From the reality of your experience...What's Your Opinion

Recently I met many of the workers in the field of information technology has many expressed remorse on the choice of information technology as a work field to them, which made me wonder ... Am I really on the right track.
I already have MCITP EA an prepare for CCNA.

what about you guys...
Do you discovered one day that the IT field is not the best field for you?
Do you regret One Day because of your work in the field of information technology?
Do you wish to return time to choose another profession?

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Comments

odysseyelite

Not me. I wish I had study harder and learned more tech\ certs before this point. The nice thing about IT is you can change within the sector. You can be a system admin, and then decide to go into security or networking.

People you speak of tend to be the lifers, who got into one job like helpdesk, or hardware and stayed there. They did not have the motivation to keep learning new skills. So now they are tired of the same old thing. That can happen in any field, especailly business.

Jinuyr

From my experience it is not so much the field as it is the company you are working with. If you do not enjoy the way you are being treated with your company then it will likely make you dislike what you were doing. This was true with me when I worked for a different organization. I hated it so much that I changed professions then came back and loved it. I love where I am working now.

IT can be a very diverse field that I believe there is something for almost everyone interested in technology.

lordy

Well, I sometimes feel like IT and I have developed in different ways.

I got into IT about 12 years ago, the (in)famous DotCom-Area when everything was possible. To me those times where great fun. No hierarchies, all-nite hacking, free Pizza, we had it all.

Today, the IT field is a completely different ball game. IT has become professional. This is both good and bad. Good in the sense that services are way more reliable and working hours are back to normal. Bad in the sense that you can no longer experiment, innovate and try your ideas. To me it's now just "a job".

Do I have alternatives? Yes. Do I really think about leaving IT? Right now, no. However I could pretty well see myself doing something just IT related in the future. I am really interesting in finance, stocks, investing and everything that is related to it. Maybe, with my IT background, I will be working in that field someday. Who knows...

it_consultant

Yeah, it sucks to work medium hard and get paid well for it

MrRyte

lordy wrote: »

Today, the IT field is a completely different ball game. IT has become professional. This is both good and bad. Good in the sense that services are way more reliable and working hours are back to normal. Bad in the sense that you can no longer experiment, innovate and try your ideas. To me it's now just "a job"...

Unfortunately; some IT people and departments need to be "straightened out". I've seen some IT guys act as if they're exempt from the professional etiquette that every company expect from ALL its employees (inappropriate attire; slacking off during downtime and demeaning non-IT employees with the "ID10T error" line when offering assistance). I would hate to have a job where it's more of a chore than a challenge but I also wouldn't to work with a bunch of IT certified goof-offs. And as for no longer being able to innovate or experiment; hopefully the IT supervisor has enough faith in his staff to allow SOME room for error.

PC509

odysseyelite wrote: »

Not me. I wish I had study harder and learned more tech\ certs before this point. The nice thing about IT is you can change within the sector. You can be a system admin, and then decide to go into security or networking.

I didn't want to go into IT out of high school (LOVED computers, didn't want it to become work), so I tried several other things. Kept coming back to IT. So, mid-20's, I started my IT education and certs and working in the industry. To this day, I still love computers and working with them as a hobby and as a job (it's still not work, I just earn a paycheck having fun!). Of course, I wouldn't trade those few years for anything. I had a blast!

I do wish I would have started earlier at times, but I learned a lot of soft skills having fun and doing other things.

Leonardo Fantastico

I could write a small novel about this topic, but yeah - I'm sorry I ever got involved in this field but I feel like I have spent too much time and effort to start doing something else.

ehnde

I wanted to go into IT since graduating high school, but was afraid to do it for several years. Why? Because if you do it as a "job" it might get boring, and IT was one of my greatest interests!

When I was 19 and built my first computer I immediately installed Red Hat (I think it was version 6, this was way before RHEL was even a thought) and Slackware. From there I was playing around with Perl and Nmap, etc for countless hours. Years passed and so did college classes (in IT, of course) and before I knew it I only needed another 30 credit hours to have a degree in.......IT! So of course I went into nursing. Yes, I was still worried about IT becoming boring.

After much thought and deliberation I committed to changing my major to IT and a working lifetime in networking.

What was I thinking to not have made this change years ago? I've not regretted this decision once, and the pay has been higher than any other prior job.

Panzer919

MrRyte wrote: »

slacking off during downtime

I am guilty of this. That being said, when I'm busy, I'm really busy so I take advantage of there being nothing to do from time to time. I catch up on various tech articles or watch some techwise tv.

Back to the OP, sometimes I just want to leave work at work. Being the only Network Engineer for 13 sites, I am always oncall. It just becomes a burden sometimes. Would I change professions, doubtful cause the only other thing I think I would enjoy would be cooking and I'm not going to be making a lot of money doing that any time soon so I'll just stay where I'm at. I think had I started working on servers instead of networking I would have regretted it but I enjoy networking so it's fun to me.

it_consultant

Do you ever get the feeling that people who constantly complain in IT would constantly complain no matter what job they had? There are things I would change in this industry if I were emperor of IT, but that does not mean that on the whole this is not a really good career choice. My main beef is that there is not enough women in our ranks and too many gamer-geeks.

veritas_libertas

PC509 wrote: »

I didn't want to go into IT out of high school (LOVED computers, didn't want it to become work), so I tried several other things. Kept coming back to IT. So, mid-20's, I started my IT education and certs and working in the industry. To this day, I still love computers and working with them as a hobby and as a job (it's still not work, I just earn a paycheck having fun!). Of course, I wouldn't trade those few years for anything. I had a blast!

I do wish I would have started earlier at times, but I learned a lot of soft skills having fun and doing other things.

/\
::
This is me. I went through the exact same process.

Panzer919

I get tired of the people who refuse to learn anything new and think they know it all. I think they are probably in the same group as the complainers.

Another thing I never understood is why people are just out right dicks to end users. Granted there are some users who deserve the ID-10-T tag but you should not automatically put all users in that category because you are too busy hiding playing solitaire to answer a simple question. My mom is in her 60's and has had to learn computers for her job. She was telling me about their IT guy being a complete douche over a simple question. It wasn't something stupid like why the mouse wasn't working it was a simple browser question regarding https pop-ups, took me maybe 20 seconds to explain it to her. I just don't see what the big deal is when there are no emergencies.

Zartanasaurus

If I could turn back the clock, I'd still be in IT. The only change might be a switch from an admin style role to a CE/EE style role.

MrRyte

I was the serious Atari/Nintendo/Sega gamer and only cared about what the latest game or system was. Over time curiousity got the best of me and I started looking more and more into how computers work. The key for me is the thrill of learning newer technologies or solving a mystery as to what's going on inside my computer. If IT ever stops evolving or becomes "totally automated" as mentioned in another thread then I'll just go back to working as a doorman/valet supervisor at some posh hotel or resort.

Of course; we all know THAT will never happen......

it_consultant

MrRyte wrote: »

I was the serious Atari/Nintendo/Sega gamer and only cared about what the latest game or system was. Over time curiousity got the best of me and I started looking more and more into how computers work. The key for me is the thrill of learning newer technologies or solving a mystery as to what's going on inside my computer. If IT ever stops evolving or becomes "totally automated" as mentioned in another thread then I'll just go back to working as a doorman/valet supervisor at some posh hotel or resort.

Of course; we all know THAT will never happen......

Computers and software are getting more reliable every day, but users are getting more stupid by the minute!

Panzer919

it_consultant wrote: »

Computers and software are getting more reliable every day, but users are getting more stupid by the minute!

Like I always say, "make something idiot proof, they will build a better idiot"

it_consultant

Panzer919 wrote: »

Like I always say, "make something idiot proof, they will build a better idiot"

I have a t-shirt that says that. I wear it to the gym but unfortunately I think the joke is lost on many people. Sad huh?

UnixGuy

I agree, it's because that "IT guy" is dumb, he thinks he knows rocket science when all that he knows is a grunt browser and mouse knowledge. Mediocre incompetent people love to show off because they feel they're less than others and want to compensate by showing off their knowledge of browsers and keyboards.

But that's not just user support, I know network consultants who have the same childish behavior. They know something, so they start testing other professionals with one question. They think that a huge deal of brains is needed to learn a CLI or to troubleshoot a network, they want someone (anyone) to tell them that they're smart ! I'm sick of those too, and I think one day I'm gonna hit one of the them.

Panzer919 wrote: »

I get tired of the people who refuse to learn anything new and think they know it all. I think they are probably in the same group as the complainers.

Another thing I never understood is why people are just out right dicks to end users. Granted there are some users who deserve the ID-10-T tag but you should not automatically put all users in that category because you are too busy hiding playing solitaire to answer a simple question. My mom is in her 60's and has had to learn computers for her job. She was telling me about their IT guy being a complete douche over a simple question. It wasn't something stupid like why the mouse wasn't working it was a simple browser question regarding https pop-ups, took me maybe 20 seconds to explain it to her. I just don't see what the big deal is when there are no emergencies.

pham0329

Panzer919 wrote: »

I get tired of the people who refuse to learn anything new and think they know it all. I think they are probably in the same group as the complainers.

Another thing I never understood is why people are just out right dicks to end users. Granted there are some users who deserve the ID-10-T tag but you should not automatically put all users in that category because you are too busy hiding playing solitaire to answer a simple question. My mom is in her 60's and has had to learn computers for her job. She was telling me about their IT guy being a complete douche over a simple question. It wasn't something stupid like why the mouse wasn't working it was a simple browser question regarding https pop-ups, took me maybe 20 seconds to explain it to her. I just don't see what the big deal is when there are no emergencies.

While it sounds bad, I think this is because a lot of I.T people are socially retarded! While I don't work with people that just downright disrespect end users, they do have a negative view of them. It's like they have a I.T vs end user mentality when, really, I.T (as ITIL puts it) is a service provider. Imagine if you call your ISP company and they treat you like how some of the I.T staff treats their end users...

it_consultant

pham0329 wrote: »

While it sounds bad, I think this is because a lot of I.T people are socially retarded! While I don't work with people that just downright disrespect end users, they do have a negative view of them. It's like they have a I.T vs end user mentality when, really, I.T (as ITIL puts it) is a service provider. Imagine if you call your ISP company and they treat you like how some of the I.T staff treats their end users...

IT person does not necessarily = socially retarded. The problem is that the IT professional is most often comprised of people that have been socially backwards from a young age. It is my biggest complaint when it comes to IT. I have a friend that just got is Associates in IT. They started with more than a few women and graduated none. They were literally geeked and creeped out of the program. There is no rule that IT must be filled with people who have worked on computers since age 6 and gamed throughout high school instead of engaging in normal social interaction.

pham0329

it_consultant wrote: »

IT person does not necessarily = socially retarded. The problem is that the IT professional is most often comprised of people that have been socially backwards from a young age. It is my biggest complaint when it comes to IT. I have a friend that just got is Associates in IT. They started with more than a few women and graduated none. They were literally geeked and creeped out of the program. There is no rule that IT must be filled with people who have worked on computers since age 6 and gamed throughout high school instead of engaging in normal social interaction.

I didn't say I.T person = socially retarded, I said most I.T people are socially retarded...big difference!

cxzar20

Coming from a non-IT field (accounting) before switching careers I can certainly tell you that the grass isn't greener on the other side. Most other careers are either mind numbing boring and easy (accounting) or insane hours without a shred of job security (law). This is a really great field and one of the few professions in this so called "post industrial" economy that offers stable income and job security.

I concur with a previous post in that the company and your boss make a huge difference. I have a great boss in a good company and on a stable program. I don't have to walk on eggshells or always watch my back, that makes a big difference.

it_consultant

pham0329 wrote: »

I didn't say I.T person = socially retarded, I said most I.T people are socially retarded...big difference!

I said it poorly, most IT people ARE socially retarded not because IT makes people that way, but because they are that way before they become an IT person.

Panzer919

I can agree with quite a few IT people being socially challenged. I think it's because some of us were the ones who spent hours trying to solve the rubiks cube and others were the ones who just took the stickers off and on. I am luckily an extrovert so I don't have some of the social (and sometimes hygiene) problems I have encountered with introverted IT people.

I think some people see end users as inferior which is why they talk down to them. They forget that everyone has to start somewhere and that not everyone knows IT related things like we do. Granted I did not like working with end users because of some of the attitudes I encountered, but that's why I became a network engineer. They don't see problems, I don't see them - works out great.

Crucio666

I regret working in IT when I have to deal with a lot of internal Politics. Managers can be a real pain sometimes. However, this comes with any job.

It can be a stressful job and keeping up with the new and emerging technologies can make you feel as though you're always starting over when something new is released.

I've always thought "experience is golden" as many others. I now have over 6 years in IT and I feel a little differently about this.

The key to IT is to have 5 years experience. By then you should know what you want to focus on and achieve the most prestigious certification possible. Keep it up to date and focus on that technology.

Anyone with over 5 years and not specializing in anything will quickly get phased out or challenged by young hot shots learning new versions. This can get frustrating when your experience is challenged by someone using google.

Devilsbane

I like it. It isn't completely perfect, but nothing is.

Look at it this way... what else would you do?

erpadmin

If I could do it all over again, I'd have become a lawyer like I wanted to, while still having technology as a hobby.

I had my first PC when I was 14. By 17 I was a well known sysop for a semi-popular BBS. I even had Internet access via Fidonet as my BBS was a node before AOL and Compuserve became popular. Man it was great.....until my parents got a $1000 phone bill...they pretty much put an end to the nonsense. LMAO.

Then, I started doing this as a job....I went from loving it, to hating it, to just being ok with it. After 14 years of this, it's now a career. That's why I want to do IT management....have other folks do the crap I do, but aligned with my "vision." LOL.

rsutton

Would I change careers if I could wave a magic wand? Probably not. This is how I feel about IT:

Pro's:
Always changing
Can change career paths within "IT" pretty easily
Get to work with smart people
The pay is good, relatively speaking

Con's:
End users
Plenty of elitists / IT idiots
Corporate IT often = red tape everywhere
Long hours / on call for admins
Getting tougher to break in to the field

alexfox

cxzar20 wrote: »

Coming from a non-IT field (accounting) before switching careers I can certainly tell you that the grass isn't greener on the other side. Most other careers are either mind numbing boring and easy (accounting) or insane hours without a shred of job security (law). This is a really great field and one of the few professions in this so called "post industrial" economy that offers stable income and job security.

I concur with a previous post in that the company and your boss make a huge difference. I have a great boss in a good company and on a stable program. I don't have to walk on eggshells or always watch my back, that makes a big difference.

I was thinking about moving to accounting...
Did you heard about CMA?

MrRyte

Devilsbane wrote: »

I like it. It isn't completely perfect, but nothing is....

Yep; that pretty much sums up any job.

From the mailroom to the boardroom, every job has its pros & cons. And unless you work alone you're gonna have either coworkers or clients test your patience.