Career Crossroads: Programming vs Networking. Whats Your Experiences?

So Im at a crossroads in my career where if I stick with IT I need to specialize in a different role. I work for one of the worlds largest banks and investment firms and the job I do now is network accounts provisioning (creation, managing, etc) for users, email and security groups. I also handle granting access to all the network resources. My dept is Global Security. Well Ive now been at my company for almost 4 years and went from level II desktop support to this role over a year ago. This role is more administrative than anything with the way they have it setup. Other than yearly cost of living increases Im pretty much maxed out salarywise for this role (mid $50ks) and any similar roles in the company. Ive also found that when searching for jobs, and especially in this economy, there are not any available positions matching what I do and anything that is on the same level of education and experience is a drastic paycut.

Im now at the point where I am looking at two options:

Option #1. Since I have my A.S. in networking and 2 years of prior network admin & server support experience and a Network+, Im thinking of pursuing my CCNA and either trying to move into a network related role at work or try to find a junior level network admin role or even a NOC job. I would then build up my experience and then work towards a CCNP, keep building work experience and then start on my CCIE. Now I know if I can find something at my company, Im going to have start almost from scratch if not from scratch. Ill have to get a job monitoring in a NOC or a junior level network admin or assistant. Either way from what Ive seen in the occasional job listing, Id take a pretty decent paycut. I know in the long run though that I can pass my current salary and then far exceed it.

So what are peoples experiences and thoughts for those that have gone the network route and started entry level and worked their way through certs and gained experience and are now at a high level in networking. What do you think the job outlook is for network administrators and engineers?

Option #2 Im looking at breaking into programming. Now since I have no programming experience and my only education is Java back in college, I have to start from scratch. I would not consider getting a degree in this but instead I would self study starting with one language and moving on to the next. I also have some hookups to get some hands on programming practice and I will have job shadowing opportunities and maybe even a volunteer chance at work. If I could not get a position at work, Once Ive got some experience I would try to break in an entry level programming job as a junior programmer. Now with same situation as above, Id have to start at the bottom and take a pretty decent pay cut. I would build experience and develop my skills to where I can demonstrate valuable knowledge and skills and move up the programming chain. Again, I know I can then get to where Im at now salary wise after experience and then surpass it.

So what are peoples experience with this option? How are peoples views of programming and moving up? I can say that in all my job searches I have found no shortage of programming jobs available, of varying experience requirements. Also which language should I start with. Eventually I would try to get well versed in C/C#, Java, vb.net and some others.

I honestly am 50/50 on the fence about which way to go. Im most concerned with job outlook. I know programming will always be there. I figure networking will always be needed because you have to be onsite and available when needed onsite. I think networking has a much clearer path for me and I do have some experience and education in it. But developing has always interested me just as much.

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Comments

dynamik

You really need to figure out what interests you and pursue that. I think you can achieve similar salaries with both roles; you don't want to get stuck doing something you don't like and have to start over yet again. I'd encourage you to get your CCNA while simultaneously learning your programming language of choice, and then make a decision once you're more familiar with both.

mrkeety

Dude, stick with networking.

From all the articles I find online about IT jobs, seems that Network is on top to be safest/growing/ and $$$.

Programming can be outsourced very easily.

JoJoCal19

I do know that I have a deep interest in both networking and programming. I have a couple of years of networking experience and my degree is in networking and I already have my Network+. I can definitely say the networking route would be easier for me to roll into and I would definitely enjoy it.

On the programming side I have very basic coding practice(HTML,Java) and one Java class under my belt. From what Ive done and read up on programming I know I would enjoy that too. I also really want to create mobile phone programs and Windows/Mac apps so programming definitely interest me. I think I would enjoy it as well. Now as opposed to networking, I would have to start completely from scratch and for me it would most likely take a bit longer to get into than networking.

I definitely will take your advice Dynamik and study programming while Im starting on my CCENT/CCNA track. I know I will learn programming no matter what because I do want to create mobile phone apps for both Android and Apple platforms as a hobby. The hardest part for me with either option is the fact Im going to have to most likely start at the bottom of the totem pole whichever discipline I go into, although I stand a much better chance of taking less paycut with networking since I do have some experience and education already.

JoJoCal19

Is there anyone else here who has made a major switch in IT disciplines? Im curious to know peoples experiences with that.

dynamik

Dude, I actually think programmings pretty fun. However, I did four months of it straight (PHP/MySQL/HTML/CSS/JS) a few years ago, and it got really tedious after about a month. I enjoy small scripts/programs for automating things or improving things, but I just can't handle staring at code day after day after day. YMMV, but keep in mind that your perspective may change if you do it full-time.

Are you going to keep going with Java?

I actually used to be really into web development (even ran my own single-person business for a couple of years right out of high school), but now I'm mostly on the IT security side of things. It's kind of interesting because it's allowed me to pick up the web app hacking stuff really quickly. It's funny how the things you learn awhile ago that you don't plan on using anymore end up coming back in the end.

JoJoCal19

dynamik wrote: »

Dude, I actually think programmings pretty fun. However, I did four months of it straight (PHP/MySQL/HTML/CSS/JS) a few years ago, and it got really tedious after about a month. I enjoy small scripts/programs for automating things or improving things, but I just can't handle staring at code day after day after day. YMMV, but keep in mind that your perspective may change if you do it full-time.

Are you going to keep going with Java?

I actually used to be really into web development (even ran my own single-person business for a couple of years right out of high school), but now I'm mostly on the IT security side of things. It's kind of interesting because it's allowed me to pick up the web app hacking stuff really quickly. It's funny how the things you learn awhile ago that you don't plan on using anymore end up coming back in the end.

Yea that is definitely a though Ive had and I am weighing. Its like when people have hobbys and think that they should do it for a living and then when they start doing it every day they find they dont enjoy doing it day in and day out.

I think Java is good but I would prefer C/C# and VB/.Net languages because Cocoa is based on C and Windows apps is based on the latter.

The more Im thinking about it networking is gaining more favor because I can guarantee I would love to do it day in and day out and I would be able to transition into it much easier than programming.

chrisone

I think networking is funner and has more branches (Specializations) in the field. Programming is programming no matter what language your writing. You will sit for many hours in front of a screen pulling your hair out. In networking you get to travel, you also get to go outside physically interact with equipment, you get the chance to get out of your office/desk/cube and work in labs or go visit data closets or go outside and test wireless access points if your job requires wifi. I just see so much more possibilities and careers out of networking. I also see more fun in networking than programming. Also if your interested in programing , trust me networking has its form of programing language and you will do plenty of that as well inside of a switch or router.

my 5 cents

Turgon

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

Yea that is definitely a though Ive had and I am weighing. Its like when people have hobbys and think that they should do it for a living and then when they start doing it every day they find they dont enjoy doing it day in and day out.

I think Java is good but I would prefer C/C# and VB/.Net languages because Cocoa is based on C and Windows apps is based on the latter.

The more Im thinking about it networking is gaining more favor because I can guarantee I would love to do it day in and day out and I would be able to transition into it much easier than programming.

If you are into programming see if you can get into this sort of thing. Plenty of work since the taxpayers bailed out the banks..You can see that certs wouldn't really help a great deal with these roles.

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