Question for those who transitioned into new roles

unrealskillz06

Did you have to take a pay cut because you weren't experienced enough?? For example, your background is strong in networking but not so much in systems? I keep running into this and it sucks.

Wrighty11xbl

I did this when ever I got asked about pay. Due to my lack of experence I just asked my employer or hopeful employer to match it so I wasnt worse off. Knowing that hte usual pay for an engineer is 25k I thought this would be a good trade off.

Remedymp

Your paycut is usually temporary because the initial budget might be low. But, going forward, this should increase.

Danielm7

I did, and more than made up for it later as the specialty has a generally higher salary cap. But, don't rely on the first new job to suddenly decide you're worth a lot more, you'll likely have to switch jobs again for a big step up.

NavyMooseCCNA

This happened at my current job. I had been a one man IT department for almost three hundred PCs and I got my first IT security role. They basically gave me the same salary as I had been getting....Glass Door showed almost $75K at the low end for what I do and my firm really made out. Next time I will not give salary history and will only give requirements.

unrealskillz06

I thought I was being taken advantage of. lol I guess I shouldn't worry so much then. I've had 2 different opportunities that I was hoping they would at least match my current role, but they wouldn't.

Kyrak

This is one of the reasons I did a transfer at my current company to IT Sec. I was able to keep my salary from the systems side. I would recommend doing this if possible then you can make a bigger move to the next company.

Quavo

Yes.. I took a paycut leaving helpdesk support going to desktop support believe it or not.

ThePawofRizzo

About 20 years ago to get into my first IT job I took a several thousand dollar cut, but the job I was leaving was a dead-end, non IT, and the new job was desktop support. I knew it would have better long-term prospects, and it did. Thankfully, my new employer at the desktop support job had implemented a "pay for cert" initiative where you got pay raises for getting certain CompTIA, Microsoft, and other vendor certs, and I got everything I could over about a year. That got me about even with my pre-IT job.

Those certifications then helped me get a new IT gig after getting a couple years experience, and I've had to make jumps every few years to other IT roles at other companies. (getting additional certs, education, and the job experience all helped greatly) That pay cut was a bit rough early in the career, but it was way worth it.

EANx

unrealskillz06 wrote: »

Did you have to take a pay cut because you weren't experienced enough?? For example, your background is strong in networking but not so much in systems? I keep running into this and it sucks.

The last time I took a major pay cut was because of the economy, the job I had and the situation was SWEET but it wasn't sustainable. Don't forget that there's more to compensation than just straight 40-hour compensation. Some jobs offer paid overtime, others offer a pension while still others offer paid tuition reimbursement and others offer awesome health benefits. Find the job whose bennies fit your needs/wants. Focus on the raw salary and you'll miss the one with a pension that pays for your housing.

Rosco2382

When I made the switch, I took a 7.5k pay cut. Within three years, I was making 150% more. Sometimes you have to gamble on yourself.

cyberguypr

^ I've never taken pay cuts to move across areas of practice but betting on yourself is absolutely a great way to put it.

unrealskillz06

I appreciate all of the feedback. I'm in a position where I KNOW I make more than average for my area but that isn't helping my knowledge/career growth and eventually its going to comeback to bite me. At least that is how I feel. Its just kind of difficult knowingly taking a hit in pay when you don't have a time frame of when you will make it back.

DatabaseHead

It depends where you are at in the life cycle of employment. The question can't be answered correctly until we know that.........