Dead End Job - What to Do?

[Anthony Micallef]

Now I know the easy answer is just leave but as you know life isnt always that easy.

Im 37, I earn less than £25k per year and currently work for a large well know IT service company as a System Administrator. Now this role isnt that technical and cant really be called an SA role. Ive never really been that career minded and have just been at the level of a team member ever since my first ever job in 1990.

Now Im really bored and fed up especially as there is no chance of advancement or a significant salary increase. I have started doing an MCSA but I started that in July and havent got very far. Lack of motivation being the main problem.

I guess the main thing for me is do I persevere with the MCSA in the hope it leads to a better job or do I start looking now? Or thirdly look for a change in career which quite frankly at 37 I dont really want to do.

Anyone else been stuck in a rut? How did you get out of it?

[Pothole]

Face reality. You don't want a career change because it would involve too much work! It's ok, the whole world is just as lazy as you are, they just won't admit it. If you're at a dead end then change is what you must do.

Take some time (a couple hours should do it) with a good friend/collegue who knows you well and make a list of your skills and experience, being honest about what you can do and what you actually enjoy doing, then think about what they equip you for which would pay more and give you more satisfaction...then go for it.

[Anthony Micallef]

Its not necesseraly about being lazy which I admit I can be. Its about knowing what to do for the best.

I think deep down I know what I need to do and thats stop moaning get some studying done and my exams passed and then get looking for a job!

[Dupont666]

If you want the PH help, list the following:

Skills
Experience
What you want to do?
Current Location
Location you want to be

I know a few people in the area due to my little brother being a Hosting Administrator, so he knows lots of Geeks.

[Anthony Micallef]

Dupont666 said:

If you want the PH help, list the following:

Skills
Experience
What you want to do?
Current Location
Location you want to be

I know a few people in the area due to my little brother being a Hosting Administrator, so he knows lots of Geeks.

Experience :

Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP and Server 2000/2003
• Active Directory and IBM Secureway.
• Novadigm Radia software and Microsoft SMS
• Microsoft Office, TCP/IP, DNS, Networking, Cat5 cabling and hubs, Cisco routers and multiplexes, firewalls.
• First line, second line and hands on technical support specialist.
• Competent Installation and Field Service Engineer.

I would like to do a proper Sytem Admin role, one that is a bit more involved and varied to the one Im in now!

My current location is the North West, I work in Lytham but live near Burnley so anywhere around say Preston/Manchester area really.

[Pothole]

iGaming?

[Anthony Micallef]

Pothole said:

iGaming?

Whats that then?

[Dupont666]

Presume you have tried the sticking a CV on Jobsite and Monster and seeing who rings already?

[Soovy]

Anthony Micallef said:

Dupont666 said:

If you want the PH help, list the following:

Skills
Experience
What you want to do?
Current Location
Location you want to be

I know a few people in the area due to my little brother being a Hosting Administrator, so he knows lots of Geeks.

Experience :

Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP and Server 2000/2003
• Active Directory and IBM Secureway.
• Novadigm Radia software and Microsoft SMS
• Microsoft Office, TCP/IP, DNS, Networking, Cat5 cabling and hubs, Cisco routers and multiplexes, firewalls.
• First line, second line and hands on technical support specialist.
• Competent Installation and Field Service Engineer.

I would like to do a proper Sytem Admin role, one that is a bit more involved and varied to the one Im in now!

My current location is the North West, I work in Lytham but live near Burnley so anywhere around say Preston/Manchester area really.

I am from Lytham.

Call BAESystems HR department and ask them what's available.

[Anthony Micallef]

Dupont666 said:

Presume you have tried the sticking a CV on Jobsite and Monster and seeing who rings already?

Yep, Im with Monster, CWJobs and Jobserve. Had only one phonecall! This makes me think that my experience/skills are quite weak hence the studying.

[Dupont666]

Anthony Micallef said:

Dupont666 said:

Presume you have tried the sticking a CV on Jobsite and Monster and seeing who rings already?

Yep, Im with Monster, CWJobs and Jobserve. Had only one phonecall! This makes me think that my experience/skills are quite weak hence the studying.

Have to remember that not everyone will ring you, you need to also apply to jobs too... Im in an industry were they come to me, while it makes finding a job easier, its F$%^ing annoying when Im getting 5 calls a day for the same job.

Have you applied to any you like the look of?

[Anthony Micallef]

Yes Ive applied for a few with no response whatsoever.

[Munter]

Have you thought about doing the VMware VCP qualification? Although it's not quite as cool and "job winning" as it used to be I suspect, and the course is not cheap. But still a nice string to your bow.

[RizzoTheRat]

Don't bother with monster, it's rubbish. I reckon Jobsite, Jobserve and CV Linrary are about the best. Well worth spending some time on your CV as it's that which gets you the initial interest.

[Pothole]

Anthony Micallef said:

Pothole said:

iGaming?

Whats that then?

your name looks Maltese...it's all the rage in your home country if so.

Internet gaming/betting, being technology based and lead, has loads of techy and not so techy positions all through the various businesses which make up the industry. Major players are people like Betfair, Pokerstars, PartyPoker etc.

[Anthony Micallef]

Pothole said:

Anthony Micallef said:

Pothole said:

iGaming?

Whats that then?

your name looks Maltese...it's all the rage in your home country if so.

Internet gaming/betting, being technology based and lead, has loads of techy and not so techy positions all through the various businesses which make up the industry. Major players are people like Betfair, Pokerstars, PartyPoker etc.

Well spotted it is Maltese! Hmm a job in IT in the sun, now theres a thought.

[Munter]

Anthony Micallef said:

Well spotted it is Maltese! Hmm a job in IT in the sun, now theres a thought.

I wonder if Cruise ships have much call for IT staff...

[Arese]

Anthony Micallef said:

Pothole said:

Anthony Micallef said:

Pothole said:

iGaming?

Whats that then?

your name looks Maltese...it's all the rage in your home country if so.

Internet gaming/betting, being technology based and lead, has loads of techy and not so techy positions all through the various businesses which make up the industry. Major players are people like Betfair, Pokerstars, PartyPoker etc.

Well spotted it is Maltese! Hmm a job in IT in the sun, now theres a thought.

Surely you'd melt?

[Tallbut Buxomly]

Munter said:

Anthony Micallef said:

Well spotted it is Maltese! Hmm a job in IT in the sun, now theres a thought.

I wonder if Cruise ships have much call for IT staff...

Believe it or not in some capacity i expect the bigger ones do as there are huge quantities of computers within.

[zippy3x]

Anthony Micallef said:

Anyone else been stuck in a rut? How did you get out of it?

I write software, I've always enjoyed it since i was at school. I got into the industry and did ok. I got promoted to team leader and then onto project manager. Only problem was I didn't like managing people. So I slipped back to writing software and ended up after a couple of years thouroughly dejected. I ended up where it seems you are.

It's not really laziness, it's more of a why bother approach. You hit a glass ceiling, and if you do work hard you get promoted out of what you enjoy. It all got to a point where I was looking to avoid work and responsibility and I hated the job, and was looking to do something else.

I ended up contracting. It was a revalation to me. Firstly I obviously liked getting more money, but mainly because my first contract was a 3 month rolling contract. I had taken a bit of a leap of faith financially and would have been up a certain creek without a certain propulsion implement.

So I worked very hard, and guess what, I found out why I enjoyed the job for all those years. Now I really enjoy what I'm doing and get well paid for it.

You seem to have a clear goal in mind (sys admin). Thats a good start.

Write down all the steps you need to do to get there. DO THEM.