Thinking about giving up on my IT career

Hey guys, I don't know what to do anymore so I figured I'd ask you...

I've been working in useless VoIP call centers for years and am only now realizing that I should have been working in a help desk/service desk support type of environment due to exposure to different technologies other than just one. I have my Network+ and my A+ and am studying to get my CCNA, I have 3 classes left to get my Associate Degree in Network Administration but those three classes are CCNA classes.

The problem is I hurt my back a year ago and underwent surgery, during this time, the company I was working for terminated me because I wasn't able to come in for at least a month, I got depressed and angry and decided to take a vacation because I was getting unemployment and got too comfortable like an idiot. Now almost 10 month later I have a huge gap in my work history and nobody wants to give me a chance at a help desk position because I only held one and left it for a call center like an idiot because they were paying more which fired me. I'm 29 and feel like I wasted my life on call centers which makes me angry and upset every time I think about it. I would rather become homeless than go back to work at a call center ever again. I've been to a few help desk interviews but they seem to take people who have more experience than I do (no surprise there).

I don't know what to do anymore nor know where to start or what type of skills I need. I'm considering completely starting over and choosing a different profession even though I don't want to, please help guys, any suggestions or opinions would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

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Comments

srabiee

Have you thought about completing your Associates Degree and then transferring the degree and certs to WGU to obtain a Bachelor's in Network Administration? You can go far with a BS in IT and CCNA.

Deemeetri

I have

and that has been my plan all along but I got too comfortable with life and started to procrastinate on getting my CCNA and the Associate Degree and 6 years later I absolutely hate myself for it and am now realizing the big picture and all the mistakes I've made and the wrong directions that I took

Psoasman

Since you want to stay in IT, lets see how we can help you.

Look at the positives: You have your A+ and N+ and you have call center experience. You are also close to finishing up your degree and getting your CCNA. I'd finish up your degree and start applying. As srabiee said, WGU is also an option. Having a degree and some certs would clear a lot of courses for you.

Asif Dasl

Focus on the positives, we all make mistakes and we live and learn by them. Education is what you need to use to dig yourself out of a hole. You are still young so I don't blame you for travelling. Use that as a positive not a negative thing. I would third WGU, there are so many going there on this forum you might find it helpful to read some of the threads about it. Someone will give you a chance, and a foot in the door - take it with both hands. Remember your health comes first then your employer. Don't be bitter about the past, you've another 40 years working life - shorter if your lucky..

Deemeetri

You're right Asif, that actually made me feel better

Thank you

Chitownjedi

Man, you don't want to know about wasting time! I know plenty of folks that didn't get it together until after they hit 30 and are doing extremely well. Just stay positive, make a plan, and don't give up. If you don't give up, you can turn those "Mistakes" into the life lessons you needed in order to wake up!

naclh2onaz

Youve got Voip experience, you should get CCNA then go for CCNA:V

Deemeetri

I guess I'm going to try guys, it just gets really depressing when nobody wants to give you a chance, maybe getting my CCNA and finishing up my Associates degree will open some doors for me to progress and gain some knowledge to progress...I feel like I've payed my do's working in call centers, I rather run head first into a fire hydrant than go back working at a call center lol

Moon Child

Compared to a lot of other professions, IT is very competitive and the pay is not all that great in many regions of the country. IT also is very cut throat and people seem to get hired/fired quickly. Jumping careers can be tempting especially when you see guys doing manual labor jobs with just HS diplomas making more than you. A while back before I landed a job as a teacher I contemplated truck driving. In my area they need them like crazy and they pay better than many IT jobs. I had talked to some friends who were truck drivers then and got an interview with a local company. The interview was not about me convincing them to hire me, but more of them wanting me to sign a contract saying I would work for them for a full year if they paid for the CDL. Pay was up to 50k a year and friends I knew who were truck drivers said it was a good company to be a driver for. I almost took that job, but I got a call for a teaching position and was hired as a teacher shortly after that.

I think you should probably finish the degree and not give up on IT yet, but it is always good to keep options open. At some point career starts meaning less and what seems to matter more in life is yearly salary, job stability, good benefits, having a union to protect your job, etc.

Master Of Puppets

Deemeetri wrote: »

I guess I'm going to try guys, it just gets really depressing when nobody wants to give you a chance, maybe getting my CCNA and finishing up my Associates degree will open some doors for me to progress and gain some knowledge to progress

Absolutely! Don't give up! With a few certs and a degree + some experience things aren't looking bad at all. It is hard for everyone to get hired so don't beat yourself up. It is not too late to start again and make a great career out of it.

Essendon

NEVER GIVE UP!

I drove a courier van for over a year after completing my Master's, the market was that bad. But I kept at it, kept applying, finally landed a helpdesk gig. Got a cert or two and my career took off from there.

gorebrush

I heard once "Plan the work, and work the plan"

Think about what it is you actually want to do. Get some certs - while you are unemployed you have the perfect opportunity to really spend some time kicking those things out of the park. CCNA - obvious first step?

Still like voice? CCNA: Voice. This will help you get a footing into Helpdesk/Service Desk with a view to networking. Nothing is impossible.

Just work out what you want and go for it!

I was a Systems Admin for years, and I actually got into networking full time only within the last 8 months, before that networking was just part of my job. Decided that I wanted to go full time networking since around 2009/2010 but only now have I actually got there. It took time and effort, but it paid off in the end. Now I want to go all the way - CCIE (R&S first, then I'll worry about my subsequent ones afterwards) and Architect level jobs is what I crave.

It'll take a good few years, and I can see many jobs steps will be required, but man hopefully it'll be a helluva journey.

treehouse

I'm also 29 with 6 years at a dead end entry-level job under my belt. My outlook is that the sky is the limit if you're willing to put in the work. I've given up the last two years of my life to school and certification studies, and opportunities are just now starting to coalesce. You have to be persistent and stay positive. If I were you, I'd finish your CCNA/A.A.S. and go straight into the Cisco Voice track. I see VoIP engineer jobs pretty much constantly in my market (not sure how yours compares). If VoIP is in demand, depending on the job they'll take someone who has the credentials and 'grunt level' experience who they think they can train up quickly over letting the job go unfilled.

Gorby

Sounds just like me a few months ago..I've decided to dedicate most of my time with either studying for certs and schools. Like you, I'm almost hitting 30 and I realized that for the past few years I was very complacent because my help desk environment was really relaxed. Stay in there and finish your CCNA and your associates, things will eventually start to pick up for you.

NetworkVeteran

Moon Child wrote: »

Compared to a lot of other professions, IT is very competitive and the pay is not all that great in many regions of the country. A while back before I landed a job as a teacher I contemplated truck driving. In my area they need them like crazy and they pay better than many IT jobs. Pay was up to 50k a year

While rural areas can be quite different, even my first job, I was offered/paid made more than that on both coasts. The neat thing about IT--as compared with my experiences with unionized education and medical jobs--is pay is much less focused on seniority. If you put in the time early to build your skills, you could easily earn more than $50k in your first or second year. In another thread a 21-year-old high-school dropout is talking about making $75,000. If you love IT, and you're not complacent, gotta love that.

At some point career starts meaning less and what seems to matter more in life is yearly salary, job stability, good benefits, having a union to protect your job, etc.

My career (experiences, education, certifications, people) is directly related to why I have a high salary and good benefits. They put me in demand, and then supply and demand helps ensure corporations take reasonably good care of me.

darkerz

At 16, I started working for online companies - writing "bot" software and doing malicious things to competitive program websites and servers.

At 18, I volunteered, interned and shadowed 20-40 hours a week at my college for 2 years.

At 19 - 22, I've been working in Data Center / MSP environments, with my latest adventure being Enterprise IT + Data Center IT.

That first helpdesk job? I somewhat hyperbolized my experience and did a lot of book learning, plus being a social, personable fella helps.

The first Datacenter job? I told them I was in love with Cisco networking and was building out my lab(s) at home. I took the worst shift, 8pm to 6am Fri-Mon.

You gotta push for it, it's all about the dedication and getting that passion across. For entry to mid level, people care about passion, genuine interest and if you can learn. For higher levels, it's experience and competence.

Deemeetri

Thank you so much guys, you really picked up my spirit, I'm going to give it a shot and keep focusing on the CCNA while looking for a help desk role, maybe someone will scoop me up

luberguilarte

Brother look . I just have a degree , ccna , and working on my ccna voice, and I just got hired as a network engineer in a very lucrative organization doing voice with many opportunities to advance my career . Just showing passion for this field and some basic knowledge will help . Like Bob Marley said , DON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT .

Deemeetri

Really?!! Congrats man!! What type of technology are you proficient in that you nailed a network engineer job if you don't mind me asking???

survivor030406

Come on now. Don't get all depressed and hopeless.
Beleive me... it could be much worse..

I have been homeless twice.
I have not had a job in 7 years.
I am 37 years old.
I just now got my A+ cert.
My parents are now buying me a car because I told them I'm getting a job.

So whatever progress you are making with school, certs, ect.. keep doing it.
It will pay off. 29 isn't too old. You have your whole life ahead of you.

dmoore44

Deemeetri - glad to see TE has provided you with some inspiration, and hopefully some confidence! The CCNA does open a lot of doors and can lead to an awesome and fulfilling career. Also, given your AS and CCNA credentials, WGU seems like it could be a great fit for you to finish your BS.

Also, I see from your profile that you're in Charlotte; you're in a great spot for IT jobs - Dice.com says there are over 1,000 open IT positions within 20 miles of Charlotte. If you're looking for a move, I know Raleigh is another hot spot for IT - there are over 800 open IT positions there!

Tremie24

Like someone else said, you have to look at the positives. You have A+ and Net+ Cert, plus call center experience, as well as VOIP experience. You should be able to land a help desk job pretty easy. Do that for a year or so, while gaining more education and certs and you should be able to move up the ladder at a decent paste.