How is your journey in the IT industry

Snow.bros

Just want to here from you guys how are finding it in the IT industry?

1. What position are are in right now compared to when you were just starting out?

2. Where do you want to be in the nearest planned future?

3. Are you satisfied with your jobs, is it what you always hoped for from a point where it was only just an interest?

4. What do you love about this industry?

5. What would you want to change in your job?


1. I am only starting out as an intern there is no progress so far and am also starting to understand and starting to gain some knowledge in the workplace.
2. I want to be a tech expert working as network administrator going forward i am willing to go any where the journey might take to get to the top.
3. In terms of progress i am not really satisfied its not turning out the way had anticipated but not really that bad.
4. I love innovation and working around technology, being challenged mentally, liking the fact that IT is a very dynamic industry that's what is so cool about it and its a cool career.
5. Progressing on my side is very slow, i just wish to get new different challenges, the speed of progression is what i would change.

This is not a survey i am only curious about what you guys come across in your careers, what challenges are guys coming across from the social side of work, and just want to make sure we on the same page.

Please let me know about it.:)

jibbajabba

I'll summarize all five points in one sentence : I have a degree in electronics engineering and work in IT for 10+ years and right now I would prefer owning a bar, go into pig-farming or make a career in sofa-testing ...

Getting too old trying to keep up ...

Snow.bros

jibbajabba wrote: »

I'll summarize all five points in one sentence : I have a degree in electronics engineering and work in IT for 10+ years and right now I would prefer owning a bar, go into pig-farming or make a career in sofa-testing ...

Getting too old trying to keep up ...

LOL, it seems like the outcome is getting you lazy.

jibbajabba

Lazy to answer the same questions on regular basis ?

Yepp

nel

Snow.bros wrote: »

Just want to here from you guys how are finding it in the IT industry?

1. What position are are in right now compared to when you were just starting out?

2. Where do you want to be in the nearest planned future?

3. Are you satisfied with your jobs, is it what you always hoped for from a point where it was only just an interest?

4. What do you love about this industry?

5. What would you want to change in your job?

1. Solutions consultant (fancy title that means jack! haha)

2. Back in a good job.

3. No, not at all. So far i have had one job i really enjoyed and was very challenging. One that was ok and the rest were pretty sh*t to say the least haha.

4. If you strike it lucky, it can be very rewarding both financially and intellectually.

5. At the moment, everything, except there are some good people in the office which at least makes the environment ok to work in and the salary.

I have to say, re-reading my answers above makes me very sad but it signifies my time in IT pretty well. Although i have to admit, Pig farming does sound appealing!

jibbajabba

nel wrote: »

I have to say, re-reading my answers above makes me very sad but it signifies my time in IT pretty well.

That's IT though. A lot of (frustrating) challenges to tackle. IT is a different beast compared to other areas. You are a tailor, people appreciate the result of a good suit. You are a baker, people appreciate a good cake, You are a car mechanic, people appreciate being able to drive again. IT ? Appreciation in IT is basically not having people whining, shouting or moaning at you I don't think someone ever came up to me thanking me for their VM not crashing for a few months or thanking me that they can receive emails day in and day out but are damn quick "On the case" if something isn't working for a few moments

Snow.bros

jibbajabba wrote: »

That's IT though. A lot of (frustrating) challenges to tackle. IT is a different beast compared to other areas. You are a tailor, people appreciate the result of a good suit. You are a baker, people appreciate a good cake, You are a car mechanic, people appreciate being able to drive again. IT ? Appreciation in IT is basically not having people whining, shouting or moaning at you I don't think someone ever came up to me thanking me for their VM not crashing for a few months or thanking me that they can receive emails day in and day out but are damn quick "On the case" if something isn't working for a few moments

That's a very good point i don't often hear compliments from this industry for doing a good job.

DevilWAH

I am surprised, I have been in my current job 14 months. May be because I work on projects a lot it is a little different. But I often get emails and people coming up thanking me for my effort, but from the end users when the take ownership of a building I have been involved in commissioning, to the director acknowledging solution I have introduced to the company.

I take a lot of time with the users in workshops and meetings as its important to insure what I am working on is what they need and want rather than what I think they want, or simple what the new technology is.

I don't think any one gets thanked for there day to day job, when was the last time you sent HR a thank you note for managing the recruitment of new staff, or finance for insuring you get paid each month? These things are expected to be done, same as delivering Email to the users or keeping the servers up and running.

People appreciate good IT, when you interact with them and listen to there issues and then change the system to make there job easier. I appreciate you need to be in the right position to do this, but as with every thing the compliments start from with in the department, your manager or collage thanking you for help or the work you have done. This in house reconciliation leads to promotion, and promotion leads to new connections and interactions, as a engineer it might be individual users that are saying thank you, then as you move up though management it becomes head of departments and companies.

In my last role both the team I managed and one individual in-particular, where getting thank you emails and in person from the UK directors of one of the largest financial banks and Oil companies in the world. Thanking them for specific tasks they had carried out like staying late one evening to resolve an issue. These where entry level engineers being thanked by people on £millions who took the trouble to step out of there office and come down to say thank you and shake there hand.

So I disagree there is plenty of thanks and compliments to be had in the IT world, just the same as any other field, we just should not expect i for the mundane. I mean as an engineer if I was at a desk fixing a PC I expected the user to say thank you as I left (Assuming it was fixed), but I don't expect a compliment for keeping the network running, that's what is expected. Its what I do to make it better that I want to attract the users attention in a positive way.

Oh and in answer to your questions

1. I am a network Systems analyst, which basically means I look after the development of a network as part of a £250 million site redevelopment. As well as the IT consultant for other IT areas of the project.

2. happy here at the moment but next job will be either manage of a medium size Network team or an IT unit in the academic area (want to stay in science)

3. How can I not be, I get to mess about with stuff all day and at the end of it I will be able to look back on a large project which I have played a large role in making happen.

4. IT unlike Science is predetermined, in that it all boils down to a 1 or a 0. This means no matter what issue you face, one thing you can always be sure of, is that whether you are trying to develop a new solution or trouble shooting an existing issue. you can always relay on the fact it boils down to a yes/no answer. That is the only real limitation as to what you can do.

5. Tidy some of the crap of my desk maybe , but really as long as I go home knowing more than when I come in to work then the job is good and nothing needs to change. Weather its new IT stuff I have lent or project management or any thing. Just as long as I have learnt some thing.

Snow.bros

DevilWAH wrote: »

So I disagree there is plenty of thanks and compliments to be had in the IT world, just the same as any other field, we just should not expect i for the mundane. I mean as an engineer if I was at a desk fixing a PC I expected the user to say thank you as I left (Assuming it was fixed), but I don't expect a compliment for keeping the network running, that's what is expected. Its what I do to make it better that I want to attract the users attention in a positive way.

Oh and in answer to your questions

1. I am a network Systems analyst, which basically means I look after the development of a network as part of a £250 million site redevelopment. As well as the IT consultant for other IT areas of the project.

2. happy here at the moment but next job will be either manage of a medium size Network team or an IT unit in the academic area (want to stay in science)

3. How can I not be, I get to mess about with stuff all day and at the end of it I will be able to look back on a large project which I have played a large role in making happen.

4. IT unlike Science is predetermined, in that it all boils down to a 1 or a 0. This means no matter what issue you face, one thing you can always be sure of, is that whether you are trying to develop a new solution or trouble shooting an existing issue. you can always relay on the fact it boils down to a yes/no answer. That is the only real limitation as to what you can do.

5. Tidy some of the crap of my desk maybe , but really as long as I go home knowing more than when I come in to work then the job is good and nothing needs to change. Weather its new IT stuff I have lent or project management or any thing. Just as long as I have learnt some thing.

Sometimes in this field you get rude clients and the point is some people i have come across seem to take advantage of the fact you get paid to solve their problems, yes i do agree not all clients are rude but i have not seen many people from my little experience but i must say i have been exposed to some clients who don't really appreciate the profession, for example the helpdesk coordinator is always complaining about certain clients on daily basis.

Your kind of job is the kind of job i have had always anticipated in this industry, this is the reason i started this thread, i want hear different experiences from people within this industry.

paul78

@devilWAH - I absolutely agree. The culture of appreciation is organizational and it's all about whether that is fostered in the environment.

1. After nearly 25 years, compared to where I started out, I believe that I am where I want to be.
2. Generally speaking, I am never really happyas I have a drive for success. I have been thinking about my next level for the past year. I just started speaking with recruiters.
3.Yes
4. I don't consider IT an industry unless you work for an MSP or pure technology company. It's too narrow a category. I work in financial services.
5. I can't really complain but I would like more authority in my role.

DevilWAH

The customers at you local super market are a lot ruder and the check out guys have to sit there all day and take it. I have seen many times customers losing it because the price on an item when scanned is not what it says on the ticket and they take it out on the person behind the checkout.

and the thanks they get is normally an automated knee jerk reaction, often mumbled as the person is packing there trolley.

Very few people actually take the time to look at the member of staff (even better note there name) and personal thank them for the service.

Rude customers are just that and I really don't have much time for people with out any manors. they are like the troublesome clients we get in IT.

Most clients are the second time, going about there own job and just never really think or know what it takes to run IT system, they might say a thank you but its really not heartfelt. They know its your job and expect you to do it, like us they think there job is the most important in the company (We all know It is by far the most important department right! )

and then there are ones that do notice the effort you put in and take the time out to thank you for it.

remember the times you meet the last type, look after the average ones and help them do there job (some might even turn in to the good type if you look after them enough)

And just ignore the comments of the first type, its not worth taking them to heart and letting it ruin your job. I know I do a good job at work, enough people tell me that, and I can see it with my own eyes how I have developed in my career.

In my view it is the job that is the reward, but if you can get people outside IT to also appreciate what you have done that's a little bit of icing on the top. Nice as a teat some times, but cake can also be nice with out it.

Roguetadhg

1. What position are are in right now compared to when you were just starting out?
- Same position

2. Where do you want to be in the nearest planned future?
- Working with networks! Swrouters! Large networks... mmm.

3. Are you satisfied with your jobs, is it what you always hoped for from a point where it was only just an interest?
- I'm... appreciative of my job. Satisfied? No. It gives me time to study, a time to read but as far as feeling like I accomplished anything? Nah.

4. What do you love about this industry?
- The people. Despite any distaste, we all have one thing in common - we're nerds or geeks.

5. What would you want to change in your job?
- Being able to work on Switch and Routers instead of outsourcing the work to another cisco guy

Snow.bros

Roguetadhg wrote: »

4. What do you love about this industry?
- The people. Despite any distaste, we all have one thing in common - we're nerds or geeks.

LOL i am not a nerd or geek sometimes because nerds don't have trouble in the exam, they know for sure they are going to pass and they always make everything hard look easy, i am just a typical guy who likes technology but i love what i am doing.