Do you have the job you want?

With many seasoned professionals and a lot of up and coming members on here, let's have a thread discussing the jobs you have, the jobs you want and what you are doing to get there. So,

1. Do you have the job you want?
2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?
3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?
4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?

For me,

1 and 2. I am perhaps one/two steps away from where I want to be and the job I have currently will help me get there. I am a Infrastructure Systems Engineer for a large cloud services provider doing everything from Virtualization (Hyper-v and vSphere) to Storage to Backups. I desire to be at the Architect level, which is where it all comes together. I want to work for myself though, on my own terms and keep all the margin.

3. I am constantly plugging away at some certification. Now it's not just the certification I'm after, it's more about the knowledge gained in the process. I work on certs that are directly related to my job, I do them regardless of my employer wanting me to do them or not. If I feel that a cert may help me get to the next role, I'll work towards it. This is why I did my VCP5. This cert helped me get to my current position. I am working on my MCSE: Private Cloud, this will teach me Hyper-v and System Center 2012 and get me 2 certs in the process.

4. Like I said, I want to be working for myself. Speaking confidently in front of large audiences and presenting winning proposals (sound convincing, in other words) is what I need to work on. I intend to join my local Toastmasters to help me overcome the bit of stage-shyness I have. It isn't that I cannot communicate well, but when everyone's hanging on to every word I say, it sometimes gets to me.

Let's not make this a Microsoft versus Cisco or a Systems versus Networks or a Degree versus Certs thread, please!

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Comments

Codyy

Great thread.

1. Nope. IT Specialist for the U.S. Army, nothing more than a glorified help desk tech, DoD civilians actually do my job.
2. Network Admin making a comfortable living to start with, who knows from there..
3. Just started enrollment with WGU.
4. Military owns me for 35 more months, definitely my biggest hurdle ..but once I'm done I'll have 6 years IT experience, a security clearance, hopefully a degree and a few certs that cost me nothing. Worth 6 years of my life? As much as I dislike it, I think so. Ask me next week and I'll probably have a different answer.

veritas_libertas

Interesting thread. I enjoy learning more about my fellow TE members

1. No

2. Network Engineer with a long term goal of becoming some sort Network Security Engineer (IDS, IPS, Firewall, VPN)

3. Working on the CCNA, networking with others IT professionals in my city, and applying for jobs that I think will get me closer to long term goal.

4. Lack of experience and education.

N2IT

1. Do you have the job you want?
I think so but time will tell. (This Thursday I am changing jobs to a security manager from service desk supervisor).

2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?
Pure Project Management in a PMO would be a position I would love to try. But I am content with my operational management position.

3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?
Studying and sitting my PMP and changing jobs from service desk manager to a security management function. Looking to start reading books around security once I am done with the PMP.

4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?
I think it's the type of skills and experience I possess. I have a lot more operational skills than project.

Great thread

NavyIT

Good thread. Nice post.

1. No. I'm currently an IT in the US Navy. The only good thing about it is that there is no tier 1,2,3. There are 8 of us on my ship of 400 so we do everything from password resets to getting into the routers and switches configuring access lists, adding static routes and every Microsoft Server task you can imagine.

2. #1 is mostly a NO because I want to be done with the Navy. My ultimate goal is to get out and work from Sys Admin --> Network Engineer --> Eventually Management after my Masters?\

3. At this point, to get the job I want I am basically continuing to work towards certifications and completing my Bachelors degree before I get out (13 more months). I am working to gain a very BROAD knowledge base and essentially become a jack of all trades until I get out, get a job and then really become able to deep dive into one specific area.

4. The hurdles I'm facing are pretty obvious by now. I've got just over a year in the Navy and cannot really get anywhere until I am free!

Thanks for listening!

the_Grinch

1. Definitely not where I want to be. I am helpdesk and have been doing that full time at various places for the past three years.

2. I'd like to work in security and am thinking exploitation research along with mobile security (cell phones, tablets, laptops).

3. Starting my Masters along with completing certifications and some programming languages.

4. Only thing preventing me is myself and to a point my lack of experience. Once I get out of my own way, I believe I will do well.

vCole

1. Absolutely not.
2. More of a Sr. level Sys Admin and/or Hands on IT Manager
3. I haven't done a cert in 2.5 years. I am going to get my MCSE 2012 and VCP to start.
4. A degree and/or experience.

jdballinger

1. No, I'd say definitely not yet. It's a step up from the client side work I was doing before, and a step forward in the direction I want to go though.
2. I would love to end up as a Senior Network Engineer some day, making enough money that I can live comfortably and my wife doesn't have to work.
3. Currently working on finishing my B.S. at WGU, then working on my CCNP (and whatever else I happen to be really interested in at that particular time. I consider myself a lifelong student, and am constantly studying for one thing or another.
4. I believe that right now, my fear of stepping outside of my comfort zone and taking a chance is really what's holding me back. That and the lack of a Bachelors Degree, which has already cost me at least one job interview (that I know of, probably more I don't.) I am in a comfortable position working for the DoD, which is great for a steady paycheck but really not great for advancement (both in position and knowledge) or pay. The only other hurdle I could possibly come up against would be financial, the need to continue in a job without any variables for the sake of making ends meet.

Iristheangel

1. Yes. Maybe not the job I will ultimately end up in but much better of a job than I expected at this point.
2. N/A. See number 1. Eventually, down the road, I'd love a more senior networking role though.
3. Heh. EVERYTHING! I'm working late to learn more on the job, I'm taking on more work at the job (even the boring admin crap) just so I can get more hands on after, going to grad school and studying all along the way for more certifications in the areas I would like to pursue
4. Just experience and I'm more than dealing with that. You can't be a "senior" until you've drudged through all the crap to get there

Codyy

NavyIT wrote: »

Good thread. Nice post.

1. No. I'm currently an IT in the US Navy. The only good thing about it is that there is no tier 1,2,3. There are 8 of us on my ship of 400 so we do everything from password resets to getting into the routers and switches configuring access lists, adding static routes and every Microsoft Server task you can imagine.

So jealous, sounds like you have a lot more freedom that us IT guys in the Army. I barely have local admin rights to our systems, and at my last unit I had no rights at all. I basically create accounts and troubleshoot minor PC and printer issues, no access to routers or switches because the entire network is controlled by civilians. Such a waste of time, so ready to be done.

pinkydapimp

1. Yes. Just got a new job and i love it. It will give me many opportunities for building my skill set in IT sec.

2. N/A

3. Currently in grad school studying for my Masters in Enterprise Security and Risk Management. But to get here i worked hard building a diverse skillset and getting the certs needed to progress.

4. Right now I'm exactly where i want to be.

TheCudder

Codyy wrote: »

So jealous, sounds like you have a lot more freedom that us IT guys in the Army. I barely have local admin rights to our systems, and at my last unit I had no rights at all. I basically create accounts and troubleshoot minor PC and printer issues, no access to routers or switches because the entire network is controlled by civilians. Such a waste of time, so ready to be done.

Usually when you're mixed in with a civilian workforce, you're going to have it easy --- which in your case, really isn't a good thing. Just hope for an environment with more freedom & control next PCS

Psoasman

1. Yes and No. I am quite comfortable in my current position....probably too comfortable.

2. I'd like to get into Systems Admin and /or Security.

3. I am getting my degree, then it's onto the CCNA and security certs, at least that's the plan.

4. Nothing's really preventing me from leaving now. I actually like my job. Yes, it's desktop support and Help Desk, but I have fun doing it. I promised my wife that I would start applying for higher positions once I've got my degree done. KFT1 Task 4 is a terrible task and the last thing I need for graduation.

jamesleecoleman

1. Do you have the job you want?

No.

2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?

I would like an IT job where I could use language skills and travel abroad.

3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?

Well I kinda found the job that I want. I just have to become fluent in the target language and get some NOC experience.

4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?

I'm preventing myself from getting where I want to be.

spicy ahi

1. Do you have the job you want?

Being the person that I am, I seem to never think I have the job I want. I'm starting a new job but give me 2-3 years and I'll probably want something different. For right now, I'll say that I'm happy with where I'm at.

2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?

Returning to networking was something I wanted while working in IA and now I have. I think maybe being an outside consultant and having my own business is what I'd ultimately like to do. I'd be able to pick and choose what I want to specialize in and can shift areas as I see fit.

3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?

I'm trying to learn different things and acquire roles in different disciplines to find out my niche or niches. I have a good idea of what keeps my interest so I think this year I'll focus on those areas as the job I have will give me the opportunity to do so.

4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?

Experience and confidence. I don't think I have a deep enough background to convince people to hire me on as a consultant to fix things/set up things for their company. Along those lines, I don't know if I'll ever be confident to go on my own and break out of the worker bee mentality. With a family to care for, it's also difficult to take the inevitable pay hit to start off...

RomBUS

1) Yes it's a job...the way the economy is, I am happy where I am. Ultimately no it's not..the job is tedious and indeed a glorified title

2) I want a job that does actually do network administration, and not just say I am because of my title. I want to configure routers and switches and be comfortable talking about designing a network for small to medium sized businesses (for starters)

3) For now, I am just trying to study and learn as much as I can while still keeping my job I have now. And if the opportunity arises I am going to take a shot

4) I believe what is stopping me is just not having the real world experience I want to be part of. I mean, I have been part of companies that deal with the kind of job I want to be in but I was always part of a seperate team or have seperate responsibilities.

Dr IT

Fantastic Thread and It Gives us an idea and where each of us and analyze our weakness and others strength and build / motivate us from it

1 - For me a A big No

2 - I would like to see myself in more of System Admin Role or a Network Admin role and would like to move from away this IT Support engineer role i currently hold.

3 - I am working on my certs to motivate myself and ensure that i am well placed and all rounded to move in to a new and different challenging role . ( Yes i know it is hard at times when you have a lot of people pulling your down but Techexams gives me the strength and motivation - just seeing all you people doing exceptionally well )

4 - Experience and Experience ( i work in a role where i am not in charge of Server or network administration ) so i don't have the necessary experience until i work hard myself and learn them in order to prove my ability to potential future employers

X10MMX

As for the questions:

1. No way.. I am a Technical Support Engineer for a MSP. This can be a small to enterprise business. Only been here about 16 months and finding myself getting very bored.

2. I have only been in IT around 2 years and started on my certs after University. In 16 months I have managed to get my MCITP:EA, CCNA and SCCM 2012 Cert(Hard work does pay off). I am now working on virtualisation and storage but dont know which to focus on VMWare or Hyper-V 2012. My ultimate goal would be to become an infrastructure consultant, that may be for a business or my own business. I am at a cross roads where I am becoming bored in my current job, is it time to move on..? How do you guys motivate yourself when you are bored in your job, do you move on?

3. Study hard. Building knowledge in the areas that I am weak in or help me get to my goal. Means cutting out some of my social life. Giving up a lot of evenings and weekends to study.

4. I think at the moment its my lack of experience. A lot of companies want this, but I guess I would need to push myself out of my comfort zone and knowing that in any new job the learning curb will still be steep.

lordy

1. No. It bores me but (unfortunately) is paid well.

2. I want to be a freelancing Consultant helping companies with projects related to Linux and Networks.

3. I am working on my CCNP and preparing to make the jump.

4. The good pay of my current job and the uncertainty of freelancing keep me from making the leap. I hope to overcome this in the new year.

Ivanjam

1. No

2. An IT job.

3. Currently pursuing BS-IT and certifications.

4. Lack of production IT experience; career changer, age bias in IT.

jmritenour

1. I am content at this point. The role I'm stepping into this week is going to be a great use of my existing skills, and a chance to work on some very interesting projects. I'll be able to better provide for my family. I'm sure there will be bigger and better things in the future, but for now I'm happy.
2. I'm not sure. After this, I guess will be an architect or managerial role, neither of which I'm in a rush to get into. I like being hands on and problem solving too much.
3. Study, study, study. Building out a new lab this year after tax season to prep for VCAP-DCA & DCD. Possibly MCSE Private Cloud as well.
4. Time is my mortal enemy. Finding time to study and lab is hard when you become a parent, and work a full time job.

kiki162

1. No not really, however it's ok for the time being.
2. Would like to get my hands in multiple areas like VMware, SCCM/OM, 2012, Linux. The one thing I don't like is being restricted to one area, or being told by my boss "We need you right here". Being that I work for a Government agency, being restricted to a certain area is the norm.
3. This past year I've been busy with finishing up my BS degree and now having a 9 month old takes up a lot of your time. Last year, all I had time for was getting my N+. This coming year I need to finish up my CCENT, and maybe CCNA. I've been staring at those books for a few months now. Would like to get my VCP class out of the way online, and maybe get into either SSCP or Red Hat Certs. I need more training and experience, and with the stuff I wanna do, my job is not going to utilize where I'm at. So depending on how this "fiscal cliff" stuff goes, maybe there's another job for me out there.
4. Procrastination and trying to utilize my time properly is my biggest issue. Normally when I set a date for the exam I get myself into gear and get it done.Lack of Experience is another issue.

paulgswanson

1. Heck no!
2. I want to manage servers. More specifically withi an org that creates videos games, like UBISOFT or Massive
3. Knock WGU classess out so I can get my BS:Net design & Management
4. Country Borders (Ubi is based out of Canada), and everyone wants me to try EA(sorry but thats where good games go to die), need to finish that degree up, and oh yeah and I cant speak enough french.

Everyone

Yes, I love my job.

That being said, I'm always doing something to further my career. I have a couple possible promotions while still keeping the same overall job role. Currently working on my CISSP and MCM. Also doing a few Intellectual Property projects.

paul78

This is a great topic. And it means such different things to everyone.

1. Do you have the job you want?

Is there really such a thing? I wonder if even if someone were to find that job, wouldn't most people look at the next thing even if its lateral or continued career progression or even to do something different?

Your seemingly simple question is very thought provoking. I am in a challenging role and I am very well compensated and I could conceivably stay here for the rest of my career. But my own nature and personality makes me say that I am unsatisfied and I am seriously thinking about seeking other opportunities.

2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?

Not sure but probably involves leading a high-growth organization.

3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?

Not as much as I should. For me, the most important activity would be to increase my networking opportunities.

4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?

I am very weak when it comes to professional social activities. I am an introvert by nature and I find business social functions exhausting.

f0rgiv3n

1. Do you have the job you want?
I thought I did, then I found out no, I don't.
2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?
I realized after taking this job, I need a position where I can be creative. I need to be able to make decisions on the design of the network. Just doing monotonous network tasks every day is not my cup of tea. I want to move either towards network design with a security focus or something even more focused on the infosec side of things.
3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?
As far as education/certs, I'm continuously learning new things through certifications as well as just reading. But really I'm just keeping an eye out for other positions out there that might be more willing to allow me to contribute and grow.
4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?
At this point, my company is preventing me from getting to where I want to be. The culture and the team that I'm on do not mesh well with what I want to be doing in my career. I'm passionate about best practices as well as continuously learning, the culture/team I'm on right now are not anywhere near either of those things. I'm underutilized and I have realized that I need to move on or make a lateral move if I want to be challenged.

Danielh22185

1. Do you have the job you want?

Not entirely. Do I enjoy my present job and what it will provide me for the future? Absolutely!

2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?

I am currently a level 1 Network Engineer for a large corporation. Level 1 meaning I know show commands like the back of my hand

I would love to ultimately advance into a real engineering role. I want to be the guy that everybody calls on to fix things. I absolutely ultimately would love to take that knowledge and create my own business and provide my knowledge to customers for start-up smaller businesses needing network services.

3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?

I have plans to pursue Cisco into the IE level. I am currently at the beginning stages of CCNP, and my career as a network professional. I also work hard at my job to establish myself and look for opportunities when they surface. I prove to my bosses I am the best man for the job through my attitude and my drive to be the best.

4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?

I think my biggest hurdle is acquiring the skills and experience to obtain that job. I am at a lower experience level currently but will continue to reach for every opportunity to learn more in hope that I become another step closer to where I want to be.

I have been told by many of my friends and family I have a very impressive drive. I know what I want and I set my sights for it until I get it. I am a firm believer that anybody can accomplish anything so long as the drive and will is there.

ChickenNuggetz

1. Nope! I'm only 6 months into my IT career (switched careers); currently working as a Support Engineer for an MSP
2. Still debating this. I can see myself going into networking or something systems/virtualization related. I feel like the path I'm currently on is more systems/virtualization oriented.
3. Working long hours at my job, gobbling up as much experience as I possibly can and of course having clear goals in mind for certs and studying for them.
4. Experience is the big one. Like I said in #1, I've only got about 6 months worth of real IT experience. Second thing would be time. Working long hours means less time for myself and for studying. I would love to pick up 3 certs in 2013 but realistically I think completing 2 is going to be a tough thing to do itself.

coreyb80

1. Do you have the job you want?
Nope, but I'm grateful for the one I do have. I'm presently working on switching careers to IT within the next 3 months.

2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?
I would like to start in Help Desk or Desktop Support and work my way up to System Admin.

3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?
I'm currently studying for my A+ exam with an expected completion of the exam by 1/31/2013. Then I will move on to Network+.

4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?
Lack of experience is a hurdle for me getting in to IT, but I'm determined to make it which is why I'm starting with my certs.

amayaonnaotaku

1. Do you have the job you want?
Oh hell no, helpdesk is NOT a career

2. If you say No to 1, what kind of job do you want?
System/Network Administration and possibly going into IT security

3. Like they say - no gains without pains (terrible cliche, I know!). What are you doing to get the job you want?
In my hopefully last semester at WGU for my BS in Network Administration. Keeping an eye out for a job that will challenge me.

4. Important question - What's preventing you from getting to where you want to be? What are you hurdles?
Being a single mother to a child on the autism spectrum, not working is not an option. So I have to be able to work fulltime.

blargoe

No. I'm not exactly sure what I eventually want to be doing, but I know what I'm doing now isn't it.