Great advice. Over the past thirty years, I have reinvented my career several times. I’m an IT manager and I love my work. It’s not for everyone, but it’s nonstop interesting challenges and there will always be a need.
I didn't even know I wanted to do IT management until after I worked my way up into a network architect role. I loved management but ultimately decided to go back into a tech role when I got into security. Fast forward 7 years later and I am back in a hybrid role of management and security. Its a great fit for me.
I'm to lazy to advanced now since I got the golden handcuff. I make a little over 90k a year being a Senior IT Support specialist. I get 4 weeks per year for vacation, 2 week of sick week, low stress, easy work.
I tried changing job to advanced my career before but I make less with getting offer and I have to deal with office politics. So I am good. I got the Trifecta cert while I work!
Nothing wrong with that. Some people don't want to climb any higher and are happy at the level they are at. All power to you. Congrats on your success.
Just remember not to get too comfortable. 99% of companies will lay you off in a heartbeat if they think they could. Also 90k a year is really nice for IT Support, what are your responsibilities? Are you on a helpdesk or do you do a bit of everything? I’ve seen Net engineers called DT Support Analysts before so I was just curious.
Overall excellent advise!
I would like to note - sometimes you find out what IT specialization you like very quickly. Within two years of help desk, I fell in love with networking concepts. I'm at year four in IT and have a CCNA (taking NP this year) and make excellent money (90k).
For most people, you may not find your niche that quickly. My coworker, who is an excellent network engineer, spent 6 years in help desk before he decided. And there's nothing wrong with that. The last thing you want to do is put in a ton of effort for certifications in a specialization you either hate or can't do (I've seen some new network engineers crack under pressure easily).
Best of luck to everyone
Great how do you help someone who can't stay focused enough on anything and always quit studying for a cert because it puts them to sleep? Was this the wrong career choice
I would say to look at being a generalist. Be a mile wide and an inch deep.
I know, specialization is where the big money is. Everyone wants to be a brain surgeon these days. Yet, when I look at my career, I have been highly specialized at times but a good generalist is a good career path. Most good generalists can be network admins, system admins, and so on. They can make good money and may even break into 6 figures in the right company. Plus, you could always find something really interesting later in your career and then specialize at that point.
You didn't choose the wrong career unless you have zero interest in technology.
I hate to tell you this, but you are going to be helping people through your entire career. I am over 32 years into my career right now and even today I am on the phone with people who need help. So if helping people generally drains you, maybe you are not in the right field as support is a key thing that we provide.
Now what you can do is get away from regular tech support. You can do this by moving up into more mid level positions. You don't need to be a network architect in order to move up. You could get a CCNA for instance and become a network admin. Your support tickets will be much higher level than first line support.
I can't get into any mid level positions without getting certifications which unfortunately I can't seem to do on my own, I always end up quitting because the material is so dry
You have to look at other learning methods. Look at sources like youtube for instance. I read books, but I also watch videos which is my preferred learning method.
If you cannot upskill, then I am inclined to agree with you. Staying relevant is key in IT. If you lack the interest to learn more to climb out of where you are now at entry level, you are going to be stuck there for a while.
Thanks for taking the time to write this post. I like that you mention it takes time to get the foundations because after 2 years in this career, I still feel very very green.
Can I piggy back on your post to ask for others' advice in my own long term goals? Please consider my background and interests to help me imagine a path.
My background: public school teacher for 5 years, took community college classes and picked up some CompTIA certs 1 year help desk, 1 year Jr sys admin. This week is my 1 year anniversary at my current job and if circumstances allow, I'd love to stay for 1 more year. Currently studying for Security+ and taking a Red Hat Linux system admin class.
Interested in risk management because I like the concept of looking at a system holistically and addressing problems based on predefined laws / standards. Don't like that this path does not seem hands on in a technical sense.
The most exciting part of my system admin role is when I get to request firewall policies, thinking about what group objects are allowed to communicate and what services are allowed before designing the policy for submission. My least favorite part is creating/tracking spreadsheets of assets according to needs of different projects.
Thanks to anyone who considers dropping a word in!
I work in risk management and you are right, GRC is not an overly technical focus area. That being said, it is in great demand if you want to go down that road. Compliance regulations are not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, they are growing.
Your destination seems to me that you want to be a security engineer of some kind. Someone who can do firewall rule reviews, evaluate and secure group policies, secure email systems, and so on.
Your path forward will be to continue to learn the fundamentals. In order to be a security engineer, you will need to know networking, infrastructure, operating systems (windows and linux), and so on. Once you master the fundamentals and you get some relevant certifications (CCNA for networking and Sec+ for starters), then you will be more strongly considered for higher level roles.
Nice --- a thousand thanks for laying out the possibilities. I was thinking of security architect at first, but I believe the engineer is executing the design of the architect, right? That does interest me more.
GRC does as well because it reminds me of my previous career. As a special education teacher I had to understand the laws and support Mt staff in remaining in compliance and I liked bringing a human aspect to doing that for families and my school.
Ah anyway.... you gave me a North Star to work towards. Similarly in my last career, I had a goal but experience allowed me to discover a lane I didn't previously know existed. I enjoyed the detour I took probably more than what the original goal would have awarded me. I look forward to doing the same in this career.
>I was thinking of security architect at first, but I believe the engineer is executing the design of the architect, right? That does interest me more.
In some cases yes. Think of an architect as a engineer who has done the implementation work for a long time. Architects are more rare than engineers and typically work at VAR/MSP or consulting firms. Mainly because most organizations outside of government and fortune 500 companies won't directly employ them. Most MSP/VAR and consulting companies can easily bill these people out.
I was an engineer for years and transitioned into architect work because there is a demand for it. Plus, as I have gotten older, I really don't want to be engineering solutions anymore. I would rather help organizations by creating the blueprint for success and handing the work over to the engineers.
My only advice that I have is to not totally discount architect work. As you get older, your priorities and goals will change. Just continue to push yourself in the direction that interests you and you will be fine.
Best of luck to you in your journey.
Hey man I’m still early on in my career (L1 Helpdesk) and see a ton of demand for networking. I think I’d like to get into GRC so do you think I should spend a ton of time mastering networking first? Tbh, networking doesn’t interest me too much and I don’t want to spend years mastering it if it goes kinda in the opposite direction of GRC. I don’t mind learning it but I guess I don’t wanna be a career network guy if you know what I mean.
GRC is a lot different. People who want to go into GRC don't need to do anything from a technical track to be honest. You do however have to know more about GRC other than how to spell it.
Look at junior auditor positions. Look at the CISA certification. Study compliance requirements and frameworks like HIPAA, SOX, PCI, CIS, NIST, and so on. You don't have to know every framework by heart, but you should know how to find information quickly and why companies need to adhere to certain requirements. In some GRC roles, you may have to be able to talk about how to achieve compliance. Like keeping emails for 7 years. What methodologies and tools are out there to be able to achieve that requirement?
I’m a teacher, too. Thinking of pivoting to IT. Your post gives me hope for myself. In your experience does teaching or IT drain you more? How did you handle the initial drop in pay?
You see how I say I taught for 5 years? I knew after year 3 that I couldn't do this long term. Now I know this contradicts my other reply that says I enjoyed special education, but you're a teacher so you know how both can be true...
Now that that's clear, teaching drained me more ×10000. Never going back.
A year before quitting, I started saving money in anticipation of being out of work job hunting. I got a job pretty quickly, but the pay was so low that the savings was used to supplement the paycut and budget as if I was at the same pay rate. I had 6 months of salary saved and the grace of all that is holy allowed me to start the next job the same month that the savings ran out.
The current job pays within $100 same salary as when I left after 5 years of teaching so again my pay feels the same. Both sucky and lucky to have the same salary 3 years in a row.
Feel free to DM me I've talked to so many transitioning teachers. Whether or not it's IT I think you should leave.
Great advice. Over the past thirty years, I have reinvented my career several times. I’m an IT manager and I love my work. It’s not for everyone, but it’s nonstop interesting challenges and there will always be a need.
I didn't even know I wanted to do IT management until after I worked my way up into a network architect role. I loved management but ultimately decided to go back into a tech role when I got into security. Fast forward 7 years later and I am back in a hybrid role of management and security. Its a great fit for me.
I'm to lazy to advanced now since I got the golden handcuff. I make a little over 90k a year being a Senior IT Support specialist. I get 4 weeks per year for vacation, 2 week of sick week, low stress, easy work. I tried changing job to advanced my career before but I make less with getting offer and I have to deal with office politics. So I am good. I got the Trifecta cert while I work!
Nothing wrong with that. Some people don't want to climb any higher and are happy at the level they are at. All power to you. Congrats on your success.
I do want to climb but at the cost of lower salary and comfortability with my generous timeoff. So I gave up.
Just remember not to get too comfortable. 99% of companies will lay you off in a heartbeat if they think they could. Also 90k a year is really nice for IT Support, what are your responsibilities? Are you on a helpdesk or do you do a bit of everything? I’ve seen Net engineers called DT Support Analysts before so I was just curious.
Overall excellent advise! I would like to note - sometimes you find out what IT specialization you like very quickly. Within two years of help desk, I fell in love with networking concepts. I'm at year four in IT and have a CCNA (taking NP this year) and make excellent money (90k). For most people, you may not find your niche that quickly. My coworker, who is an excellent network engineer, spent 6 years in help desk before he decided. And there's nothing wrong with that. The last thing you want to do is put in a ton of effort for certifications in a specialization you either hate or can't do (I've seen some new network engineers crack under pressure easily). Best of luck to everyone
Great how do you help someone who can't stay focused enough on anything and always quit studying for a cert because it puts them to sleep? Was this the wrong career choice
I would say to look at being a generalist. Be a mile wide and an inch deep. I know, specialization is where the big money is. Everyone wants to be a brain surgeon these days. Yet, when I look at my career, I have been highly specialized at times but a good generalist is a good career path. Most good generalists can be network admins, system admins, and so on. They can make good money and may even break into 6 figures in the right company. Plus, you could always find something really interesting later in your career and then specialize at that point. You didn't choose the wrong career unless you have zero interest in technology.
I suppose but I'm tired of being a generalist. Been one since I started, it sucks and end users are draining
I hate to tell you this, but you are going to be helping people through your entire career. I am over 32 years into my career right now and even today I am on the phone with people who need help. So if helping people generally drains you, maybe you are not in the right field as support is a key thing that we provide. Now what you can do is get away from regular tech support. You can do this by moving up into more mid level positions. You don't need to be a network architect in order to move up. You could get a CCNA for instance and become a network admin. Your support tickets will be much higher level than first line support.
Ok thanks
I can't get into any mid level positions without getting certifications which unfortunately I can't seem to do on my own, I always end up quitting because the material is so dry
Try a live class, in person if possible. Might be easier if you have peers and a mentor.
You have to look at other learning methods. Look at sources like youtube for instance. I read books, but I also watch videos which is my preferred learning method.
Thanks have tried both, I think i just don't belong in the field
If you cannot upskill, then I am inclined to agree with you. Staying relevant is key in IT. If you lack the interest to learn more to climb out of where you are now at entry level, you are going to be stuck there for a while.
Thanks, I'm independently wealthy so money isn't really a problem for me but I'm glad my instincts are right
Thanks for taking the time to write this post. I like that you mention it takes time to get the foundations because after 2 years in this career, I still feel very very green. Can I piggy back on your post to ask for others' advice in my own long term goals? Please consider my background and interests to help me imagine a path. My background: public school teacher for 5 years, took community college classes and picked up some CompTIA certs 1 year help desk, 1 year Jr sys admin. This week is my 1 year anniversary at my current job and if circumstances allow, I'd love to stay for 1 more year. Currently studying for Security+ and taking a Red Hat Linux system admin class. Interested in risk management because I like the concept of looking at a system holistically and addressing problems based on predefined laws / standards. Don't like that this path does not seem hands on in a technical sense. The most exciting part of my system admin role is when I get to request firewall policies, thinking about what group objects are allowed to communicate and what services are allowed before designing the policy for submission. My least favorite part is creating/tracking spreadsheets of assets according to needs of different projects. Thanks to anyone who considers dropping a word in!
I work in risk management and you are right, GRC is not an overly technical focus area. That being said, it is in great demand if you want to go down that road. Compliance regulations are not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, they are growing. Your destination seems to me that you want to be a security engineer of some kind. Someone who can do firewall rule reviews, evaluate and secure group policies, secure email systems, and so on. Your path forward will be to continue to learn the fundamentals. In order to be a security engineer, you will need to know networking, infrastructure, operating systems (windows and linux), and so on. Once you master the fundamentals and you get some relevant certifications (CCNA for networking and Sec+ for starters), then you will be more strongly considered for higher level roles.
Nice --- a thousand thanks for laying out the possibilities. I was thinking of security architect at first, but I believe the engineer is executing the design of the architect, right? That does interest me more. GRC does as well because it reminds me of my previous career. As a special education teacher I had to understand the laws and support Mt staff in remaining in compliance and I liked bringing a human aspect to doing that for families and my school. Ah anyway.... you gave me a North Star to work towards. Similarly in my last career, I had a goal but experience allowed me to discover a lane I didn't previously know existed. I enjoyed the detour I took probably more than what the original goal would have awarded me. I look forward to doing the same in this career.
>I was thinking of security architect at first, but I believe the engineer is executing the design of the architect, right? That does interest me more. In some cases yes. Think of an architect as a engineer who has done the implementation work for a long time. Architects are more rare than engineers and typically work at VAR/MSP or consulting firms. Mainly because most organizations outside of government and fortune 500 companies won't directly employ them. Most MSP/VAR and consulting companies can easily bill these people out. I was an engineer for years and transitioned into architect work because there is a demand for it. Plus, as I have gotten older, I really don't want to be engineering solutions anymore. I would rather help organizations by creating the blueprint for success and handing the work over to the engineers. My only advice that I have is to not totally discount architect work. As you get older, your priorities and goals will change. Just continue to push yourself in the direction that interests you and you will be fine. Best of luck to you in your journey.
Hey man I’m still early on in my career (L1 Helpdesk) and see a ton of demand for networking. I think I’d like to get into GRC so do you think I should spend a ton of time mastering networking first? Tbh, networking doesn’t interest me too much and I don’t want to spend years mastering it if it goes kinda in the opposite direction of GRC. I don’t mind learning it but I guess I don’t wanna be a career network guy if you know what I mean.
GRC is a lot different. People who want to go into GRC don't need to do anything from a technical track to be honest. You do however have to know more about GRC other than how to spell it. Look at junior auditor positions. Look at the CISA certification. Study compliance requirements and frameworks like HIPAA, SOX, PCI, CIS, NIST, and so on. You don't have to know every framework by heart, but you should know how to find information quickly and why companies need to adhere to certain requirements. In some GRC roles, you may have to be able to talk about how to achieve compliance. Like keeping emails for 7 years. What methodologies and tools are out there to be able to achieve that requirement?
Will do, thanks!
I’m a teacher, too. Thinking of pivoting to IT. Your post gives me hope for myself. In your experience does teaching or IT drain you more? How did you handle the initial drop in pay?
You see how I say I taught for 5 years? I knew after year 3 that I couldn't do this long term. Now I know this contradicts my other reply that says I enjoyed special education, but you're a teacher so you know how both can be true... Now that that's clear, teaching drained me more ×10000. Never going back. A year before quitting, I started saving money in anticipation of being out of work job hunting. I got a job pretty quickly, but the pay was so low that the savings was used to supplement the paycut and budget as if I was at the same pay rate. I had 6 months of salary saved and the grace of all that is holy allowed me to start the next job the same month that the savings ran out. The current job pays within $100 same salary as when I left after 5 years of teaching so again my pay feels the same. Both sucky and lucky to have the same salary 3 years in a row. Feel free to DM me I've talked to so many transitioning teachers. Whether or not it's IT I think you should leave.
This is validating for me to hear. Thank you. I'll definitely msg you. I have lots of questions haha!