3rd year in i.t

healthyboy

hello guys i am coming to my 3rd year in i.t, i have being in i.t for 2 years and 8 months, my progression has being ok but could have progressed much faster with much pay but couldnt due to unlucky stuff, even though i worked hard,

what i wanna know is where were you guys in your 3 year i.t work experience anerversery like how much were you making what were you doing

FloOz

do you have any certs? and what are you exactly doing in IT? desktop support?networking?

Iristheangel

It's not wise to compare yourself to others as far as pay. Someone else's 3rd year in IT can mean something completely different than your 3rd year in IT. They could have graduated college with a B.S. or M.S. and started working, had a ton of certifications, networked with the right people, or were more presentable/professional/well-spoken than the competition.

paul78

Trying to compare your current situation with other people is probably not going to help how you feel about your own progress. Everyone gets into a rut or hit a plateau at time during their career. At year 3, you still have a lot of good and bad times to look toward to. It's a journey, enjoy what you have.

At my own 3-4 year mark which is a long long long long time ago, I started as a software engineer, I was making 42k USD which if CPI adjusted for today is about 62k (I think).

kgb

pruspeter wrote: »

do you have any certs? and what are you exactly doing in IT? desktop support?networking?

He's definitely not proof-reading technical manuals, that's for sure.

cyberguypr

@Yuck HAHA!

@healthyboy If you are asking as a general reference, cool. But listen to paul78. Using others' as a point of reference may end up with you getting frustrated. Don't look at your situation through the lens of others. If you have specific goals that you believe are not being achieved work hard identifying the elements that are holding you back. Establish a plan, execute it and enjoy your eventual triumph. Don't forget to be flexible. Life comes at you fast and will mess up your plans in the blink of an eye. Just reposition yourself and play the cards you are dealt.

Iristheangel

@healthyboy - What kgb said probably sounded harsh but there's some truth to it. How you present yourself in business isn't just about how you look or your physical mannerisms. If you can't master the basics of grammar, spelling, and proper sentence structure, you're dead in the water as far as promotions and opportunities. I'm one of those people who had to learn the hard way that I needed to proofread before send things out. I have the tendency to type a stream of thought out so quickly that I forget a word or two in there. Here on the forums, it's not so bad. In a work environment though, it can change your superior's opinions of you regardless of your technical abilities.

That's just the most glaringly obvious thing. From what I remember (and I could be wrong), you don't have any certifications or formal secondary education. Both those things are big issues. It's not that you can't make it without them but it's going to be a lot harder for you without it. Seeking learning opportunities and education is a way to show your current/future employers that you are bettering yourself and to draw positive attention to yourself.

Keep your chin up and do what you need to do to be the best job candidate out there

kgb

I know what I said could be considered harsh.

However, I don't care if english is your first or 5th language. You are on an english speaking forum asking for professional advice. If you want someone to take time away from what they are doing to give you advice, take the 1-5min to proof read and spell check. Harsh again, but it's pure laziness.

I'll let myself get suckered in... If you are really struggling after taking the time to try to fix it, keep your posts/questions to:

- bullet points of each separate thought
- example 2
- example 3

Will be much easier to read and understand.

Devilry

I will agree with what has already been said here. Its comparing apples and oranges. You need to set personal goals for yourself based upon your needs and desires then figure out how you can obtain those goals.

the_Grinch

I feel your pain as rut does not properly describe the state of my IT career. I too am in my third year of fulltime IT work and I thought I would have progressed much further then I have. A small part is the economy, but most of it is due to a lack of motivation. In your case you definitely need to get some certifications under your belt and look to begin a degree. Obviously experience is important, but at the three year mark you still need that combo of experience and credentials. Keep your head up and know that at some point (if you work hard) you'll get where you want to be.

RouteThisWay

EDIT: Job title/current certification of OP is too personal for him. No probs.

Heny '06

I think the generation today, me including have unreasonable expectations, especially with salaries and job duties. Granted there are always exceptions to the rule but for the most part 3 years in your still learning honing and perfecting the skills sets hopefully you will continue to utilize 20-30years from now. Keep it in perspective, "short steps, long vision" create short, intermediate, and long term goals. People will see if you’re someone they want to invest their money (salary, training money etc.) with, that won’t be an issue as long as you’re confident in yourself and abilities and you continue to strive for the best for yourself in this world.

I use the analogy, "Life is like a marathon were all running towards a goal" so of us will get tired and stop running, some will take a detour and get on the wrong path, to eventually get back on the main road continuing on to their goal. The most important thing is to never stop running, because as soon as you stop, you have quit on life. Keep running never stop, your goals and accomplishment will come, sooner than you may think. Just got to keep running my friend. Best of luck.

paul78

Heny '06 wrote: »

I use the analogy, "Life is like a marathon were all running towards a goal" ....

Pssst.. Don't forget that Pheidippides collapsed and died once he reached his goal.

Great points though...

@healthyboy - perhaps if you offered a bit more context to your posts, it will gartner more relevant responses to what you seek. There really isnt anything wrong if being impatient or frustrated. If you can constructively turn those feelings of ambition into actionable plans perhaps it can adjust your thinking about your situation. As for moving ahead in one's career, not everyone wants to be a VP or CIO in the IT field and not everyone is cut out for it. Sometimes its just a matter of understanding your own capabilities and limitations and living up to it.

I know plenty of folks in IT that have been around 20 to 30 years and they are very happy to be where they are at and to retire at their role.

RouteThisWay

I'll take Heny's post further.

It isn't about unreasonable expectations. I think having high expectations for yourself is a good thing- it can drive ambition and success. It is why I work hard and expect myself to solve complex problems- thus, increasing my job title and pay every few years (which is working).

The problem is in today's generation (mine- I am 25), people don't want to put the work and dedication necessary to achieve those results. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law give me **** all of the time about how I don't have a degree, but make more than twice as much as them (bro makes 32k a year, sister makes $12/hr). Wife's 27 year old brother lives with us (moving out in Sept- kid on the way) and her 31 year old sister lives at home with her dad. They say that "shows a problem in society where someone without a degree makes more than educated people". I guess they expected someone to come banging down their door after they obtained a degree.

I told them they should have developed a marketable skill in addition to their degree. Hard work actually requires working hard and dedication requires you know.. dedicating yourself to your craft.

I have no problem with people expecting more out of themselves, no matter how unrealistic it is. Just be prepared to put in the time and effort to get there.

paul78

RouteThisWay wrote: »

They say that "shows a problem in society where someone without a degree makes more than educated people". I guess they expected someone to come banging down their door after they obtained a degree.

Yep, its odd to me that people equate a degree with being educated. Having a degree doesnt equate with being educated. Of course, I am probably biased as a college dropout.

But you did hit the nail on the head, its really about having a marketable skill. Its all supply and demand.

RouteThisWay

I agree Paul

And again, I may be a bit bias as well due to not having a degree. However, I am first to admit that a degree would probably open more doors for me. But it isn't the end all be all of success. A degree will get you more interviews I am sure- but it is still up to you to demonstrate the knowledge required to obtain the position.

Keener

I cannot stand the entitlement mentality that a lot of people have these days. A lot of kids are not being taught how to work for something. Instead they are given things to them because they "participated."

To add to the "educated" point. There are different types of education. There is your typical education of going to school and being taught and there is education by doing. Knowledge, however gained, is still knowledge. Henry Ford is a perfect example. He was actually taken to court and a lawyer tried to prove him ignorant. He didn't have a formal education. His response shut everyone up as he knew a lot about his desired industry and knew how to get the answer to any other question that he was asked. He wasn't ignorant, just "specialized," and didn't worry about all the "general" knowledge that everyone else did. However, he busted his butt in the direction he wanted to go.

There are many others that do not have formal/college educations. Personally, I do. It opened doors for me. We all have our different paths. Life is a marathon, not a sprint (I have to remind myself this all the time as I want everything now! LOL).

dave330i

While life is a marathon, its nice to have near term goal. My goal is to become an Obama millionaire by the end of my 3rd year in IT. As a career switcher, I have some advantages I can leverage to help me achieve my goal. Its an ambitious goal and my chance of success is slim, but if the goal isn't high, what's the point?

Akaricloud

Like others have pointed out this comparison won't mean much but I'll answer just for fun.

After 3 years I was still in Desktop Support getting paid junk. Not because I didn't have opportunity to advance but because I was working on my MCITP and MIS degree. Shortly after I transitioned to a Systems Administration position that pays decently.

Sometimes you have to make investments in yourself in order to get ahead. While I could have progressed quicker without a degree, I will top out much higher in the end because of it. A lot of the people you see making quick advances for a few years without good education will stay there for the rest of their careers.

shodown

In my 3rd year. I was at my 1st Senior Network Engineer job. I bounced around a few NOCs, but pretty much changed Job Roles every year. I pretty much did nothing but work, study, and look for jobs. You can move up fast, but have to be willing to completely change what you are doing. I had to move from the Midwest to the East coast, back to the midwest and back to the east coast to move up.

astrogeek

@healthyboy - I'm in somewhat the same position but you really can't compare yourself to others because that's a good recipe for getting frustrated at your current job. My best advice is to ask your boss what he/she would like from you and ways you can grow that would benefit your company. There is a lot of hard work starting out, I know that myself, and sometimes it feels like I'm just spinning my wheels, but as long as you keep pushing forward eventually things will start moving. As far as pay goes, it will come with time. A lot of that depends not just on experience, but education, certifications, and communication skills, (as some have so eloquently pointed out ). This is why it's difficult to compare yourself to others because those you feel equal to may have other qualities that are much more valuable to the company.

lantech

Healtyboy, what have you done to progress in your career? Working hard is definatly one aspect of it but it's not the only aspect. Continued training (whether classroom, OJT or on your own) is part of it. Getting certifications and or degrees will certainly help as well. You also need to keep your expectations realistic. If you aren't doing anything to advance your knowledge and just relying on hard work for advancement then your progression will be slower than someone elses.

techdudehere

I think one first needs to define progress. If you want to make a lot of money, you probably want to look at your coaching skills. If you just love technology, then you want to become an expert in the part of the field you are most interested in. JOAT jobs are plentiful but I think you will find them unrewarding in the long term.