Feeling unfufilled - Advice please?

So I'm a government contractor in Afghanistan. The money is great and I'm not being taxed. The issue that I'm having is that I'm feeling extremely unfulfilled in my current position. I'm basically babysitting equipment that I'm not really allowed to work on. My 8 hour day feels like 12 with all the sitting around I'm doing. There's no new projects or anything for me to get my hands on, so it just feels like I'm wasting my time out here. I am working on certs, but there's only so much time I can spend buried in a book before I start to go stir crazy. I'm not getting any new experience to put on my resume. I'm halfway through a year contract and I'm thinking about looking for stuff in the states. Basically my question is: should I stick it out for another 6 months, collect a paycheck and knock out some certs, or go to a place where I'll actually get my hands dirty and learn new technologies? Thanks for the advice, everyone!

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doobu

You've got two things to do, like you said: collect a check and learn things, or go find some place to learn.

Both are valuable, but it's much easier to find work when you're working. That way you can afford to look and not take some last ditch effort job, which would lead you right back into your current predicament.

I'd say, learn up on some things you've not had time to. Use the money (tax free!) to set up some investments and training. Buy your own equipment if you can. You're in a place a lot of people would want to be in: paid to in essence slack off.

Now's your chance to get that CCNA, or Juniper, or whatever cert you've wanted. It's mind numbing, but at least you'll be learning with a paycheck.

markulous

Doobu hit the nail on the head IMO. Use that downtime to get some quality certs (or maybe even go to WGU and get a BSIT). Unlikely that you'll have that much spare time in your next role. Take advantage of it then move onto something better.

N2IT

Of course you complete the 1 year contract. Great experience on paper and you have the opportunity to land a nice certification. Maybe, Cisco, Microsoft, CISSP?

You already have Security +, what about landing another big security certification? CASP, CISSP, OSCP ( just tossing names I see out there, but one of those had surely got to help you on your career path).

If it was me, I would pick one big whale certification and land it. If/when you come back to the states you might never have this much downtime again. Utilize and leverage!

D113

If you don't stick it out for the rest of the year, you will lose the tax break. Are you coming up on your R&R soon?

I used my deployments to take advantage of certs, like you said. Every 1-2 months I was getting another cert (Sec+, CCNA, CEH, etc). It was much easier to sit down and study for hours with fewer distractions. You will find that you have less time when you get back CONUS.

philz1982

wtrwlkr wrote: »

So I'm a government contractor in Afghanistan. The money is great and I'm not being taxed. The issue that I'm having is that I'm feeling extremely unfulfilled in my current position. I'm basically babysitting equipment that I'm not really allowed to work on. My 8 hour day feels like 12 with all the sitting around I'm doing. There's no new projects or anything for me to get my hands on, so it just feels like I'm wasting my time out here. I am working on certs, but there's only so much time I can spend buried in a book before I start to go stir crazy. I'm not getting any new experience to put on my resume. I'm halfway through a year contract and I'm thinking about looking for stuff in the states. Basically my question is: should I stick it out for another 6 months, collect a paycheck and knock out some certs, or go to a place where I'll actually get my hands dirty and learn new technologies? Thanks for the advice, everyone!

**** dude, people would kill to be in the position you are in. Learn like crazy, you literally can come out of there with professional to expert level knowledge if you apply yourself right. Lay out a plan and a goal and execute.

LeBroke

philz1982 wrote: »

**** dude, people would kill to be in the position you are in. Learn like crazy, you literally can come out of there with professional to expert level knowledge if you apply yourself right. Lay out a plan and a goal and execute.

+1.

If you get way too bored at work and there's no-one else around, order a laptop and play games or something. Or just fire up a bunch of simulators and play around. You're making good money and have nothing better to spend it on. So why not get a nice laptop, fire up VMware and sandbox everything you could ever wish for but never had the time.

markulous

There was a position at my work doing remote support for a MSP that I worked at and literally there would be like 5 tickets that came through the entire week. And 95% of those were immediate escalations that take 90 seconds to escalate. I got so much studying done doing that. When I got promoted and others took that position, it was disappointing to see that they didn't take advantage of it. 8 straight hours of studying isn't necessarily realistic, but at least put in a couple hours studying and not just browsing YouTube all day.

LeBroke

Honestly, doing 8 hours of studying straight will drive you nuts, and is counterproductive. 3-4 hours in an 8 hour shift is about the maximum that's sustainable over a long period, and that's if you pace yourself and take breaks.

markulous

Yeah, exactly. I didn't even put in 8 hours of study time when I was there, but I definitely put in a solid 3 hours at least every single day.

doobu

My going philosophy: if you're no longer learning, growing, appreciating, and enjoy where you are you need to leave. Life is way too short, but this is short-term and you can work studying AND excellent experience into one package. A lot would kill for this chance. I can barely sit down some days to listen to a video, let alone wipe my....you get it.

Study. Take a test and pass. Complete your contract. Go find another, stable job paying 30% more than you're making now.

N2IT

6 months isn't that long to wait out the contract. It will feel good if you actually complete what you signed up for. IMO that's a big deal.

I don't know about a cert every 1 -2 month but one over the next 6 months would be plenty and help you get to where you want to be hopefully. Like others have said play games or build out a vm or maybe just chill and enjoy your downtime.

E Double U

Opportunities like this don't last forever so if I had that much downtime I would use most of it to work on certs. I've had several positions that kept me so busy there was no way I could study on the job. Now I do have a job that gives me time to study at work and I take full advantage. I have been at my current role for 2+ years and have completed CCNA/P Security, CISSP, and working on GCIH now. Took a free Intro to Linux course with edX and went through Wireshark CBT nuggets.

I say stick it out for another six months. You will have plenty of time to get your hands dirty and will wish you could go back to the job that had so much free time.

Hammer80

Whatever you do please god do not leave before your 1 year contract is done. Right now you are making tax free income, if you come home early before your contract ends the tax implications are going to be huge, trust me I am married to an Accountant. IRS will have its way with you and they will not be gentle.

colemic

Just saw this - is your avatar picture you? If it is, I know you!

Agree w/ the others, maximize your downtime to finish certs or degree. I knocked out a large portion of my masters degree at Pasab.

wtrwlkr wrote: »

So I'm a government contractor in Afghanistan. The money is great and I'm not being taxed. The issue that I'm having is that I'm feeling extremely unfulfilled in my current position. I'm basically babysitting equipment that I'm not really allowed to work on. My 8 hour day feels like 12 with all the sitting around I'm doing. There's no new projects or anything for me to get my hands on, so it just feels like I'm wasting my time out here. I am working on certs, but there's only so much time I can spend buried in a book before I start to go stir crazy. I'm not getting any new experience to put on my resume. I'm halfway through a year contract and I'm thinking about looking for stuff in the states. Basically my question is: should I stick it out for another 6 months, collect a paycheck and knock out some certs, or go to a place where I'll actually get my hands dirty and learn new technologies? Thanks for the advice, everyone!

10Linefigure

Well if your on KAF you could always drop by the Far East Defac behind the RSOI's for some stir fry

Or study lots and come back to the states with great certs, and be ready to interview for other positions you may like more. Good luck!

wtrwlkr

Thanks, everyone. Yeah, yesterday I was in kind of a funk and posted this in a haste. Everyone is right, of course, I should stick out what I signed up for and use my downtime wisely. Funny thing is, not 2 hours after I posted this, I went to the test center and knocked out ICND1, so that made me feel a lot better. Colemic, no, the picture isn't me. It's just a funny reaction image I found on the interwebs. 10LineFigure, I'm at BAF, but if I'm ever down at KAF i'll keep that in mind!

colemic

I really do know the guy, he was the ITT helpdesk lead at Pasab when I was there.