Am I mad?

youjammydodger

Hi guys

Wondering what your thoughts would be on my current situation.

I have been working in my current job for over 6 years. I havent got a payrise in 5 years and we are not paid that well anyway (sub 30k per annum). None others at my level have received payrises either. There is zero room for career progression in the company. Ive been pretty fed up with the situation for a long time now and really feel I need to get out of there as it seems like a complete dead end. I dont want to move to the same job in a different company as it would probably be the same there.

I have been considering giving up work and doing an ICT Conversion Springboard course in September for a year in order to re-skill and find a better career path with some actual definable progression. However, the thought of giving up a job to go to college is pretty scary, ill be honest. I have been saving a bit over the last few months so i would have some money just about to support myself and might have to take out a small loan to help. The course fees would be free.

Do you think im mad? It feels like I might be doing something stupid but i honestly think im wasting time in the current job and need out. My preference would be a part time course and keep up the job but there is nothing suitable in my area so it might have to be full time college or nothing.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Stheno

What are of IT do you think you would like to work in, and why would you like to work in IT?

Snake

IT in General is a dead end job in fairness... You'd pretty much sit in an office all day waiting on a call from someone upstairs because their computer stopped working...

Stheno

GrayFox208 wrote: »

IT in General is a dead end job in fairness... You'd pretty much sit in an office all day waiting on a call from someone upstairs because their computer stopped working...

That's a fairly sweeping statement tbh!

youjammydodger

Stheno wrote: »

What are of IT do you think you would like to work in, and why would you like to work in IT?

Not 100% yet about whether to go the tech support route or programming. Pretty important decision to make i know. My current job has a support element so i have a fair idea what i would be getting into there. Programming-wise i have some limited experience with it from a module or 2 in college a while back and some online stuff ive done more recently, so i would have an idea of it.

I am considering IT for a few reasons. Its somewhat related to what im currently doing and so wouldnt be as big a leap as say becoming a vet. The job market *seems* pretty good at the moment for IT. It interests me (although to say it would be my lifes passion wouldnt be true). Getting to a stage in life where i really need to lock down a proper career and it seems like a decent option.

OP I gave up a job last year that I didn't enjoy to return to college, I was earning considerably more than you are now (don't mean this to sound arrogant or whatever, apologies if it does, just for context), and I regret absolutely nothing.

If you can save up a bit of money to take you through the course and you've identified something you'd really like to study and work in I'd say go for it.

Snake

Stheno wrote: »

That's a fairly sweeping statement tbh!

If you do a years course in fairness I can't imagine getting a life changing job in IT

Stheno

youjammydodger wrote: »

Not 100% yet about whether to go the tech support route or programming. Pretty important decision to make i know. My current job has a support element so i have a fair idea what i would be getting into there. Programming-wise i have some limited experience with it from a module or 2 in college a while back and some online stuff ive done more recently, so i would have an idea of it.

I am considering IT for a few reasons. Its somewhat related to what im currently doing and so wouldnt be as big a leap as say becoming a vet. The job market *seems* pretty good at the moment for IT. It interests me (although to say it would be my lifes passion wouldnt be true). Getting to a stage in life where i really need to lock down a proper career and it seems like a decent option.

The job market at the lower end of IT experience is fairly tough tbh, it's the usual "experience required" but people with no experience struggle to get in

GrayFox208 wrote: »

If you do a years course in fairness I can't imagine getting a life changing job in IT

True, but there is a fairly varied amount of specialities in overall IT

youjammydodger

Iker Important Zeal wrote: »

OP I gave up a job last year that I didn't enjoy to return to college, I was earning considerably more than you are now (don't mean this to sound arrogant or whatever, apologies if it does, just for context), and I regret absolutely nothing.

If you can save up a bit of money to take you through the course and you've identified something you'd really like to study and work in I'd say go for it.

Good to hear its worked out for you and no offence taken at all! Must have been a lot harder giving up a job with better pay tbf. Ive saved up a bit but could do with a bit more tbh as it may be a bit of a struggle (dont have kids or anything, would just be supporting myself). I could always wait another year until the following september and have more saved but thats another year down the drain then.

Did you go back to do a full degree or a postgrad/h.dip?

youjammydodger

youjammydodger wrote: »

Good to hear its worked out for you and no offence taken at all! Must have been a lot harder giving up a job with better pay tbf. Ive saved up a bit but could do with a bit more tbh as it may be a bit of a struggle (dont have kids or anything, would just be supporting myself). I could always wait another year until the following september and have more saved but thats another year down the drain then.

Did you go back to do a full degree or a postgrad/h.dip?

It was an MSc, which completely changed the direction of my career. I went back into work on far less money than I was on before but tbh money isn't everything, I was on my way to becoming miserable in the other job, and I think I've opened up some really good career options. There were a few scary moments during the year where I thought "what the hell have I done here!?" when a PFO arrived in the inbox but thankfully it worked out.

youjammydodger

GrayFox208 wrote: »

If you do a years course in fairness I can't imagine getting a life changing job in IT

Sweeping generalisations aside, dont get me wrong, i dont expect to do a years course and then waltz into a better paid job than im in now. Id be hoping to get the skills from the course to get an entry level position in the industry and then at least it would have more room for progression than what im in now.

House of Blaze

While IT has the potential to be a great career choice, I wouldn't count on your chances after doing a one year conversion course.

I decided to do a computer science degree in 2009 in order to be able to get into IT as the prevailing wisdom is / was that this is where the jobs will be in future etc.

However the reality of the Irish jobs market (at least at the moment) is such that you will more than likely struggle a great deal to find work.

I graduated in June last year and have not been able to get into the industry despite applying to everything even remotely suitable in the area.

Employers just simply don't want to expend the resources on having to train people in to do IT work. Sure, they will pay top dollar for experienced candidates, but if you are just starting out there doesn't seem to be any hope.

It's a ridiculous paradox forcing skilled IT graduates to emigrate or work for free in internships for a couple of years before they would even get a look in at an entry level position.

Even one of the people who helped create boards mentioned in in his discussion of his new business venture. He was explaining why a team of Swedish developers were brought in to work in his latest project, and when asked why he said that Irish graduates just aren't highly skilled enough to be worth it.

Having said all that though, I still believe that learning to program was one of the best decisions I've ever made, even if it hasn't necessarily borne fruit yet.

The ability to translate your thoughts and ideas into working products and systems is still a great thing to be able to do, and is immensely satisfying from an intellectual perspective.

To be honest, a lot of the difficulties are a direct result of broader economic issues at play in the Irish labour market, and are not necessarily such a huge factor in the likes of the UK for example.

tl;dr Great career (but don't expect a career in Ireland anytime soon!)

moc moc a moc

GrayFox208 wrote: »

IT in General is a dead end job in fairness... You'd pretty much sit in an office all day waiting on a call from someone upstairs because their computer stopped working...

You clearly have no understanding of the scope and scale of the IT industry.

Maximus Alexander

GrayFox208 wrote: »

If you do a years course in fairness I can't imagine getting a life changing job in IT

Your imagination isn't even up to the glittering standards of reality then. There are wide and varied disciplines under the IT umbrella, some of which pay extremely well. It's not a given, but experience is highly valued and if you get your foot in the door at the right company and work hard, the opportunity is certainly there to work your way into an excellent career.

Mrs OBumble

OP, fwiw, I don't think you should spend your money doing a course that you sound at best half-hearted about: there's no way that you'll convince an employer that you have the passion or aptitude to make you worth hiring if they look at your CV and see that you've spent six years sitting in a dead-end job (and done no projects on the side) and done a one-year course.

Maybe I'm being over harsh, but it this line really says a lot to me:

"Ive been pretty fed up with the situation for a long time now and really feel I need to get out of there as it seems like a complete dead end. I dont want to move to the same job in a different company as it would probably be the same there."

The sub-text I'm reading is:

I've been pretty fed up with the situation for a long time now ... but it's taken me YEARS to even think about doing something else

really feel I need to get out of there as it seems like a complete dead end. .. but I haven't done anything about it.

I dont want to move to the same job in a different company as it would probably be the same there ... 'cos sure, all companies are the same. No one's ever going to train or promote me. I'm just useless.


Unless you really know what you want to do, then I would suggest looking for a job in another company. And then look for opportunities there. Virtually all companies have them. But you have to have a positive can-do mindset and find them, not talk yourself into a corner.

Also, look at what you're doing in your spare time: work on some side projects, contribute to community groups, do some volunteer work - anything that gives you and opportunity to grow networks and skills that will help you get a better job.

Snake

It sounds like you plan to do the course and walk straight into a new job.. You have to think it could take weeks months or longer to actually get a job.. It's a big decision to make, if you were going to do it id personally wait till the job market was back up to scratch

youjammydodger

Thanks for the replies so far guys, much appreciated. Definite food for thought.

@Mrs O'Bumble You're dead right about having a more positive attitude. There is a whiff of negativity off my first post. Need to work on that for sure.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

OP, fwiw, I don't think you should spend your money doing a course that you sound at best half-hearted about: there's no way that you'll convince an employer that you have the passion or aptitude to make you worth hiring if they look at your CV and see that you've spent six years sitting in a dead-end job (and done no projects on the side) and done a one-year course.

Id love to tell you that my dream is to do X and i have always wanted to be X but to be honest, thats not the case. Unfortunately i am not one of the lucky people who know exactly what they want to do in life or have a serious passion which I want to make into a career (i would love to be that person). So what does someone do in my situation? I would think they have to make an educated assessment of the situation and then make an attempt to pick something and put all their efforts into making that their career. Doesnt sound very glamorous or cool really. I know many people who work in IT with good jobs and most certainly do not love what they do, have a deep passion for it or anything like that. Its just what they do.

Maybe I'm being over harsh, but it this line really says a lot to me:


The sub-text I'm reading is:

I've been pretty fed up with the situation for a long time now ... but it's taken me YEARS to even think about doing something else

really feel I need to get out of there as it seems like a complete dead end. .. but I haven't done anything about it.

Fair points there. You're spot on. I dont have anyone to blame but myself for not changing my situation sooner. I fully accept that.

I dont want to move to the same job in a different company as it would probably be the same there ... 'cos sure, all companies are the same. No one's ever going to train or promote me. I'm just useless.

Not really what i meant. In fairness, I have spoken to other people who work in the same role as me in other companies (in what is a relatively niche industry in Ireland) and from what i can tell, it wouldnt be worth changing to one of those companies even if I could. Some of the companies have also laid off staff in the last couple of years so I would say it wouldnt be a good move.

Also, look at what you're doing in your spare time: work on some side projects, contribute to community groups, do some volunteer work - anything that gives you and opportunity to grow networks and skills that will help you get a better job.

Sorry, I should have mentioned in the original post that in the last 2 years (with moving jobs in mind), i have completed an IT certification course and am currently doing a programming course online and have intentions to continue with other certifications so i believe that that might show an employer that i havent been totally coasting the last few years and have shown an interest in bettering myself. Fair enough though, i will accept that i could probably have done more with my time and I may now consider taking on a side project or 2 to beef up the cv and gain more skills.

Stheno

youjammydodger wrote: »

Thanks for the replies so far guys, much appreciated. Definite food for thought.

Id love to tell you that my dream is to do X and i have always wanted to be X but to be honest, thats not the case. Unfortunately i am not one of the lucky people who know exactly what they want to do in life or have a serious passion which I want to make into a career (i would love to be that person).

I work in IT and have to say I love what I do, and for the most part have enjoyed almost all of the jobs I have had in IT, and it does make a difference, IT can be a long hard grind, and I cannot count the amount of people I know who started out and then dropped out of the area as they didn't enjoy it.

So what does someone do in my situation? I would think they have to make an educated assessment of the situation and then make an attempt to pick something and put all their efforts into making that their career. Doesnt sound very glamorous or cool really. I know many people who work in IT with good jobs and most certainly do not love what they do, have a deep passion for it or anything like that. Its just what they do.

Go see a career counsellor, see if they can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and map those to different careers, a good one will be surprisingly accurate

Sorry, I should have mentioned in the original post that in the last 2 years (with moving jobs in mind), i have completed an IT certification course and am currently doing a programming course online and have intentions to continue with other certifications so i believe that that might show an employer that i havent been totally coasting the last few years and have shown an interest in bettering myself. Fair enough though, i will accept that i could probably have done more with my time and I may now consider taking on a side project or 2 to beef up the cv and gain more skills.

If you are intent on getting into IT, staying in it, and building a career in it, you will never stop studying, it's one thing to consider, especially in the early years, or if you have specialist certifications, there is a constant need to upskill in new technologies or methodologies and keep certifications current.

Mrs OBumble

youjammydodger wrote: »

Sorry, I should have mentioned in the original post that in the last 2 years (with moving jobs in mind), i have completed an IT certification course and am currently doing a programming course online and have intentions to continue with other certifications so i believe that that might show an employer that i havent been totally coasting the last few years and have shown an interest in bettering myself. Fair enough though, i will accept that i could probably have done more with my time and I may now consider taking on a side project or 2 to beef up the cv and gain more skills.

I'm delighted to hear it - and it makes the idea of your doing an IT conversion course sound a LOT more realistic.

Something else to think about is your communications. Getting a job, or advice about courses, is about presenting yourself, and you left out some really key information there.#

I still think you coould consider looking sideways too - eg other jobs that perhaps use some of your current skills but in a different industry. But don't abandon the idea of doing some study and getting into different areas altogether, either.

professore

I can't imagine working in IT if you don't enjoy it. It's a bit like archaeology - would you really want to spend a few months scrubbing dirt off a bit of pottery with a toothbrush if you didn't love it?