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Thinking of changing direction

  • 27-04-2010 10:40am
    #1
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,088 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    OK.. this is likely to be a bit rambling, so bear with me... :)

    I've been unemployed just over 5 months now and despite my best efforts, I'm not getting very far in finding something else (what else is new, right?)

    My last role was as the IT Administrator/Manager for a multi-site public sector organisation where I worked for just over 4 years until as a result of the recruitment moratorium, I was made redundant before Christmas - no permanent job, massive salary or gold-plated pension for me! :o (actually I was on about €40k and did the work of 3 people, but I enjoyed it so I didn't mind so much as I've always felt that job satisfaction is worth a lot more than a few extra grand - not that that's not nice too! :p) Anyway, before this I worked for two of the large IT multinationals in a variety of Support roles so I've done the public and private sector thing.

    The problem I'm finding is that the private sector has changed massively in the 4 years I was out of it. Jobs that would have taken a team of people in the "good ole days" are now done remotely and outsourced to places like India. What's left is either highly specialised or entry level.

    And herein lies the problem.. I'm in my mid-thirties and while I have a wealth of experience and can do most things with a Domain (Server admin, PC deployment, AD management, helpdesk issues etc) these kind of things are now all done remotely or by kids in their 20's who can work for the same kinda money as their age! Plus I don't have the money to pay for an €8k Cisco course, and I certainly won't get that level of assistance on the dole!

    So I have a decision to make... do I stay in the technical side of things, forever chasing to keep up (and don't get me wrong, part of what I love about the IT industry is playing with the new stuff), or do I look at other options. My last role involved a lot of other things too - project management, procurement and tendering with suppliers, workload/helpdesk management, and I had a small team working under me as well. In my previous life I also did coaching, training too.

    So maybe a team-lead/middle management direction is the way to go. It's not as technically demanding (although if I could get say a technical team lead/manager role where'd I still be doing SOME of the hands-on stuff that'd be ideal) and the skillset (staff management etc) would be more portable in the long term. The next question then is can I use my previous experience (which remember wasn't the primary focus) as an entry to this field?

    I feel like I need to do something as I'm getting very disillusioned with the rejection emails/calls (if I even get that far), and it's not in me to want to sit on my ass like this long term (I've been lucky enough to always be working since I left college), so I want to get something before I do get into that mindset!

    Any opinions/suggestions greatfully appreciated and thanks for reading this far :)


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