Think back to when you started your career: Are you where you thought you'd be?

docrice

I'm about maybe 15 years into constantly staring at blinking lights. Never specifically dreamed of being where I am today, but it's not a bad place. All I initially wanted to be was a good Windows sysadmin. I'm a network janitor now.

I work with smart people in a strong small company with lots of well-paying customers. I swim with the packets. I identify and shoot down the ones with red food coloring. I watch green text on black background scroll by and it somehow makes me feel important while it convinces others around me that I'm zoned in. My emails contain words like, "This user at this IP address seems to be using forbidden application X - go forth and provide IT smackdown." The keywords "permit" and "any" in an ACL makes me cringe. My creative outlet involve Visio paintings. Mentioning "policy enforcement" in meetings seems to garner attention.

I make a janitor's wage, my TCP/IP kung-fu is weak, and I'm still quite clueless.

vCole

thetrillionaire wrote: »

I started mt IT Career in the navy in 2007 when I was promoted to IT3 (I did my first 1 1/2 year in deck). I got out in 2009 as an IT2(SW) with the goal of becoming a Systems Administrator pulling down 100K by the time I was 30 was 24 at the time, I first started out as a NOC/Helpdesk Technician at a Army intelligence agency. I got bit by the network bug an switched my focus to become a network engineer. I am currently a SR Network Engineer at a 3 letter agency pulling down 100k and I get to play with some of the coolest platforms vendors have to offer.

That's awesome, I'll be 25 on Saturday and I hope to be at $100k by 30 (Sooner would be better!).

Miski

I guess this would be a good place to make my first post

Well, I can't really "look back" as I am at the start of what I hope to be a long career in IT. But I am very happy with where I am.
I guess my start of IT was more by deliberate choice than anything else. I completed my A Levels, got accepted into Uni but chose to do an apprenticeship where I was funded to complete a few certs. I wanted a chance to see if I could make something out of what used to be a hobby and if not, then I could always return to my languages and law degree

I know it'll be hard work and I'm prepared for that especially as I'd be competing against those with more years under the belt and a degree but I feel as long as I can demonstrate a knowledge and understanding, that is the best I can do.

I'm very happy with where I am. I have a job with a absolutely amazing company and managers (words cannot describe how lovely they are, I think they have spoiled me and my expectations of any future managers) that are not only lovely but are willing to take the time out to teach me and let me shadow them. My company will pay for my training and certifications, they are willing to let me choose my course and are even flexible when it would clash with working hours. That counts for a lot in my eyes and for 1 year in IT. I don't think i've done too badly. I only hope the future continues as I have started

dave330i

Been in the IT business just over a year now. When I was studying for my CCNA last spring, I figured I'd march down the Cisco path and become a CCIE. My first job was Network Systems Admin at a small startup. Learned a lot about how to install and setup a Win2k8 AD, SQL, SharePoint, firewall, VMware, backup, network configuration, etc. Now I'm at a small gov't facility learning more about VMware, Solarwinds, SAN, and more SQL. I've been fortunate that my first 2 jobs are ideal environment to learn a lot about a lot of stuff.

Given myself a goal of getting close to my ME earnings in 3 years. It's aggressive, but with the right certs and current location its doable, I think.

vCole wrote: »

That's awesome, I'll be 25 on Saturday and I hope to be at $100k by 30 (Sooner would be better!).

Good goal to have. First achieved it when I was 27. Although I didn't feel rich when I met it. Another interesting goal is $1k day (assuming you're hourly). Did that at 27 as well. It was a really long day.

TechJunky

I am content for now. I have done every gamet of IT and have enjoyed all of them differently. I am currently working as a Windows Engineer again and I have to say, I rather enjoy this position compared to the management positions in the past. No more long hours, having to deal with HR, employees, budgeting etc.

I work with a great bunch of folks and I couldn't be happier.

I too made over 100k when I was 25. I have learned it's not all about the money. I recently turned down a Management position and took my current position instead. The pay was about $10more an hr when you looked at it salary wise, but the actual time in management positions never accurately reflect those numbers due to all the extra overtime you tend to work.

I never had an end goal of where I wanted to be in IT. I just knew I wanted to enjoy my work and make enough money to pay off my bills and have time left to spend it with the ones I love. My current role fits this nicely.

I make enough that I have no desire to go back to school, but if I decide to switch careers anytime soon I know I will have to get a degree to do so. So I am contemplating that currently.

Ideally I want to have my vehicle and all toys paid off here in the next couple years and then decide what I want to do from there.

I don't see myself sticking in the technology role that much longer as I really want to get into teaching and dealing with children.

Do what you enjoy for a living. Money can bring fun, but it cant bring contentment.

lsud00d

dave330i wrote: »

Good goal to have. First achieved it when I was 27. Although I didn't feel rich when I met it. Another interesting goal is $1k day (assuming you're hourly). Did that at 27 as well. It was a really long day.

I'm 25 and I'm only half that

vCole

lsud00d wrote: »

I'm 25 and I'm only half that

I'm 25 a little more than half that as well. So don't feel TOO bad. (A lot of it is my own fault!)

lsud00d

vCole wrote: »

I'm 25 a little more than half that as well. So don't feel TOO bad. (A lot of it is my own fault!)

Well...I also blame it on the economy and the section of IT I was in...started FTE in 2007, the economy turned to **** right after that, and working in higher education...we didn't see raises/rarely saw promotions up until now...which is why I left and got a promotion/raise to Sys Admin II

Looking to get tier III in 2013 probably...hopefully be ~$15k more by then.

ConradJ

Not quite there yet, but getting closer.

vCole

ConradJ wrote: »

I'm 25 in less than a month and I'm a quarter of that ($26,871 p.a.)... Yeah, welcome to small-town rural Canada. Woo!

I desperately want to move, but have no idea where to go.

Anyway, to answer to the original question...

No. This place is too small to do the stuff I want to. Our clients never range more than 25 users, we don't even have any with more than one server. I have absolute freedom in my day to go wherever I want, as long as the work gets done, but I barely scrape by and do a very limited, and limiting job because although my boss is fantastic, he is very short sighted and runs by the idea of "if we haven't used it, we won't because we don't know how it works".

The only solution is to move to a different province, but I don't know of anywhere in Canada I can really reach a good IT goal. I want to play with big-boys toys, that's my ambition. And that won't happen in New Brunswick.

Any Canadians able to suggest a place to go for a person with 4 years desktop support and basic one server environment knowledge and experience? I have a huge interest in virtualization, and play with Hyper-V and VMware but have virtually no backing from the higher ups to get into it at any level.

As far as wanting to play with VMware & Hyper-V - may be a good idea to get a small lab at home. Teach yourself the basics at least. I would search for jobs you'd LIKE to have in other locations to give you a good idea where to relocate to.

GAngel

ConradJ wrote: »

I'm 25 in less than a month and I'm a quarter of that ($26,871 p.a.)... Yeah, welcome to small-town rural Canada. Woo!

I desperately want to move, but have no idea where to go.

Anyway, to answer to the original question...

No. This place is too small to do the stuff I want to. Our clients never range more than 25 users, we don't even have any with more than one server. I have absolute freedom in my day to go wherever I want, as long as the work gets done, but I barely scrape by and do a very limited, and limiting job because although my boss is fantastic, he is very short sighted and runs by the idea of "if we haven't used it, we won't because we don't know how it works".

The only solution is to move to a different province, but I don't know of anywhere in Canada I can really reach a good IT goal. I want to play with big-boys toys, that's my ambition. And that won't happen in New Brunswick.


Any Canadians able to suggest a place to go for a person with 4 years desktop support and basic one server environment knowledge and experience? I have a huge interest in virtualization, and play with Hyper-V and VMware but have virtually no backing from the higher ups to get into it at any level.

Right now the money is in alberta if you're looking to stay in the country and have the best cost of living. If you speak french ottawa or mtrl would be next then tor and last vancouver. I went abroad but i made $1xx working in toronto for finance companies. Any environment you go into in a bigger city as a lvl 2/3 will be running virtualization of some type. I suggest xen server because it will run on pretty much any hardware and you can find a used dual core with 4-8gb for nothing.

ConradJ

ESXi box at home, a couple of spare servers at work as toys. Definitely places to lab should I find the time.

dave330i

ConradJ wrote: »

Thankfully I have an ESXi server at home, and a Hyper-V Server box at work to tinker with. I do run labs, but can't afford to get VCP, and my boss sees no benefit in certs so I'm stumped on that one.
I will work toward getting certs in Hyper-V though.

Never understood the can't afford VCP argument. You're investing in yourself. Here's my personal story. I paid for the VCP4 exam & training class out of pocket. Total cost was just over $3k. After I got my VCP I switched jobs and got a $20k raise. Pretty good ROI.

reloaded

I joined the USAF back in 2002, with the original plan being to fix computers. However, I went "open electronics" in my career area and ended up in Tech Control (mostly Telecom/WAN for you civilian types). While in the Air Force, I went to school full time for five years, obtaining three degrees (two AAS and a BA). Then I moved out to Northern Virginia/DC Metro and got a job with a major defense contractor as a Network Engineer. While the job was more of an Operations & Maintenance position working in the NOC, management sold the job to me as a "continuity" position. I was the only day engineer among a peer-base of about 15 shift technicians, which allowed me to learn/do everything, including Tier-3 router work.

When the contract changed over this year, they required us to get Sec+ and CCENT to meet DoD requirements. I was already on my way to CCNA, but the management of this particular company was NOT interested in anyone obtaining more than the minimum or enhancing one's own education. So I found a job with another contractor (same government customer), was placed in a TRUE engineering position, and the company constantly mentions education and certification in any department meeting I go to.

Btw, I make 20% more and will be making six fig's next year. I'm 28 years old.

ConradJ

It is a great return on investment, yes.

One day I will do it, just a matter of time now.

dave330i wrote: »

Never understood the can't afford VCP argument. You're investing in yourself. Here's my personal story. I paid for the VCP4 exam & training class out of pocket. Total cost was just over $3k. After I got my VCP I switched jobs and got a $20k raise. Pretty good ROI.