Two Jobs, 1 man

Ok guys, so I'm just looking ahead a little and trying to see things for what they are.

Little background: 8 years IT in the military, very knowledgeable, but no actual credentials except my experience, awards and recognition. All I hold is a Sec+ and no degree. I'm currently a helpdesk jockey of 4 months right after I got out of the military. I work 2 days a week and 2 days on weekends and make right under 60k.

I have two prospects and all moving forward around the same time. I killed both technical interviews, 1 job offer overseas (AFG) and one prospect at a IT company (Big 3) that is an 2 year paid internship. If all goes to plan (I have face2face this week) I will have both job offers at around the same time.

What are your opinions on either?

1. Overseas contractor, Net Admin, Good money/not great, step up from help desk, 1 year max (personal preference)

2. Search Engine giant wants me for internship of 2 years, better pay than I'm getting now, but at the very least I work at an awesome place and get to put it on my resume. I think it's mainly desktop support with chances of other projects.

EDIT (New Offer): #3 Helpdesk Team Lead. Pro: more responsibility, step-up from current position, permanent, little more money. Con: more responsibility = More stress, most likely a 8-5 schedule, Moving, staying in helpdesk.

Any and all opinions appreciated. Thank you guys, I been a long time lurker here.

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Lenniusce

Choose #2

Defense contracting doesn't teach you real-world tech skills very effectively IMHO.

xxxkaliboyxxx

see, that what I was thinking too. Working along side DoD civilians and contractors for so long, I know what really goes on. My thinking is that it's still a step up from help desk being a Net Admin. Also the search giant is a desktop support position, but obviously a higher chance of growth long term.

aftereffector

#2. You'll get to do a lot of networking (the career enhancing kind, not the technical kind). Over time that will pay off in a very big way.

xxxkaliboyxxx

Good point aftereffector, I have thought of that, but never a deciding factor. I should raise the ranking level on "career networking"

networker050184

Agree 100% with the points made by Lenniusce and aftereffector. Learn some useful tech and make some good industry contacts at #2.

xxxkaliboyxxx

Thank you netwoker050184

LeBroke

Take the job at Altavista.

You can't go wrong putting them on your resume.

xxxkaliboyxxx

pfffftttt, I'm a hotbot man all the way.

mbarrett

If you're young, going to AFG for a year will build a nice nest egg for yourself - but don't sell yourself short, you are putting your ass on the line and in some ways you are literally trading time for $. If you can't get Great money out of them I would pass.
But it does sound more interesting than Help desk with the other company, although you can just move on from there if it gets old.

xxxkaliboyxxx

Good points mbarrett, not great money but good money. I will be making less than everyone else around me but I will be making more than 100k. I have been to AFG and am comfortable there.
All the research and the few people I have talked to, after their 2 year internship have stayed with said company unless it's a unique field that interest them like robotics (no robotic divisions currently). They get thousands of applications a day so this is a good way in. with that said it is a 2 year tour of helpdesk.
Another pro of Afghanistan is the down time, I will be able to finish any certs I need and a degree.

I'm leaning towards the search engine giant. Money would be nice, but it's not a deciding factor me.

LittleBIT

Go with industry, you will learn wayyyyy more in a shorter amount of time.

Coming from industry into Ctr'ing is like going from running to learning how to walk. Money is fantastic, but depends what your goals are in the next 2 - 5 years.

Personally, I was tired of Industry and wanted a break (Background in MSP).

Just my 2c

xxxkaliboyxxx

I'm in contracting now after 8 years IT in the military. I would say they are both a step up from my current helpdesk job.

TechGromit

I would go for option #2 as well, it's really tough to get into some of these big internet companies, you can't pass up an opportunity like this. I don't know a lot about overseas contracting positions, but I get the impression they are always looking for people. There's not a lot of people willing to leave there families and go work on a military base for a year at a time. If #2 doesn't work out, there will most likely be a #1 opportunity again if you look around.

kiki162

Contracting in general limits you to a specific area, so although the pay is good, the experience is ok. It really depends on what you do with the time to boost your skills. Personally, I'd take the internship, while working on completing your degree, and get a few additional certs during that time. You just got out of the military, so unless your desp. for cash right now, I'd stay away from the contractor job.

beads

@kiki162;

Your over generalizing to all contracting jobs and positions, no? Since I contract or more or less slotted into contracting and consulting I can safely say I have seen far more from the 'what works' to 'what doesn't work' in organizations than any single long term employee ever will. As far as government slot contracts go this would certainly be the antithesis to the above comment. Government contracts do tend to relate well to the whole 'trained monkey' work theory.

Problem is when you go government it becomes harder and harder to re-skill and retune to the civilian world.

- b/eads

xxxkaliboyxxx

Thank you for your input guys. I have a 3rd option currently. I just got asked at my current job to come on as a permanent Help Desk Lead, I am currently a help desk jockey making right under 60k with an awesome schedule.

#3 Helpdesk Team Lead. Pro: more responsibility, step-up from current position, permanent, little more money. Con: more responsibility = More stress, most likely a 8-5 schedule, Moving, staying in helpdesk.

xxxkaliboyxxx

just wondering if any of the people that answered, would the 3rd option make any difference?

networker050184

I'd probably still stick with #2. The perm part of #3 is nice, but I'm usually pretty board and looking for something new around two years anyway. If you do a good job and make some connections you can likely get brought on full time after anyway.

scaredoftests

Choice #2

xxxkaliboyxxx

So to make my current situation more complex, the company I'm currently contracting for wants me to be a service desk supervisor at a major city skipping all the Team Lead, sysadmin roles. I will not be sub contracting any more, but on the prime. I been at a helpdesk 4 months. I will be in charge of everyone at the district.

I interviewed with the search engine company and the technical interviews went very well. I'm not to sure what to do now.

TL:DR

1. Overseas NET Admin (out the window)
2. Search Engine 2 year internship (60-70k)
3. Helpdesk Supervisor - Skips team lead and sys admin and I make 60k right now as a helpdesk jockey with 2 days of work.

Background: I been at the helpdesk 5 months, I was active duty military 8 years as IT. I don't have a degree, only cert I have is Security+.

anhtran35

GO with number 1. Get your CCNA. Get ITILfoundation( recruiters love that easy cert ). Get connections while working overseas. Maybe even get a degree from WGU.

xxxkaliboyxxx

Thanks for your input anhtran35. Actually I'm putting overseas contractor as number 4 on my priority list. It is a lower end contracting company that is known not to pay well in AFG. I am currently a full time student and few credits shy of my AA. I plan on pushing through to my BS in IT (not sure what focus just yet). I have been overstudying my CEH for the last 4 months so that would be my next cert just because of all the time I put in.

So my list right now is...

1. Search Engine Giant paid internship of 2 years (70K)
2. District (Enterprise) Supervisor at a major city (told only verbally by corporate management)
3. Government Information Security GS-9 55K at a NEC. (Army Post)
4. NETADMIN in AFG (120K) 1 year
5. Stay at the helpdesk and knockout my degree and certs since I only do 2 days of actual work for 60K

Not hurting for money, I have a good savings and a supplement income that can pay at the very least my rent.

kiki162

@beads

So you work for a gov't contract, but more or less in a consulting type role? Everyone has different needs, different expectations, and experiences. Yes, every gov't position and contractor position is going to be different for each individual. I think at the end of the day, unless you have really experienced transitioning out of the military, working as a gov't contractor, or working as a gov't employee, you won't completely get the picture. You have your picture, and I have mine.

Most that I have talked to or worked with that have transitioned out of the military have all experienced similar things. The whole 'trained monkey' comment for someone that enjoys doing the same thing day in and day out, yes I would agree with you on. I would also agree with you on going government, as one can get easily get complacent.

I think anyone transitioning after 8 years, or retiring after 20, deserves to have opportunities outside the box. Would hate to see someone jump from one pool of koolaid to another.

xxxkaliboyxxx

Thanks Kiki. That is what I'm hearing. Working at a top 5 IT company for 2 years will be a lifetime experience. Also I heard that all my need would be taken care of professionally as far as training, certification, and education reimbursement.
I'm not 100 percent sure yet because management is something I would love to do, it really is my biggest strength.

xxxkaliboyxxx

Little update:

I took the Service Desk Supervisor position in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I will be making over 100k this year giving bonus, salary and supplemental income which is equal to an over 35% pay raise from 2016.

Background, 8 years Army active IT Specialist with no degree and only Security + until recently passing the eJPT. I got out of the military this year and took a help-desk analyst position. Now this job is a typical help-desk except for the outstanding pay for what we actually do, but clearly without sounding vain, outshined everyone by miles. Not saying I am god's gift to IT, but our customer happen to be the US Army so I had a leg up on everyone. That and I actually put in 110% effort into every ticket and called out people not doing their job when I had to pick up the slack.

Is mid-management in a help desk where I saw myself a few months ago or even giving the right choice between all of the choices I had? Not really, but I will try to stay as technical as I can while developing my managerial skills to improve myself and everyone around me and maybe hit the next level in the corporate ladder in a few years.

Now I am playing catch up on the degree so I won't get pigeon hold in mid-management.

Here is to a New Year!

alias454

Congrats! When you are rich and famous, don't forget about us little people

xxxkaliboyxxx

Yes, I will pop my head in once in a while to show that I am still in touch with the commons

j/k

FillAwful

Don't let fear and uncertainty stand in your way! Go big or go home KaliBoy! What's the worst that could happen? You can't get another Help Desk job?

80hr

Congrats

tmtex

xxxkaliboyxxx wrote: »

Little update:

I took the Service Desk Supervisor position in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I will be making over 100k this year giving bonus, salary and supplemental income which is equal to an over 35% pay raise from 2016.

Background, 8 years Army active IT Specialist with no degree and only Security + until recently passing the eJPT. I got out of the military this year and took a help-desk analyst position. Now this job is a typical help-desk except for the outstanding pay for what we actually do, but clearly without sounding vain, outshined everyone by miles. Not saying I am god's gift to IT, but our customer happen to be the US Army so I had a leg up on everyone. That and I actually put in 110% effort into every ticket and called out people not doing their job when I had to pick up the slack.

Is mid-management in a help desk where I saw myself a few months ago or even giving the right choice between all of the choices I had? Not really, but I will try to stay as technical as I can while developing my managerial skills to improve myself and everyone around me and maybe hit the next level in the corporate ladder in a few years.

Now I am playing catch up on the degree so I won't get pigeon hold in mid-management.

Here is to a New Year!

I am curious of what place this was if you don't mind. PM if better. I have been trying to get this for a year and nothing. Just curious if I applied to it