Considering a change

So about 7-8 months back I posted about how I accepted my first IT position, well things haven't been great thus far. I was hired to be a in house IT working on both servers and network for a small business, well things changed almost immediately after my first day on the job. I was moved into a contract position, although I was still company proper, I have to travel constantly for the job (I have been back in the states for over 6 months and have spent 3 months on travel). I have only been allowed to touch one system in the building, VOIP switches using CCA, other than that I have yet to work anything remotely resembling IT, the majority of the work that I have been doing is setting up and tearing down hardware for government demo's there is literally nothing technical about what I do. I have done everything from building 100 chairs, to throwing sandbags, to building bookshelves, although there is plenty of work to be done on the IT side, they won't let me near the systems and I don't know why. I have sat down with my direct supervisor, and my department head and I have practically begged to get involved, I need to gain experience if I want to do this for a living. They have stated that they were going to get me involved, but that was over 2 months ago, and im still sitting at my desk doing nothing. I have practically given up.
Normally I would think this is something that I did wrong, but in this case this has been like this from Day one. But now I have another company that is interested in hiring me after they met me at a demo for my current company as a network administrator on a military installation, im not sure what to do because I don't want to leave a job too soon. Any advice?

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

RouteMyPacket

Blackout wrote: »

So about 7-8 months back I posted about how I accepted my first IT position, well things haven't been great thus far. I was hired to be a in house IT working on both servers and network for a small business, well things changed almost immediately after my first day on the job. I was moved into a contract position, although I was still company proper, I have to travel constantly for the job (I have been back in the states for over 6 months and have spent 3 months on travel). I have only been allowed to touch one system in the building, VOIP switches using CCA, other than that I have yet to work anything remotely resembling IT, the majority of the work that I have been doing is setting up and tearing down hardware for government demo's there is literally nothing technical about what I do. I have done everything from building 100 chairs, to throwing sandbags, to building bookshelves, although there is plenty of work to be done on the IT side, they won't let me near the systems and I don't know why. I have sat down with my direct supervisor, and my department head and I have practically begged to get involved, I need to gain experience if I want to do this for a living. They have stated that they were going to get me involved, but that was over 2 months ago, and im still sitting at my desk doing nothing. I have practically given up.
Normally I would think this is something that I did wrong, but in this case this has been like this from Day one. But now I have another company that is interested in hiring me after they met me at a demo for my current company as a network administrator on a military installation, im not sure what to do because I don't want to leave a job too soon. Any advice?

Ok, then it is time to weigh your options. It appears you have taken the first step, and that would be to directly address your concerns with your supervisor/s

It's been two months and nothing has change right? I would recommend putting your CV out on the market and prepare to find a new job. Sorry but if they aren't willing to give you the responsibilities you signed on for and use you as some low grade janitor, i'd move on quickly.

boredgamelad

If you got hired for something and they pulled the rug completely out from under you and are basically using you as a handyman, I don't think many people would think negatively of you for leaving.

shodown

Time to roll. Don't respect people that don't respect your time. If you reached out to them, and they haven't changed, then they already made there choice.

W Stewart

I say it's time to bounce. That place is a joke. That's how my previous job was and I left after a month for something better. They basically hired me for my linux experience and I spent my days doing busy work like scanning barcodes and inventorying stuff. I didn't do anything linux related and didn't even get access to the cisco switches on the network even though they had me send them a copy of my cisco certification. Don't waste time at a job that's not going to have you doing everything under the sun except for what they hired you to do.

neo9006

I agree I would move on, you need to gain that experience, and being a handyman won't help you and you too your concerns the proper route, time to move on.

cyberguypr

Wow. I don't mind the occasional mundane task but that is beyond ridiculous.

boredgamelad

I've been thinking about it a little bit more. The first time they asked me to pick up a hammer and build a bookshelf, I would have been gone. G-O-N-E as in walking away and never listing that job on my resume and forgetting I ever was there. Don't burn bridges unless you have to, but seriously, you shouldn't put up with this crap anymore.

Blackout

Thanks guys, I was feeling a bit bummed out. Im in no way a high maintenance person, I would love to have a job that I can stick around for a few years at and gain experience, its why I stuck around this one for so long, I honestly thought they were going to give me a chance. Im currently on travel for the next two weeks, so it gives me plenty of time to get in touch with potential employers. one of the few things I have going for me is a high level clearance, I have gotten two responses today within 30 minutes of applying. Its one of the few good things about being a prior vet and holding a clearance.

nel

move on dude....

mishy

I am surprised that everyone is saying you should change your job because they too have had the same experience. To me it looks like thats the norm because at my current job, I sometimes spend the whole day swapping between techexams page and our internal mail filter then hitting F5 to see if there is any new emails to let through which is usually 2 -3 unless I have been to make a cup of tea.

In situations like mine I think I have made the most of it by looking at the technologies we are using at work and then trained myself more on them like Vmware, BCM telephone management and Windows 7 so now for my next job I can use the time I spent fiddling around with fingers as experience required for the next role. Unless you already have the experience required to land your next job then yes you are right get out of there now.

networker050184

Sand bags!?! Time to update the resume and hit the job market.

neo9006

Well mishy, that is cool, I wish I had more time to do things like that, but not usually, even at lunch, I try to do some school work or try learning something else. But I can see why blackout feels the way he feels, I got hired as a drafter at my job 17 years ago, about 6 years back generally it was phased out, I am more or less inputting data or doing other work which would people to sleep, yes I get paid for it, but I am still at the bottom of the food chain. You are right about that, but people want to feel I think like their job is full filling, I can honestly say my job does not do that anymore with me, and reason I am working on other things, plus the guy I work with will retire in I say 5 years, and from what I am doing now, I do not want to do that even though I know how to do his job, I won't have his pay on top of it, we do all the grunt work at my job, and my little rant is one engineer said he gets paid too much money to do what we do, reason he lost most of his workers under him including the engineer that just left this month. You take the good with the bad, I understand that, but to a degree, you are the one that choices your destiny, which kinda of makes me jealous that you have time to train yourself more lol, I wish I could do the same.

Blackout

Its like freaking magic, I made this posting about a week ago, and all of a sudden im involved in the IT side, working on our VOIP, and our firewalls. The CEO himself asked me today how I was coming along with my certifications, told me basically he needed me to get hot on the VOIP training. I didnt even think this guy knew who I was let alone know that I was working on my CCNA, and then Voice afterwards.

mishy

Blackout wrote: »

Its like freaking magic, I made this posting about a week ago, and all of a sudden im involved in the IT side, working on our VOIP, and our firewalls.

Glad it has worked out for you where you are. I was in a similar situation when my manager came to talk to me about projects he wanted me started on but it was already too late, I had made up my mind. 1 year 6 months at a company and no IT department meetings at all always the same thing you walk in find the Antivirus changed next day firewall changed next day a whole software update and you think where do I fit in the team so by the time they actually listened or saw what they were doing, it would have taken a lot to change my mind.

I am always happy when someone sorts things out at the same place especially after only being at the company for a short time.

networker050184

I'd still hit the road. Who knows when they are going to relegate you back to janitor. I wouldn't want to work in a place like this.

Apollo80

If they are willing to work with you by providing the opportunity to actually work on IT tasks and project, and thereby advancing your career, then I would continue working for them. Though, if things take a turn back towards the facilities side of the shop, then I would move on.

They may have realized (finally) the value you could offer the company with your IT skillset. At least, that is my hope.

undomiel

networker050184 wrote: »

I'd still hit the road. Who knows when they are going to relegate you back to janitor. I wouldn't want to work in a place like this.

Normally I would agree with you but in this case it looks like it is Blackout's first IT job. My recommendation would be to at least finish out the year to build up some IT job history. Grab what experience you can. If they are willing to pay for training and certifications take what you can. After the year is up then start looking for somewhere that will get you even better experience.

Blackout

I wanted to dig this up to update, our Senior Network Engineer returned from Africa where he was on Contract, and was pissed about how the environment was being run. Told me I was taking over the network since I was certified, and that I needed a good trial by fire. I have been working my ass off to make sure this network runs the way its supposed to, I have gotten some great compliments from my new boss, telling me im one of the most proactive people he has ever met. But because of the ordeal over the last year I have been seeking other employment but I haven't been getting any interest, im a bit concerned about this as I have my CCNA, ITIL, and a TS clearance and im not even being considered for NOC positions. I have had five different people go over my resume. I am even willing to relocate! and still nothing! Anyone got any advice?