Moving from I.T career

parthurs

I want to change career. I have been a break fix engineer for ten long years both in Ireland and the UK. I have done the usual exams, Microsoft, firewall, virtualisation. I am not a pure techie and knowing the throughput of the latest raid adapter does not excite me! I find the ad hoc environment that windows small business often operates in a tough one quite a bit of the time. I like structure and planning! Dealing with people is a core skill, sales or planning has been identified as a possible route.
My contract is ending soon and I don't want to move to another similar role. Sales jobs seem to want a few years experience.
With my I.T knowledge I would be of benefit to any company with an I.T infrastructure, I though this might be a bargaining tool to get my foot in the door.
I am not stuck on I.T sales but think it would seem a waste to jump completely out of I.T related work.
I am very interested to hear from any I.T engineers or similar who have made the move and their opinions.

Thanks in advance.
P

starlit

parthurs wrote: »

I want to change career. I have been a break fix engineer for ten long years both in Ireland and the UK. I have done the usual exams, Microsoft, firewall, virtualisation. I am not a pure techie and knowing the throughput of the latest raid adapter does not excite me! I find the ad hoc environment that windows small business often operates in a tough one quite a bit of the time. I like structure and planning! Dealing with people is a core skill, sales or planning has been identified as a possible route.
My contract is ending soon and I don't want to move to another similar role. Sales jobs seem to want a few years experience.
With my I.T knowledge I would be of benefit to any company with an I.T infrastructure, I though this might be a bargaining tool to get my foot in the door.
I am not stuck on I.T sales but think it would seem a waste to jump completely out of I.T related work.
I am very interested to hear from any I.T engineers or similar who have made the move and their opinions.

Thanks in advance.
P

Hey OP, have you thought about going into the area of Business Information Systems or IT Auditing, IT Service Management in terms of offering advice, going down the IT Consultancy route or business analyst route? Social Media/Digital Marketing might be another area to look into if you be interested its more marketing and business but with a bit if IT in it. It wouldn't be like going into programming/multimedia or website design/programming/development you might have a little bit of web programming/web content management, but anyway it be different from that point of view I think. There be a bit of sales but its more marketing and customer related type of area.

You wouldn't be interested in Databases or SQL or anything related to that even though you said you don't like adhoc? How about Project Management? Could be an area you could get into? Loads of options out of the fields I have mentioned that is related to IT but you wouldn't be totally out of IT but you be gearing a little away from it and focusing on Business areas mainly.

I am kind of stuck in the middle myself between all those areas! So don't know which route to go either go down one of those routes or just focus on IT by going the Technical support/Networking route but try and dabble in a bit of business/multimedia/BIS if I can at all possible as I come from a BIS Degree and Computer Science background too. So I am kind of in between stages in searching for a career even though I know what I like and what I am good at and what I'd like to do. Between work experience and qualifications I suppose I just have to keep updating my skills really so can't really help you regarding a change of career cause I am in the middle of between careers (business/IT) at the moment. Just thought I give you ideas what areas to look into if you be interested in any of them.

Good luck OP

krissovo

I am an ex "deskside" engineer, I moved into IT Service Management and from there to a Solution Architect for end user computing (service desk, deskside, visualization, software packaging etc).

I love the role, I am still technical without the need to maintain technical certifications and I bridge between the delivery and sales teams so its diverse.

As stated project management is an alternative or even team management which may be the easier route.

Sleepy

How about Technical Pre-Sales?

It's what I do myself at the moment, requires a good technical background but gives an outlet for the out-going side of your personality that likes dealing with people?

_Kaiser_

In something of the same mindset as the OP myself...

Worked in Support the last 14 years or so.. started on the phones and worked up through level 2, to deskside and finally running my own IT department for a public sector body.

Ahh life was good - not that I had the "job for life", "gold-plated pension" or "inflated salary" - but I was able to build it up from practically nothing to a point where other similar bodies were using us as a model for their own IT infrastructures.... then I got made redundant when they couldn't renew my contract, and spent a year of hell on the dole searching for something else

Which I got (Sys Admin role).. but it's a contract role (that's nearly up), is a step-back career wise and the money (and commuting) isn't great. There's other reasons too but I could be here all day if I start into those!

Anyway, I've been thinking of a move too but my problem is that while I have a wealth of Windows/Server admin stuff, things like procurement/tendering, helpdesk and project management, team leading etc - I was so busy working over the last 5/6 years that I never got around to getting all the associated qualifications that are now demanded by employers... and when I was out of work I had enough trouble getting through each week, nevermind finding money for courses and what not (FAS were - unsuprisingly - no help there!)

I've also found that as I'm getting older (mid 30s), I'm up against younger people (now I feel old!!) who HAVE all those qualifications and some experience and the ability to work for (significantly) less money that I was/am making (ie: living at home/sharing, no debts etc). Plus much like the OP, as I've gotten older I guess my "inner nerd" has died a little and I'm not as obsessed with the technical side as I once was.. I actually found myself really enjoying the "bigger picture" side of things in my last role!

That Service Management/Solution Architect angle that Krissovo mentioned intrigues me though... what kind of background/requirements would you need and what's the salary etc like (as while not the main thing I look for - I do have bills to pay too)

krissovo

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

That Service Management/Solution Architect angle that Krissovo mentioned intrigues me though... what kind of background/requirements would you need and what's the salary etc like (as while not the main thing I look for - I do have bills to pay too)

I moved into Service Management at 32 once I completed the ITIL Service Management qualification. ITIL and experience of delivering the service were the main criteria and the salary band was between €40k - €60k. I had a year as a Service Account Manager then with gave me commercial experience of pricing up services and then moved into IT Solution architecture with delivery, service and commercial experience. I dont really want to give away the salaries too much but €60-€100k is the range I know of plus a variable salary of 25% of salary plus a 1% bonus of new contract values capped at €60k. I am moving into a Solution Manager role soon and they will manage multiple architects so salary of course increases.

Only down side is that I only spend around 100 days at home a year with the rest traveling.