Progression Path? End game?

For those of us who are 30+ or for just anyone who thinks about the future. What is the end game? Where does the progression path lead?

Many people on here are working towards MCSEs, CCNPs, CCIEs... but after landing great gigs as system adminstrators, network engineers, consultants, network architects....etc. What is next or is that it??

I am 32 and I don't see myself wanting to be that disgruntled bitter 50 year old still doing tech stuff, and I have seen a few of these people.

I work in a cryptography/secure voice lab and I am a manager. But, I am also involved with the technical side including some limited network and database admin tasks. I have enjoyed doing some of these basic IT certs. I have hit a crossroads of sorts, I feel like I have to pick...

I figure by the beginning of the next year, I will look for a new position, so I have been pondering this..

For all of you IT guys, besides being rich and retired... what job/position do you see yourself in when you're 50?

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Comments

LonerVamp

Pmorgan2 said:

NetworkNewb said:

Working my way into a Security Engineer role atm, than maybe move into an architect role at some point.... Kinda think a CISO type role would be interesting down the line (like 10-15 years from now). Not 100% sure I want to do that though. Well see, I like figuring out and developing things that allow people to more productive atm but guessing after doing that for awhile it would change.

Hey, we're on the same path!

I have probably given this subject too much thought:

Umm, yeah, you've given this some thought...! lol

Looks pretty similar to me, though my help desk is shorter, sysadmin is longer, and I didn't get a supervisor/chief position (team lead).

On your way to CISO, which is deceptively stil far away, do you plan to get managerial experience? I mean, dealing with direct reports. To me, CISO is often about managing people and managing projects and less about doing. That Architect role can do some project work and direction/planning, but otherwise there's a lot of "doing." (I'm projecting, because, as I said, my route has been very similar.)

LonerVamp

Neil86 said:

Networks/computers used to be exciting. It has dwindled over the past year. I never really had an end game, just wanted to get into IT and see where it took me. Hoping for a possible career change soon.

Still very exciting!

Infosex

At this point, I'd be happy to eat grass, drink mud, and dig trenches.

Pmorgan2

LonerVamp said:
Umm, yeah, you've given this some thought...! lol Looks pretty similar to me, though my help desk is shorter, sysadmin is longer, and I didn't get a supervisor/chief position (team lead).

On your way to CISO, which is deceptively stil far away, do you plan to get managerial experience? I mean, dealing with direct reports. To me, CISO is often about managing people and managing projects and less about doing. That Architect role can do some project work and direction/planning, but otherwise there's a lot of "doing." (I'm projecting, because, as I said, my route has been very similar.)

I did a few years of "management" in the military, which is those supervisor/chief years there. I would take a management role in 5-10 years to prep myself for CISO. I just have to learn how to manage without all the yelling and death glares.

UnixGuy

Pmorgan2 said:

)

I did a few years of "management" in the military, which is those supervisor/chief years there. I would take a management role in 5-10 years to prep myself for CISO. I just have to learn how to manage without all the yelling and death glares.

This is a key skill for all c-suite roles. The ability to influence stakeholders, manage people and play the politics game are very important skills.

tedjames

UnixGuy said:

Pmorgan2 said:

)

I did a few years of "management" in the military, which is those supervisor/chief years there. I would take a management role in 5-10 years to prep myself for CISO. I just have to learn how to manage without all the yelling and death glares.

This is a key skill for all c-suite roles. The ability to influence stakeholders, manage people and play the politics game are very important skills.

Or as I like to say, lead people and manage processes. I think that saying came from the military. Either way, I like it.

thomas_

For me it would be to get to a senior level while working on a side hustle. If the side hustle ever took off, then I could decide if I wanted to keep doing both or just make the side hustle my main hustle.

JDMurray

Both what you are interested in doing and what you are capable of doing well will change as you age. I use to think that I would be writing code well into my elderly years. However, at 40 I began to realize the possibility that I would one day not want to write code to earn a living. Before that day arrived, I started to shift my career path to information security. Now, years later as a successful InfoSec pro, I can see a future-state where I will not want to do InfoSec anymore. Recently, random chance swung my career path into management (of people, not things). Maybe this path will take me to whatever the universe decides my end-game will be.

thomas_

JDMurray said:

Recently, random chance swung my career path into management (of people, not things).

Hopefully your well compensated for managing people. I find managing people to be one of the most frustrating things ever.

Infosec_Sam

JDMurray said:

Both what you are interested in doing and what you are capable of doing well will change as you age. I use to think that I would be writing code well into my elderly years. However, at 40 I began to realize the possibility that I would one day not want to write code to earn a living. Before that day arrived, I started to shift my career path to information security. Now, years later as a successful InfoSec pro, I can see a future-state where I will not want to do InfoSec anymore. Recently, random chance swung my career path into management (of people, not things). Maybe this path will take me to whatever the universe decides my end-game will be.

That's some really impressive foresight! I'm a big fan of merging what I like doing with what I'm good at, and it looks like that's something you're well on your way to mastering. I'm kind of in the same boat with random chance, so I felt a bit out of my element for a while, but it's getting much better now. I'm excited to see which way my career will go in the next 5-10 years!