17 years of desktop support experience -- a cautionary tale of being only satisfied

buttons · October 2016

I have worked here for eleven years and overall been happy. no stress, a lot of freedom, great benefits, extremely laid back environment. The other day our CIO announced his departure and i got to thinking, "what am i doing with my life." I have pretty much worked out of my pay scale and I could easily see myself being on the next recession chopping block. My last certification was windows 7 enterprise support. I am starting to learn cisco voice administration, but at a snail's pace.

I started in desktop support when I was seventeen, but I had already been providing it for friends and family since middle school. I was the leader of the computer nerds. Now, friends I mentored have continued on to be high level sys admins making considerably more than I. That bothered me some, I expected opportunities to just be handed to me for being a good employee-- but this is not life as we know it. You rarely will be rewarded for hard work alone. You have to demand it or be prepared to find another opportunity elsewhere. Not to mention it seems much easier to demand better terms during an interview than it is during your tenure.

My sister changes jobs every year. Head hunters and various employers BEG her constantly, to work for them. She is picked up by limos, put up in fancy hotels and then has the luxury to turn down generous six digit offers that only requires her to work from home in her pajamas. It is such a contrast to my own situation. If i was unemployed, i would have to fight for a job. Go to dozens of interviews and only to make maybe two thirds of what I make now.

My biggest regret is not my mediocre pay, but I did not drive myself harder to become more marketable. That I became simply comfortable. Now I have three kids, less energy, and more fatigue. The prospect of studying after working 8am-6pm feels quite daunting. If I have any advice for the young people on this board. Get your college degree, certifications, or etc before you start your family. I had to much time then, now I don't nearly have enough.

DatabaseHead · October 2016

First of all great write up rep coming, anyone who reads this should rep you for this.

I agree EXTREME complacency can lead to the situation you are in. Heed the warning!

Couldn't agree more about get your degree / certs early once you get the family it becomes increasingly more difficult and you do lose time with them unless you can study at work or some other situation where they aren't around.

I believe it comes down to a blend, some complacency is good it gives you an opportunity to catch your breath. Because truth be told, extreme hopping can be just as damaging.

scaredoftests · October 2016

Never too late though. GET GOING!

buttons · October 2016

I know, you guys have given me a lot of inspiration. Except for all the posts about nightmare interviews...

TLeTourneau · October 2016

A nice write-up but, as had been said, it's never too late. Look at your options and move forward. I have been able to progress after some change.

First, find the items (certs, degree, etc.) that get you the best ROI for time invested and start there. Although I am a fan of WGU for their model and included certifications you may want to consider some certs first for the ROI.

Second, communicate with management. I cannot stress enough how helpful clear expectations are in moving up. Get the expectations for progression and then do everything you can to exceed them to show you can handle more. Prove your value through both your actions and input, when you have ideas share them in meetings. One of the fastest ways to get overlooked is to not contribute beyond the minimum required for the job, it's also a good way not to advance. If management thinks your content with your position they have no impetus to promote you.

Third, persistence. Without being pushy (or at least overly so) be persistent with the communication of your goals and your expectations. Ask what you can do and how you can improve. This helps management to know that you are a resource that is active and can be relied upon.

Fourth, own your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, admit to them, learn from them and move forward. The worst thing you can do is try to cover-up when you have made a mistake. Don't do it, it very rarely ends well. By the same token, remember that no one knows everything. No one expects you to, admit when you don't and use it as an opportunity to learn.

These are just some things off the top of my head that may (or may not) help.

markulous · October 2016

+1 for it's never too late.

How much downtime do you have at your current job? I'd recommend WGU for the degree and the certs. I'd say 80-90% of the studying I did at work since I worked at a help desk that wasn't too busy.

buttons · October 2016

All great ideas TLeTourneau. My current situation, we don't have meetings or even serious employee reviews. Once a year they give me five out of five on everything, which even I know is not true. No one is perfect and there is always room for improvement. Our IS department has about 35 people and no one ever leaves and new people are very rarely invited to join. I missed one opportunity because the job description did not remotely match the actual duties, so i didnt even try for it. Honestly I don't think it was even posted internally.

I have started looking at WGU too. I currently have an associates from a local community college and was considering starting towards the next step.

IronmanX · October 2016

Yes you have less free time now, but at this point in history its never been easier to get education on a as you feel like it basis.
17 years ago you where looking a brick and mortar institution now sign up online and put in a couple of hours after the kids are in bed and you'll make good progress.

bigdogz · October 2016

buttons,

You also have to understand that as you are constantly learning, you have to prove that knowledge. This is done with obtaining the certifications. Finishing to get your Bachelor's degree is a start.
It sounds like the culture at your job is casual. You have to make the change and keep moving forward.

vfr clown · October 2016

nice post, for young and older people. I felt the same a few years ago after 9 years with the same employer. I had nowhere to move up there and lost my edge. Someone else came in and did me a favor. I left there and had some very good learning opportunities. Now I give myself job orientated goals and that has been an amazing motivator. I've been promoted twice since I started here, including getting out of the service desk and on the network team. Make a plan and set a deadline for yourself. I went back to school to get more credits towards my BS and now i'm focusing on that.

Dojiscalper · October 2016

I've had the same experience Buttons, I came from a very poor area and was taught to be lucky to have any job at all so I still struggle with being comfortable to easily. Lately I've been trying to get current certifications and been applying everywhere for a year.

Rocket Impossible · October 2016

The first step is clearly and honestly appraising your situation. You've done that, so now it's time to decide what direction you would like to go. Have you discovered any specific technology you enjoy working with in your many years of experience? Start learning more about it. It's all about doing a little every day. Over time, you will build up new knowledge and skills.

alias454 · October 2016

There is nothing wrong with keeping a steady job and raising three kids. Don't discount what you have done up to this point. There is also nothing wrong with wanting more out of life and the time to make a change is right now. Don't feel sad about what you coulda, shoulda, woulda. Start making changes to move in the direction you want to go, whatever that is or do nothing and continue to wish things were different.

BillHoo · October 2016

What does your sister do? Follow her lead.

UnixGuy · October 2016

Excellent post.

Mate, now you are more mature, you have more resources and more wisdom. Start kicking goals. Get some certs and the sky is the limit. You're still young.

and good job on raising your kids and having a family - it's a big deal.

powerfool · October 2016

buttons,

First of all, thank you for sharing this introspective view... and thanks to others that have posted solid advice. I am someone who may be more akin to the folks that you mentored and continued progressing. There is much to learn from each situation.

For me, I started off very similar to you... very young, and have been at this for 18 years now (will be 36 in a few short weeks

). My first couple of years, I didn't take advantage of the opportunities in front of me. I made excuses as to why school was just too much for me to handle while working... and I didn't get any certifications. This put me in a bad position because the economy tanked and I found myself in the situation that you fear... desperately seeking a job... going to interview after interview... and eventually finding a job making less than before.

It was a learning opportunity for me though. I learned that I didn't want to continue down this path. So, I summoned will from nothingness and put on the full-court press for career development. The first thing I did was seek a highly marketable certification (MCSE on Windows 2000) and then immediately rolled into a degree program afterwards. Not too long after the MCSE, I found myself on a very short-term contract (3 weeks) that got extended, and extended, and finally turned into a job offer. It was great because they offered tuition reimbursement that I took advantage of and while it wasn't the perfect job, I had significant autonomy and got to go to overseas to foreign offices. I stayed for three years and when I left the HR manager made a joke about my 3 weeks and not leaving. From there, I was half way through my undergrad and moved to a new position that seemed like growth (better pay, bigger environment, broader impact). I didn't like the boss, but I stuck it out for about two years and finished up my degree. After that, I had a really nice job move that put me in a leadership position (senior admin with great influence over basically everything tech in the company... the boss was an empty suit, basically). I worked very hard at this job... harder than necessary... and I didn't get much appreciation in the end as they gave me a title promotion and then fired me stating they were "eliminating the position." Now, during that time, I attained my CCNA, and I was able to secure two jobs within the period of my severance and PTO payout, which was great. I took this new position as a consultant for a defense contractor which brought with it a ton of opportunity for career development. I took advantage of just about every opportunity again. I finally re-upped my MCSE to 2003, then 2008, did my CISSP, and many more... then did a masters degree on the companies dime. I stayed for four years and have since moved onto another consulting job where things are very flexible.

I same this not to brag, but to share the anxiety I had during many times throughout the journey. I shared that same anxiety that you are expressing now. I felt a bit like a shark... having to always keep moving lest I risk suffocation. The drive was motivated by the fear of experiencing what I had already felt in the past and wished not to repeat. Use it to your advantage... it will help you overcome self-doubt. You are a capable person. Your family is a great motivator (I also have three kids).

And I echo your suggestions to the younger folks... do it now. When I started working on my degree, I should have already completed it. Avoid being in regretful positions, although if you get yourself into those positions... it is STILL a learning experience. Be hard on yourself to improve, but let go of the past except for the lessons it has to offer and the positive memories.

Now, with that being said, buttons... take stock of your situation. I am sure it hasn't been without positives. Maybe you have been able to put money back for retirement, have good healthcare for your family? These are not bad things. Just work to improve yourself. Try to better your position from where it is today to 10-15% better for next year. If you miss that mark, all is not lost... you will likely still find yourself at least a few percent better off, no?

And the options are bountiful today. I know many have chosen things like WGU and it does give you that fast track on a dime option. However, community colleges also are very affordable, have almost all of their courses online, and even have "accelerated" options (and can include certifications into the curriculum). This will help you to move on to other opportunities for an undergrad degree, maybe at WGU, or maybe at other schools that have great options.

And, there are also many other education opportunities today, outside of traditional education. I applied to, and was accepted, the Self-Driving Car Engineer Nanodegree Program at Udacity. There are many other programs like this, as well.

quickman007 · October 2016

Never too late to start. Lots of places would look at your age as experience and wisdom.

Also, is there any chance you would share what your sister does for a living? If it's IT related, I'd like to jump on that while my social life is still dead.

Lexluethar · October 2016

It's never too late to start training and looking around.

As you already know you cannot become complacent. If you aren't growing and improving your skill sets your are falling behind. I agree it's great to sit back and take a pay check but unfortunately the longer you sit in one position (at least at a lower level) the harder it will be for you to find another job in the event you get fired or laid off. Not only because your skill sets are behind compared to the current market.

I've found a lot of recruiters and companies look at your past experience and if you are in a lower level for more than 5 years it's a red flag. It makes it look like you are either incapable of moving up or you are lazy. I know, hard to hear.

It's not too late though, hit the books and start working towards your goals.

revbox · October 2016

I identify much with your story. I got a job in my building when I was 19. It was going to be a "summer job". I got started in data entry, moved into quality assurance, then into a department lead, and up into project leadership. By this point I was 23 and management realized I was smarter than the average bear and had good attendance, but had no degree and had no desire to leave. I attempted college several times both physical and online, but it was too much working full-time. I moved into desktop support performing basic tasks and slowly grew up from there. Eventually, I moved into application support, virtualization, and change management. I turned 34 this year and have aged out of my salary bracket. Like you, I became comfortable. My environment was one I enjoyed and the money was great. I have over 15 years of experience, but didn't start working on certifications until this year. I feel it is worth mentioning that I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD this year and began taking medication for it. Since then, my ambition woke up and I've been on a steady certification growth since April of this year.

Your last paragraph is spot on. Never stop learning. You don't have to crank out a certification a month, but try to do at least two or three a year. If college isn't an option at the present, get to it when you can, but make it a priority. Don't let the years go by. If you are a full-time student, do not come out with a degree and have zero experience. While you are a full-time student, you can always volunteer your technical services. Walk into any church, library, or civic organization and see if they refuse your help. Even if you are just installing print drivers and helping make presentations, you can still list that technical support on a resume and have people that vouch for your level of service. In a perfect world, you'd probably have some sort of work study on campus where you could monitor a computer lab or something.

Anyway, good post OP. Hope you younger cats can get something from these words.

mzx380 · October 2016

Thank you for sharing your story buttons
I also have a similar post that I will be posting later this year with my tail for self-improvement. I can definitely tell you from experience that if you don't want to improve for the sake of your career, do it for your family. That will give you the motivation that you need regardless of your energy level.

Send me a message if you ever want to discuss any improvement strategies.
good luck

Remedymp · October 2016

Two years from now, you will start seeing Security Analyst in the same predicament.

17 years of desktop support experience -- a cautionary tale of being only satisfied

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