Timeline: Your IT Career Progression

RHEL

I thought it might be a fun topic to do an IT career descriptive timeline... There have been so many questions on the forum regarding career progression, so I figured sharing our own experiences In a timeline format might be helpful. So, here we go:

Title: Tech Support Analyst
Hour/wk: 20
Description: ISP support for residential and commercial customers
Company size: <75
Age: 18-20
Duration: <2 years
How: Applied and interviewed
Certs: None
Education: High School - in college
Pay: $8-9/hr

Title: IT Specialist (part time)
Hours/wk: 20
Description: Special projects and general IT support for state government organization. Had my own office and full benefits!
Company size: 500+
Age: 20-21
Duration: <1 year
How: Found in paper, applied and interviewed
Certs: None
Education: High School - in college
Pay : $16/hr

Title: IT Specialist (seasonal)
Hours/wk: 15
Description: General IT support for major university
Company size: 3,000
Age : 22
Duration: 3 months
How: Networking contact
Certs: None
Education: High School - in college
Pay : $14/hr

Title : Network Administrator (seasonal)
Hours/wk: 80+
Description: "IT guy" supporting 100+ workstations! servers! devices over summer. Taught linux workshops!
Company size: <100
Age: 23
Duration: 1-2 months
How : Craigslist!
Certs: None
Education: High School - in college
Pay : lodging and food in Boston, and a small chunk of change

Title : Systems Administrator
Hours/wk : 40 + on-call
Description: First job out of college. Learning to be an admin in hundreds of servers for a global conglomerate. Great benefits, funded my grad school 100%.
Company size: 250,000
Age : 23
Duration: 2.5 years
How: Monster.com app and single phone interview
Certs: None
Education: BA in unrelated field
Pay: 30's -- though low cost of living area

Title: Systems Engineer
Hours/wk: 40 + on-call
Description: Got to play a much larger role for a smaller organization. Really cool environment. -- casinos, resort, hotels, golf courses, gas stations, police, fire, rescue, government.
Company size: 5,000
Age: 26-28
Duration: 1.5 years
How: Networking, interviewed
Certs: Linux+, LPIC-1, Novell CLA, Novell DCTS
Education: BA in unrelated field, MS CIS
Pay: 60's

Title: Systems Administrator
Hours/wk: 40 + on-call
Description: Systems support, duh! Regional employer, lots of high tech to play with.
Company size: 6,000
Age: 28
Duration: Current position
How: company website
Certs: Linux+, LPIC-1, Novell CLA, Novell DCTS
Education: BA in unrelated field, MS CIS
Pay: 70's

Edit: Updated to include data on certs and education prior to applying...

yzT

Title: Desktop Support
Hours/wk: 40
Description: "Have you tried to turn it off and on again?"
Company size: 100+
Age: 22
Duration: 4 months
How: internship
Pay: 0

Title: Security Analyst
Hours/wk: 40
Description: Deal with threats, implement and analyze security controls
Company size: gov
Age: 27
Duration: Current position
How: company website. No interview, they just called me and asked when could I start.
Pay: 16k (not bad salary regarding to where I live, people is making 12k or even less)

eansdad

Title: 02L – US Army
Hour/wk: All
Description: Saxophone player but helped take care of IT support duties for unit, built unit website
Company size: Large
Age: 20-22
Duration: 2 years
How: Was volunteered by platoon leader because I had a PC (in 1997)
Pay: E-4

Title: Configuration Tech worked up to Assistant team Lead
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Configured and built servers for Compaq
Company size: Large
Age: 24-26
Duration: 1.5 years
How: Applied directly
Pay: $10/hr on night shift

Title: Deployment Technician worked up to various Team Lead positions
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Worked several deployments for NMCI project
Company size: Large
Age: 26-27
Duration: 1.5 years
How: Applied after layoff from Compaq after merger with HP, Friend from Compaq got me in with him
Pay: $18/hr

Title: Desktop Support
Hour/wk: 60+
Description: Support for a large university hospital
Company size: Large
Age: 27
Duration: 2 months
How: Applied, Monster
Pay: $20/hr

Title: Desktop Support
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Desktop support for NMCI project site
Company size: Large
Age: 27-29
Duration: 2 years
How: Applied through Careerbuilder, used contacts from deployment days
Pay: $20/hr, paid for benefits

Title: Computer Technician
Hour/wk: 40
Description: All IT needs within the 2 schools I am scheduled at
Company size: 2500 staff, 10000 students
Age: 29-current
Duration: 8 years
How: Applied directly
Pay: $34k start +benefits

Yes, my career stagnated when I got the school district. Yearly raises and a pension made me fat and dumb hence why I am finishing my BS degree and certs like I should have done years ago.

gbdavidx

could you guys post any certs or education that may have helped on the way?

mokaiba

Title: Army
Hour/wk: 60
Description: Army stuff
Company size: million?
Age: 18-22
Duration: 3.6 years
How: Applied and interviewed
Pay: E-4

--AAS degree--

Title: TV station in remote area
Hour/wk: 20
Description: Commercial editor
Company size: no idea
Age: 23
Duration: six months - owner died and station went defunct
How: Knew the owner
Pay: 80/week

Title: Mcdonalds
Hour/wk: 10
Description: cook
Company size: no idea
Age: 24
Duration: three weeks
How: Applied and interviewed
Pay: 60/week

Title: Modem call center
Hour/wk: 40
Description: call center guy
Company size: no idea
Age: 24
Duration: three weeks - schedule conflict due to no transportation and they didn't want to give me an earlier shift so it ended one day after training finished.
How: Applied and interviewed
Pay: 400/wk

Title: affiliated computer services
Hour/wk: 50
Description: Financial Aid Officer/Technical Writer
Company size: no idea
Age: 24
Duration: 3+ - After xerox bought them, I was fired for parking in a visitor spot (typical bull reason to fire a person making more than others in same role when downsizing)
How: Applied and interviewed - I got this job three days after leaving the modem call center.
Pay: 500-600/week

Title: Name don't matter
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Financial Aid Officer
Company size: no idea
Age: 27
Duration: two weeks
How: Applied and interviewed
Pay: 600-700/week

--started to get IT certs --look left--
--started BSIT security from WGU--

Title: Tech support
Hour/wk: 40
Description: IT help desk
Company size: 80?
Age: currently - 32
Duration: more than 3 years
How: no idea, they offered it to me
Pay: 500-600/week

It may seem like I'm doing well, but I'm not pay wise -- I've made the same amount of money since I was 24 (eight years). -- Cost of living continues to rise and the gap of extra money I had went from 100s to barely nothing. A change is needed soon.

My Other Self

You seem to have quite a few certs and experience, mokaiba. You are making what I do now in an unrelated field. Do people tend to stay in help desk positions for more than a few years?

mokaiba

My Other Self wrote: »

You seem to have quite a few certs and experience, mokaiba. You are making what I do now in an unrelated field. Do people tend to stay in help desk positions for more than a few years?

I don't think most stay more than 1-2 years. I have only stayed this long because I have been working on a bachelors through WGU with most certs through them and others on my own. The convenient schedule I have makes it easy to do those things.

I plan on moving to another higher paying position (or at least start looking) around dec 2014/Jan 2015 or maybe right after I get my Linux+ and CCENT/CCNA/CCNA security through WGU (I'll also have MCSA server 2012 completed by end of month and RHCSA by dec, but those would be on my own). My hope is move to another position that pays at least 15k more a year (45k/year) to gain valuable experience for another three years and then move on to double or triple my pay from there.

SweenMachine

First gig: Computer pusherarounderer
Year: 1999 NT migration
Pay: $8 an hour
This was fresh out of working at Taco Bell
Age: 19

Then a bunch of help desk contracts and weird IT stuff, maximum of 15 an hour.

First real job: Business Anaylst 1 for JPMorganChase
Year: 2002 in banking IT (I processed ACHs, helped with wire transfer software ect)
Pay: 36k a year
Duration: 2 years

then a couple more dinky contracts as I was touring with my band from 2004-2007

The life changer:
Job: Level 1 help desk for a 91,000 employee pharma company doing 21 billion in revenue
Year: 2007
Pay: Starting, $18 an hour, ending $28 an hour
Averaged about 60k a year due to overtime
Got promoted three times, up to a lead position, and stayed there 7 years.
Got married, got out of debt, bought a house. Job was outsourced (well, the process began, I left prior)

Current roles:
Two positions. Help Desk Cooridinator (overnights) and Executive Support (3 days a week)
Pay: $25 an hour at the help desk, $22 an hour at executive support role
Cumulative: 70k+
Started this grind 2 months ago; I have also started getting certifications at this point.

-scott

IndyLoveless

1st: Intern Tech
Year: 2002-2003
Pay: $8.50 an hour
Age: 17-18
Worked at a school corporation in town

HUGE BREAK IN BETWEEN WITH ANOTHER JOB/SCHOOL NOT IT Related

Finished AAS at Ivy Tech

2nd Gig: QA Associate
Year: 2009-2010
Pay: $40,000 a year
Age: 26/27
Did QA testing for a software company, hated the place, hated the owner, but it got my foot in the door.

Current gig: Computer Support Technician (Help Desk)
Year: 2011-present
Pay: $44,000
Age: 29
Help desk for a large university.

paul78

Ok - just to rock the boat a little.

Education: some college
Certs: None until recently

Title: Software Programmer
Description: Software programmer developing graphics libraries under a grant
Company size: Private university
How: Knew someone
Age: 20
Pay : $16/hr

Title: Technical Sales Support
Description: Provided pre-sales support and technical assistance in software sales
Company size: <100
How: Want-ads in newspaper (this is pre-Internet folks)
Age: 21
Pay : $20K

Title: Systems Programmer
Description: Wrote OS utilities and ported software for supercomputer used in academic research
Company size: Private university
How: Knew someone
Age: 23
Pay : $32K

Title: Software Engineer
Description: Wrote Windows software for financial services industry
Company size: 1000+
How: Knew someone
Age: 24
Pay : $42K

Title: Manager, Software Engineering
Description: Management of QA and Development teams developing financial services applications
Company size: 1000+
How: Knew someone
Age: 25
Pay : $62K

Title: Principal Software Engineer
Description: Software architect for brokerage
Company size: 15000+
How: Knew someone
Age: 29
Pay : $110K

Title: Director, Software Engineering
Description: Start of internet boom - joined a small startup developing brokerage solutions
Company size: < 10
How: Knew someone
Age: 31
Pay : $110K

Title: Technology Consultant
Description: Internet implosion - went into private consulting
Company size: just me
How: Knew someone
Age: 35
Pay : $90/hr - $110/hr

Title: VP, Operations
Description: Yet another startup in financial services.
Company size: <10
How: Knew someone
Age: 39
Pay : $140K

Title: VP, Operations
Description: Had success with startup and sold it
Company size: 5000+
How: Knew someone
Age: 41
Pay : average annual $160K (variable compensation)

Title: VP, Technology
Description: Sold again and was offered another position in acquiring company
Company size: 20000+
How: Knew someone
Age: 43
Pay : average annual $240K (variable compensation)

Title: VP, Technology
Description: Took different role in company
Company size: 20000+
How: Knew someone
Age: 45
Pay : annual $360K (variable compensation - last year)

--chris--

Title: Intern (no certs)
Description: Everything from trolling spam filter logs to "turning it off, then turning it back on" and picking out tech articles for my boss to read on flight
Company size: 250
How: C-list
Age: 26
Pay : $12.50

Title: Desktop support (Dell contractor) (A+, ITIL F)
Description: Performing XP to 7 refresh, tier 2 desktop support
Company size: ~4000
How: C-list
Age: 27
Pay : $15/hour with ~5 hours of OT/week

FloOz

I love these kind of threads Always interesting to see others progression in the IT world.

Title: Computer Systems Intern
Description: Senior year of college internship. Worked with Telecom, Desktop, and Network teams. Got a good feel for the industry.
Company size: 1500+
How: Knew someone + I worked here during the summers previously as a filer clerk.
Age: 20
Pay : $11 an hour

Title: Desktop Engineer
Description: Desktop support work with some networking thrown in.
Company size: 1500+
How: Same job as where I had my internship
Age: 21
Pay : 42k

Title: Network Engineer
Description: Changed jobs to get into networking. Worked with Nexus and other Cisco tech.
Company size: 1500+
How: monster.com
Age: 22-23
Pay : 52k

Title: Network Administrator
Description: Changed jobs to work at a company that will look great on my resume and also get amazing experience. Daily work is routing/switching changes.
Company size: 1500+
How: Knew someone
Age: 23-24 (just turned 24)
Pay : 70k

zxbane

paul78 wrote: »

Ok - just to rock the boat a little.

Long story short, on top of being good at what you do, it pays to know someone! lol

mokaiba

paul78 you've been quite successful over the years. Was the age 45 role in the acquiring company?

--chris--

zxbane wrote: »

Long story short, on top of being good at what you do, it pays to know someone! lol

I am realizing that too. There is a touch of nepatism everywhere, even here...some ladies kid with no IT experience just got a $19/hour "Security analyst" job (processing apps for new user net logins, verify info then creating the creds in AD). The lady is a admin in IT.

The kid does is job well though, so maybe he deserved it...just looked bad.

crazyITguy

1st: Project Manager
Year: 2005-2006
Pay: 37k- Contract
Age: 19-20
Not technical

2nd: Build Technician
Year: 2006-2006
Pay: 14.50 hour
Age:20
Build Computers

3rd: Network Tech/Admin
Year: 2006-2007
Pay: $30,000
Age: 20-21
Lone Technical person. All things IT. Grossly underpaid for the work, but good on the experience

4th: Sr Tech
Year: 2007-2010
Pay: 45k
Age: 21-24
Not technical

5th: Help Desk Manager
Year: 2010-2011
Pay: 47k
Age: 24-25
Manage the help desk for a large non profit

6th: Director of technology the same place as Indyloveless... Good to hear you are doing well!
Year: 2011-2013
Pay: 75k
Age: 25-27
Manage all technical resources


Current gig: Project manager
Year: 2013-present
Pay: $90,000
Age: 27
Project mgmt for all technology

Verities

Title: Intelligence Analyst
Description: USMC
Company size: 200,00+
How: Signed up at recruiting office
Age: 17-22
Pay : laughable

Title: IT Support Intern
Description: Worked for a non profit MSP, got exposure to help desk and system administration.
Company size: 10
How: Veteran internship program
Age: 22-23
Pay : $20/hr (full time for 10 months, then cut to part time due to funding issues)

Title: Tech Support Specialist
Description: help desk and the occasional sys admin task
Company size: 200-800
How: Gave application to ITT Tech Career Services department and they forwarded my resume to the company.
Age: 23
Pay : $18.50/hr (pay reduction, but full time+benefits)

Title: Vmware Systems Administrator (contract position)
Description: Manage/troubleshoot virtual infrastructure and windows servers.
Company size: ~800,000
How: Contacted by recruiter on LinkedIn
Age: 24-25
Pay : $25/hr

It's been difficult trying to move on to similar sys admin positions or sys engineer positions without having MCSA, MCSE, or VCP. Competition is very high in San Diego, so I'm refocusing my efforts obtaining MCSA 2012, before my current contract ends.

stryder144

Title: Operations Technician Associate (Think sub-Technician I)
Description: Learn about the operations side of a large telecom
Company size: 10k or so
How: Applied after being told about the position via training company email
Age: 42
Pay: $31k or so, plus great, inexpensive benefits

Title: Consultation Agent, Geek Squad
Description: Help people figure out what is wrong with their computer, give them fix options, help to fix the problems, then educate customers on how to avoid the problem in the future. Needed the job due to the less than optimal pay from full-time job...mid-life career switches can mess your finances up!
Company size: 2500 GS "Agents"
How: Went into local store, asked if they needed an A+ certified Geek Squad member, they said "yes, give us your CV and go apply online". Kind of a double pronged approach to attacking the problem.
Age: 42
Pay: $13.50/hr

Title: Senior Operations Technician Associate (Still below Technician I pay but better than non-Sr OTA pay)
Description: Monitor environmental alarms associated with network equipment, investigate/verify alarms, craft/dispatch trouble tickets, contact field techs, as appropriate, inform NOC leadership of any potential issues, and work closely with other personnel affected by any possible issues.
Company Size: 10k+
How: Natural progression when in the OTA program.
Age: 42
Pay: $40k+ with a shift differential due to night shifts.

I retired from the USAF after 22 years of non-IT service. I was really blessed to get on with my full-time employer as well as my part-time employer. Too few companies are willing to put inexperienced people, even those with great management/supervisory experience, to work since they haven't proven themselves in IT. Of course, that usually begs the question of how do you get experience if no one will let you work for it? Thank God for veteran friendly employers!

teancum0

Title: Librarian / Desktop Support
Description: Put away books, help patrons on computers. Protect computers from Patrons.
How: I lived a small rural tow with just dial-up. So I was always at the library "doing things on the computer" Eventually an opening showed up and everyone worked there told me that I should apply.
Company size: 10
Age: 16
Pay : $5.50/hr

Some College / Volunteer service.

Title: Desktop Support / System Admin
Description: Provided pre-sales support and technical assistance in software sales
Company size: 500
How: Friend was about to be deployed to Iraq and asked me if I wanted his job. I ended up interviewing my boss at a LAN party.
Age: 21
Pay : $10/hr

Title: Intern/System Administrator
Description: It took me about a week to figure out what they had in mind for me in this job (this was after I was hired and all ready working). Basically they wanted me to work on projects and support various applications that had fallen into disrepair and document these application
Company size: 6000
How: Jobs site/recruiter. I think if I had to name two things that got me hired at this position. I would say my previous experience and I was asked "Now we may have some applications that you don't know." to which I responded "I would be surprised if you didn't have at least one app that was confusing, nobody knows how it works, but is vital to working".
Age: 24
Pay : $15/hr

Title: System Administrator (current)
Description: Same as above except I did it so well that they upgraded me to a full time position.
Company size: 6000
How: Promotion
Age: 25
Pay : $52K (Good Benefits)

Also thought it would be interesting to share my first experience with a computer and hear others experiences as well.
Basically my family always had old used computers so when everybody else was using Win95-98 I was using DOS. My dad finally found an old computer for me to use and banned me from ever touching his again. The first thing I did with this computer (386 sx 16 mhz, 2 mb of Ram, 50 MB hard drive Windows 2.0) I booted it up and started loading games on. I quickly ran out of space so I found the largest forlder on my hard drive. I highlighted the folder called "windows" and deleted it and suddenly had tons of space! I continued to load games on until some sort of error occured. I rebooted my machine only to be informed that this thing called "windows" was missing. I asked my dad for help and he handed me a box full of software and wished me luck. Everything kind of grew from there.

IS3

Title: Tech Support Rep
Hour/wk: 40
Description: ISP support for residential and commercial customers
Company size: >250
Age: 21
Duration: 5 years
How: Applied and interviewed
Certs: None
Education: High School - in college
Pay: $13-17/hr

Title: IT HelpDesk (PT)
Hour/wk: 25
Description: Local Clinic
Company size: <200
Age: 26-28
Duration: 1 1/2 years
How: Indeed
Certs: None
Education: High School - in college
Pay: $11-12/hr

Title: Computer Repair Tech
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Computer repair shop
Company size: 5
Age: 28
Duration: 7 Months
How: Applied and interviewed
Certs: A+
Education: High School - in college
Pay: $12/hr

Title: IT Specialist
Hour/wk: 40
Description: IT Support for a bank
Company size: <300
Age: 28
Duration: <2 years
How: Craigslist
Certs: A+ (working on N+)
Education: High School - in college
Pay: $17/hr

It sucks because i am already getting older and still at the bottom of the food chain. So my plan is to get an AA from a community college and certs (MCSA, MCSE then CCNA). Overall though i love the job i am doing so i guess that is the most important thing

MAC_Addy

IS3 wrote: »

It sucks because i am already getting older and still at the bottom of the food chain.

Hang in there mate. Your time will come. Just keep doing what you're doing and something will land in your favor.

DoubleNNs

Wow Paul78, you seem extremely well connected haha.

lazyjk

Title: Technical Support
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Mainly did phone/email/in-person tech support for a Wireless ISP (only support tech) - small enough that I got to assist in networking/server side when calls were slow
Company size: 10
Age: 22 - 25
Duration: Not quite 4 years
How: Applied and interviewed
Certs: None when started - obtained CCNA/Security+/CIW certs while there
Education: Already had a B.S. Computer Science from a Brick and Mortar - Started WGU B.S IT
Pay: Starting 26,000 - Ending 37,000


Title: NOC Tech
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Worked in a large cable company's NOC doing typical NOC duties - monitoring - working with vendors and other internal operations groups - initial investigation of network issues
Company size: ~20,000
Age: 25-26
Duration: Not quite 1 year (last day is next week)
How: Applied and interviewed
Certs: came in with CCNA/Security+/CIW certs - obtained Project+ and Microsoft Windows 7 cert
Education: B.S. Computer Science from a Brick and Mortar - Continued with WGU
Pay: Starting 37,000 - Ending 39,000


Title: Network Security Analyst
Hour/wk: 40
Description: Will be working on a team responsible for installation/configuration of all Routing/Switching, Firewalls, Wireless, IP phones for a large Electrical Cooperative
Company size: ~5,000
Age: 26
Duration: Starting in April
How: Applied and interviewed
Certs: Coming in with CCNA/Security+/CIW certs/Project+/Microsoft Windows 7 configuring cert
Education: B.S. Computer Science from a Brick and Mortar - Continuing with WGU (3 M$ classes and Capstone left)
Pay: 58,500

TylerBarrett

Title: NOC Technician
Description: Business level TV/Phone/Internet/email helpdesk, internal IT helpdesk, scheduling service techs for installs/troubleshooting
Company size: 150?
How: Hired after college
Age: 21
Pay : $13/hour

Title: Service Technician (current)
Description: Desktop support, server implementation/troubleshooting, cisco switch installs/troubleshooting
Company size: ~25
How: Hired after being NOC for 3 months
Age: 21
Pay : $14.5/hour base ($1/hour for each A+, Network+, Server+)

IS3

Thank you! I wont give up.

paul78

mokaiba wrote: »

paul78 you've been quite successful over the years. Was the age 45 role in the acquiring company?

Thank you. I've been very fortunate. And yes - it's the same company. I've been at the same company through various acquisitions for the past 7 or 8 years. I've lost track to be honest.

Jon_Cisco

IS3 wrote: »

Age: 28
Duration: <2 years

It sucks because i am already getting older and still at the bottom of the food chain.

If I am reading this correct then you are around 31 with a couple years of IT experience.
This is not to old! Good Luck

P.S. I'm 40 and looking to start my first IT job in the next year.

GoodBishop

paul78 wrote: »

Ok - just to rock the boat a little.

I think I should start calling you paul78-sensei.

Pretty awesome - definitely something to strive toward.

hell911

paul78 wrote: »

Thank you. I've been very fortunate. And yes - it's the same company. I've been at the same company through various acquisitions for the past 7 or 8 years. I've lost track to be honest.

you make more than i can imagine.

---

i noticed that you started as a software guy, not a networking. do you think that a networking related position can be at the top of food chain?

paul78

hell911 wrote: »

i noticed that you started as a software guy, not a networking. do you think that a networking related position can be at the top of food chain?

I very rarely run into anyone that has a network or systems background in senior technology management. But that could just be the nature of the industry that I'm in. I work in financial services so technology managers tend to have software development backgrounds. Probably because we have to be aligned with the business and network and systems roles are not close enough to the business.

hell911

^
there goes my hopes.