Changing Career Path

anfearr

Hi All.

Long time since I've been here but I taught it best to get advise from fellow techs on this if possible. In short I gave my notice to my current employee, a top five US based multi national, whom offered to me a raise and a team management role to remain. I currently work in the support organization, where I would support our products in the administration area, similar to I suppose the Cisco TAC in concept, and again core tech like networking etc.

In knowledge terms I would be an industry expert, I've developed the training courses our customers take, wrote the matching certification exams, am the lead technical trainer for the entire country, I also release knowledge content to customers that are globally visible, deal with escalations and large implementation projects etc.

The problem is I don't love the product, I've always taught of and had a desire to be an Network Engineer, I even went as far as to get a Masters Degree in Advanced Computer Networking, a CCNP R&S, CCNA SEC and CCDA while also maintaining ten certifications in my current employers products.

Another organization has offered my an administrator role in the area I support. To me it seems a step down and a side way move, I suppose it's akin to a Consulting CCIE moving to be a network engineer, over certified and over experienced but there are not many opportunities for such a product in my location due to its expensive nature. I've also become I believe too used to the corporate world and the easy life of processes and incidents etc. The salary would match my current salary but would be a 9-5 where as currently I have a shift component.

Has anyone made the move from an alternative tech to networking without a massive salary hit, would I be better trying to move within my organization into networking, we have a local data center as does the company whom offered me a role so there is a possibility either way. The new role would be in the IT Organization rather than the Support Organization which offers more chance to move I feel.

Any feedback or advise would be much appreciated. And apologies about the long post.