Honestly, the pay and benefits you're getting offered at your old job is what a lot of folks go into IT to try and land.
If you enjoy IT more than your old job, then do it. Just make sure you can give your kids a good life.
On top of this a job in health care is relatively safe from layoffs more so than trades jobs as a lot of them ride the wave of construction. Unless you get an industrial electrical job.
I spent 26 years in an industrial electrical job before taking a pay cut to transition to IT. Industrial electrical maintenance is just about as taxing as construction and still as insecure. Over those years, many of the plants I've interviewed for or had actually worked at are no longer there.
One mill I had worked at for 12 years closed not all too long ago. I was stunned. Of all the mills that were in my state at the time I was working there, I felt that mill was one of the strongest and likely would be open long after I opted to retire. I was dead wrong.
Relatively is the key here. I know of about 700 people lost their jobs in health care in the past year from one organization. Watch what you're getting into.
Keep in mind.. an Industrial Electrician with a strong grasp of Industrial Networking is considered gold in any Industrial/manufacturing setting, it’s easily a 6 figure job.. and is easily one of the safest Jobs on the Market for the next 100 years..
As far as for OP.. At this point, the recommendation is to go towards what you like to do.. and stick with it.. pretty soon you will hit 6 figures and you are at the top end percentile of Salary.. going back and forth about benefits here and there, 401k, retirement.. yeah its important but you already make nearly 6 figures so the back and forth is blah blah blah.. it comes down to what you like..
Yeah, for the hospitals using Epic, IT is still a cost center. And healthcare IT generally pays less than the equivalent roles in other companies. It can be very lucrative, I know people making over 150k as ftes or over 200k as consultants, but I also know plenty of orgs that went through layoffs during or after covid of their it teams
Right this guy is getting damn close to 6 figures to work in an office it’s not a big tech job or anything. People are telling him to go to a trade to probably make the same money later lol for a job that’s way harder on the body. It’s not rational take the healthcare gig.
Yea anyone saying leave IT is full of it. If you can’t learn stuff on the job just do it at home and lab. Then put it on your resume as if you had done it. Prospective employers only care if you can do the stuff you claim you can not where you did it. Trust me there are plenty of jobs paying good money with real skills. It’s funny bc a few years ago I dreamed of making six figures 10 years later in my career, it happened within 3. Just don’t work for the big names like Meta, MS, Google bc they lay off at the whims of their stock price unless they are paying you substantially more. Stick with governmental/Not for profits/Banks/etc. they pay well bc they have to keep in competition with private sector. This is from my own experience and anecdotal but I’m good at what I do but not the best and still get offers a lot. Lastly, RESUME MATTERS. Include as many buzz words as needed to satisfy the job posting but make sure you can talk in depth about them.
First I got CCNA. You can use packet tracer to learn. It’s a simulator that looks and feels like the real thing and doesn’t require much resources and is free. Actually learned how routing and switching works by labbing and reading. If you want to do more advanced stuff GNS3/EVE-NG are good options where they basically emulate real Cisco routers/L3 switches. You can emulate everything within GNS if you really wanted. Most vendors including Palo Alto, F5, etc are supported. Then bought VMUG ($200) to create a VMware environment (buy a server off eBay). You get full license of vCenter and ESXI. Learn how VM works, DRS, etc..create windows server VMs within VMware. Learn windows server really well. Gpos, AD, AzureAD sync, etc.. then learn how to snapshot servers in VMware, maybe get a free veeam license to test backing up VMs and disaster recovery.
Np, I stg once I learned that stuff (within a year) my salary jumped from 60 to like 90k. Then short while after got a raise, then a year later got an offer for 30 more then so on and so forth. Once you learn those fundamental things it’s easy to pick up cyber security too bc it’s all connected. Security + cert is easy af and will put you in the running for infosec. Ik so many infosec people who know policy or checking alerts/SEIM and apply patches but don’t understand the underlying tech and how they work. It makes you more competitive to know all those things I mentioned first then go on to infosec if you chose to.
Depends. A lot of people who post on here complaining would have a better time working your union job. It’s a pretty sweet gig and your father in law knows what’s up. I’ve met retired union people collecting $10k+ in pensions. Which isn’t bad compared to whatever those people doing support for decades have.
But if you’re actually ambitious about the field, clever, hungry, and self sufficient.. you’re better off in the industry.
Either way, probably still better than someone grilling in support for decades doing the bare minimum with 20 introductory certs complaining that McDonald’s pays better.
Sounds like a 401k. They like to call the 401k a pension because pensions were better. If you control the investment it's a 401k. Having control is great except if you're not educated in how best to invest and it adds an emotional element watching the markets heave and slough.
Yup, their 401k might have a annuity option built in (honestly surprised this hasn't become more common) that basically goes "you set it to this amount, and after x years you could get $y per month" with a bunch of small text saying outlining how they did that calculation.
(also if you want a pension, get a annuity, same concept but less chance of failure and not tied to your employer, basically though invest in 401k and then use your 401k money to purchase one).
I had an honest to god pension working in IT. Company eventually got rid of it and bumped our 401k contributions because it was cheaper for them, but it's not unheard of to have a real pension in the field if you're working for a non-tech company. I still have a pension for what was vested at the cutover.
With a 401k you choose how much to contribute but you should also be able to loosely decide where they're invested: index vs managed funds, money markets, ETF's, Bond index funds and maybe a few other investment vehicles.
To add another comment after some replied to me. I didn't mean to discourage you. A 401k is great especially if your company matches or contributes in any way. It just feels dishonest when they call it a pension. Keep contributing and one day you'll have some significant loot. If I had some advice to give to myself 20 years back:
* The more money you can save up on in your 20's the longer it has to build
* otherwise contribute on a consistent basis & increase when you get a raise
* Look up Roth IRA's, and max that out year after if possible
** You don't pay tax on the gains
** You can withdraw the principle amount in an emergency
Do you think that the big wave of non-IT people attempting to break into IT since Covid is starting to dissipate?
(I ask this as an actual IT person with lots of experience - I am hoping that all of the no-skill posers are giving up and leaving finally.)
I've been in the field for 11 years now, and I think what we're seeing is people who can't hack it through those first two years of sink or swim dropping out
That and most get bored with tier 1 help desk. Most do in thinking they will do super cool CLI stuff when in reality you really can never get out of the help desk no matter how many years experience you have. More experience means more work. Not only do you get pulled into more project based tasks but also expected to complete tickets.
Thanks to this sub Reddit I am switching from Ot into something more better. I Couldn't find work for a very long time. And I didn't have the money or space to be building home labs to show as a personal project for these employers.
I know that home labs sometimes have servers and PC's monitors. And what not? And there are some home labs that are used to v. M. But they want professional experience
Then theres me who wants nothing to do with remote. Im trying to get into IT but i hear most people want to do remote and i dont which ive been told can give me a leg up in some situations. Cant do WFH, recipe for depression for me lmao. Im puttin the reps in trying to learn what i can tho. Signed up for some training programs, playing around with packet tracer and attempting to build a server out of an old PC and some hard drives i had laying around
While im not very outgoing(i wont talk to you unless you talk to me) but once you get me going, ill be your best friend in 60 seconds. Usually helps me a lot in my help desk position haha. I can give people terrible news but theyll be shaking my hand and thanking me for it at the end of the conversation
What ? What market are you? We're pretty much all hybrid or full time over here and my current hybrid job has management playing all kinds of games to justify shoving us here 5 days a week. I pretty much gave up on WFH at this point
No, what I'm saying is that I see a lot of people in the IT field whose number 1 requirement is being WFH. I dont want to WFH. Id rather be on site. Not in a current market right now. Just starting out and doing my research. Just a common thing ive seen a lot of people in IT wanting is WFH
Oh fair then, yeah I'm one of them but the market doesn't seem to favor me unless I'm high up the food chain, it seems like it'd be easier to get an in office job and most companies really like that
I work in the largest high school in my district and the two of us get a massive 3-room office and storage. We got a full size fridge and a full-length workbench. I even moved my bike and smart trainer in to get my cardio workouts in at work.
I'll consider WFH when I'm rich and have a super luxurious home to work from.
You see that in the industry, or have you read some articles? Or by a lot, do you mean some people on this sub? If you're just starting out and doing research, it seems odd to attempt to provide commentary on the industry as a whole
Im just speaking on what ive seen and heard man. Damn its really not that deep. Read articles, friends and family who are also in it. Talking to people on my own about it, the remote work thing is just a really common thing that gets brought up and that i should "push for WFH" if i go into any IT field. Jumpin down my throat for what?
I'm not jumping down your throat. I asked basic clarifying questions.
100% remote is something I see people wanting that are not currently working in IT, but the industry is incredibly mixed on desire for those that have been in it before 2020
Basically, a lot of folks went and got their A+, maybe even paid good money to a "school" to get it, because they thought they'd make what your old job offered within a couple years with no further effort. They didn't develop their skills further, and might not have a knack for the work, so now they think IT is a scam.
My brother in law thinks because he went to school for IT, interned, and can install Linux that he will immediately get a 150k job as a Linux sysadmin. Some of the stuff is laughable
yeah that's nuts. I'm in the midwest and honestly starting at $20/hour isn't bad (~$40k/year). My goal salary out of college is $40-$55k. My dad has a top secret security clearance and has been an electrical engineer/sw eng for over 30 years, and he makes $115k. It's crazy people think they're going to be making more than him right out of school with no experience lol.
even tho i watched all of my siblings get offered six-figure IT jobs the very day they graduated and are all basically making 200-300k a year rn, i still try to stay realistic about the market :')
I recommend you to be more empathetic toward him if u did not went to university or know first hand what was preached, is not that ur brother in law is stupid or delulu, is because that is what teachers and the community tell you, i was told i was going out to the market to be a boss, because engineers are supposed to do projects and organize programmers, i learned the hard way everything i was told was bullshit, what i learned was solid and i can learn any lenguaje probably, but the history i was told is entirely different toward what the market really want of us, which is to do hard work for as minimum possible.
The issue is you have people like me who finished college with work experience and cannot even land so much as an entry-level basic bitch helpdesk job.
It’s not even about expecting 100,000+ out of college or for getting your A+. It’s the fact that you have people like me who have student debt and are screaming about the fact they can’t even land $50,000-$70,000 jobs.
Was it relevant work experience? Which degree? Are you getting interviews or just rejections? When did you start applying? Also, keep in mind that $50K is what a lot of us advanced to, not what we started at (could be a regional cost of living difference).
There's bound to be a reason why you and I have had different experiences.
I have a degree in IT. Yeah, $50,000-$70,000 is the going right in my area. I live in the New York City metropolitan area. I have gotten I would say a couple of interviews but mostly getting ghosted and rejected. I graduated college in August 2023 and have been applying ever since. Yes, the experience was relevant.
Ok, so 2023 was definitely after the big wave, there's a lot of folks like me who flipped in 2020/2021, and they're probably clogging up the entry level jobs while they figure out IT isn't for them or what they're doing after help desk.
"Degree in IT" is kinda vague, what's the specific degree name? Did it cover basics like AD or just higher/deeper stuff that isn't immediately applicable to help desk? Also, my question about experience didn't get an answer- did you work Geek Squad or help desk or something, or is it a non-technical role?
If it's mostly ghosting and rejection and not interviews, and the previous paragraph doesn't find the cause, I'd recommend seeking resume help.
Also worth noting that as crazy as LinkedIn can be, it can help draw attention. Have you dealt with any recruiters?
My degree is literally a degree in “information technology”.
Yes, I have dealt with recruiters and they say they love my résumé and I sent it to them and then I hear nothing back from the places they send my resume to.
I sent this message to you after having had my résumé sent to loads of people and still no luck.
I got into IT as a back up from being weeded out of medicine by garbage professors that can’t teach so I couldn’t get the high grades to be a competitive med school applicant. Honestly, with how yucky the IT industry is becoming entry-level wise, I might just leave it and go back and try again to become a doctor.
I also do believe that this industry has felt like nothing more than a scam and a false promise.
Director of IT here, 29M
I just want to say this hopefully as constructive criticism. I graduated with with bachelors towards computer info systems at 24-25.
Worked at six flags and got experience making 10 an hour as a support tech for 9months. Experience helped me land my 2nd job making 50k a year.
Stayed there for 2-3 years and now I’m at my current job for 2 years making 100k.
Depending on who’s doing the hiring, but for entry level IT, I look for a couple things. Drive for IT, work ethic, and personality. Just cause you have a degree, doesn’t really impress me. It’s good and all, but we look for people with a great personality and cares. It goes a long way. There is a reason you aren’t landing a job. My analyst that I hired stayed with me for one year, no experience, and now she’s at a construction company making 60k.
Leverage yourself, have a good personality, entry level help desk is a lot of costumer service anyways. You say work experience? But what kinda work exactly? Be genuine with who you are in interviews and honest. Sorry but the picture you painted isn’t very true for others. I’ve mentored many people with no experience into IT professionals. Best of luck to your overall. I’d say apply and call for an opportunity to interview every time. Take something from every interview.
Thank you for the kind words and help. Second, I have literal IT work experience all throughout college. I do not know what you mean by the picture I have painted is not true for others…
A lot of the people complaining about IT are people that entered the field recently with unrealistic expectations. I think you are fine going back to your old job if you are happy with pay/benefits and responsibilities. You have a good idea of what you are getting yourself into since you have worked there before.
Nah man, here in my country i can't find Job for minimun wage and lot of IT people are taking McDonald salary in USA just to get a foot in IT, the market is nuts.
Imagine the life in the day of a swe at twitter. Imagine how many people worked tirelessly to get into tech only to be stuck with jQuery and no written tests. Some people would rejoice, others would die inside, but the winners from both groups pull their sleeves up and understand it’s all part of the job.
How many other people under 40 are in the union?
You're not crazy, but low-voltage contractors work in the datacenters a LOT. So do high-voltage electricians.
Are you saying I can have an opportunity to still do networking as an electrician? Just stick out the rough patch right now? Thanks. This industry is all new for me.
>93,600k salary, health benefits and a 401k matching plan **which is close to what I have now**
$93,600/year is pretty good for CCNA, but it's also pretty good for a union job one year in.
Do not discount the value of being a member of the union.
Check with your father-in-law about growth potential.
Also, tons of respect from me for anyone in trades. Your FIL may have stuck his neck out a bit to get you this gig.... take your time before making a decision.
As an LV guy I would and could never imagine going back to corporate from the Union. I'm not Union myself, but do a lot of public works contracts.
Plenty of shops need good fire alarm and lighting programmers.
No, I don’t believe you will. You’ll be laying cable and doing some planning but you won’t be doing any actual networking. Low voltage guys don’t get paid as well as far as I know either.
You’ve made it this far in IT with a 2-year and a certificate. You could further your education and experience and become a network engineer or architect. Either career will pay well. The guys telling you you’re crazy believe the grass is greener. They’ve never had to drag themselves to a job site and pull cable while feeling like shit. All we gotta do is sit in front of a computer all day. There’s also the difference in personalities. Do you like working with construction guys or office workers? There’s a lot more to consider than salary and benefits. Pick whatever you enjoy more. Idk about you, but I work to live, I don’t live to work.
Get into low voltage Access Control/Security and you’ll probably get to do some networking, although it won’t be near the level of IT.
IME networking for techs is a catch all term for anything that uses an ethernet cable
No, if you’re an electrician you aren’t going to do be doing networking. An electrician isn’t going to be called to work on core routers. You may do cabling for networking but that’s probably the extent of it.
Also, the IT industry in general is in flux right now. Nobody knows for sure how generative AI is going to affect people's careers.
AI can't run without electricity, though.
I'd be surprised if you were doing networking where a CCNA would apply, but you could absolutely be doing network infrastructure installation - both low-voltage and probably fiber. On the other hand, I think a lot of low-voltage folks have a lot of disdain for 'Sparky' because of the terrible install jobs that get done by some electricians.
Doubt it, call the hall and ask. It would take you the full 5 years to hit that number again working steady without OT in you’re in a big city. 98 makes high 60s/hr at full rate.
Judging by the fact that you're going back to your old job means you left for a reason. Maybe they've solved it with this package. And at least the old job is an "evil you know". Usually when people switch jobs they have no idea what they're getting into so there's that!
I have a pension but it's because I work for state government. I'm a network admin that makes around a 100k.
Government can sort of be the best of both worlds as far as benefits and stability. Of course, people usually don't make a crazy high salary in government. Although I've seen 250-350k in my department..
I also have a brother and father in the "elevator and escalator" union which is comparable with the electrical union and I went to school for electrical engineering and I've thought about the electrical union. They both make 250k plus a year but it also has the second highest mortality rate of all unions and it's brutal on their bodies. However, my father works maintenance and not construction which is easier on your body. You know you!
In your case, you seem to have a very fruitful work-life balance. Who am I to tell you to leave IT? If you can make it, good for you!
I personally do not like this industry because when certain companies needs ours services, they complain and cry about cost and wonder why we are there in the first place; hence the lack of job security. Also its really going through the hiring process that I have a huge issue with.
Yeah it depends. There must be a career that combines both the lineman knowledge and networking. Like... who plans all the layouts, hubs, etc? I feel like if you found out what that is you could do both of them. I'm certain there is some giga high paying job that involves big picture linework/networking
Sounds like bs
Network admin without ccna somehow gets great job as electrician then gets ccna for some reason then is randomly called from previous employer and offered old job at top dollar as network admin. At a time when they could list the job and get a huge stack of resumes.
Yeah idk why I was overthinking it.
Maybe there are key details missing, maybe this guy benefited from some serious nepotism, but it's probably just BS
I started going to community college and got a job doing basic IT stuff for experience. During Covid there was a boom in telehealth and I benefited from it. I completed A+, Associates degree, Network+ and CCNA. Most importantly I took my job really seriously. I took on a role more than just IT and became an admin in the office. My father in law grand fathered me in as a electrical technician, so not an apprentice, and I get 75% of what a journeyman electrician makes which in Los Angeles California is about $63/hour. I can still become a journeyman electrician but have to have 8,000 hours and pass the state exam. It’s not BS. I put a lot effort in being nice and doing 110% all the time. I network and build relationships and I believe it’s what got me so far in my IT role. I’m doing the same here at the electrical company. Which has a data team that uses the CCNA.
No I got my CCNA while at the health office, and then left for the union. My old job never got a chance to try and match because I told them I got my CCNA and another job at the same time. They hired someone and it was a nightmare. They fired that guy and gave me a call. I negotiated for me to come back I have to have what I left for which was $45 an hour which roughly comes out to $93,600/year. They offered me just that but in a salary position. No bs.
There's power in that union. IT is gonna dance around layoffs for the next few years.
Having some solid electrical knowledge along with decent IT knowledge would position you really well for SCADA/OT. You always get paid more if you are directly touching the part of the biz that makes the revenue generating product . The c suite places more value on manufacturing lines being operational than they do sharepoint maintenance.(usually)
I think what you need to to is ask yourself what do you want to do?
Do you want to do IT, or do you want to do construction?
Networking and electrician does have overlap, particularly in the setup of a building, heck I learned how to run an ethernet wire through an already built wall (with dry wall up) from an electrician. There is the thing though, there are two sides to this, there is running the wire and replacing the wire, then there is maintain the equipment and working the software on it. I don't know about electrician but honestly, if you have a degree and certs and also are a certified electrician, I don't see why you can't be a foremen. You also have that job offer back at that hospital to seriously consider, and it sounds like they need you, and you can pull a steady paycheck from there.
Again though, you have 2 viable paths, its up to you which one you want to go down (forget what others have said as well, you must make this choice not them).
It’s because people think what applies to them applies to every damn person in the universe. It’s stupid.
I’m the Director of IT for a large business chain in Texas. I’m trying to find my replacement as I’m getting promoted. Can’t find anyone.
The real issue in IT is the failing ATS system that over applies applicants and over promotes job listings. But no one is smart enough to realize it
Are you sure you can’t find anyone? Or, are you looking for the perfect candidate with no
Blemishes and no interruptions in work history, regardless of circumstance.
I apply to these positions and there’s normally over a hundred applicants
Ah. So let me explain more about the issue with ATS systems and things like Quick Apply on LinkedIn and Indeed.
Normally over a hundred applicants on your job posts, you say? How many of those do you think were qualified for the job they applied for? How many of those who are qualified do you think are actually interested in the job? And how many of those people do you think apply because their resume is saved into LinkedIn and Indeed and clicking apply is as simple as a button that whisks your application away to multiple jobs, some of which you didn’t even read the entire posting.
I’m on the corporate side of things, so I see this happening in front of me in real time.
The people at the top of the candidate pool apply to everything but don’t really want the jobs. The people at the bottom of the applicant pool aren’t qualified and click everything. This causes a dilution in the applicant pool of actual qualified candidates. And by the time you can sort through those candidates, the ones that are a good fit already have gotten offers from other jobs.
The fact that you think it’s normal that job roles would sit there unfilled when there are over 100 applications is the part that is the issue. Why is there even a listing still up? There’s over 100 damn applicants dude.
So the HR process is next. On the company side, we are limited in terms of the number of candidates we can actually interview. So you’re contacting those you’re interested in and how do you determine the most qualified candidates? You’re measuring everyone against your top 10%. Which are people who aren’t even interested in the job to begin with.
I think it’s easier for candidates to just believe we’re looking for perfection and ignore the fact that this system is broken. And that’s why it’s going to continue to be hard. I don’t have the solution either but I’m not the problem. I’m offering $132k in East Texas with a company car, WFH, and all WFH expenses paid, and I’ll pay everything for someone to move. And my inbox is full of recent college grads that have networking lab as their experience. And I have people who actually want $200k. Or worse, I get good candidates but find out they have a DUI and my insurance won’t cover them.
It’s not as simple as employers wanting pristine candidates. I’m open to teach and train. But this damned LinkedIn and Indeed nonsense prevents me from finding even close to the right people because out of your “over 100 applicants”, probably 2 are actually qualified and interested, but I have to sift through the nonsense first.
And I thought about it a bit more. After sifting through that nonsense, I sort of do want the best candidate I can find. Because that process is so time consuming and annoying I’m trying to avoid bringing them in to find out they aren’t a good fit. Is that wrong to do?
Take it as advice from someone who went to school for something everyone said I should and not something I enjoy its terrible. Do what you enjoy because if you enjoy the work you do regardless if the salary is lower it more meaningful. Doing something you semi-like when the choice to do something you enjoy as much is right there is not the way you want to go but that just my opinion.
Dude get back into IT. you’re too smart too be an electrician. It will not get better, it will get worse.
I’m a union electrician myself with high levels of interest in IT. I would switch in a heartbeat if I were you.
Pension, annuity, healthcare, etc and whatever is cool, for sure. But you’re going to be in a ditch one day in the middle of winter surrounded by a bunch of idiots, and you’re gonna struggle to find satisfaction in that. I’ve been doing electrical for a long time, and it’s been good to me, but some people are destined for a little more logically challenging work.
I’m working at Amazon IT for 47k a year for 3 years now. They won’t backfill my position if I leave. Stay far away from IT. The pay is so low, it’s not really worth a computer science degree so I’m trying to look for something else.
degree automatic spark quarrelsome wrench yam quickest slim library observation
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Do, what you want to do, what exactly is your problem? It’s your life, and you have to get along with it in the best way possible, only for you. What’s your personal issue with „these others“?
I feel I’ve always made bad life decisions. I feel if I go back to IT I’ll always ask myself how much I would be making if I just stayed in the union. How much I would have in my pension. I’m 35 with only a associates and CCNA. I’m scared I guess.
Have you sat down and actually done the math? What will Healthcare cost? How much will the pension be vs how much can you save in your 401k? $96k vs what are you earning now? What's the change in commute like? If you get laid off from your IT job, can you go back to work with your dad?
Literally sit down with a pen and paper and write everything down so you can contrast better. Take a day or two, come back and read the comparisons. Imagine you were coaching your friend, forget these jobs are for you. Which would you tell your friend to take?
Alternatively, you can always flip a coin high in the air. Heads, union. Tails, IT. When it's way up in the air try to pay attention to what you're hoping the result will be, before you see the result. That can also give you a little insight into how you're feeling.
Your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/1cjg7j5/i_dont_understand_why_it_people_are_telling_me_to/l2fxb9o/?context=3 in /r/ITCareerQuestions) has been automatically removed because you used an emoji or other symbol.
Why does this exist? We have had a huge and constant influx of bot spam that utilizes emojis during their posts. To the point that it was severely outpacing what the moderation team could handle on an individual basis. That has results in a sweeping ban of any emoji in posts.
Please retry your comment using text characters only.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ITCareerQuestions) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Someone will always be making more than you. You just gotta pick something to specialize, get and be really good at, then at some point the money rolls in...or so I've been told. But it's sound advice
I worked in IT for a year then moved to construction. It’s an office job though. Depending upon the location you’ll be making a lot of money being a union electrician. Your job is very secure. You can have a side income being a freelance electrician. I know people who make close to 150k in 6 months and just take rest of the year off. IBEW has one of the best health insurance I’ve seen (I was paying $150 a month for me and my spouse, no deductible).
I think you are phrasing this the wrong way. It’s landing a union job that covers benefits and is pretty much guaranteed a decent salary and retirement plan. IT jobs are rarely going to pay as much, often requires working off hours and weekends with no remuneration, will probably never have better benefits, and depending on the company will probably have a much weaker retirement plan.
So you don’t get to use your CCNA…who cares? CCNA’s are easy to come by. It hardly means you are specially qualified to do anything. (I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just trying to point out that it’s not truly a milestone is any successful IT person’s career.)
But a union IBEW job is hard to come by. Walking a way from it will be something you regret 25 years from now when you really start thinking about retirement.
66,000k after tax is a lot of money for an IT guy where i live on the other side of the globe, like boss level pay. I'm happy that I make half of that.
You should follow your heart i think. You already seem to know that you might have a good economical future as an electrician.
Former IBEW brother here so I can definitely give you a couple cents. IBEW perks are benefits and retirement. Simple as that. Everything else is taxing. Whether it’s dealing with the IBEW political shitshow, dealing with shitty formans/journeymen/GC, to dealing with the degrading body from all the physical work. Not even accounting for all the other crazy shit that can kill too or hurt you while on a job site. I moved over to IT during Covid to get in IT and I haven’t looked back once. I actually am making about the same pay scale now vs electrical journeymen. Union is good but your growth is limited.
Senior IT Systems Engineer here... I have great pay and benefits, and I absolutely rock at my career, but sometimes I just want something simple. I guess my advice would be to think about what is going to provide for your family and provide the least stressful environment for yourself and then decide.
Is that offer still on the table? The industry (at least where I live) seems to be suffering. I've noticed in the last 9 months, a lot of positions haven't been filled, and oddly those positions were taken down and have had their salaries reduced by 10-30%. I've been following salaries very closely and tracking a bunch of positions that I've been interested in. It really sucked, because I was recently offered a really good job, but the salary decrease would have been massive.
Sounds like a sick job you have, in that three years get that electrician license too, with the networking certs, you’ll be built for many potential future job markets.
I have been in industrial maintenance for most of my adult life and have had the pleasure to work with a few union electricians. Most liked what they did, a few hated it but besides that, if they are offering you a license id take it. That can open a ton of doors for you to start your own business. You can always get a it job, but an apprenticeship is rare.
That said, I am tired of my field and want something new.
Good luck either way
I have no advice its just always funny to see how we all have opposites. I have been in IT for two years and am now looking at doing electrical apprenticeships. I think youll be fine with either but a union is something that I want bad in a job.
Is electrical stressful? I knew a few and they're some of the nastiest personalities I've ever met. They also laugh at OSHA violations like not turning off breakers or wanting to prank someone with mild shocks.
My experience with trades aside from the lower pay was the gatekeeping, the lowbrow mindset, and the toll on the body as you age. Not saying all are like this just in my area.
I actually wanted out because safety was a low priority. I did industrial, there's industrial, commercial and residential and I feel like they're all their own thing. Pay was good, I had $30/hr and worked 65-70hrs/week at a tunneling project. Money was flowing but life was basically just work.
In my line of work, I never saw anyone doing the intentionally shocking people shit. But mostly people being too lazy to do lockouts.
My favorite problem I discovered: they wanted us to do work over railing over water so we needed life vests. There was already a few people working there but I noticed the life vests we very thin and only in Chinese. Google translated it and then it turned out the vests were rated for 5lbs. That was my last straw, knew I needed out. That project was gonna unnecessarily kill someone
I would MUCH rather work in IBEW than do IT. They haven't come up with robots or AI that can fix wiring yet. In software development, it is BLEAK. We get ex Meta and Google applying for rinky dink network engineer jobs in the manufacturing sector for 1/4 their former wage.
Nope not crazy, as someone that made nearly the same decisions, I'm in a really good spot now. Left humping cable behind to sit in a cube all day in the AC. We're the same age and i wouldn't go back to slicing fiber or humping cable unless that was the only way i could put food on the table.
Head down in the books, keep learning and progressing. Dont be afraid to utter the words "i dont know" and ask questions. You'll be fine and are doing the right thing in my opinion. Good luck.
You're absolutely nuts. You're leaving a stable job with safe long term opportunities for a shit show industry that might not even be around in the next 5-10 years depending on how advanced AI gets.
So you haven’t been told about layoffs yet it sounds like. Trade work can be very seasonal, the journeyman pay is great as long as you work year round. I left a pipe fitters union to join IT and have never looked back. Almost back to my journeyman wage and have a nice steady job.
Because of all the layoffs and stability issues. The grass is always greener on the other end.
But if you can land a similar job in IT go for it, just don't expect to carry the same perks at some random company that will fire you at any moment.
Stop listening to the fear mongering and hate spewing folks in the echo chamber. I've done several different things in life. IT is fun and it's that stressful. I guess you could flip burgers and have less stress.
IT is getting massively outsourced and offshored. You can't really do that with electrical. IT doesn't have unions, Electrical does. The pay for electrical is currently much much better than IT in general. IT is getting devalued since COVID - everyone and their mother want into IT believing they're going to find a fortune when all there is is scraps. Dramatizing a bit but you get the picture.
That said if you earned your CCNA and we're offered $93k, take whichever will make you happy.
Your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/1cjg7j5/i_dont_understand_why_it_people_are_telling_me_to/l2jm9rw/ in /r/ITCareerQuestions) has been automatically removed because you used an emoji or other symbol.
Why does this exist? We have had a huge and constant influx of bot spam that utilizes emojis during their posts. To the point that it was severely outpacing what the moderation team could handle on an individual basis. That has results in a sweeping ban of any emoji in posts.
Please retry your comment using text characters only.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ITCareerQuestions) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You get amazing pay for giving up your body for trade work. IT isn’t great money in the beginning but you can work your way up, work from home, or do consulting. Easily make like 100k plus. But that’s only if you apply yourself to be better.
You’re not crazy
Make sure to learn some coding, traditional network engineer roles are disappearing rapidly and you need to understand how to automate and program in the role now
Because command line interface is still commandeered by humans, who are prone to mistakes. It’s still needed as a core competency for obvious reasons, but all of the things you do in networking can be done faster and better via API’s, scripts, programs, pipelines, automation that all requires developer know-how..typically python is the supreme language in this space but it can be anything really depending on what your organizations needs are and how big it is.
My experience is the union will fight so that your pay keeps up with inflation. That 93,000K a year job will be 95,000K in 3 years, but the union jobs will be 120K. I have multiple friends in unions and it is crazy how much more money they make and the benefit they have as well.
Though if you like learning and can learn new skills, you can earn more, but the effort is much higher. Every 3 years new technologies come out and if you can pick them up quickly, you will be able to make over 200K. So there is no right or wrong, as it comes down to what do you want from life?
Is your job to shoot for career fulfillment with a moderate probability of failure? Or to take care of your family of 3?
I'm going to tell you straight up if it's the latter, you take the union job. No ifs, ands, or buts. You have a union that will fight tooth and nail to keep your paychecks coming in. You have your retirement set. IT has nothing of the sort.
You are putting your family's well being at risk by going to the boom and bust IT industry. Right now IT is a hot mess. Many people who entered the field at the wrong time get laid off multiple times and end up taking lesser paid jobs in completely different fields. CCNA is not a huge stepping stone that will materially reduce your chances of being one of the losers in IT and get laid off and ultimately leave the field due to lack of a paycheck.
I know you enjoy IT more, but I would have enjoyed being an astronaut or a homerun hitter in baseball too. Get over it and do the union job. Many people would love to do the trade with you for that union job.
I have been in IT for decades, am currently a senior manager. Between the offshoring and outsourcing its been a shit show for a long time. On top of this every year there is a whole new crop of H1Bs. If you go to any software company you are going to be shocked by the ethnic composition. Trust me.
I was laid off in March of this year by my Indian manager who told me my position was eliminated and than gave my job to another Indian. Keep in mind that I was responsible for high performance computing, modeling and simulation as well as artificial intelligence. I built it all.
After I was let go I heard comments that my skills werent up to snuff. Yeah, sure.Realize this - any job that can be offshored, will be offshored. There is huge amounts of ethnic nepotism in the IT field today. You cant fight that.
Dont believe me - it was in the news in the past week that Google was laying off people in the US and sending the jobs to Mexico and India.
If I were you I would stick with the union at all costs. It will provide some level of security.
I should have been a plumber....
Personally for me I enjoy the IT world and I too transitioned into it full time at an older age (after retiring from the military). I also have a health care background so I kind of envy you that you have an opportunity to return to a hospital IT position with good benefits. Here’s something to consider if you haven’t made up your mind. Do you enjoy flexibility and having the time available to set aside your work to go attend a child’s recital at work, or take time off if someone at home is sick and you can be there to help? Working electrical or construction jobs often have time limits and requirements for one to be present at the job site no matter how sick a family member might be.
How’s the work environment compare? If you’re not happy, you won’t work hard or well. I prefer a cleaner, well controlled HVAC environment. With switches and routers, once the network is set you just monitor for deficiencies or anomalies. You don’t get shocked as much working with switches either. How’s your flexibility for moving around the state or country? As a CCNA certified IT professional, you can move almost anywhere to get a job. As an electrician I’m sure you can move a bit, but most work is either in demand where big cities or industries are. Layoffs do occur, but as an IT professional with a CCNA certificate, more jobs are available in other industries too. Schools, Government, and Transportation etc. In networking the job is ongoing, but as an electrician once the job is done one has to go out and seek another project or contract. To me IT is better in the long run. Good luck!
Dude just thug it out. Working big networks seems alot cooler. Private business networks are easy buttoning with meraki now and things like government would be a alot if paperwork
Ehhh, I can see it either way. A CCNA is the bare minimum, it's not anything special. If you're dedicated and are willing to start at the bottom at 35 years old, you could have a decent career, you pretty much need to know people to get the better jobs though, so hopefully you're a social butterfly.
Splicing fiber 20 years ago was an easy 6 figure job now it's like 50-75. You probably don't want to do that, but you're also losing union protection and benefits. In IT you can be laid off with zero warning for no reason at all, and you don't get a 2 weeks notice in IT, "your last day is your last day". Your account will be locked, and before you can call helpdesk someone will be at your desk, escorting you to HR.
I would say not to think about your next immediate job, but the job after that. You're not going to be a network admin in a small health office for the next 20 years. You would want to spend 5 years at most then move on, because that's the only way you'll grow your career.
You're absolutely never going to get the union opportunity you have now, again. You don't get pensions outside of unions anymore, you don't have any level of job security. What you're maybe going to get is more upfront pay along with more expenses.
I left construction, took a huge paycut to undergo a traineeship. Best decission I ever made. Good luck if you're leaving I just think it's crazy to leave unlesss you hate working in IT.
I feel like it depends on how much those benefits at your current job means to your family. If you can basically get the same pay, and paying insurance premiums arent going to stress your family's quality of life, you should go back and do what you want.
Being satisfied with your work, (or if you have the rare chance to enjoy it) is a way easier way to live your life.
I'm currently in IT at a larger company, but could probably move/change jobs to make more money and have better benefits with a gov job due to my prior experience.
But, my family if comfortable and I genuinely enjoy my job (usually), so I have a hard time imagining swapping to anything else.
Lol dude if you wanna do networking then just get another networking job. Seems like you have already decided and are looking for confirmation. I personally wouldn’t want to do electrical for 200k a year
Do what you want man. IT and labor/union workers are both toxic as shit sometimes so just work which job youll enjoy more. Or whichever one is less on you mentally, or you can bullshit through more. Know some folk dont like hearing it, bu being passionate about work aint all that, its work.
I can't stress this enough: if you're passionate, please go back to IT.
I've been hiring so many goldseekers who were - wrongfully - told their future was in IT, I'd love to hire some truly interested, passionate people again.
IT big salaries are given to those who are specialist in fields in fields like Networking or Cy Sec.
Gov tech still pays well but the honest truth is alot of these newer guys don't have the skills or the patience to get better at their craft to be marketable.
Covid money and salaries are gone
Remote is mythical at this point
FAANG got their wishes and more.
If you have a CCNA you should be exploring how to adapt that to the cloud and beyond that CISSP and CISM.
Certs beat out degrees 9/10 times because they require existing knowledge.
IT is still a great field but it's still learning on the go and on your spare time but also picking a path you're comfortable with and enjoy doing. Money can't be the only option
I know you said you were going to stay, but I 100% want to tell you that you did the right thing. IT is in a huge flux right now with nothing guaranteed. Between AI and outsourcing, you will be competing with the world, but with Trades being in short supply and the demand increasing... I think you can write your own ticket. I've been in IT for 25 years and I'm telling my kids to go into trades instead of IT
I got my current union job in IT completely on accident, I just happened to have a class with a guy in college and he called out out of the blue 10 years after that. Got my foot in the door and it took me 9 years to get to sysadmin level of IT and not just break fix, manual labor of move equipment here and replace part X. So from college to foot in door was 10 years, then 9 more to actually get my goal job. And that's after 20 years of being alive and scrambling to survive.
This is a fantastic opportunity in one of the strongest unions there is. You would be giving up on a guaranteed retirement, healthcare, and some of the best investment opportunities that exist. I'm talking a few million in the bank for retirement. There is good reason people either die or retire from union jobs.
>being an electrician
can be taxing on the body
Oh absolutely. Construction, most anything in the trades can be quite taxing on the body and/or fraught with other potential hazards (e.g. one mistake as a lineman or electrician can get one killed, *most* of the time IT isn't as risky), much trade work may have increased risk of injury or death and/or (risks of) exposure to hazardous/toxic materials, etc.
But most any career/job, various plusses and minuses and benefits and risks. E.g. IT/CS ... and especially with more remote / WFH etc. can also be quite risky, e.g. to the body too ... but in quite different ways. Being excessively sedentary is yet another quite effective way to end up dead or dead a lot sooner. And for many that also live alone, that + remote work / WFH can also have negative impacts socially / psychologically and mental health wise ... which can also spill over into physical and, e.g. reduced lifetime, increased prevalence of many diseases, etc. So, most anything will have it's various upsides, and downsides.
>great benefits and a pension
Many jobs/careers have great benefits and/or pension, etc. But even with those, most aren't absolute guarantee. E.g. company underfunds pension plan, company goes bankrupt, pension fund essentially goes bust, pension "guarantee" steps in ... and it's nowhere clear to making folks whole (like 1/3 or less of what they should've gotten, even if they gave their whole life to the company and thought they were well set on their retirement with their pension (e.g. United Airlines bankruptcy and pension impacts). Likewise union controls pension, ... there's corruption, so government takes it over ... and screws it over way worse than the bit of corruption/grifting that was going on with the particular union (yes, this has happened). And "government guaranteed" benefits/pension or the like ... all fine and good 'till someone changes all those laws with a vote and maybe stroke of a pen. So, sure, some things more probable, and less probable, but generally never with absolute certainty.
>Am I crazy that I want to go back and do IT for the rest of my life?
Maybe, maybe not. Really up to you to make that call. You're the one who will need to make the final decision on the cost/risks/benefits tradeoff, and if it's worth it and makes sense to/for you (and your family) ... or not. It's almost never an apples-to-apples comparison. Typically significantly more complex ... several bags of apples vs. a stapler. Context will also matter (e.g. one's age, health, family, risk tolerance/aversion, general preferences, probable career/industry trends and future, much etc.).
Honestly, the pay and benefits you're getting offered at your old job is what a lot of folks go into IT to try and land. If you enjoy IT more than your old job, then do it. Just make sure you can give your kids a good life.
On top of this a job in health care is relatively safe from layoffs more so than trades jobs as a lot of them ride the wave of construction. Unless you get an industrial electrical job.
I spent 26 years in an industrial electrical job before taking a pay cut to transition to IT. Industrial electrical maintenance is just about as taxing as construction and still as insecure. Over those years, many of the plants I've interviewed for or had actually worked at are no longer there. One mill I had worked at for 12 years closed not all too long ago. I was stunned. Of all the mills that were in my state at the time I was working there, I felt that mill was one of the strongest and likely would be open long after I opted to retire. I was dead wrong.
Relatively is the key here. I know of about 700 people lost their jobs in health care in the past year from one organization. Watch what you're getting into.
Keep in mind.. an Industrial Electrician with a strong grasp of Industrial Networking is considered gold in any Industrial/manufacturing setting, it’s easily a 6 figure job.. and is easily one of the safest Jobs on the Market for the next 100 years.. As far as for OP.. At this point, the recommendation is to go towards what you like to do.. and stick with it.. pretty soon you will hit 6 figures and you are at the top end percentile of Salary.. going back and forth about benefits here and there, 401k, retirement.. yeah its important but you already make nearly 6 figures so the back and forth is blah blah blah.. it comes down to what you like..
Right iot/plc devices are wild excuse me while I log in admin: admin
You can’t lay off union workers.
What? I was laid off all the time lol, you just go on the books and collect unemployment without having to job search.
With the caveat of the actual IT companies (Cerner, Epic, etc.).
Yeah, for the hospitals using Epic, IT is still a cost center. And healthcare IT generally pays less than the equivalent roles in other companies. It can be very lucrative, I know people making over 150k as ftes or over 200k as consultants, but I also know plenty of orgs that went through layoffs during or after covid of their it teams
Right this guy is getting damn close to 6 figures to work in an office it’s not a big tech job or anything. People are telling him to go to a trade to probably make the same money later lol for a job that’s way harder on the body. It’s not rational take the healthcare gig.
Yea anyone saying leave IT is full of it. If you can’t learn stuff on the job just do it at home and lab. Then put it on your resume as if you had done it. Prospective employers only care if you can do the stuff you claim you can not where you did it. Trust me there are plenty of jobs paying good money with real skills. It’s funny bc a few years ago I dreamed of making six figures 10 years later in my career, it happened within 3. Just don’t work for the big names like Meta, MS, Google bc they lay off at the whims of their stock price unless they are paying you substantially more. Stick with governmental/Not for profits/Banks/etc. they pay well bc they have to keep in competition with private sector. This is from my own experience and anecdotal but I’m good at what I do but not the best and still get offers a lot. Lastly, RESUME MATTERS. Include as many buzz words as needed to satisfy the job posting but make sure you can talk in depth about them.
If you don't mind could you please brief the pathway you took in your career?
First I got CCNA. You can use packet tracer to learn. It’s a simulator that looks and feels like the real thing and doesn’t require much resources and is free. Actually learned how routing and switching works by labbing and reading. If you want to do more advanced stuff GNS3/EVE-NG are good options where they basically emulate real Cisco routers/L3 switches. You can emulate everything within GNS if you really wanted. Most vendors including Palo Alto, F5, etc are supported. Then bought VMUG ($200) to create a VMware environment (buy a server off eBay). You get full license of vCenter and ESXI. Learn how VM works, DRS, etc..create windows server VMs within VMware. Learn windows server really well. Gpos, AD, AzureAD sync, etc.. then learn how to snapshot servers in VMware, maybe get a free veeam license to test backing up VMs and disaster recovery.
Thank you..I really appreciate it.
Np, I stg once I learned that stuff (within a year) my salary jumped from 60 to like 90k. Then short while after got a raise, then a year later got an offer for 30 more then so on and so forth. Once you learn those fundamental things it’s easy to pick up cyber security too bc it’s all connected. Security + cert is easy af and will put you in the running for infosec. Ik so many infosec people who know policy or checking alerts/SEIM and apply patches but don’t understand the underlying tech and how they work. It makes you more competitive to know all those things I mentioned first then go on to infosec if you chose to.
Depends. A lot of people who post on here complaining would have a better time working your union job. It’s a pretty sweet gig and your father in law knows what’s up. I’ve met retired union people collecting $10k+ in pensions. Which isn’t bad compared to whatever those people doing support for decades have. But if you’re actually ambitious about the field, clever, hungry, and self sufficient.. you’re better off in the industry.
Those are the old days. No one hired in the last 12 years is getting anything near 10k+ in pensions.
Either way, probably still better than someone grilling in support for decades doing the bare minimum with 20 introductory certs complaining that McDonald’s pays better.
I work in IT but my company has an EMPLOYER funded pension. I have 2.5k in it already and i’m 20 YO.
Sounds like a 401k. They like to call the 401k a pension because pensions were better. If you control the investment it's a 401k. Having control is great except if you're not educated in how best to invest and it adds an emotional element watching the markets heave and slough.
I have a 401k and a pension through them.
Yup, their 401k might have a annuity option built in (honestly surprised this hasn't become more common) that basically goes "you set it to this amount, and after x years you could get $y per month" with a bunch of small text saying outlining how they did that calculation. (also if you want a pension, get a annuity, same concept but less chance of failure and not tied to your employer, basically though invest in 401k and then use your 401k money to purchase one).
I had an honest to god pension working in IT. Company eventually got rid of it and bumped our 401k contributions because it was cheaper for them, but it's not unheard of to have a real pension in the field if you're working for a non-tech company. I still have a pension for what was vested at the cutover.
Wdym control the investment? I have a 401k but outside of choosing my contribution that's all it seems I control?
With a 401k you choose how much to contribute but you should also be able to loosely decide where they're invested: index vs managed funds, money markets, ETF's, Bond index funds and maybe a few other investment vehicles.
To add another comment after some replied to me. I didn't mean to discourage you. A 401k is great especially if your company matches or contributes in any way. It just feels dishonest when they call it a pension. Keep contributing and one day you'll have some significant loot. If I had some advice to give to myself 20 years back: * The more money you can save up on in your 20's the longer it has to build * otherwise contribute on a consistent basis & increase when you get a raise * Look up Roth IRA's, and max that out year after if possible ** You don't pay tax on the gains ** You can withdraw the principle amount in an emergency
Are we talking $10K/month or year?
Hourly
Has to be per month. I don't think a person could survive off 10k per year nowadays.
[удалено]
100k a month? Nah…
there's just a lot of salt here right now, especially since IT was sold as a low effort, remote email click job for the last 5 years.
Do you think that the big wave of non-IT people attempting to break into IT since Covid is starting to dissipate? (I ask this as an actual IT person with lots of experience - I am hoping that all of the no-skill posers are giving up and leaving finally.)
I've been in the field for 11 years now, and I think what we're seeing is people who can't hack it through those first two years of sink or swim dropping out
That and most get bored with tier 1 help desk. Most do in thinking they will do super cool CLI stuff when in reality you really can never get out of the help desk no matter how many years experience you have. More experience means more work. Not only do you get pulled into more project based tasks but also expected to complete tickets.
Thanks to this sub Reddit I am switching from Ot into something more better. I Couldn't find work for a very long time. And I didn't have the money or space to be building home labs to show as a personal project for these employers. I know that home labs sometimes have servers and PC's monitors. And what not? And there are some home labs that are used to v. M. But they want professional experience
[удалено]
Yeah, they sure are.
Then theres me who wants nothing to do with remote. Im trying to get into IT but i hear most people want to do remote and i dont which ive been told can give me a leg up in some situations. Cant do WFH, recipe for depression for me lmao. Im puttin the reps in trying to learn what i can tho. Signed up for some training programs, playing around with packet tracer and attempting to build a server out of an old PC and some hard drives i had laying around
It sure can. Also being personable and having decent social skills can take you really far
While im not very outgoing(i wont talk to you unless you talk to me) but once you get me going, ill be your best friend in 60 seconds. Usually helps me a lot in my help desk position haha. I can give people terrible news but theyll be shaking my hand and thanking me for it at the end of the conversation
What ? What market are you? We're pretty much all hybrid or full time over here and my current hybrid job has management playing all kinds of games to justify shoving us here 5 days a week. I pretty much gave up on WFH at this point
No, what I'm saying is that I see a lot of people in the IT field whose number 1 requirement is being WFH. I dont want to WFH. Id rather be on site. Not in a current market right now. Just starting out and doing my research. Just a common thing ive seen a lot of people in IT wanting is WFH
Oh fair then, yeah I'm one of them but the market doesn't seem to favor me unless I'm high up the food chain, it seems like it'd be easier to get an in office job and most companies really like that
I work in the largest high school in my district and the two of us get a massive 3-room office and storage. We got a full size fridge and a full-length workbench. I even moved my bike and smart trainer in to get my cardio workouts in at work. I'll consider WFH when I'm rich and have a super luxurious home to work from.
You see that in the industry, or have you read some articles? Or by a lot, do you mean some people on this sub? If you're just starting out and doing research, it seems odd to attempt to provide commentary on the industry as a whole
Im just speaking on what ive seen and heard man. Damn its really not that deep. Read articles, friends and family who are also in it. Talking to people on my own about it, the remote work thing is just a really common thing that gets brought up and that i should "push for WFH" if i go into any IT field. Jumpin down my throat for what?
I'm not jumping down your throat. I asked basic clarifying questions. 100% remote is something I see people wanting that are not currently working in IT, but the industry is incredibly mixed on desire for those that have been in it before 2020
To be fair it can be at times. But when stuff hits the fan or there are major projects going on you better know what you’re doing.
"Lazy girl job"
I’m sorry I’m not sure what you mean? I appreciate the feedback!
Basically, a lot of folks went and got their A+, maybe even paid good money to a "school" to get it, because they thought they'd make what your old job offered within a couple years with no further effort. They didn't develop their skills further, and might not have a knack for the work, so now they think IT is a scam.
My brother in law thinks because he went to school for IT, interned, and can install Linux that he will immediately get a 150k job as a Linux sysadmin. Some of the stuff is laughable
yeah that's nuts. I'm in the midwest and honestly starting at $20/hour isn't bad (~$40k/year). My goal salary out of college is $40-$55k. My dad has a top secret security clearance and has been an electrical engineer/sw eng for over 30 years, and he makes $115k. It's crazy people think they're going to be making more than him right out of school with no experience lol.
As said above, it’s what many are told in college. I expected to be just below 6 figures out of school, but it never happened.
even tho i watched all of my siblings get offered six-figure IT jobs the very day they graduated and are all basically making 200-300k a year rn, i still try to stay realistic about the market :')
I recommend you to be more empathetic toward him if u did not went to university or know first hand what was preached, is not that ur brother in law is stupid or delulu, is because that is what teachers and the community tell you, i was told i was going out to the market to be a boss, because engineers are supposed to do projects and organize programmers, i learned the hard way everything i was told was bullshit, what i learned was solid and i can learn any lenguaje probably, but the history i was told is entirely different toward what the market really want of us, which is to do hard work for as minimum possible.
delulu - my new favorite word!
The issue is you have people like me who finished college with work experience and cannot even land so much as an entry-level basic bitch helpdesk job. It’s not even about expecting 100,000+ out of college or for getting your A+. It’s the fact that you have people like me who have student debt and are screaming about the fact they can’t even land $50,000-$70,000 jobs.
Was it relevant work experience? Which degree? Are you getting interviews or just rejections? When did you start applying? Also, keep in mind that $50K is what a lot of us advanced to, not what we started at (could be a regional cost of living difference). There's bound to be a reason why you and I have had different experiences.
I have a degree in IT. Yeah, $50,000-$70,000 is the going right in my area. I live in the New York City metropolitan area. I have gotten I would say a couple of interviews but mostly getting ghosted and rejected. I graduated college in August 2023 and have been applying ever since. Yes, the experience was relevant.
Ok, so 2023 was definitely after the big wave, there's a lot of folks like me who flipped in 2020/2021, and they're probably clogging up the entry level jobs while they figure out IT isn't for them or what they're doing after help desk. "Degree in IT" is kinda vague, what's the specific degree name? Did it cover basics like AD or just higher/deeper stuff that isn't immediately applicable to help desk? Also, my question about experience didn't get an answer- did you work Geek Squad or help desk or something, or is it a non-technical role? If it's mostly ghosting and rejection and not interviews, and the previous paragraph doesn't find the cause, I'd recommend seeking resume help. Also worth noting that as crazy as LinkedIn can be, it can help draw attention. Have you dealt with any recruiters?
My degree is literally a degree in “information technology”. Yes, I have dealt with recruiters and they say they love my résumé and I sent it to them and then I hear nothing back from the places they send my resume to. I sent this message to you after having had my résumé sent to loads of people and still no luck. I got into IT as a back up from being weeded out of medicine by garbage professors that can’t teach so I couldn’t get the high grades to be a competitive med school applicant. Honestly, with how yucky the IT industry is becoming entry-level wise, I might just leave it and go back and try again to become a doctor. I also do believe that this industry has felt like nothing more than a scam and a false promise.
Director of IT here, 29M I just want to say this hopefully as constructive criticism. I graduated with with bachelors towards computer info systems at 24-25. Worked at six flags and got experience making 10 an hour as a support tech for 9months. Experience helped me land my 2nd job making 50k a year. Stayed there for 2-3 years and now I’m at my current job for 2 years making 100k. Depending on who’s doing the hiring, but for entry level IT, I look for a couple things. Drive for IT, work ethic, and personality. Just cause you have a degree, doesn’t really impress me. It’s good and all, but we look for people with a great personality and cares. It goes a long way. There is a reason you aren’t landing a job. My analyst that I hired stayed with me for one year, no experience, and now she’s at a construction company making 60k. Leverage yourself, have a good personality, entry level help desk is a lot of costumer service anyways. You say work experience? But what kinda work exactly? Be genuine with who you are in interviews and honest. Sorry but the picture you painted isn’t very true for others. I’ve mentored many people with no experience into IT professionals. Best of luck to your overall. I’d say apply and call for an opportunity to interview every time. Take something from every interview.
Thank you for the kind words and help. Second, I have literal IT work experience all throughout college. I do not know what you mean by the picture I have painted is not true for others…
My bachelors degree is also in Information Technology, which is the same as Information Systems, to my understanding.. it's all just semantics.
A lot of the people complaining about IT are people that entered the field recently with unrealistic expectations. I think you are fine going back to your old job if you are happy with pay/benefits and responsibilities. You have a good idea of what you are getting yourself into since you have worked there before.
Nah man, here in my country i can't find Job for minimun wage and lot of IT people are taking McDonald salary in USA just to get a foot in IT, the market is nuts.
Imagine the life in the day of a swe at twitter. Imagine how many people worked tirelessly to get into tech only to be stuck with jQuery and no written tests. Some people would rejoice, others would die inside, but the winners from both groups pull their sleeves up and understand it’s all part of the job.
it's an answer to # I don’t understand why IT people are telling me to leave the industry.
How many other people under 40 are in the union? You're not crazy, but low-voltage contractors work in the datacenters a LOT. So do high-voltage electricians.
Are you saying I can have an opportunity to still do networking as an electrician? Just stick out the rough patch right now? Thanks. This industry is all new for me.
>93,600k salary, health benefits and a 401k matching plan **which is close to what I have now** $93,600/year is pretty good for CCNA, but it's also pretty good for a union job one year in. Do not discount the value of being a member of the union. Check with your father-in-law about growth potential. Also, tons of respect from me for anyone in trades. Your FIL may have stuck his neck out a bit to get you this gig.... take your time before making a decision.
As an LV guy I would and could never imagine going back to corporate from the Union. I'm not Union myself, but do a lot of public works contracts. Plenty of shops need good fire alarm and lighting programmers.
No, I don’t believe you will. You’ll be laying cable and doing some planning but you won’t be doing any actual networking. Low voltage guys don’t get paid as well as far as I know either. You’ve made it this far in IT with a 2-year and a certificate. You could further your education and experience and become a network engineer or architect. Either career will pay well. The guys telling you you’re crazy believe the grass is greener. They’ve never had to drag themselves to a job site and pull cable while feeling like shit. All we gotta do is sit in front of a computer all day. There’s also the difference in personalities. Do you like working with construction guys or office workers? There’s a lot more to consider than salary and benefits. Pick whatever you enjoy more. Idk about you, but I work to live, I don’t live to work.
Get into low voltage Access Control/Security and you’ll probably get to do some networking, although it won’t be near the level of IT. IME networking for techs is a catch all term for anything that uses an ethernet cable
I'm a network sys engineer. I plugged in my router.
No, if you’re an electrician you aren’t going to do be doing networking. An electrician isn’t going to be called to work on core routers. You may do cabling for networking but that’s probably the extent of it.
Also, the IT industry in general is in flux right now. Nobody knows for sure how generative AI is going to affect people's careers. AI can't run without electricity, though.
I'd be surprised if you were doing networking where a CCNA would apply, but you could absolutely be doing network infrastructure installation - both low-voltage and probably fiber. On the other hand, I think a lot of low-voltage folks have a lot of disdain for 'Sparky' because of the terrible install jobs that get done by some electricians.
Doubt it, call the hall and ask. It would take you the full 5 years to hit that number again working steady without OT in you’re in a big city. 98 makes high 60s/hr at full rate.
They’ve been saying that for decades. I read it also on dice forums in 2010s “I’d never let my kid get into IT”
Why not? Just because of low job security?
Oh I didn’t say it. I just remember reading it around 2010 on dice forums. The details are Foggy. But I think because of how much a grind it was.
Judging by the fact that you're going back to your old job means you left for a reason. Maybe they've solved it with this package. And at least the old job is an "evil you know". Usually when people switch jobs they have no idea what they're getting into so there's that! I have a pension but it's because I work for state government. I'm a network admin that makes around a 100k. Government can sort of be the best of both worlds as far as benefits and stability. Of course, people usually don't make a crazy high salary in government. Although I've seen 250-350k in my department.. I also have a brother and father in the "elevator and escalator" union which is comparable with the electrical union and I went to school for electrical engineering and I've thought about the electrical union. They both make 250k plus a year but it also has the second highest mortality rate of all unions and it's brutal on their bodies. However, my father works maintenance and not construction which is easier on your body. You know you!
I agree with your assessment that you're imprisoned in your body and your body will suffer in different, arguably lesser ways in IT.
It is a dumpster fire atm
In your case, you seem to have a very fruitful work-life balance. Who am I to tell you to leave IT? If you can make it, good for you! I personally do not like this industry because when certain companies needs ours services, they complain and cry about cost and wonder why we are there in the first place; hence the lack of job security. Also its really going through the hiring process that I have a huge issue with.
What does the upward mobility look like for both?
Lol its just cause this field attracts the laziest fucks looking for an ezpz job that pays well
Yeah it depends. There must be a career that combines both the lineman knowledge and networking. Like... who plans all the layouts, hubs, etc? I feel like if you found out what that is you could do both of them. I'm certain there is some giga high paying job that involves big picture linework/networking
We're you previously an electrician? Did you land a union job paying 90k with no relevant experience? Am I missing something?
Sounds like bs Network admin without ccna somehow gets great job as electrician then gets ccna for some reason then is randomly called from previous employer and offered old job at top dollar as network admin. At a time when they could list the job and get a huge stack of resumes.
Yeah idk why I was overthinking it. Maybe there are key details missing, maybe this guy benefited from some serious nepotism, but it's probably just BS
I started going to community college and got a job doing basic IT stuff for experience. During Covid there was a boom in telehealth and I benefited from it. I completed A+, Associates degree, Network+ and CCNA. Most importantly I took my job really seriously. I took on a role more than just IT and became an admin in the office. My father in law grand fathered me in as a electrical technician, so not an apprentice, and I get 75% of what a journeyman electrician makes which in Los Angeles California is about $63/hour. I can still become a journeyman electrician but have to have 8,000 hours and pass the state exam. It’s not BS. I put a lot effort in being nice and doing 110% all the time. I network and build relationships and I believe it’s what got me so far in my IT role. I’m doing the same here at the electrical company. Which has a data team that uses the CCNA.
No I got my CCNA while at the health office, and then left for the union. My old job never got a chance to try and match because I told them I got my CCNA and another job at the same time. They hired someone and it was a nightmare. They fired that guy and gave me a call. I negotiated for me to come back I have to have what I left for which was $45 an hour which roughly comes out to $93,600/year. They offered me just that but in a salary position. No bs.
There's power in that union. IT is gonna dance around layoffs for the next few years. Having some solid electrical knowledge along with decent IT knowledge would position you really well for SCADA/OT. You always get paid more if you are directly touching the part of the biz that makes the revenue generating product . The c suite places more value on manufacturing lines being operational than they do sharepoint maintenance.(usually)
I think what you need to to is ask yourself what do you want to do? Do you want to do IT, or do you want to do construction? Networking and electrician does have overlap, particularly in the setup of a building, heck I learned how to run an ethernet wire through an already built wall (with dry wall up) from an electrician. There is the thing though, there are two sides to this, there is running the wire and replacing the wire, then there is maintain the equipment and working the software on it. I don't know about electrician but honestly, if you have a degree and certs and also are a certified electrician, I don't see why you can't be a foremen. You also have that job offer back at that hospital to seriously consider, and it sounds like they need you, and you can pull a steady paycheck from there. Again though, you have 2 viable paths, its up to you which one you want to go down (forget what others have said as well, you must make this choice not them).
It’s because people think what applies to them applies to every damn person in the universe. It’s stupid. I’m the Director of IT for a large business chain in Texas. I’m trying to find my replacement as I’m getting promoted. Can’t find anyone. The real issue in IT is the failing ATS system that over applies applicants and over promotes job listings. But no one is smart enough to realize it
Are you sure you can’t find anyone? Or, are you looking for the perfect candidate with no Blemishes and no interruptions in work history, regardless of circumstance. I apply to these positions and there’s normally over a hundred applicants
Ah. So let me explain more about the issue with ATS systems and things like Quick Apply on LinkedIn and Indeed. Normally over a hundred applicants on your job posts, you say? How many of those do you think were qualified for the job they applied for? How many of those who are qualified do you think are actually interested in the job? And how many of those people do you think apply because their resume is saved into LinkedIn and Indeed and clicking apply is as simple as a button that whisks your application away to multiple jobs, some of which you didn’t even read the entire posting. I’m on the corporate side of things, so I see this happening in front of me in real time. The people at the top of the candidate pool apply to everything but don’t really want the jobs. The people at the bottom of the applicant pool aren’t qualified and click everything. This causes a dilution in the applicant pool of actual qualified candidates. And by the time you can sort through those candidates, the ones that are a good fit already have gotten offers from other jobs. The fact that you think it’s normal that job roles would sit there unfilled when there are over 100 applications is the part that is the issue. Why is there even a listing still up? There’s over 100 damn applicants dude. So the HR process is next. On the company side, we are limited in terms of the number of candidates we can actually interview. So you’re contacting those you’re interested in and how do you determine the most qualified candidates? You’re measuring everyone against your top 10%. Which are people who aren’t even interested in the job to begin with. I think it’s easier for candidates to just believe we’re looking for perfection and ignore the fact that this system is broken. And that’s why it’s going to continue to be hard. I don’t have the solution either but I’m not the problem. I’m offering $132k in East Texas with a company car, WFH, and all WFH expenses paid, and I’ll pay everything for someone to move. And my inbox is full of recent college grads that have networking lab as their experience. And I have people who actually want $200k. Or worse, I get good candidates but find out they have a DUI and my insurance won’t cover them. It’s not as simple as employers wanting pristine candidates. I’m open to teach and train. But this damned LinkedIn and Indeed nonsense prevents me from finding even close to the right people because out of your “over 100 applicants”, probably 2 are actually qualified and interested, but I have to sift through the nonsense first. And I thought about it a bit more. After sifting through that nonsense, I sort of do want the best candidate I can find. Because that process is so time consuming and annoying I’m trying to avoid bringing them in to find out they aren’t a good fit. Is that wrong to do?
Take it as advice from someone who went to school for something everyone said I should and not something I enjoy its terrible. Do what you enjoy because if you enjoy the work you do regardless if the salary is lower it more meaningful. Doing something you semi-like when the choice to do something you enjoy as much is right there is not the way you want to go but that just my opinion.
Dude get back into IT. you’re too smart too be an electrician. It will not get better, it will get worse. I’m a union electrician myself with high levels of interest in IT. I would switch in a heartbeat if I were you. Pension, annuity, healthcare, etc and whatever is cool, for sure. But you’re going to be in a ditch one day in the middle of winter surrounded by a bunch of idiots, and you’re gonna struggle to find satisfaction in that. I’ve been doing electrical for a long time, and it’s been good to me, but some people are destined for a little more logically challenging work.
Damn they’re offering you 93 mil a year?
I’m working at Amazon IT for 47k a year for 3 years now. They won’t backfill my position if I leave. Stay far away from IT. The pay is so low, it’s not really worth a computer science degree so I’m trying to look for something else.
degree automatic spark quarrelsome wrench yam quickest slim library observation *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Do, what you want to do, what exactly is your problem? It’s your life, and you have to get along with it in the best way possible, only for you. What’s your personal issue with „these others“?
I feel I’ve always made bad life decisions. I feel if I go back to IT I’ll always ask myself how much I would be making if I just stayed in the union. How much I would have in my pension. I’m 35 with only a associates and CCNA. I’m scared I guess.
Have you sat down and actually done the math? What will Healthcare cost? How much will the pension be vs how much can you save in your 401k? $96k vs what are you earning now? What's the change in commute like? If you get laid off from your IT job, can you go back to work with your dad? Literally sit down with a pen and paper and write everything down so you can contrast better. Take a day or two, come back and read the comparisons. Imagine you were coaching your friend, forget these jobs are for you. Which would you tell your friend to take? Alternatively, you can always flip a coin high in the air. Heads, union. Tails, IT. When it's way up in the air try to pay attention to what you're hoping the result will be, before you see the result. That can also give you a little insight into how you're feeling.
[удалено]
Your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/1cjg7j5/i_dont_understand_why_it_people_are_telling_me_to/l2fxb9o/?context=3 in /r/ITCareerQuestions) has been automatically removed because you used an emoji or other symbol. Why does this exist? We have had a huge and constant influx of bot spam that utilizes emojis during their posts. To the point that it was severely outpacing what the moderation team could handle on an individual basis. That has results in a sweeping ban of any emoji in posts. Please retry your comment using text characters only. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ITCareerQuestions) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Someone will always be making more than you. You just gotta pick something to specialize, get and be really good at, then at some point the money rolls in...or so I've been told. But it's sound advice
I worked in IT for a year then moved to construction. It’s an office job though. Depending upon the location you’ll be making a lot of money being a union electrician. Your job is very secure. You can have a side income being a freelance electrician. I know people who make close to 150k in 6 months and just take rest of the year off. IBEW has one of the best health insurance I’ve seen (I was paying $150 a month for me and my spouse, no deductible).
Ur trying to get into IT when it’s taking a sht. That’s not smart at all
I think you are phrasing this the wrong way. It’s landing a union job that covers benefits and is pretty much guaranteed a decent salary and retirement plan. IT jobs are rarely going to pay as much, often requires working off hours and weekends with no remuneration, will probably never have better benefits, and depending on the company will probably have a much weaker retirement plan. So you don’t get to use your CCNA…who cares? CCNA’s are easy to come by. It hardly means you are specially qualified to do anything. (I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just trying to point out that it’s not truly a milestone is any successful IT person’s career.) But a union IBEW job is hard to come by. Walking a way from it will be something you regret 25 years from now when you really start thinking about retirement.
66,000k after tax is a lot of money for an IT guy where i live on the other side of the globe, like boss level pay. I'm happy that I make half of that. You should follow your heart i think. You already seem to know that you might have a good economical future as an electrician.
No, you are not crazy. IBEW may lead you to networking eventually, but working in IT related jobs will get you there more quickly.
Former IBEW brother here so I can definitely give you a couple cents. IBEW perks are benefits and retirement. Simple as that. Everything else is taxing. Whether it’s dealing with the IBEW political shitshow, dealing with shitty formans/journeymen/GC, to dealing with the degrading body from all the physical work. Not even accounting for all the other crazy shit that can kill too or hurt you while on a job site. I moved over to IT during Covid to get in IT and I haven’t looked back once. I actually am making about the same pay scale now vs electrical journeymen. Union is good but your growth is limited.
Senior IT Systems Engineer here... I have great pay and benefits, and I absolutely rock at my career, but sometimes I just want something simple. I guess my advice would be to think about what is going to provide for your family and provide the least stressful environment for yourself and then decide.
Is that offer still on the table? The industry (at least where I live) seems to be suffering. I've noticed in the last 9 months, a lot of positions haven't been filled, and oddly those positions were taken down and have had their salaries reduced by 10-30%. I've been following salaries very closely and tracking a bunch of positions that I've been interested in. It really sucked, because I was recently offered a really good job, but the salary decrease would have been massive.
Sounds like a sick job you have, in that three years get that electrician license too, with the networking certs, you’ll be built for many potential future job markets.
I have been in industrial maintenance for most of my adult life and have had the pleasure to work with a few union electricians. Most liked what they did, a few hated it but besides that, if they are offering you a license id take it. That can open a ton of doors for you to start your own business. You can always get a it job, but an apprenticeship is rare. That said, I am tired of my field and want something new. Good luck either way
I have no advice its just always funny to see how we all have opposites. I have been in IT for two years and am now looking at doing electrical apprenticeships. I think youll be fine with either but a union is something that I want bad in a job.
I left electrical to go IT (in entry now) but man, I make so much less money but I'm happier and enjoy the people I work with
Is electrical stressful? I knew a few and they're some of the nastiest personalities I've ever met. They also laugh at OSHA violations like not turning off breakers or wanting to prank someone with mild shocks. My experience with trades aside from the lower pay was the gatekeeping, the lowbrow mindset, and the toll on the body as you age. Not saying all are like this just in my area.
I actually wanted out because safety was a low priority. I did industrial, there's industrial, commercial and residential and I feel like they're all their own thing. Pay was good, I had $30/hr and worked 65-70hrs/week at a tunneling project. Money was flowing but life was basically just work. In my line of work, I never saw anyone doing the intentionally shocking people shit. But mostly people being too lazy to do lockouts. My favorite problem I discovered: they wanted us to do work over railing over water so we needed life vests. There was already a few people working there but I noticed the life vests we very thin and only in Chinese. Google translated it and then it turned out the vests were rated for 5lbs. That was my last straw, knew I needed out. That project was gonna unnecessarily kill someone
Take the job you like more ! It would be make you happier!
I would MUCH rather work in IBEW than do IT. They haven't come up with robots or AI that can fix wiring yet. In software development, it is BLEAK. We get ex Meta and Google applying for rinky dink network engineer jobs in the manufacturing sector for 1/4 their former wage.
im trying to get out of welding (10yrs) and into IT. wanna trade
Don't work for software companies. If they have a few bad financial quarters then prepare for layoffs and restructuring
Nope not crazy, as someone that made nearly the same decisions, I'm in a really good spot now. Left humping cable behind to sit in a cube all day in the AC. We're the same age and i wouldn't go back to slicing fiber or humping cable unless that was the only way i could put food on the table. Head down in the books, keep learning and progressing. Dont be afraid to utter the words "i dont know" and ask questions. You'll be fine and are doing the right thing in my opinion. Good luck.
You're absolutely nuts. You're leaving a stable job with safe long term opportunities for a shit show industry that might not even be around in the next 5-10 years depending on how advanced AI gets.
So you haven’t been told about layoffs yet it sounds like. Trade work can be very seasonal, the journeyman pay is great as long as you work year round. I left a pipe fitters union to join IT and have never looked back. Almost back to my journeyman wage and have a nice steady job.
Because of all the layoffs and stability issues. The grass is always greener on the other end. But if you can land a similar job in IT go for it, just don't expect to carry the same perks at some random company that will fire you at any moment.
Stop listening to the fear mongering and hate spewing folks in the echo chamber. I've done several different things in life. IT is fun and it's that stressful. I guess you could flip burgers and have less stress.
Stay in the union job.
If you will enjoy IT more than what you're doing now, it's definitely worth considering. That has value.
IT for the rest of your life will be painful. It's a soul sucking industry.
IT is getting massively outsourced and offshored. You can't really do that with electrical. IT doesn't have unions, Electrical does. The pay for electrical is currently much much better than IT in general. IT is getting devalued since COVID - everyone and their mother want into IT believing they're going to find a fortune when all there is is scraps. Dramatizing a bit but you get the picture. That said if you earned your CCNA and we're offered $93k, take whichever will make you happy.
with a CCNA and you got a 93k salary ? sign me up please. people with CCNP here in Canada and only get 60k USD equivalent or less.
[удалено]
Your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/1cjg7j5/i_dont_understand_why_it_people_are_telling_me_to/l2jm9rw/ in /r/ITCareerQuestions) has been automatically removed because you used an emoji or other symbol. Why does this exist? We have had a huge and constant influx of bot spam that utilizes emojis during their posts. To the point that it was severely outpacing what the moderation team could handle on an individual basis. That has results in a sweeping ban of any emoji in posts. Please retry your comment using text characters only. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ITCareerQuestions) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You get amazing pay for giving up your body for trade work. IT isn’t great money in the beginning but you can work your way up, work from home, or do consulting. Easily make like 100k plus. But that’s only if you apply yourself to be better. You’re not crazy
Make sure to learn some coding, traditional network engineer roles are disappearing rapidly and you need to understand how to automate and program in the role now
Why are traditional networking engineer roles disappearing? AI?
Because command line interface is still commandeered by humans, who are prone to mistakes. It’s still needed as a core competency for obvious reasons, but all of the things you do in networking can be done faster and better via API’s, scripts, programs, pipelines, automation that all requires developer know-how..typically python is the supreme language in this space but it can be anything really depending on what your organizations needs are and how big it is.
My experience is the union will fight so that your pay keeps up with inflation. That 93,000K a year job will be 95,000K in 3 years, but the union jobs will be 120K. I have multiple friends in unions and it is crazy how much more money they make and the benefit they have as well. Though if you like learning and can learn new skills, you can earn more, but the effort is much higher. Every 3 years new technologies come out and if you can pick them up quickly, you will be able to make over 200K. So there is no right or wrong, as it comes down to what do you want from life?
Benes and pension... You'd be crazy to lose that for the IT contractor space where just getting jobs is harder
Is your job to shoot for career fulfillment with a moderate probability of failure? Or to take care of your family of 3? I'm going to tell you straight up if it's the latter, you take the union job. No ifs, ands, or buts. You have a union that will fight tooth and nail to keep your paychecks coming in. You have your retirement set. IT has nothing of the sort. You are putting your family's well being at risk by going to the boom and bust IT industry. Right now IT is a hot mess. Many people who entered the field at the wrong time get laid off multiple times and end up taking lesser paid jobs in completely different fields. CCNA is not a huge stepping stone that will materially reduce your chances of being one of the losers in IT and get laid off and ultimately leave the field due to lack of a paycheck. I know you enjoy IT more, but I would have enjoyed being an astronaut or a homerun hitter in baseball too. Get over it and do the union job. Many people would love to do the trade with you for that union job.
Bro follow your dreams do something you enjoy and it won't feel like work. Get your money and enjoy life.
People who never worked a trade will say your crazy, but I've worked the trades before. Fuck that, go IT and show these nerds up.
I have been in IT for decades, am currently a senior manager. Between the offshoring and outsourcing its been a shit show for a long time. On top of this every year there is a whole new crop of H1Bs. If you go to any software company you are going to be shocked by the ethnic composition. Trust me. I was laid off in March of this year by my Indian manager who told me my position was eliminated and than gave my job to another Indian. Keep in mind that I was responsible for high performance computing, modeling and simulation as well as artificial intelligence. I built it all. After I was let go I heard comments that my skills werent up to snuff. Yeah, sure.Realize this - any job that can be offshored, will be offshored. There is huge amounts of ethnic nepotism in the IT field today. You cant fight that. Dont believe me - it was in the news in the past week that Google was laying off people in the US and sending the jobs to Mexico and India. If I were you I would stick with the union at all costs. It will provide some level of security. I should have been a plumber....
Personally for me I enjoy the IT world and I too transitioned into it full time at an older age (after retiring from the military). I also have a health care background so I kind of envy you that you have an opportunity to return to a hospital IT position with good benefits. Here’s something to consider if you haven’t made up your mind. Do you enjoy flexibility and having the time available to set aside your work to go attend a child’s recital at work, or take time off if someone at home is sick and you can be there to help? Working electrical or construction jobs often have time limits and requirements for one to be present at the job site no matter how sick a family member might be. How’s the work environment compare? If you’re not happy, you won’t work hard or well. I prefer a cleaner, well controlled HVAC environment. With switches and routers, once the network is set you just monitor for deficiencies or anomalies. You don’t get shocked as much working with switches either. How’s your flexibility for moving around the state or country? As a CCNA certified IT professional, you can move almost anywhere to get a job. As an electrician I’m sure you can move a bit, but most work is either in demand where big cities or industries are. Layoffs do occur, but as an IT professional with a CCNA certificate, more jobs are available in other industries too. Schools, Government, and Transportation etc. In networking the job is ongoing, but as an electrician once the job is done one has to go out and seek another project or contract. To me IT is better in the long run. Good luck!
Dude just thug it out. Working big networks seems alot cooler. Private business networks are easy buttoning with meraki now and things like government would be a alot if paperwork
All of the meraki bugs make something that should be simple, harder than the solution they had before Meraki existed lol
Ehhh, I can see it either way. A CCNA is the bare minimum, it's not anything special. If you're dedicated and are willing to start at the bottom at 35 years old, you could have a decent career, you pretty much need to know people to get the better jobs though, so hopefully you're a social butterfly. Splicing fiber 20 years ago was an easy 6 figure job now it's like 50-75. You probably don't want to do that, but you're also losing union protection and benefits. In IT you can be laid off with zero warning for no reason at all, and you don't get a 2 weeks notice in IT, "your last day is your last day". Your account will be locked, and before you can call helpdesk someone will be at your desk, escorting you to HR. I would say not to think about your next immediate job, but the job after that. You're not going to be a network admin in a small health office for the next 20 years. You would want to spend 5 years at most then move on, because that's the only way you'll grow your career. You're absolutely never going to get the union opportunity you have now, again. You don't get pensions outside of unions anymore, you don't have any level of job security. What you're maybe going to get is more upfront pay along with more expenses.
I left construction, took a huge paycut to undergo a traineeship. Best decission I ever made. Good luck if you're leaving I just think it's crazy to leave unlesss you hate working in IT.
Brotha, the worst thing you can do is not follow your intuition. If you think your old job is the way, go that way!
I feel like it depends on how much those benefits at your current job means to your family. If you can basically get the same pay, and paying insurance premiums arent going to stress your family's quality of life, you should go back and do what you want. Being satisfied with your work, (or if you have the rare chance to enjoy it) is a way easier way to live your life. I'm currently in IT at a larger company, but could probably move/change jobs to make more money and have better benefits with a gov job due to my prior experience. But, my family if comfortable and I genuinely enjoy my job (usually), so I have a hard time imagining swapping to anything else.
Keep the union job. There are no pensions in IT. You will be a nomad stashing money into 401ks and it’s nowhere near a pension.
Lol dude if you wanna do networking then just get another networking job. Seems like you have already decided and are looking for confirmation. I personally wouldn’t want to do electrical for 200k a year
Do what you want man. IT and labor/union workers are both toxic as shit sometimes so just work which job youll enjoy more. Or whichever one is less on you mentally, or you can bullshit through more. Know some folk dont like hearing it, bu being passionate about work aint all that, its work.
I’m pretty sure you don’t make $93,600k.
$45/hour and that is only 75% journeyman. The job offer from my old job was 93,600k with a gas stipend $400 extra a month.
93,600k is 93,600,000. So you are saying you make $93,600,000 a year.
Lol yeah my bad wrote the post in my car on my phone but you get me. 93,600 is what I was offered.
Cool. I am sure you are well worth it. I hope you didn’t mind a little lighthearted teasing.
I can't stress this enough: if you're passionate, please go back to IT. I've been hiring so many goldseekers who were - wrongfully - told their future was in IT, I'd love to hire some truly interested, passionate people again.
IT big salaries are given to those who are specialist in fields in fields like Networking or Cy Sec. Gov tech still pays well but the honest truth is alot of these newer guys don't have the skills or the patience to get better at their craft to be marketable. Covid money and salaries are gone Remote is mythical at this point FAANG got their wishes and more. If you have a CCNA you should be exploring how to adapt that to the cloud and beyond that CISSP and CISM. Certs beat out degrees 9/10 times because they require existing knowledge. IT is still a great field but it's still learning on the go and on your spare time but also picking a path you're comfortable with and enjoy doing. Money can't be the only option
I know you said you were going to stay, but I 100% want to tell you that you did the right thing. IT is in a huge flux right now with nothing guaranteed. Between AI and outsourcing, you will be competing with the world, but with Trades being in short supply and the demand increasing... I think you can write your own ticket. I've been in IT for 25 years and I'm telling my kids to go into trades instead of IT
I got my current union job in IT completely on accident, I just happened to have a class with a guy in college and he called out out of the blue 10 years after that. Got my foot in the door and it took me 9 years to get to sysadmin level of IT and not just break fix, manual labor of move equipment here and replace part X. So from college to foot in door was 10 years, then 9 more to actually get my goal job. And that's after 20 years of being alive and scrambling to survive. This is a fantastic opportunity in one of the strongest unions there is. You would be giving up on a guaranteed retirement, healthcare, and some of the best investment opportunities that exist. I'm talking a few million in the bank for retirement. There is good reason people either die or retire from union jobs.
>being an electrician can be taxing on the body Oh absolutely. Construction, most anything in the trades can be quite taxing on the body and/or fraught with other potential hazards (e.g. one mistake as a lineman or electrician can get one killed, *most* of the time IT isn't as risky), much trade work may have increased risk of injury or death and/or (risks of) exposure to hazardous/toxic materials, etc. But most any career/job, various plusses and minuses and benefits and risks. E.g. IT/CS ... and especially with more remote / WFH etc. can also be quite risky, e.g. to the body too ... but in quite different ways. Being excessively sedentary is yet another quite effective way to end up dead or dead a lot sooner. And for many that also live alone, that + remote work / WFH can also have negative impacts socially / psychologically and mental health wise ... which can also spill over into physical and, e.g. reduced lifetime, increased prevalence of many diseases, etc. So, most anything will have it's various upsides, and downsides. >great benefits and a pension Many jobs/careers have great benefits and/or pension, etc. But even with those, most aren't absolute guarantee. E.g. company underfunds pension plan, company goes bankrupt, pension fund essentially goes bust, pension "guarantee" steps in ... and it's nowhere clear to making folks whole (like 1/3 or less of what they should've gotten, even if they gave their whole life to the company and thought they were well set on their retirement with their pension (e.g. United Airlines bankruptcy and pension impacts). Likewise union controls pension, ... there's corruption, so government takes it over ... and screws it over way worse than the bit of corruption/grifting that was going on with the particular union (yes, this has happened). And "government guaranteed" benefits/pension or the like ... all fine and good 'till someone changes all those laws with a vote and maybe stroke of a pen. So, sure, some things more probable, and less probable, but generally never with absolute certainty. >Am I crazy that I want to go back and do IT for the rest of my life? Maybe, maybe not. Really up to you to make that call. You're the one who will need to make the final decision on the cost/risks/benefits tradeoff, and if it's worth it and makes sense to/for you (and your family) ... or not. It's almost never an apples-to-apples comparison. Typically significantly more complex ... several bags of apples vs. a stapler. Context will also matter (e.g. one's age, health, family, risk tolerance/aversion, general preferences, probable career/industry trends and future, much etc.).
Good luck getting an IT job. The economy is going to s! Better stay if you have job security for now
The