Any advice?

I was recently faced with a tough decision: stay with my current employer or accept a job offer from my previous employer who was trying to win me back.

I am currently employed as a systems support engineer for an IT consulting company. We have several clients that we handle (from 10 employees / 1 location / 1 server up to 100 employees / 5 locations / 6 servers). I am the support person for all of our clients for helpdesk issues, plus I handle server maintenance, backups, antivirus, Exchange 2003 / 2007, and DR planning. Also, I am involved with certain projects such as when clients are upgrading their systems or opening new locations (wiring the new locations, deploying new servers and PCs, etc). This job gives me a lot of opportunity and experience, which I love, but the pay is......lacking.

My previous employer was a relatively small company (80 employees / 2 locations / 3 servers) with a very static, unchanging environment. I was essentially charged with doing helpdesk tasks and very basic server maintenance. There were many times where I had to look hard to find things to do as it was not often very busy or challenging.

Here is the deal: I have 2 years of IT experience, a bachelor's degree in MIS, and I am A+, Network+, and MCSA Server 2003 certified. I currently earn less than $40k per year, and the offer to go back to my old company (and to less responsibility and experience boosting opportunities) was $46k.

After much consideration, I turned down the offer to move back to the old gig. While it would pay more in the short term, I would lose a lot of potential experience and I don't think that there would be much room for growth. Now, the company I work for currently is small, but I still think that I am quite underpaid for the responsibilities that I have.

Did I make the right move or did I shoot myself in the foot?

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

mikej412

strazor wrote: »

Did I make the right move or did I shoot myself in the foot?

Let's see.

Short term gain and long term stagnation.

Keep racking up valuable experience that will only make you more valuable to more companies in the future -- and hopefully to your existing company next salary review time.

Hum..... Decisions. Decisions.

Yeah -- you made the right choice.

Going back to work for a previous employer isn't a problem as long as you're going back in a higher position and it advances your career (or you got laid off and need a pay check to keep the house).

strazor

Thanks, Mike. I think I made the right decision as well - just needed to hear it from some other folks too!

SteveLord

Agreed that pay is REALLY lacking. Always keep an eye open.

Turgon

strazor wrote: »

I was recently faced with a tough decision: stay with my current employer or accept a job offer from my previous employer who was trying to win me back.

I am currently employed as a systems support engineer for an IT consulting company. We have several clients that we handle (from 10 employees / 1 location / 1 server up to 100 employees / 5 locations / 6 servers). I am the support person for all of our clients for helpdesk issues, plus I handle server maintenance, backups, antivirus, Exchange 2003 / 2007, and DR planning. Also, I am involved with certain projects such as when clients are upgrading their systems or opening new locations (wiring the new locations, deploying new servers and PCs, etc). This job gives me a lot of opportunity and experience, which I love, but the pay is......lacking.

My previous employer was a relatively small company (80 employees / 2 locations / 3 servers) with a very static, unchanging environment. I was essentially charged with doing helpdesk tasks and very basic server maintenance. There were many times where I had to look hard to find things to do as it was not often very busy or challenging.

Here is the deal: I have 2 years of IT experience, a bachelor's degree in MIS, and I am A+, Network+, and MCSA Server 2003 certified. I currently earn less than $40k per year, and the offer to go back to my old company (and to less responsibility and experience boosting opportunities) was $46k.

After much consideration, I turned down the offer to move back to the old gig. While it would pay more in the short term, I would lose a lot of potential experience and I don't think that there would be much room for growth. Now, the company I work for currently is small, but I still think that I am quite underpaid for the responsibilities that I have.

Did I make the right move or did I shoot myself in the foot?

My advice is never go back. Sure you may earn a few thousand more by returning but what about future rises? They would probably be meagre. In this game its more about what you *have* done as opposed to what certifications say you *can* do. In the job you have there is opportunity to do a lot of things, good exposure. If you want to earn more money go for more hands on and projects in the job you have. What I tend to see is people getting comfortable in roles while hoping that more certifications will give them a lift up. If only it was that simple, everyone is doing that. To differentiate yourself focus your energy and time getting into more meetings and trying new ways to make a contribution at work. That is what will really set you apart from the multitude of people who have more or less the same skills sugar coated with more certifications. Upgrade, migrate, relocate, colocate, improve, document and do some more certifications on your personal time.