Current Job Market/Advice

adam220891

Hi all,

Awhile back I was interested in some opportunities in SC, but couldn't come to terms as far as compensation goes. Sort of worked out as I gained a good bit of experience in VoIP and actually got to put some more things I learned from the CCNP (PBR, prefix lists, BGP/EIGRP redistribution, etc.) into real world use. I am still interested in moving on (the salary is a bit low I think and my counterpart in this position has contributed maybe 5% to all of the networking-related stuff that has been completed in the last year and a half).

So, I'm looking for positions, and it's not like it used to be. Maybe it's because I'm looking more senior, maybe the job market has changed, or maybe I forgot what I'm doing. But, I'm looking in the Philadelphia area (where I live), but am open to Charleston/Tampa/Jacksonville areas as well.

When I look for things like 'network engineer' or 'ccnp' on Indeed (and occasionally Career Builder, LinkedIn), I am seeing a lot of contract work and technology companies (like MSPs). I'm not seeing a ton of corporate jobs and I know I have no interest in a contract position. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Maybe I shouldn't be writing off the tech companies, but I've always associated them with the sort of burnout mentality where you get overworked and constantly travel. Someone told me to find a Cisco partner to work for since that would mostly be project based and be better paying.

I also have a broad range of tech that I work with. I'm very familiar with ASAs (I've setup dozens of tunnels, configured AnyConnect policies from scratch, ACLs, NAT, NAT exemptions, logging, packet captures, etc.) and pretty familiar with up to CCNP routing and switching concepts. But lately, I've gotten involved with telephony stuff (CUCM, CUBE, RTMT) although I'm not an expert on it. I don't really know where to focus. I sort of like the phone stuff but maybe that is just because it is something new.

Is the market shifting towards outsourced firms? Are those places often decent to work for? Am I just imaging things?

mjnk77

I'm also in the Philly region, but working as a field tech. But before that, I worked for a big pharma company in their DC. The entire IT, globally, was outsourced. That was 8 years ago. They still have it outsourced. Now, as a field tech, I go into a lot of different business. Small to large, even other big pharma. When they have IT, that actually work for the company, they are limited in what they do. One IT admin referred to himself as a "glorified paper pusher". I actually had to go to a site and rack mount a router, then there was a contractor who configured it and the onsite IT guy watched us. Neither the contractor or the IT guy where allowed to touch the router, because the IT was outsourced to another vendor. This site is like many I'm going into now. The IT is contracted to two different companies. One is responsible for the hardware and initial setup, while the other will maintain the configs. I still have a hard time figuring out how this saves time and money, but I guess that's above my pay grade. Now, there are some companies that still handle IT in house, but it seems to be less and less. It's much easier for them to outsource to a vendor(s). Hope that helps. Good luck!

bhcs2014

Work for a cisco partner MSP in Philly area so I can speak to this. Haven't researched it much but it seems the market is shifting to outsourced IT in this area. We've replaced plenty of incompetent in house IT people who managed a screwed up network. We go in there fix up their network and do their projects. Client saves money after they replace in house IT with us. It just makes sense to hire experienced consultants who build networks and consult for a living.

I recommend an MSP if you don't mind juggling a lot of stuff at once. Yes the workload will be higher than a cushy corporate job but the experience will be invaluable. Also if you like tech you can't really beat an MSP lol