Networking jobs - Low public speaking/user interact??

Hey guys, I'm thinking of working on a transition from ms systems admin, to a more network oriented role. Mostly because I think being on the network side of things would result in less user interaction. As a sys admin you sometimes get roped into user 'training' and having to get up in front of groups of people on short notice. Its probably my least favorite thing to do. I figure in a networking role I wouldn't have to train anyone. What am I gonna do train them how to use the network? lol. I don't really aspire to get into an architect related role, so I figure as an engineer or network tech I wouldn't have to be getting up and speaking to groups of folks? Am I amiss in thinking this? Public speaking sucks, and yes I know I've read the books, and have heard of toast masters, etc. I just can't stand it. Will a net related job help solve my problem? Thanks!

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Mike-Mike

i work in a NOC, first level stuff, but I almost never interact with users. We monitor networks, so if something goes down, we may call the site to see if they have power, but that's about it. And we call telco's to open tickets

NetworkVeteran

minit wrote: »

I figure in a networking role I wouldn't have to train anyone. What am I gonna do train them how to use the network? lol.

Sure, why not?

I don't really aspire to get into an architect related role, so I figure as an engineer or network tech I wouldn't have to be getting up and speaking to groups of folks? Am I amiss in thinking this?

If you steer clear of being the lead network engineer or architect, you can avoid speaking to groups. Being second fiddle isn't all bad. I've had co-workers who were more knowledgeable, but totally content to allow me to direct them. They liked keeping up-to-date with technologies, and just didn't want the added responsibility and limelight of leading.

Public speaking sucks, and yes I know I've read the books, and have heard of toast masters, etc. I just can't stand it. Will a net related job help solve my problem?

I suspect practice would achieve more than reading about it. A public speaking course at your local community class or college could work wonders, as might toast master. But, again, you could get very far even with this limitation.

minit

Thanks for the reply. Its good to know this may be an option for me. I really don't have any desire to get better at it. I'd rather fit my career around what I like to do, instead of the other way around. Forcing a round peg into a square hole. As long as I can make a decent salary say around 50k, health benefits, and some time off to go on vaca with my wife, then I'm good. After doing this for 10 years, I really want to throttle back, and find something that fits me better, ie: no pub speaking/training and the stress that it causes me.

Love solving technical issues, just no desire to lead or direct projects.

NetworkVeteran

minit wrote: »

TAs long as I can make a decent salary say around 50k, health benefits, and some time off to go on vaca with my wife, then I'm good. After doing this for 10 years, I really want to throttle back, and find something that fits me better, ie: no pub speaking.

$100k is easily within range without minimal user-interaction and no public speaking, so no worries there.

(Assuming, of course, adequate education / certifications / experience!)

minit

Wow really? With that kind of pay I'd imagine having to get up in front of folks and go over designs or something. This really gives me some renewed hope. My experience as a sys admin has put me into roles I'm just not comfortable with. I've been contemplating switching careers entirely, looks like I may have to start studying for the ccna instead

NetworkVeteran

$100k is the going rate (in my area) for someone with a degree, a few years of experience, and up-to-date certifications.. someone who doesn't excel, but also ensures they don't fall behind the pack in terms of knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge.

minit

Well I'd be happy with well under 100k if it meant not being in a role that didn't require speaking to groups. Thanks for your input I really appreciate it.

Sounds Good

Location plays a big part so don't forget that

DoubleNNs

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

$100k is the going rate (in my area) for someone with a degree, a few years of experience, and up-to-date certifications.. someone who doesn't excel, but also ensures they don't fall behind the pack in terms of knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge.

And what area is that?
I'm hoping to eventually break into the Networking part of the field. (On a study-break from the ICND2 material as I type.)

NetworkVeteran

An urban area. I'm not implying here that networking pays better. Simply that networking skills can land him an okay job even while avoiding public speaking and limiting interpersonal communication (provided adequate qualifications).

Asif Dasl

You need to do what you are better at. If you are better at server admin then stick to that. Like you say sometimes you can be roped in to training users but then again you can always put your foot down and say that you are not a trainer or that you are not a good trainer.

Trainers are a different job to server administration and I don't think every server admin job trains users. Especially the higher and more senior you go. Network guys on average do seem to have less end-user interaction, but maybe you are not a great network admin? Stick to what you know & do best IMO.

minit

Thanks for the reply Asif. But, I'd rather find something I'd be more comfortable with. It's much easier to move to something that fits my personality better.

Params7

I guess it depends on where you go. The network analyst internship I took before, which was more or less pure networking, no servers/DB/Application stuff at all, and it was very client interaction heavy, though I got used to it and didn't mind it.

ChooseLife

Asif Dasl wrote: »

I don't think every server admin job trains users. Especially the higher and more senior you go. Network guys on average do seem to have less end-user interaction, but maybe you are not a great network admin? Stick to what you know & do best IMO.

I agree with this. Sysadmin career can also lead to jobs that have little human interaction. You don't have to switch from systems to networks just for that.

P.S. I know the feeling - I was a junior MS admin at a smaller company some time ago and had to spend most of my time interacting with users. Two promotions later I became a senior sysadmin at the same company and the share of end user interaction shrunk to some 20-25% of my time. Now I am a senior server admin with a specialization and in this job I have zero interaction with end users or clients - that is handled by the IT and Customer Service departments.

minit

Thanks for the input. What is your specialization now? You don't have to interact with users, but do you ever have to present things to senior management?

networker050184

I'm not a big fan of public speaking either and try to stay out of roles with a lot of it involved. I haven't interacted with users in a long time, but it is still expected of me to be able to effectively communicate with other groups and management. I'm on conference calls a lot that involve speaking to various levels of audience. There is also training coworkers or subordinates from time to time. Being in a highly technical field I don't think you can completely get away from it as things will always have to be explained, but there are certainly career paths were it is few and far between.

minit

networker050184 wrote: »

I'm not a big fan of public speaking either and try to stay out of roles with a lot of it involved. I haven't interacted with users in a long time, but it is still expected of me to be able to effectively communicate with other groups and management. I'm on conference calls a lot that involve speaking to various levels of audience. There is also training coworkers or subordinates from time to time. Being in a highly technical field I don't think you can completely get away from it as things will always have to be explained, but there are certainly career paths were it is few and far between.

Conference calls I think I can deal with. It's the getting up in front of people/training groups which just isn't for me. One on one I'm ok.

Which certain career paths do it few and far between?

NetworkVeteran

I would say "most", again, as long as you avoid lead/sales/design/architect roles. When you make a design or plan that impacts multiple stakeholders, it's hard to avoid meetings where you describe and/or justify it in broad and technical terms.

One-on-one meetings are inefficient, and conference calls aren't visual enough.

Shoot for roles where there's a team, where others' strengths compensate for your weaknesses.

networker050184

Agree with NetworkVeteran. Once you get into high level lead or design roles you are going to have to be in front of people explaining those things. You can make great money though in this field and never be in these types of roles. Definitely steer clear of anything on the sales side.

ChooseLife

minit wrote: »

What is your specialization now?

Linux/Unix server administration and InfoSec

minit wrote: »

do you ever have to present things to senior management?

Occasionally when I lead a project that senior management has interest in. But one could avoid that by not leading projects and staying low-profile. You cannot totally avoid human interaction/public speaking, but you can minimize it, and I think systems and networks engineering fields are good for that.

minit

Thanks guys for your replies. I may end up looking into downgrading into a desktop support role. I don't mind user inter-action, it's just the presenting and group training that I can't stand.