Career Dilemma

I'm going through the phase of 'not knowing what I want to do'.

I work in IT fixing Printers and PC's (any issues) and this is fun. I guess in hindsight from the beginning I had always wanted to be a website designer. On the side of my job I do website projects from time to time (my own or for a friend).

As IT is such a huge topic, I have delved into networking and got certified in cisco, I am also made on Apple and want to get an Apple certification. My problem is I like too much and to find a job where I am designing websites and doing something relating to an Apple Certification is very slim.

My question is, is it just me? Or do any of you here think of changing your IT career.

I keep thinking about going self employed working on websites but with my fiancee who's just started working for herself too we wouldn't have much money between us at this early stage to keep our rented house (if I did give up my job).

Aaagh, frustrations and vicious circles.

Were I to do it again, I'd get into something that couldn't be outsourced for half the cost. Cheap broadband killed IT job security. Get a CDL or learn a trade is my advice.

Frankly, IT services are the Janitorial services of the 21st century, and as stated above they can be outsourced to someone who is willing to do it cheaper whenever anyone wants. No offense intended.

IA would be my choice if I wanted to go into any of these fields.

Why are you guys saying this? My cousin just got a 90k$ salary job in Detroit and he's only 29 with a BS in IT from University of Michigan.... surely having a degree in IT would be better than going to trade school ??

Sento said:

Why are you guys saying this? My cousin just got a 90k$ salary job in Detroit and he's only 29 with a BS in IT from University of Michigan.... surely having a degree in IT would be better than going to trade school ??

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Getting an IT degree isn't bad...just that someone needs to be careful what position/career path within the IT industry you choose for life-long job satisfaction.

- Nick

I don't see how you could go wrong in the medical field they are tied to electronics so bad that they require constant maintenance and job security.

osxx said:

I don't see how you could go wrong in the medical field they are tied to electronics so bad that they require constant maintenance and job security.

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I saw going to suggest Medical Informatics, but that can be off-shored or H1B'ed too I'd imagine.

Let me first be frank by saying that you are not really working in IT. You are a technician working with technology..

This would be the same if you were fixing printers or something else..that isn't really working with IT..

The acronym IT (Information Technology) gets used to mean way too many things, and just because you work with technology, doesn't mean you work in IT..

Having said that, getting a BS in IT/IS/MIS or any of those makes your career a lot more solid than just a certification would..

EVERY company has needs for IT/IS and the push right now is for cloud based services and the IT that backs it all up. This includes a great deal of virtualization and storage on SAN (Storage Area Networks) and so on.

Getting good at these technologies means that you are employable in every part of the country regardless of the core business the company is in.

My wife works in IT and this are some of the things she works with and she can get a job VERY easily and good paying ones too..

You don't mention your education level thus far and that's very important, so let's start with that before we suggets that you go and become a farmer..

Sento said:

Why are you guys saying this? My cousin just got a 90k$ salary job in Detroit and he's only 29 with a BS in IT from University of Michigan.... surely having a degree in IT would be better than going to trade school ??

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$90K is a GREAT salary in Detroit, but lets be frank here. It's Detroit (this from a huge Red Wings fan even). There are plenty of other places where that kind of money is good but the better the area you live in, the less "GREAT" that salary becomes. "Better" and "good" when it comes to places to live is also highly subjective though and rest of Michigan is a pretty nice place. Forget coming to Cali if you're only making that kind of money, at least if you want to live in any of the major population centers that is.

Other thing to consider is upward growth potential. Does the job have a path upwards that will enhance his career and knowledge/skill level if he chooses to move someplace that's not Detroit? Is he planning on going back to school to further his career?

baggss said:

$90K is a GREAT salary in Detroit, but...

Forget coming to Cali if your only making that kind of money, at least if you want to live in any of the major population centers that is.

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I was thinking the same thing. Not too bad for Detroit...but NYC, LA, SF, Chicago...meh!

- Nick