Do you plan to retire from IT?

Bl8ckr0uter

And by this what I mean is in 20-40 years do you still see yourself working in IT? I know I don't..

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networker050184

I don't know personally. At this moment I don't see myself doing anything else, but 20 years is a long time. Who knows what will come a long in that time frame.

Bl8ckr0uter

I guess I should also ask how close you are to "retirement age"...

erpadmin

I'm 11 years from "retiring" so that I can get state-paid medical. Then I could technically retire, but I would have to take a reduced pension payment. I would have to work for the state for another 10 years so I don't see a reduced payment, but it's going to depend on a lot of factors.

Even if I do retire, I wouldn't stop working (though I doubt it'll be in IT). I could either work as an adjunct professor or become a librarian. I wouldn't bother with IT because as the head of my departments says...IT is a thankless job. I can't see myself doing what I do today in 20-30 years...or even managing others doing what I do now.

Devilsbane

I'm going with No. Of course I could be wrong because that is a long time away. But I don't see myself ever really retiring. It always seems that the people who retire and just sit at home waste away. The people that keep busy and continue to challenge themselves live longer happier lives. There just might be some more vacations or something!

As far as leaving IT... Where else would I go? Maybe something like teaching, but I would still be teaching IT.

Everyone

I'm sure I won't be in the same role, but I'll still be doing something IT related.

Monkerz

I choose no, only because in my dreams I see myself stumbling over a very large stock pile of thallanylzirconio methyl tetrahydro triazatriphenylene.

Tackle

Based on my financial planner, my target retirement is in about 49 years. (He estimated I'll need to be around 70).

I do not see myself in IT by retirement. I'm giving it 10 years (According to Turgon, 2-3 years) before I have to go back to school, because it will become a "survival of the fittest" battle for higher end cloud jobs which I do not and most likely will not have the expierence needed by the time it comes to it.

My plan is to go into the automotive repair industry, which according to the Jetsons will be completely different as well. Who knows what will happen.

Devilry

Nope, I plan on being in IT for about the next 10 years, while I build a real estate portfolio, then i'll switch full time into that.

Akaricloud

I guess I've never put all that much thought into it. I don't ever see myself retiring from IT in the sense that I want to get out of it but rather I might because of other opportunities. I'm currently in the process of starting a non-IT related business and as soon as that's profitable enough to live on I may make it a full-time effort. IT will always be a passion and I plan to keep active in it throughout my life in one way or another.

Version4

I will be working in IT until I am considered a useless old fossil, which some say I am already. I only have 10 years of professional IT experience not counting any perceived value from toying since a young age, vocational school, college, or a dash of self employment. Since the future path of the nation does not look as favorable as it once did, especially concerning retirement, I plan to stay in the field that I grew up in, have an education in, and have the most experience with. Well, IT has been my only work experience besides the normal McJob here and there.

So, no, I will not retire. I expect to work well into my 60s and 70s. I enjoy my field and I'm not in it for the ph4+ c4$h.

Sett

I am 25 now and so far I am more or less satisfied with how my IT carrier has developed. I'm not sure I won't be fed up with being a tech guy after 10 years though. I'll probably try to start my own small business after some time, it might or might not be IT related.

swild

I plan on staying in IT for life. I don't EVER see myself retiring. I love what I do. Yes, "it is a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it"

I enjoy the challenge and solitude. I like how I can never know everything there is to know. Why would I quit? Now, I don't plan on staying in America for the rest of my life, but thats another question.

Bl8ckr0uter

Interesting replies! For those of you that don't plan to retire (within the next few years which it seems no one is that close), what skills do you plan to pick up within the next 5 years to keep yourself valuable for the next 10 years?

swild

MS, CCIE:S, RHCE, that will cover the next 5 years, after that CCDE and possibly a doctorate.

pham0329

I'm only 23 so I'm far from retiring, but I plan on making/saving enough to invest in something so that I don't have to work till I'm 60. Perhaps flipping houses?

erpadmin

swild wrote: »

Yes, "it is a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it"

I enjoy the challenge and solitude. I like how I can never know everything there is to know. Why would I quit? Now, I don't plan on staying in America for the rest of my life, but thats another question.

I do exhibit introverted tendencies, but I'm more of an extrovert myself. I never cared that IT was a "thankless job" but I know that as I get older, my tolerance for the everyday b---s--- is becoming less and less.

"IT is a thankless job, and someone does have to do it...but it doesn't have to be me if I planned correctly."

BTW, since I'm in the NE and my pension will be above what the typical salary in the South is, I view the South as you would view the Carribean or any other place that's cheap outside of America.

TX is still my leading choice to retire to though....but I would never retire and live in NJ....that's financial suicide.

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Interesting replies! For those of you that don't plan to retire (within the next few years which it seems no one is that close), what skills do you plan to pick up within the next 5 years to keep yourself valuable for the next 10 years?

I plan on finishing my Masters and maybe start a Ph.D program. The Masters I'm sure of, but the doctorate I'm not. I have also decided that I will, in fact, gun for a MS in IS instead of an MBA with an IT focus. An MS in IS will still get me a IT management job, plus I would have no problem teaching after work. By the time I "retire" I want to have enough part-time experience with teaching that it might lead to full-time employment at wherever I retire to (like Austin...

). I think that approach will keep me quite valuable.

veritas_libertas

CCNA, CCNA Security, MCITP:EDST, CISSP

Long term I want to teach/consult and run a small business. That is probably 8 to 10 years out though. No, I don't see myself in IT Support/Administration long term.

drew726

I'll probably still be in my IT, but I plan on opening a restaurant as my fiance's parents have worked in restaurants their whole lives. So hopefully when I"m in my 40's I'll be a restaurant owner and something in the management side of things in IT.

chrisone

No, i plan on running my own non-IT related businesses and retiring off that. Its possible i move away from IT within the next 3 to 5 years if my businesses are successful and dedicate myself to that. I am tired of working for other people and making them money.

tpatt100

I would really like to get into teaching basic IT at a college some day. Of course at the rate I am going I might be in management or something higher up in the food chain but to be honest I would get a great paycheck but be bored out of my skull.

I want to get into teaching so I can stay enthusiastic about tech and hopefully help younger people in college stay excited about IT but have realistic expectations

RomBUS

Yes I do honestly (hopefully higher in the corporate ladder though). I dont see myself in any other industry, I know that people change career paths all the time but at my young age I know I probably won't be as good doing anything else (maybe). Right now its a yes IT is my life

SteveLord

erpadmin wrote: »

but I would never retire and live in NJ....that's financial suicide.

You know you want to be with the thugs on Raymond Blvd in Newark or the orange Italians at Seaside Heights.

blargoe

I plan to ride the IT wave as far as it will take me, but I'm not under any illusion that I will likely still be employed in this sector 35 years from now.

powerfool

Well, this is certainly a perplexing issue. First, I don't think I will ever truly retire. The idea of moving to a reduced income just to sit around and become senile... doesn't sound appealing. I definitely am looking to diversify my income, which may include investments in property and businesses; if that is the case, maybe I shift to being an active manager of those investments as my primary job. However, I could always see IT being a major component of what I do. Career-wise, however, I would love to move into a CIO position for a Fortune 500 company.

Priston

I could see myself teaching IT at a community college when I'm in my 50s and 60s

advanex1

I can only hope so.

jamesleecoleman

Priston wrote: »

I could see myself teaching IT at a community college when I'm in my 50s and 60s

I've been thinking about doing that for a while.

I honestly didn't think there was a way to retire from IT.

blargoe

jamesleecoleman wrote: »

I've been thinking about doing that for a while.

I honestly didn't think there was a way to retire from IT.

That's a good point... most of the "near-retirement" age people I've encountered getting out of IT were rather forced out. I think we can look at what happened to some of these people and learn from what happened to them... for instance, not expecting to learn COBOL or mainframes, go to a big company, and expect to still have a job there for 40 years.

This is one reason why I'm leery of getting into middle management. Those types of positions, filled by people in their mid-40's or thereabouts, seemed to be the positions that went out the door when times were tight at some other companies I have worked for.

Webmaster

I voted no because I don't expect to ever retire from IT entirely as in doing something completely different. I'd like to build (solar powered) boats someday, but they'd be packed with "IT".

tpatt100 wrote: »

I would really like to get into teaching basic IT at a college some day. Of course at the rate I am going I might be in management or something higher up in the food chain but to be honest I would get a great paycheck but be bored out of my skull.

I want to get into teaching so I can stay enthusiastic about tech and hopefully help younger people in college stay excited about IT but have realistic expectations

At the end of the day it's not about the paycheck (imho) but how you spent your day and that sure sounds like a good way to spend it.

xenodamus

I'm not sure I'll ever "retire" in the sense of never working again. I like making money too much.

At this point in my life I'm far from retirement age (25), but I work for an organization that I truly like, and feel valued by. They're providing an employer paid pension and I'm socking away cash in my 403(b) every month as well. I can really see myself sticking around here for the long haul. I know that no one believes in sticking with the same job like that anymore, but there are people in our IT department that have been bouncing around various IT roles within the organization for 40 years in some cases. They really like to keep good people around and I may just do that.