i'm sick of IT....

a little background about me...9 years of experience doing tech support and network administration. been unemployed for almost a year. had a temporary gig for about 5 months this year before the contract ended. at first, i was using all the free time to study up for mcsa exam. but then i lost passion for it. looking for IT job out there right now is depressing...the pay is low and they expect to have all these certification. so i lost the passion for it. i'm tired of the corporate world and tired of the rat race.

luckily, i save some $$$ from all the years i worked in IT and about to start my own business. the business has nothing to do with IT. but i think i will be making a decent salary from it. i've lost all the passion for IT. my passion now is just to make money and be my own boss and become financially independent by the age 50.

well thanks for listening to my rant and wish me luck...i will report back within a year if i make it or not.

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Comments

t3ch_guru

I don't know if I could ever leave IT. I'm always going to love this field.

In your situation, I would see how your start up business goes. If you truly love IT at heart keep looking on the side. Are you using your resources to the fullest?

What is the business you are interested in starting?

msteinhilber

I wish you the best of luck. I'm sure you have your bases covered but have you developed a well rounded business plan? A lot of individuals get often very bright ideas for starting a business but do not invest enough time in research and construction of a solid business plan. I know of some friends and co-workers who have jumped into business ventures with a large portion of their savings who had what they thought were well rounded business plans but they lacked critical thought, one of them didn't even know what their break-even point was. One thing I might suggest even if you feel you have everything covered is to look into various small business seminars or small business incubators in your area. These are often available free of charge to minimal costs and will give you a great opportunity to gain some knowledge, network with others, and potentially meet investors if that is a path you need to take.

Hopefully you report back in a year with good news, but give yourself a bit of wiggle room on what "making it" within a year is and plan accordingly. It is quite the ambitious task to startup a business and be earning a decent profit already at the end of just one year.

vincentnyc10

yes i will still look for IT job on the side...if i get i get it...if not...i wont be too worry.

my business is buying an existing laundromat. i'm pretty close of buying one...and since now i'm unemployed...i will have plenty time to learn.

and eventually if i get hire back in the world of IT...i will keep this business on the side if it is making some nice change.

mikedisd2

Wow, that's very admirable stepping out and taking control. I wish you the best of luck in achieving the dream.

Hope to hear about your success in a year's time.

mrblackmamba343

give your business a shot. You never know. They say when one door closes another one opens

LAN_Man

Good Luck. Hope everything works out

Pash

Well Business and IT is like Salt and Pepper today, your experience in the field will help you at some point in running your business. Good luck with that.

janmike

Well, maybe you are just sick and tired of being unemployed!LOL.. A few years ago, catching a gig with a contractor was how you got started in order to get "your foot in the door." In this economy, it appears to be becoming a way of life. One of the best techy/analyst types that I know is on the same path right now--lost a job over some sort of pettiness. I think that she will end up on top with this one. Her experience is just too valuable to ignore.

But, best of luck. Your are into a proven business enterprise for yourself. I am of the boomer generation, so you are "taking up the gauntlet" for us in continuing a noble trade, but, it can be a living.

Best of luck!

Hyper-Me

I dont know if I could ever get sick of IT.

I get sick of a lot of the stuff that comes with any job. That is...difficult customers, difficult and/or completely inept coworkers. People who get everywhere in their "career" but cant do basic human functional tasks, much less their job. Unfair pay, etc.

I think the fact that I love working with technology so much is what saves me from just quitting and becoming a hippie.

veritas_libertas

Hyper-Me wrote: »

I think the fact that I love working with technology so much is what saves me from just quitting and becoming a hippie.

Hmm, I have to if I wasn't working in IT I don't know what I would be doing. I would probably find my self traveling everywhere. I guess I would become a Gypsy? I couldn't do the long-haired hippie thing

I love IT, not necessarily all the business politics that come with it though.

Super99

Can I ask how old you are?

veritas_libertas

Super99 wrote: »

Can I ask how old you are?

Your going to have to specify a name

msteinhilber

I've already chimed in with my concerns I share with a lot of people whom I know that have ventured down the business path. But now that I know a bit more (buying an existing laundromat) I would like to share one more just in case you haven't thought of it.

Why are they selling the business?

And I wouldn't settle for taking whatever they tell you as the reason for selling at face value, they are a business person engaging in a business transaction and would love you to believe they just want to relax more or try other ventures. Perhaps there are problems present and they want out, also be sure to look down the road for any future problems you may be inheriting if you make the purchase such as any sort of equipment rentals or other contracts that may be related to the business.

Sorry if I seem to be really siding on the cautious side. I'm the first to admit that I know nothing of running a laundromat, but my gut tells me that a single laundromat isn't very likely to be as profitable when compared to a mid-level IT job. I can see a chain of laundromats in the right areas that are well managed doing well, but perhaps it's just my own ignorance on the business and they are more profitable than I am assuming.

eduromer

vincentnyc10 wrote: »

a little background about me...9 years of experience doing tech support and network administration. been unemployed for almost a year. had a temporary gig for about 5 months this year before the contract ended. at first, i was using all the free time to study up for mcsa exam. but then i lost passion for it. looking for IT job out there right now is depressing...the pay is low and they expect to have all these certification. so i lost the passion for it. i'm tired of the corporate world and tired of the rat race.

luckily, i save some $$$ from all the years i worked in IT and about to start my own business. the business has nothing to do with IT. but i think i will be making a decent salary from it. i've lost all the passion for IT. my passion now is just to make money and be my own boss and become financially independent by the age 50.

well thanks for listening to my rant and wish me luck...i will report back within a year if i make it or not.

Good luck m8!!

Slowhand

If running this laundromat is what you want to do, then I say go for it. You lost your passion for IT, you want to do something else, then I think it's a great idea to pursue another path. Incidentally, this is why I carry such a banner for people getting into school - particularly traditional brick-and-mortar institutions instead of online or vocational schools - because it's much easier to find work outside of IT with an academic undergrad or graduate degree fro a reputable school. As long a you have other options, that's always a good thing when the IT-monkey feels a little too heavy on your back. It sounds like you were smart, getting your savings together, and it's serving you well now that you want to invest in your own business.

vincentnyc10 wrote: »

my passion now is just to make money and be my own boss and become financially independent by the age 50.

This is the only part of your new goal that worries me, aside from what msteinhilber mentioned about doing a little bit of background-checking on the business before taking it over and discovering what the pitfalls are. The desire to "make money" is one of those things that gets people to make strange, (and sometimes hasty,) decisions, like buying into those "cashflow industry" scams you see on late night TV. Doing what you love and making money aren't the same thing, you can hate what you do and regret doing it every day even if you're making tons of cash doing it.

Don't let yourself fall into the trap of, "I'm only doing this for a little while, then I'll get out," because you never know how things'll go. You might make lots of money, expand out, hire people to work for you, and only be involved in the business-end of the company, not the day-to-day stuff. Still, you might also end up sweeping the floors, emptying lint-traps, and ordering spare parts for industrials washers until you're 85. It's a big risk to jump into something like this with both feet, and as long as you understand that risk, then you're okay.

Good luck, I wish you the best on your new venture and I hope you get to kick back and take it easy before too long.

SephStorm

He does make a good point. The amount of knowledge that a consummate IT professional has is huge, and I don't know how well most are getting paid these days.

veritas_libertas

SephStorm wrote: »

He does make a good point. The amount of knowledge that a consummate IT professional has is huge, and I don't know how well most are getting paid these days.

Someone I know just snagged a 6 figure sysadmin job in an area that is not expensive to live in. His experience played a heavy role in getting that. Granted that is an exception to the over all rule in this economy.

JoJoCal19

vincentnyc10 wrote: »

luckily, i save some $$$ from all the years i worked in IT and about to start my own business. the business has nothing to do with IT. but i think i will be making a decent salary from it. i've lost all the passion for IT. my passion now is just to make money and be my own boss and become financially independent by the age 50.

If you have cash saved up and you want to do something other than IT and want to be your own boss and financially independent then I would highly recommend investing in real estate. With the current market and deals available its the perfect time to invest if you have available cash. Its a fact that 97% of millionaires in the US made there money in real estate. Also real estate (when done properly) is the safest investment and is the best path to becoming financially independent.

Among the safest and best investment methods right now is wholesaling. Also if you can buy a shortsale/REO at 60% - 70% of market value and rent for a year or two and sell you stand to make a nice chunk of money.

A huge percent of new small business fail. As mentioned previously I would do a lot of due dilligence on why they are selling the laundromat and also probably find out how other laundromats are faring.

JoJoCal19

I am in a similar boat. While Im definitely not sick of IT, I am sick of the IT job market. Ive been going to school and will be starting my BS in Business in May and also will be studying for and getting my Six Sigma Green Belt cert and CAPM cert. I am rounding out my business skills and adding that to my portfolio of skills so that I am able to obtain different positions. Its better to have a variety of skills nowadays.

Im also obtaining my real estate license and mortgage brokers license in Jan/Feb as I am wanting to move into real estate when the time is right. I have an in with a real estate broker and the agent I know that works there has been trying to get me to get my license.

I really dont see a future in IT for myself unless its in a management/project management capacity. Unfortunately with the paths Ive taken (not really by choice but by necessity) I have backed myself into a corner and if I want to advance in IT I will have to specialize which will mean learning a specialization and then taking a big paycut to go into entry level for that specialization and then work my way back up. At 28 years old and at this point in my life, after much thought I decided Id really rather not do that and would rather further my education to move up into management instead.

Hyper-Me

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

I really dont see a future in IT for myself unless its in a management/project management capacity. Unfortunately with the paths Ive taken (not really by choice but by necessity) I have backed myself into a corner and if I want to advance in IT I will have to specialize which will mean learning a specialization and then taking a big paycut to go into entry level for that specialization and then work my way back up. At 28 years old and at this point in my life, after much thought I decided Id really rather not do that and would rather further my education to move up into management instead.

and why, exactly, should someone who doesnt have a specialized understanding of a topic be the manager/leader of said topic?

I've met a lot of good and bad project managers. I've met a few who knew the topic well, but werent good managers. I've met a few who didnt know the topic well, but were exceptional managers. But the absolute BEST ive met are the ones who know the topic well AND are good managers.

Unfortunately a lot of these guys who know nothing about IT but are IT managers/project leaders are something of a joke, and frauds. (Not ALL of them, but a large portion from my experience)

brad-

Hyper-Me wrote: »

Unfortunately a lot of these guys who know nothing about IT but are IT managers/project leaders are something of a joke, and frauds. (Not ALL of them, but a large portion from my experience)

I think we may have worked at the same company at some point in the past

Seriously though, at my previous job, they hired in managers that supposedly were good at teh soft skills...but with next to zero technical knowledge...and they ALL panned out to be the worst managers possible. All politics between their departments and company heads. They hid the real problems to make it look like everything was ok so they could get bonuses and keep their high paying jobs, meanwhile we were all dying...while giving lip service to us and nodding their heads that they understand the company's shortfalls in supporting the support teams.

JoJoCal19

Hyper-Me wrote: »

and why, exactly, should someone who doesnt have a specialized understanding of a topic be the manager/leader of said topic?

I've met a lot of good and bad project managers. I've met a few who knew the topic well, but werent good managers. I've met a few who didnt know the topic well, but were exceptional managers. But the absolute BEST ive met are the ones who know the topic well AND are good managers.

Unfortunately a lot of these guys who know nothing about IT but are IT managers/project leaders are something of a joke, and frauds. (Not ALL of them, but a large portion from my experience)

You dont need to be an absolute expert in an area to be a great manager of said area. Ive also known all kinds of managers and the absolute worst are the subject matter experts that have horrible management skills but became managers because of said mastery of subject. As a matter of fact Im back in that situation now, and it sucks. It the worst thing to be sitting here killing yourself, and the work situation is getting worse because we have someone managing that knows this stuff inside and out but cant manage to save his @$$. We all know how to fix the situation but our ideas are for naught, because the manager refuses to listen and does it their way.

I would 100% rather work for a great manager who isnt a master of the subject he is managing, hands down, any day, thank you. The really good managers like that depend on their subject matter experts they manage for input on the subject but they handle the overall department management.

And I do have experience in specialized areas, but the problem is I dont have the length of experience necessary nor the deep education necessary in an area, to become an expert in that area and make the big bucks. I have knowledge and experience in different areas and I make alot of money in what I do now, but were I to switch to say, a routing and switching network job, or an exchnage admin job, I would have to start back at entry level and take a 40% paycut. No thanks. After I finish my bachelors and especially my MBA I can slide right on up into management and see a dramatic increase in my salary.

Also from what Ive seen and the huge corporations Ive worked at and am working at now, the people that usually get the mid and upper management jobs are the ones with the MBA and vast knowledge of different areas. You can keep your job as Network Engineer or Exchange Server Admin or whatever expert level role your in, Ill take the 6 figure management job.

Hyper-Me

Oh I whole heartedly agree with about people that lack one or the other side of the coin.

I simply think that being very good (maybe not a true SME) on what you manage AS WELL as having good mangerial skills is the best overall combination.

I too hope to work my way into a supervisor spot at my current employer, but the supervisors are actually working supervisors where they are expected to know what they manage on top of managing it. We have a few managers whos skills like in managing rather than actual IT, as well, though.

tdean

SephStorm wrote: »

He does make a good point. The amount of knowledge that a consummate IT professional has is huge, and I don't know how well most are getting paid these days.

this is a problem. most of my friends are making 6 figure salaries from working as crane operators, hanging/taping sheet rock or being an office admin. sure they work OT, but i study my ass off, have 8 years exp, certs, and i cant seem to find anything over 65K.... i dont even know where to look. cant tell a good company from bad etc etc.....i am also becoming very frustrated with what im starting to feel is a waste of time, doing all this studying.

veritas_libertas

@tdean: Where do you live?

tdean

veritas_libertas wrote: »

@tdean: Where do you live?

Plymouth Ma. 1/2 hr south of Boston. i've seen others on here from my area post about the great jobs they have... everything i get calls for or see is at a crappy company thats looking to "save a few bucks" and i'm the only guy there etc.... you know the deal.

veritas_libertas

tdean wrote: »

Plymouth Ma. 1/2 hr south of Boston. i've seen others on here from my area post about the great jobs they have... everything i get calls for or see is at a crappy company thats looking to "save a few bucks" and i'm the only guy there etc.... you know the deal.

Sorry to hear that...

GAngel

tdean wrote: »

this is a problem. most of my friends are making 6 figure salaries from working as crane operators, hanging/taping sheet rock or being an office admin. sure they work OT, but i study my ass off, have 8 years exp, certs, and i cant seem to find anything over 65K.... i dont even know where to look. cant tell a good company from bad etc etc.....i am also becoming very frustrated with what im starting to feel is a waste of time, doing all this studying.

Move to washington or NYC you'll be able to get alot closer to 100k and then give it all back in rent and other fees.. Basically the standard of living will balance out regardless of what you earn depending on the job market. If you feel you're stuck at 65k what certs do you hold and whats your experience? What's the average pay for the job you do? 6 figure It jobs are few and far between that's archetect,senior pm and specialized work.

tdean

GAngel wrote: »

Move to washington or NYC you'll be able to get alot closer to 100k and then give it all back in rent and other fees.. Basically the standard of living will balance out regardless of what you earn depending on the job market. If you feel you're stuck at 65k what certs do you hold and whats your experience? What's the average pay for the job you do? 6 figure It jobs are few and far between that's archetect,senior pm and specialized work.

i have my ccna, sec+, net+, A+, MCSE, working on mcitp. i have 8 years experience. i worked with vmware, exchange03/07, wireless, voip... my last boss was a total moron and is making 130K for a company with 25 desktop users.

Mrock4

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

You can keep your job as Network Engineer or Exchange Server Admin or whatever expert level role your in, Ill take the 6 figure management job.

Sure, manager's can make lots of money. Engineers can too. Regardless, those who make 6 figures have to have the experience to back it up, not just the degree...so, while an MBA is good, someone with an MBA and no real management experience, may not get what they expect. Just my $.02..I don't necessarily agree or disagree, but it's food for thought.

Finally, for what it's worth, JoJoCal19, I think your decision to go the business route is smart. Having solid business skills can help anyone in the job market IMO..I wish they taught a real business curriculum in school along with some financial classes!