold lesson. 1. What we did, did not work and 2. we can try something else that may/may not work. Failure is life's best teacher because either you are going to make it work, or you aren't. If a server goes down either you are going to step up and bring it back on.... or you wont. If you are thrown to the wolves, so what?? show that job what you are made of... you will fall down MANY times... but you have to get up and keep going.
8. Downtime is study time - In IT you may/may not have downtime. USE that time WISELY!!!! You may want to catch up on netflix, watch youtube, talk and chit chat... but while everyone else is bored or wasting precious time... you should be studying, reading a blog, reading something related to what you REALLY want to do. If you wanna get a head in ANYTHING you have to work hard!!!!
9. Develop a good work ethic early - I was always told "Be the first one to work and the last to leave". And that is true because humans we are creatures of habit. What you do the most becomes your habit. So get in the habit of coming to work early to study.... leaving later because you want to get ahead for the next day, take a shorter lunch or eat lunch at your desk and keep working.... trust me you will see a difference... Bosses love hard workers.
10. No question is a stupid question - Granted we are not all knowing... but do not be afraid to ask questions. When I was in high school I hated asking questions, now I always ask them. How can you learn something if you do not ask to have it explained differently, or shown to you in a different way.
11. Take care of yourself - Sometimes in IT we can get fatigued or burned out at times.... But
- make sure to get adequate sleep
- stay hydrated
- Eat regular meals (don't skip meals)
- be social (talk and have a life other then working)
- Don't neglect friends or family
- Don't neglect your pets
12. Big Brother is always watching - always remember that when your at work, you are always being watched, monitored, listened to, recorded etc... never do something at work that you would not want to be saved, stored, or copied. Pay attention to the banners that pop up on your PC before you login.... they are basically telling you that everything you do on this PC is monitored and saved etc.... Keep it work related.
13. Dont be afraid to ask for more work - What I mean is we all may/may not have teams at work. for example there is NetOps, SysOps, FieldOps, Help Desk, etc.... Be friends/associates with someone from each team and get to know what THEY do and how they operate. Find something they can teach you... ask questions, take notes... for example: I work on the desk but I learned how to use VmWare Vsphere client to check on servers and outages by talking with a sysops guy at work... I learned about groups in AD because I had downtime and I asked my manager to show me what it is and how to use it and how to create groups.
14. Leave Romance out of the work place - I know it may be tempting to hit on the new hire, or get with your cute co worker.... but its better to go to work for work, then to date a co worker. I have seen MANY friends get fired because of a relationship gone bad. You are there to work, not to hookup with your female lead etc... Its ok to be nice, say hi, keep it friendly.... and also do not harass or make sexual jokes towards women in the workplace... because its rude and you don't want to risk your job. If you MUST date a co worker.... get a new job with a different company then date them.
15. Write a blog - This may seem mundane but as much as you learn it would be a good thing to track your progress, and see where you were a year or two ago. Also blogging can also count toward CE credits!
16. Help others a long the way - This is important to me as a IT guy and a person who loves to help others. If you are going to the top take someone with you!!!!! We have all been there.... the new guy/girl the person that does not know anyone... you may be fresh into the field or someone that is coming from a different field.... Be a mentor to someone! take them under your wing and show them the ropes... train them in your spare time, develop a friendship with them... then teach them to do the same thing.
17. A Short Term Setback can make for a BIG Comeback - What I mean by this is, you may have to step back to leap forward.... Example: I had a job that I disliked... I had to work with printers and copiers and it was more of a hands on job, me I like having the office atmosphere of working in IT. But I had that job for about a month before I was let go. Due to that job letting me go about 2 months later I ended up in the job I am in now doing what I want to do! Always remember, WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER OPENS!!!!! I am a living testament to that fact...
18. Keep Trying and never give up - A job not call you back? No where to turn to? Upset that all your work to get a new job may be in vain??? I was without a job for 6 months!!!! I felt the same way you feel.... Maybe careerbuilder is not yeilding results.... try monster.... network, linkedin, meetup.com, go out in your community. Don't loose heart because things WILL turn around for you. Just because a job says no does not mean you are bad!!!! Maybe the timing was off, the job ended up downsizing, the manager was in a bad mood....and have patience!!!! wait but never put all your eggs in 1 basket!
19. Co Workers and Social Media - Keep co workers, managers, old bosses, etc off social media. And above all... never EVER badmouth a company you used to work for on ANY social media.... twitter, youtube, google+, instagram, etc.... Because it will come back to bite you. What you put online STAYS online!!! even if you delete your social media profile there is still a record of it somewhere. Above all always err on the side of caution.... before you put anything online ask yourself "Will this come back to bite me in the butt one day?" and "10 years from now will I be kicking myself for what I said".
20. Leave Religion, Money, and Politic talk at home - Work is a terrible place to discuss religion, money and politics ESPECIALLY when you have many people of different belifs, faiths, and customs working in the same office. I had a co worker who always discussed race and politics and I quickly left the room or exited when he started. There is a time and place for politics and work is not the place for it.
And Finally....
21. Office Parties - Office parties are meant to be a fun gathering of co workers for drinks, food, and music. My advice to navigate these is keep it 100% professional, do not get drunk or over do it, and do not hit on your co workers. When you are at work you keep it professional and that goes for ANY work gathering!!!! Picnics, parties, and company outings ex: golfing, etc...
I hope this post will help the newbies and people that work in IT.
"The power is YOURS!" - Captian Planet
In the darkest hour, there is always a way out - Eve ME3 :cool:
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios
Comments
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Iristheangel
Mod Posts: 4,133 Mod
DAMMIT! I can't spread reputation to you again so soon.
Anyways, agreed and I'll find a way to rep you for this in the future
-
ITSpectre
Member Posts: 1,040 ■■■■□□□□□□
Thanks Iris!In the darkest hour, there is always a way out - Eve ME3 :cool:
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios -
ITSpectre
Member Posts: 1,040 ■■■■□□□□□□
I added some more and will keep adding things as they come to me.In the darkest hour, there is always a way out - Eve ME3 :cool:
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios -
dave330i
Member Posts: 2,091 ■■■■■■■■■■
2. IT is HARD work. - I learned this myself.... you cannot get a few certs, and expect to make 100k a year in a year.
It takes 18 months.
2018 Certification Goals: Maybe VMware Sales Cert
"Simplify, then add lightness" -Colin Chapman -
Dakinggamer87
Member Posts: 4,016 ■■■■■■■■□□
Great list *Associate's of Applied Sciences degree in Information Technology-Network Systems Administration
*Bachelor's of Science: Information Technology - Security, Master's of Science: Information Technology - Management
Matthew 6:33 - "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Certs/Business Licenses In Progress: AWS Solutions Architect, Series 6, Series 63 -
JoJoCal19
Mod Posts: 2,835 Mod
Great advice!Have: CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, eJPT, GCIA, GSEC, CCSP, CCSK, AWS CSAA, AWS CCP, OCI Foundations Associate, ITIL-F, MS Cyber Security - USF, BSBA - UF, MSISA - WGU
Currently Working On: Python, OSCP Prep
Next Up: OSCP
Studying: Code Academy (Python), Bash Scripting, Virtual Hacking Lab Coursework -
Chinook
Member Posts: 206
Excellent post. On the topic of company surveillance, yes, you are most likely being monitored so don't use the company network for anything outside of work. I managed Blue Coat systems and you'd be surprised what they can monitor. I'd like to add: Keep your coworkers and end users OFF your social media. I've seen guys go off on a ***** session on Facebook about a client only to be hauled before management to explain it. Seems a coworker ratted them out.
Health: This is very important especially as you age. Focus on proper diet & work out daily. The high stress and stupid hours of this job make it especially easy to live a poor lifestyle. This is especially true of those of you who work for Managed Service Providers & live in your car. Been there, done that, got the size 42 pants in a box to prove it. I'd emphasize to break free of the digital world & go outside. Try to make your hobbies non technical.
Most importantly, NEVER offer to fix your friends or families computers
. -
Nafe92014
Member Posts: 279 ■■■□□□□□□□
Excellent post. +1 cookie for you!
Certification Goals 2020: CCNA, Security+
"You have enemies? Good, that means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." ~Winston S. Churchill -
ITSpectre
Member Posts: 1,040 ■■■■□□□□□□
In the darkest hour, there is always a way out - Eve ME3 :cool:
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios -
coffeeluvr
Member Posts: 734 ■■■■■□□□□□
Great List!! @Chinook..Most importantly, NEVER offer to fix your friends or families computers
.......Such a true statement!!! "Something feels funny, I must be thinking too hard. - Pooh" -
UnixGuy
Mod Posts: 4,570 Mod
Excellent post...missing one important point thought:
22. Eat healthy and hit the GYM hard. The number of people who let themselves go in IT is alarming! Look after yourself, working in IT is not excuse to become overweight and have a perpetual hunchback. -
Lexluethar
Member Posts: 516
Great post! I agree, too many people believe they can get a few certifications or go to Devry and make 100k working 8 to 5.
People don't realise high paying jobs generally hold a lot of stress (IEIE if I botch this update the company loved email for 6 hours and I may lose my job) and to get to that position you usually have to work off on call hours and/or OT.
Long gone are my weekend working hours but I'm on call 24/7 in an emergency that others may not be able to fix. Sure I haven't had a scheduled Saturday but I still have updates and issues I resolve off hours. -
networker050184
Mod Posts: 11,962 Mod
It's really the mid level folks that get it the worst in IT in my experience. The lower level guys don't know enough to call in an emergency. The high level guys cost too much to keep on call 24/7. The mid level guys hit that sweet spot just right!An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made. -
NetworkNewb
Member Posts: 3,298 ■■■■■■■■■□
This post reminds me of cheesy inspirational posters.
lol, all thats missing is "Eye of the Tiger" to start playing when you open this thread. -
monroe250
Registered Users Posts: 1 ■□□□□□□□□□
Thank you for this as a person trying to switch into IT this been a big help l.
-
alias454
Member Posts: 648 ■■■■□□□□□□
One other piece of advice is learn how to hold your liquor.
“I do not seek answers, but rather to understand the question.” -
E Double U
Member Posts: 2,233 ■■■■■■■■■■
22. Eat healthy and hit the GYM hard. The number of people who let themselves go in IT is alarming!
This isn't just happening in IT - all over 'merica!Alphabet soup from (ISC)2, ISACA, GIAC, EC-Council, Microsoft, ITIL, Cisco, Scrum, CompTIA, AWS -
ITSpectre
Member Posts: 1,040 ■■■■□□□□□□
NetworkNewb wrote: »lol, all thats missing is "Eye of the Tiger" to start playing when you open this thread.
Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a IT Specialist and his will to surviveeeeeeeee!In the darkest hour, there is always a way out - Eve ME3 :cool:
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios -
ITSpectre
Member Posts: 1,040 ■■■■□□□□□□
One other piece of advice is learn how to hold your liquor.
Agreed. Especially for company parties. Either have 1 drink and call it a night, or know your limits. The worst thing you can do is get drunk at a company outing.....In the darkest hour, there is always a way out - Eve ME3 :cool:
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios -
Kreken
Member Posts: 284
Agreed. Especially for company parties. Either have 1 drink and call it a night, or know your limits. The worst thing you can do is get drunk at a company outing.....
I know my limit; I just can never reach it. -
E Double U
Member Posts: 2,233 ■■■■■■■■■■
The worst thing you can do is get drunk at a company outing.....
Not when you are not the only one. 7 of us went out last night and all 7 were barely standing afterwards. There's always one that has to order shots.Alphabet soup from (ISC)2, ISACA, GIAC, EC-Council, Microsoft, ITIL, Cisco, Scrum, CompTIA, AWS -
ITSpectre
Member Posts: 1,040 ■■■■□□□□□□
E Double U wrote: »Not when you are not the only one. 7 of us went out last night and all 7 were barely standing afterwards. There's always one that has to order shots.
Stay thirsty my friend! CHEERS!
In the darkest hour, there is always a way out - Eve ME3 :cool:
“The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone.” – Thane Krios -
provisions
Member Posts: 10 ■□□□□□□□□□
Just joined today, this was nice, thanks for these words of wisdom as a up and coming IT college student I will keep this in mind for sure. Thank you for sharing this. -
--chris--
Member Posts: 1,518 ■■■■■□□□□□
Excellent post...missing one important point thought:
22. Eat healthy and hit the GYM hard. The number of people who let themselves go in IT is alarming! Look after yourself, working in IT is not excuse to become overweight and have a perpetual hunchback.
Quoting because this may not have made the list and it may be "22" but it should be #1. Whats the point of success if your body is failing in the middle of your life?
Plus physical exercise and discipline makes you mentally tough and sharp.
