Looking at Changing Careers - Questions for IT Professionals

[I_H8_Crawford]

Short story - been in sales since I finished University, always in a tech field of some sort.

I am tired of this and really don't want to be doing it in another 20 years - I have no desire to move up into a sales management position, so am looking at doing a 180.

I love technology and enjoy working with the IT guys, so am thinking of moving over into that field, specifically looking at Network Admin, UC specialist roles.

A few questions for people in that field:

1) Do you enjoy the work?
2) What are the main stress points you experience on a regular basis?
3) Coursework/certification - I am looking at CCNA, MCITP certs - would I need CompTIA A+ as well? Should I take a year course at SAIT on something like: Technology Infrastructure Management?
4) Any other areas of IT I should look at?

And general question - I am in my early 30's - not too late for a career change, is it???

Thanks!

[MarchHare]

I don't have much experience on the network/UC side of IT, but I can tell you that A+ is a certification for desktop/helpdesk people. If you want to get a network and/or UC role, it's probably not necessary. HOWEVER, it's much easier to get your foot in the door and gain some IT experience in an entry-level helpdesk position, so it could be valuable as the first step in your career change.

And early 30s is absolutely not too late for a career change.

[Rathji]

I love my job. I went back to school at 28 and changed to the IT field at 33.

I got a University Degree, but that's because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I started and was leaning towards software development. In retrospect it was overkill, but I still value that education.

If you don't have any related education or actual tech experience, that SAIT program seems like it would be a good start as it would force you to focus on the stuff that would be valuable to learn.

[Thor]

1. YES, made the change in my mid 30s and it was from business into the IT world. Best decision ever.
2. Well I am currently in our IT support desk, so its the usual dealing with the public stuff, but its pretty easy here in Iceland compared to what you guys would be dealing with, so I can't complain.
3. I started with MCITP, its now MCSA. Great starting point, and after that I highly recommend CCNA. From there its all about what direction you want to go in, I tired of Microsoft pretty quickly and have gone the linux direction and landed a job working with our IBM Mainframe department.

So as a rule, its probably going to be IT support where you start, do your time (1-2 years) and learn all you can about the company, the departments and let that be your key into deciding where to focus on. A lot of people make the mistake of collecting certifications and not specializing, try out as much as you can from coding, maybe even try your hand at web design. This is why IT support is ideal as a starting point, because you will get great insight into what appeals to you.

I know in Iceland and probably out in the US and Canada, being good at linux is x10 better than being a MS guy, since they are a dime a dozen, unless you have some top MS cert or a vast amount of experience.

In demand is ALWAYS top net guys, CCNA leads you into a lot of awesome choices, and we have a guy with us who's got the CCIE and basically works for us while freelancing with lots of other companies in Iceland and Europe, the guy pretty much writes his own paycheques.


But for me leaving the business world was the best thing ever, IT is about tangible problems and being able to solve them, and wow the lack of meetings is so freakin awesome.

You are never too old to change paths, in fact people are more likely to hire a 30yr old with less experience over someone in their early 20's. I say go for it, and never look back.

[Buff]

You can do a 2-year diploma at Lethbridge College and then, if you want to continue on, you can to do another 2 years at a University that partners with Lethbridge College (sorry, I don't know which institutions currently do this) and get a degree.

If you stop school once you get your diploma you can find several entry level jobs, gain experience and work on getting some certifications and work your way up.

I did the 2 year thing, and I had a slow start, mostly due to no IT jobs when I finished school, but I then caught on at the right company and I fast tracked into IT management... almost too fast, I would have enjoyed a few more years of just being the IT flunky, but I certainly cherish being the decision maker too. I didn't obtain any certifications, but I did take part on a few training courses that my company lined up for staff.

I am working on getting some more training and certifications so that I look much more attractive should I ever decide to look for another job, which I don't see happening, but you can never accurately forecast the future.

Overall, IT is the best field for me to work in, without question. I love it. It is never too late to change careers, and you don't have to be young to start in IT, and you don't have to even be a lifelong computer geek to work in IT.

I went to school with a few "older" people. Two guys were in their 50s, one of them now teaches computers for seniors and other "computer illiterate" people. The other, I've lost track of but he was doing help desk for a large company. Another guy I went to school with was in his 40s, and I still keep in touch with him, he IT manager for a large company (they actually paid for him to go to school to become the IT guy, and he fast tracked to management).

If anything, making a career change when you are "older" will likely give you a better chance to succeed (should you enjoy your new career) because there is more at stake for you to make the change, and you are more mature and focused.

[TurdFerguson]

The role that IT plays in business is changing. More and more businesses are organizationally positioning IT as part of the business as opposed to a separate group. Fundamentally that is because the model of having "business" and a separate IT/IS group that "supports" them is wrong. IT is now too integrated into the day-day operations to be viewed as a supporting function. Ask most business and IT leaders of large organizations and they will tell you that they don’t hire "tech" anymore. I realize this is a highly generalized statement and exceptions for pure technology companies exist, but for the most part it’s accurate. The people that organizations are after right now are people who can "speak business and tech". This is a direct result of the shifting landscape for outsourced pure technology. Whether that be it infrastructure and support, help desk, software development etc. Off shoring and to a lesser degree near shoring have changed the landscape so that for the most part, companies don’t need someone to build the next circuit or develop a proprietary coding language etc., rather they want someone who can source the best pure technology solution and bring that into their business in a successfully . They key in doing so is understand the business.

Anyway...I’ve gotten way off your direct question but my feeling is that if you have sales experience then you probably have great people skills and there are some really interesting opportunities for IT professionals with people skills. And no, it certainly isn’t too late to go back to school but I would look at accelerated programs such as what SAIT offers first.

If you want to go pure "tech" then from what I understand certs are pretty darn important with getting an initial opportunity. From there, specialize (with caution). Generalists will always find work but it will be competitive, junior, and comparatively low paying work. Specialists get more interesting work and can charge more

[Flacker]

Never too late for a change as most here have stated.

I was well on my way to becoming a commercial pilot when I was faced with a similar decision. Long story short, a good friend was nearly killed due to fudged maintenance, made me seriously reconsider my chosen path.

I was mid-twenties at the time, took accelerated MCSE and Oracle DBA certifications, and never looked back. The DBA stuff really opened a lot of doors as they tend to be hard to find, and extremely expensive if you do. The only regret I have is not "knowing" after high school, as I likely would have pursued a Bachelor's/Master's degree in Computer Science, which tends to be helpful when looking to land the Director/Officer positions.

10+ years in, and I love my job.

Your interest in Network/UC certification is probably not something you will ever regret. There seems to be a constant demand for good people with these certs. The Cisco UC stuff in a great area to specialize. A generalist Cisco cert would be a good place to start, to see how you like it. The only Cisco cert I have is (CDUDC) Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Design Specialist, which is definitely more Systems or Infrastructure, not Networking.

Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions, or when/if you are looking for that first job.

[sclitheroe]

I'm going to say this as a 16 year veteran:

You need to know your stuff on specific technologies. But LEARN everything you can about computers, networks, etc. By this I mean how a microprocessor works. Understand what that hex error code relates to (hint: it's the numeric representation of a defined error in a header file a developer uses), learn about electrical signalling on ethernet and what some of the issues there can be. Learn about wifi and signal reflectivity. Know how Kerberos actually works, not just that its what Active Directory uses. Learn about buffer overruns and how they work, not just how to patch a system. Understand concepts like queueing theory and how it impacts latency.

Learn as much as you can about what makes the technology tick and how high level concepts like software and operating systems drive physical silicon is key.

To use a car analogy, some mechanics can change the tranny in a Ford F-150, and they've done 100's of them. But some guys know how a transmission works, and can relate that symptom to the underlying operating characteristics, or can work in a pinch on another model of vehicle. These are the guys, with the big picture outlook, that are valuable, whether they are generalists or highly specialized - they understand IT at innate technical levels.

If you don't have a passion for that level of learning about it, I don't think its a great career - you'll be forever a "paper MSCE" or your field's equivalent - capable of operating the stuff as it comes out of the box, but the details of what is really going on under the hood will forever be a mystery to you. You'll know a product, not a technology if you only approach it at that level. Our industry is full of people that know how to make Windows or a Cisco router do something, but only within the context of pushing buttons or typing in commands they are cutting and pasting from implementation guides. Don't be that person.

Take a writing course. Take two writing courses. Maybe take a course on intentional logic (yes, that means a philosophy course). Communication in this field is key - you have to be able to logically and coherently express complex topics to people with the entire swath of technology experience and insight. You've got to be able to take complex technologies and analyze them, synthesize solutions, identify and articulate business goals, etc. Even if you can write now, take another writing course. Other complementary skills like the Tech Infrastructure Management stuff you mentioned, ITIL Foundations, etc, are all highly important - maybe not specifically on the resume, but definitely in how you come across in terms of your vision for how to conduct IT. The technology evolves rapidly and you need those kinds of skills to put together roadmaps for infrastructure lifecycles (even if your first job doesn't entail that, and it won't, you need to be able to think in those terms to align yourself with it)

You said you're a sales guy - don't forget the people skills, or presume they become less important. My rule of thumb, if you're working at a client site for an IT company, is that its about a 70/30 split people to technical skills. Being able to build trust, communicate effectively, understand a client's innate fears and concerns, anticipate their needs, develop strategies, deliver analysis, etc, are all hugely important. Whoever decided to bring you along to do their IT monkey work needs to demonstrate they made the right choice, and the human relations side goes a tremendously long way towards that. The technical work is easy by comparison, since it either works or it doesn't (and hopefully you've got the chops to make it work)

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

I'm going to say this as a 16 year veteran:

Fantastic points

Great points sclitheroe. There is never a case of diving too deep into a technology. Knowing every cog helps you tune the machine, and customize it to your specific business needs.

Also your point on soft skills is bang on. Without people and communication skills you won't have much room to grow. IT (thankfully) is quickly growing away from the stigma of anti-social, pocket-protecting personnel.

IT is becoming a valued business unit in most organizations today.

[sclitheroe]

Another piece of advice I'd give - IT unemployment in Calgary right now is down around single digit %'s I believe, or maybe less. Find a good IT company, and talk to their recruiter - start to build a relationship now, with a goal you are working towards, and timelines (even if they are a couple years out). Keep in touch with them as you progress on training. Those kinds of connections are a huge leg up vs the massess of certificate wielding resume pushers once you get closer to entering the workforce.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Another piece of advice I'd give - IT unemployment in Calgary right now is down around single digit %'s I believe, or maybe less. Find a good IT company, and talk to their recruiter - start to build a relationship now, with a goal you are working towards, and timelines (even if they are a couple years out). Keep in touch with them as you progress on training. Those kinds of connections are a huge leg up vs the massess of certificate wielding resume pushers once you get closer to entering the workforce.

Yep, already on that - nice thing is in my current position I work with a lot of IT guys already.

I like your earlier post as well, and good news for me is even in sales I have always wanted to know "what's under the hood" vs just knowing enough to close a deal - so I would definitely want to dive as deep as possible in my chosen area(s).

Another question for everyone - I really don't want to have to go back to Univ and take 2-4 years off, so would love to do a 1 year program - any preference out in the industry of say, SAIT vs CDI?

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

I like your earlier post as well, and good news for me is even in sales I have always wanted to know "what's under the hood" vs just knowing enough to close a deal - so I would definitely want to dive as deep as possible in my chosen area(s).

That to me would be the green light to keep exploring your intent to undertake a career change - it's got to appeal to you on that deeper level if you want to get good at it and enjoy it. Nobody knows everything in IT (nor is anyone a guru - the guys who know the most tend to also realize how much more there is to learn, and don't go around calling themselves gurus), but that drive to understand more, not just to know more, is what sustains you.

[ah123]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Another question for everyone - I really don't want to have to go back to Univ and take 2-4 years off, so would love to do a 1 year program - any preference out in the industry of say, SAIT vs CDI?

I would take SAIT - graduates from SAIT are a "known quantity". I am not in the network/server side of IT, but in application support/BA type work and the postings I see almost always ask for a degree (of some sort); I don't know if they actually screen out people who don't have a degree. Just something to keep in mind...

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by ah123

I would take SAIT - graduates from SAIT are a "known quantity". I am not in the network/server side of IT, but in application support/BA type work and the postings I see almost always ask for a degree (of some sort); I don't know if they actually screen out people who don't have a degree. Just something to keep in mind...

Does it need to be a technical degree?

I already have a degree from University, and the courses I am looking at are more along the lines of certificates vs. a full blown diploma or degree....

The hope on my end is to take a year off, do the course to get the knowledge and practical skills, do a couple certs and then see what I can find...

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Does it need to be a technical degree?

I already have a degree from University, and the courses I am looking at are more along the lines of certificates vs. a full blown diploma or degree....

The hope on my end is to take a year off, do the course to get the knowledge and practical skills, do a couple certs and then see what I can find...

For the actual technical part of IT, no.

If you want to move up the ladder and get more into the business side, business analyst side, consulting side, IT management, corporate side, etc. they will often request a University degree that is technical or business related.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

I'm going to say this as a 16 year veteran:

You need to know your stuff on specific technologies. But LEARN everything you can about computers, networks, etc. By this I mean how a microprocessor works. Understand what that hex error code relates to (hint: it's the numeric representation of a defined error in a header file a developer uses), learn about electrical signalling on ethernet and what some of the issues there can be. Learn about wifi and signal reflectivity. Know how Kerberos actually works, not just that its what Active Directory uses. Learn about buffer overruns and how they work, not just how to patch a system. Understand concepts like queueing theory and how it impacts latency.

There was a lot of sound advice in Sclitheroe's post. Also speaking as a 16 year veteran, I wouldn't let that quoted segment scare you off if that's not what you are into. Unless you are interested in all that, you can have a good, rewarding career without getting into all that low level stuff. There are lots of different niches are out there that you can be successful in. I admit I am a good ten years out of the mercenary IT consultant work, and have a nice cushy job with a big pseudo government organization.

I graduated with a business degree and wasn't finding much work. So took the 2 year co-op program at SAIT. The co op was at a small oil company, which turned out to be a great place to start. They had an IT department of 5, so you got to get your hands on everything. That job got me lots of contacts and career took off and didn't go back to SAIT after the first year and a half. Having a degree was important. Having completed the majority of the programming degree was important. But no one cared what my degree was in. Even if you are not going to be a developer, programming is a vital skill to learn.

Some of the skills that helped get me ahead were 1. being very comfortable in a unix shell. ie, learn and know vi, bash/ksh scripting and command line utils. 2. A good solid understanding of administering multiple OSes (ie, Windows, Linux, AIX, Solaris). 3. Intermediate Oracle/SQL abilities. 4. Perl scripting and ability to pick up random programming or scripting languages as needed.

From there, I got assigned to some projects implementing enterprise systems management software, and carved out a niche in that area that eventually led to design and management work. It's tough to plan out an IT career other than making the most of your early experiences. Taking some kind of certification and getting contract gigs for that specific skill would probably get you some decent money right away. Taking a lower paying job at a small or medium company might get you a much better career though.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Learn as much as you can about what makes the technology tick and how high level concepts like software and operating systems drive physical silicon is key.

This whole post was very good, but I wanted to point out how much I agree with this, as it pertains to my previous post.

I said my University Degree was severe overkill for what I do, which is true, but I get real benefit from it on a daily basis. It isn't knowing what to do when Exchange stops sending email or the web server crashes, but it is understanding what is happening at a very low level and the interaction between every (or most) piece of the puzzle. I think in the long run, it makes me a better admin.

Don't get me wrong, lots of techs I work with don't know these things, and are still very good at their job, so don't think it is the only way.

[FlamingLonghorn]

What kind of sales are you in right now?

The only reason I ask is have you thought about possibly going into Sales Engineering? It would be somewhat along the lines of being an IT guy but you get to use your sales skills and potentially make a lot of money very quickly. You would take the same path as you are now in regards to getting CCNA, VCP (noticed no one brought this one up, but it's becoming a biggie), MCSE, etc...

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by FlamingLonghorn

What kind of sales are you in right now?

The only reason I ask is have you thought about possibly going into Sales Engineering? It would be somewhat along the lines of being an IT guy but you get to use your sales skills and potentially make a lot of money very quickly. You would take the same path as you are now in regards to getting CCNA, VCP (noticed no one brought this one up, but it's becoming a biggie), MCSE, etc...

SE is an area I would look at - my SE I work with now loves his job and thinks I would be awesome at it as well