May need to change my career focus

MitM

I'll try not to make this post too too long. As I've mentioned in another post, I spent a number of years as a senior server administrator, with my focus on ms exchange, windows server and virtualization (vSphere and VMware View). I always enjoyed that position, but I was interested in network security, so when the opportunity came to move to the network team (2 years ago), I jumped on it. I was excited at first, because I was getting "real world' experience with Palo Alto firewalls, which I was already starting to learn on my own. I'm still interested in network security/security . Recently, I decided to start learning AWS, but this was mainly because I wanted to understand how Palo Alto's VM-Series firewalls integrates with it.


While I enjoy networking and network security even more, lately I feel like maybe I don't fit the network engineer role. The main reason I say this is because I don't want to be the person traveling around setting up new offices, deploying/replacing equipment. I'm not lazy or feel it's beneath me, I don't fly. I don't have to travel at my current employer, because my co-worker does all the traveling. He likes to travel, but at times I know he's pissed that he's going all the time and not me. In a way I feel really bad about it, but I hate planes, so I don't fly. I think as i go to move on to a new company, I'm going to have issues because of this. I also know that in a future role, I'd want absolutely nothing to do with VOIP/Unified Communications. I have zero interest in this.


I really enjoy the configuration and troubleshooting side of networking for what it's worth. NSX/SDN also seem interesting.


Even if I stayed focused on network security or security engineer (firewalls, web proxies, VPN, NAC, WAF, F5, DLP, etc), I'll probably still run into issues. Someone is going to have to visit those remote offices to plug in the hardware appliances. They are getting plugged in on their own


I don't know, maybe I need to start to consider a different path

Danielm7

FWIW I don't think any of our network engineers have to fly round and we have offices in every state. They usually setup gear and have it shipped out and a partner company just hooks it up. Every company is different. It's not always worth it to fly a 6 figure employee around just to plug something in across the country when you can hire another company to do it when the equipment is already setup.

SteveLavoie

Fully agree with Danielm7 post, I don't even drive 200km to plug a new server or firewall. I send a junior tech then I remote. The only time I drive myself is when there is other thing requiring my attention or when I need to do some presentation or training.

Travelling is losing productive time.

MitM

I totally agree with you guys about productivity. It seems every company that I have worked for, has done it this way. Must be a lack of smarts in the area that I live