Probably like many of you, I got involved in IT due to my interest in computers and gaming. For those of you with experience, I'm interested in your take in this thing.
I've been in IT for the better part of 20 years in various capacities. It's been pretty good all things considered, but I find myself losing interest in accommodating the "customer" as it were. Frankly, these days they just drive me nuts. I've lost my patience, I've lost my tolerance, and I'm tired of catering to others needs.
The bitch of it is I've worked up into a pretty good living. I make just over 100k a year, and while that aspect of it is nice it's getting tough to balance that with the B.S I have to deal with. I've moved into management, which while I enjoy developing and leading people, the rating, finance, and political B.S I could do without.
I know many of the long timers have left the building, but if any are lurking I'd be interested if you have any insight to things. I'm half tempted to run off into the wilderness and become a recluse, but financially speaking that is a challenge. I still have some bills to pay, perhaps in about 3 years I would get to a point where most of my credit (truck, motorcycle, etc) would be paid off. The good news is I live in a town that's very desirable so I could sell my 3 bedroom ranch for a tidy profit when the time comes.
Trouble is, I've no idea what to do if I abandon this path. And I don't have any alternate paths that stand out.
Guess I'm just looking for some encouragement, or a kick in the a$$. Or perhaps some good ol' fashioned flaming.
GFY
Edited, Nov 12th 2015 11:46pm by Kakar
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Anybody make a drastic career change?Follow
Some people are like slinkies, they aren't really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
I went to a career counselor, and was happy with the process and the direction I ended up choosing. Some caveats I would toss out there: limit the counseling to a few sessions; you don't want to get on an indecisive treadmill. Some personality testing and guided introspection won't take that long, and can help you make a decision about what you want - assuming you don't already have a secret dream kicking around in the back of your mind.
Plan. If you're going to change careers and have chosen one that requires certification or more, start taking classes now, while you're still gainfully employed. It will cut into your down time, but it will also make your current work more bearable knowing that you're taking steps to leave it behind. Look into your next career objectively. How open is the field, how well can you sell yourself based on your current experience and responsibility set? This may turn into literally selling yourself, should you decide to do consulting or some such, so be prepared.
You may not take much of a pay cut, or you may have to scale back and get rid of some of your toys, at least for a while, especially if you start your own business. Be ruthless: if you need to sell big-ticket items like a car or a boat, do it sooner rather than later.
What bothers you most about your current job? Corporate structure, customer service? Don't get sucked into a second career that will lead you to the same place.
Plan. If you're going to change careers and have chosen one that requires certification or more, start taking classes now, while you're still gainfully employed. It will cut into your down time, but it will also make your current work more bearable knowing that you're taking steps to leave it behind. Look into your next career objectively. How open is the field, how well can you sell yourself based on your current experience and responsibility set? This may turn into literally selling yourself, should you decide to do consulting or some such, so be prepared.
You may not take much of a pay cut, or you may have to scale back and get rid of some of your toys, at least for a while, especially if you start your own business. Be ruthless: if you need to sell big-ticket items like a car or a boat, do it sooner rather than later.
What bothers you most about your current job? Corporate structure, customer service? Don't get sucked into a second career that will lead you to the same place.
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
Kakar wrote:
I've moved into management, which while I enjoy developing and leading people, the rating, finance, and political B.S I could do without.
George Carlin wrote:
I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
If you're making 100k a year you could just save up and retire early. Might be good to have as a fallback in any case in the event you don't like your new career etc.
Timelordwho wrote:
I'm not quite sure that scheming is an emotion.
Kavekkk wrote:
If you're making 100k a year you could just save up and retire early. Might be good to have as a fallback in any case in the event you don't like your new career etc.
Saving is good. So is trying to figure out if there's something you can apply your skill set to that isn't in the same political field. You can take a cut in pay but up your benefits/time off most likely by moving to a non-profit or academic environment. Figure out what aspects of your background and expertise you still enjoy and see if those can be applied elsewhere. You've been doing it a while, you've got a management background, could you go into consulting? Could you teach? Could you join a group that works on change management or guides firms through enterprise level systems integration? Would you be happy if you could just work from home for a company with a distributed workforce? Before you totally jump ship and decide to open a bar in the Caribbean, see if you can do something related but different.
http://www.clickhole.com/blogpost/how-changing-careers-40-taught-me-what-bad-decisio-2342
Nexa
“It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But a half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.â€
― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones
― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones
Can't help you. I am trying to get to a 100k line at this point in life. Hey, what company were you in again?
Your soul was made of fists.
Jar the Sam
Jar the Sam
Move to Canada and live off of government cheese.
Donate. One day it could be your family.
An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come. Victor Hugo
An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come. Victor Hugo
Uglysasquatch wrote:
Little fixy-upper there.
I'm pretty fixed into my career, it's just not likely to go anywhere. Side benefits to my current job are pretty much keeping things together (company-provided vehicle for personal use, flexibility, limited workload) and I can't really change any of that unless/until something drastic happens.
publiusvarus wrote:
we all know liberals are well adjusted american citizens who only want what's best for society. While conservatives are evil money grubbing scum who only want to sh*t on the little man and rob the world of its resources.
Thanks for the tips all, food for thought.
Some people are like slinkies, they aren't really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
As stated, that political nonsense is everywhere. If you're planning on moving up, or at least maintaining that salary, you will more than likely be part of it. I would definitely not do anything without planning. If it makes you feel better, I assume that most people don't "enjoy" their work, they do it for money. My suggestion is to take this opportunity to plan a path to your dream job (while employed) as opposed to transitioning to another job that you will eventually tire of.
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