Getting to the next level

sharpy56

Hi Guys,

I was just wondering, have you ever been in a job for a while, building knowledge of things and thinking "how do I actually get to the next level". I know in my job I can see that I know somethings more then others, but others know more then me in other areas.

Is there a way that you can study something in particular or do something to help "push" yourself up to that next level? Or you have been stuck in this place and how did you get out of it?

YuckTheFankees

I'm currently in a position like that, even though I have only been here for 5 months. I'm just beginning to feel comfortable with the network, how to troubleshoot the network, and handling outages. Out of the 25 or so techs, I' competing with probably with 2-3 to be top dog and move to the network engineering team. Luckily, the "top" guy is arrogant and a lot of people in management doesn't like him.

Here's my plan to push me to the next level.

* Finish ICND2
* Start CCNP
* Learn wireshark in-depth

With those goals I listed above, I have set a goal of next summer to get to my network engineering team.

paul78

Sure.. I think about it everyday. A large part is what you would consider as the next-level? Education is one one of the factors in career management so its not a silver bullet. Other factors can include: organisational skills, ability to communicate effectively, self representation, and basic self-marketing.

Vik210

+1 for Paul.
That’s what you need. A right mixture of all the ingredients! There is no one thing that can do the trick; otherwise everyone would be doing the same!

drkat

im gonna be a cattle driver when i grow up

ChickenNuggetz

sharpy56 wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I was just wondering, have you ever been in a job for a while, building knowledge of things and thinking "how do I actually get to the next level". I know in my job I can see that I know somethings more then others, but others know more then me in other areas.

Is there a way that you can study something in particular or do something to help "push" yourself up to that next level? Or you have been stuck in this place and how did you get out of it?

It really depends on the individual themselves. What are you interested in? Security? Servers? Networking? Virtualization? You must take the initiative for yourself and go after what you're interested/passionate about. The "next level" is completely subjective; its whatever you deem to be the "next level." People get "stuck" because people get comfortable (and I use "stuck" very loosely, not necessarily with a negative connotation). If what you're doing now is not your passion, then go out there and explore and find out what is. Dont be afraid to take risks and be ambitious. Remember this: Fortuna audentes iuvat (fortune favors the bold)

Jackace

I'm in this very situation myself. It's frustrating and in my situation I will most likely have to relocate to get an opportunity to move up. I have tried the education route, the certification route, the take on extra work route, the volunteer route, etc and everything has either been shot down or given no results. It's been 2 years now and it's become pretty clear nothing is going to change at my current company or in this area. Once I can financially afford it, it will be time to cut my losses and relocate.

bermovick

Jackace wrote: »

I'm in this very situation myself. It's frustrating and in my situation I will most likely have to relocate to get an opportunity to move up. I have tried the education route, the certification route, the take on extra work route, the volunteer route, etc and everything has either been shot down or given no results. It's been 2 years now and it's become pretty clear nothing is going to change at my current company or in this area. Once I can financially afford it, it will be time to cut my losses and relocate.

Are you my twin? I could have written that exact same paragraph. I'm even applying for jobs out in NC now to relocate (even though I'll have to eat cat food and live in a box if I relocate right now)

Jackace

It really sucks that you have to leave an area with family and friends, but when the economy of your local area just doesn't produce it becomes time to get out while you still can.