Need some advice

cisco_ma

I basically have a couple of options as far as jobs go and I'm wondering what your thoughts are. I have a potential to move into a medium sized organization (~1000 employees), but with very few IT staff. I would have the opportunity to basically manage the entire network infrastructure. A very technical job, which is what I really enjoy doing right now.

I also may have the opportunity to move into a very large, well-known corporation doing an entry-level IT project management job. I really think I would enjoy this job as well and my long-term career goals involve getting into project management and then higher, possibly an IT director or something.

Travel time isn't really a factor because they're both about the same. Just wondering what your thoughts are about getting a job that I know I would enjoy based on long-term goals vs. doing what you love now and continuing with technical work but potentially not having an opportunity like this again. When is it time to move on, etc?

Thanks!

Turgon

cisco_ma wrote: »

I basically have a couple of options as far as jobs go and I'm wondering what your thoughts are. I have a potential to move into a medium sized organization (~1000 employees), but with very few IT staff. I would have the opportunity to basically manage the entire network infrastructure. A very technical job, which is what I really enjoy doing right now.

I also may have the opportunity to move into a very large, well-known corporation doing an entry-level IT project management job. I really think I would enjoy this job as well and my long-term career goals involve getting into project management and then higher, possibly an IT director or something.

Travel time isn't really a factor because they're both about the same. Just wondering what your thoughts are about getting a job that I know I would enjoy based on long-term goals vs. doing what you love now and continuing with technical work but potentially not having an opportunity like this again. When is it time to move on, etc?

Thanks!

A fork in the road for you. I would go the PM route personally. The organisational, commercial roles are popular these days and a safer track to higher management than staying technical. If you want to be an architect either can work for you in the long run but I think the PM route is better providing you continue with your technical self studies and avoid managing by objective..which anyone with a lobotomy can do. Architects need excellent people skills these days, presentations skills, business acumen. You can learn that in the PM role and stay current on technology on the side. You cannot learn those skills easily staring at a command prompt all day. You will not be in the right meetings or running them. Increasingly techs are now clockwork. Everyone can look at a watch and tell the time, who cares how it actually works. I might add that in my experience the glut of people earning the big salaries in IT want technology explanation on a coat hanger and dont want to talk technical stuff.