jacking in an IT career...
Discussion
And another. 30 years in IT Support roles but it was grinding me down spending all day in anticipation of systems going wrong without warning, managers dropped things on me from a great height with no advance notice, and users expecting me to drop everything for their own dramas. Basically everyone is bringing a problem to drag you away from the unseen back-office work that keep's the whole show running smoothly. And that was with a well-organised global enterprise.
Add the explosion of new software, one built on top of the other and expected to run smootly 24/7, and the fact that I'm not a nerd who gets a kick from playing with IT equipment outside work, I did my time and got out.
It's a thankless role now with companies seeing IT as a cost. Recruitment adverts seek the skills of an entire team of people in a single person for little more than a postperson salary.
It paid well enough in those years that I now work in a DIY store and love it. I'm happy to leave 'Tech' to the kids.
Add the explosion of new software, one built on top of the other and expected to run smootly 24/7, and the fact that I'm not a nerd who gets a kick from playing with IT equipment outside work, I did my time and got out.
It's a thankless role now with companies seeing IT as a cost. Recruitment adverts seek the skills of an entire team of people in a single person for little more than a postperson salary.
It paid well enough in those years that I now work in a DIY store and love it. I'm happy to leave 'Tech' to the kids.
Like has been said above, IT is relentless sometimes overwhelming, senior roles are primarily fixing stuff, stoping stuff going wrong, arguing with finance, HR, and more and more today about trying to keep things safe from cybercriminals.
However, it can pay well.
4 more years until the mortgage is paid off, kids finish at uni, and my pension/savings hit a meaningful level, at that point I'm out (52 years old), just need to find something useful (interesting) to do for the following 15 years.
However, it can pay well.
4 more years until the mortgage is paid off, kids finish at uni, and my pension/savings hit a meaningful level, at that point I'm out (52 years old), just need to find something useful (interesting) to do for the following 15 years.
Blown2CV said:
i've been in IT 20 years next year. I've done well, starting out coding, through consultancy, architecture and now I am a technical director for a fintech. I earn good money, but I think I am growing to hate it. I thought 'it' was my previous job, which was a director-level role in a big consultancy, so i made a massive change (for my branch of IT at least) and went for a different type of company, more young and dynamic, fewer hours, more money (quite a lot more) etc. I thought that would fix everything, and 6 months in I am worried that I am starting to hate this job too... and if i am starting to hate it, then maybe it is the whole industry. I don't really feel that passionate about it. I am not a lifestyle nerd or a gamer. I don't build apps in my spare time. I am starting to feel really f
king old, and I am only 43. I feel myself getting irritated and frustrated with people not being able to do their jobs properly. I feel sick of clients giving me grief. I feel like my "oh just fk OFF" moment is looming.
I've come across a few people over the years who've jacked in a successful career in IT to go do something else. I've always wondered what it is about IT that makes people do that... maybe now I know.
Anyone else have a similar experience? Where did you go to, what did you do?
Quit. Just Quit. king old, and I am only 43. I feel myself getting irritated and frustrated with people not being able to do their jobs properly. I feel sick of clients giving me grief. I feel like my "oh just fk OFF" moment is looming. I've come across a few people over the years who've jacked in a successful career in IT to go do something else. I've always wondered what it is about IT that makes people do that... maybe now I know.
Anyone else have a similar experience? Where did you go to, what did you do?
It's not easy.
You might have wasted x amount of years in a job you don't like/love because you thought it gave you money or a good title etc. Don't waste the next x amount of years of your life for the same reason.
rustyuk said:
Role is fully remote for life...
In my previous IT role I worked for over a year remotely (2020-2021 like many). Initially I enjoyed it. However after a year I felt fed up staring at the four walls of my home office, and a hectic work schedule curtailed even lunchtime walks.Im future if I was working full time remotely I would have to ensure I had enough break/lunch/free time to actually get out of the house for an hour or so every day. I would even consider working a few days a week in some shared office space, or in a friends office space.
Edit to add - seeing tossers from work on Zoom doesn't count as worthwhile social interaction
I agree about the WFH comment here. I have worked from home as required over the years but not full time for an extended period until Covid. At first it was fine but now I miss the office, miss getting up and actually going to work and want the areas of my house I use for work to go back to being my personal space and not my workspace
With regard to getting out of IT, due to redundancy I spent a couple of years out of IT and loved the job but struggled with the money it paid. That ended ten years ago and I am now looking out for something out of IT. Driving appeals (I have lots of licenses) but the hours and money aren’t good. Buying a ready made business of some sort appeals too but would probably end up securing investment on my house which is a route I don’t really want to go down.
I have instead been looking at what transferable skills I have and what I can do with those. I don’t have an answer yet but plan to ready for when the world has settled down again post-Covid
With regard to getting out of IT, due to redundancy I spent a couple of years out of IT and loved the job but struggled with the money it paid. That ended ten years ago and I am now looking out for something out of IT. Driving appeals (I have lots of licenses) but the hours and money aren’t good. Buying a ready made business of some sort appeals too but would probably end up securing investment on my house which is a route I don’t really want to go down.
I have instead been looking at what transferable skills I have and what I can do with those. I don’t have an answer yet but plan to ready for when the world has settled down again post-Covid
DWDarkWheels said:
It's a thankless role now with companies seeing IT as a cost. Recruitment adverts seek the skills of an entire team of people in a single person for little more than a postperson salary.
"Full Stack Developer" - probably the biggest con of them all. Jack of all trades master of none.DWDarkWheels said:
Basically everyone is bringing a problem to drag you away from the unseen back-office work that keep's the whole show running smoothly.
So true…And, it’s only when it goes tits up that there is any realisation that there was other stuff that should have been done - and even that gets forgotten very quickly because “why haven’t you fixed that yet?”
Edited by Jaguar99 on Thursday 17th June 22:04
Abdul Abulbul Amir said:
I'm an accountant and I think the same feeling applies to most people in office based roles once they get to the same stage in life.
Mid 40's and after 20 odd years of doing the same thing with no lasting legacy to show for it. I'd like to go it alone and build a business for myself.
And that there is the nail on the head. Mid 40's and after 20 odd years of doing the same thing with no lasting legacy to show for it. I'd like to go it alone and build a business for myself.
Only 20 years in IT here and I’ve just quit my job and moved to the country. Wife has managed to transfer regions with her employer and we’ve completely changed our lifestyle.
Life’s too short I say.
TL;DR - Yes, after many years, I left IT. I’m relatively happy but should never have gone into IT in the first place.
With no burning desire to pursue any particular career, I fell into a junior IT role after university. It was meant to be a stop-gap while I pondered what I actually wanted to do. I never did find an answer, so for 20-odd years I stuck with IT.
Initially, it was vaguely enjoyable - working in a variety of places with some good people and a reasonable salary. There were many successful and worthwhile projects too. But without any interest in the work - nor any innate ability - each project was a draining experience. I invested an awful lot of time in learning things I had no desire to know.
Looking back, I’d say I was mostly motivated by the fear of being outed as a fraud. As this ‘career’ progressed, responsibilities mounted and the consequences of failure grew. Not just at work but outside too. Houses, bills, marriage, children - the spinning plates multiplied.
As is often the way, I’d sleepwalked so far down this path that it felt too late to change course. From a financial perspective, starting over in a different industry simply wasn’t viable. So I just kept going.
Eventually, the wheels came off a project. People were stressed to breaking point, myself included. Once the plug was pulled on it, I swore I’d never get myself into a situation like that again. I found the least taxing internal role I could and did it from home for a few years, focusing on family for once rather than work. Money continued to arrive each month and I grew complacent, convincing myself things were fine.
Eventually though, it was made clear that my time under the radar was at an end and I’d be expected to take another front line role. Immediately, all the memories of the last one returned. I couldn’t sleep and was physically sick at the thought of going back to all that.
I deliberately down-played my suitability for the role I was being lined up for and, out of options, took a redundancy package. I had little idea what to do next but I knew it would never be IT again. The relief was unreal.
There’s no fairy tale ending. I didn’t have a career epiphany and find a rewarding, worthwhile and fabulously well-paid job. My last IT role involved very little in the way of IT - to the point where the experience got me an interview for a completely unrelated industry. The money’s decent, though the hours are long. I don’t mind it though. Nobody expects me to have all the answers, the work is varied, and I feel comfortable doing it.
With no burning desire to pursue any particular career, I fell into a junior IT role after university. It was meant to be a stop-gap while I pondered what I actually wanted to do. I never did find an answer, so for 20-odd years I stuck with IT.
Initially, it was vaguely enjoyable - working in a variety of places with some good people and a reasonable salary. There were many successful and worthwhile projects too. But without any interest in the work - nor any innate ability - each project was a draining experience. I invested an awful lot of time in learning things I had no desire to know.
Looking back, I’d say I was mostly motivated by the fear of being outed as a fraud. As this ‘career’ progressed, responsibilities mounted and the consequences of failure grew. Not just at work but outside too. Houses, bills, marriage, children - the spinning plates multiplied.
As is often the way, I’d sleepwalked so far down this path that it felt too late to change course. From a financial perspective, starting over in a different industry simply wasn’t viable. So I just kept going.
Eventually, the wheels came off a project. People were stressed to breaking point, myself included. Once the plug was pulled on it, I swore I’d never get myself into a situation like that again. I found the least taxing internal role I could and did it from home for a few years, focusing on family for once rather than work. Money continued to arrive each month and I grew complacent, convincing myself things were fine.
Eventually though, it was made clear that my time under the radar was at an end and I’d be expected to take another front line role. Immediately, all the memories of the last one returned. I couldn’t sleep and was physically sick at the thought of going back to all that.
I deliberately down-played my suitability for the role I was being lined up for and, out of options, took a redundancy package. I had little idea what to do next but I knew it would never be IT again. The relief was unreal.
There’s no fairy tale ending. I didn’t have a career epiphany and find a rewarding, worthwhile and fabulously well-paid job. My last IT role involved very little in the way of IT - to the point where the experience got me an interview for a completely unrelated industry. The money’s decent, though the hours are long. I don’t mind it though. Nobody expects me to have all the answers, the work is varied, and I feel comfortable doing it.
Edited by Risotto on Friday 18th June 00:42
I think many of the complaints above are more about poor career choice, rather than IT specific issues.
If you chase the big money in any industry, it either comes with stress and being so far from the coal face that you can feel detached, or it is as a contractor who by definition is disposable and not really part of the company.
There's a vast number of small companies where you can be part of a team producing a product to be proud of. My gut feeling is that 3 is the magic number. More than this in a team and your output doesn't really feel like your own. You can be a senior technical person without being promoted up the corporate ladder.
The key question is whether it's truly IT (or any other industry) that is the problem, or is it just the type of company and your position within it.
If you chase the big money in any industry, it either comes with stress and being so far from the coal face that you can feel detached, or it is as a contractor who by definition is disposable and not really part of the company.
There's a vast number of small companies where you can be part of a team producing a product to be proud of. My gut feeling is that 3 is the magic number. More than this in a team and your output doesn't really feel like your own. You can be a senior technical person without being promoted up the corporate ladder.
The key question is whether it's truly IT (or any other industry) that is the problem, or is it just the type of company and your position within it.
Same. I've not been doing this as long as others here (12 years), but the amount of time I sit staring out of the window thinking "there has to be more to life than this" is getting longer and longer.
I'm still a coder (although I'd say just an average one). I do really enjoy programming, but as an "expert" in the crappy app I cover I end up being given so many unsolvable issues (we have a support desk but they aren't trained in the app) and the details that you are given by the customer are virtually impossible to diagnose remotely. It's very soul destroying sometimes.
I have two backup plans. The first is that the wife earns more than me and we could just about live on her salary. The second is that we are building up a business involving alpaca walks and breeding. I think at some point that'll be big enough to support one of us full time, although I'm not sure that's the job for me either!
Either that, or I'll get lucky with some cryptocurrency I hold, will buy a farm and spend all of my time moving between different hobbies that I get bored of
I'm still a coder (although I'd say just an average one). I do really enjoy programming, but as an "expert" in the crappy app I cover I end up being given so many unsolvable issues (we have a support desk but they aren't trained in the app) and the details that you are given by the customer are virtually impossible to diagnose remotely. It's very soul destroying sometimes.
I have two backup plans. The first is that the wife earns more than me and we could just about live on her salary. The second is that we are building up a business involving alpaca walks and breeding. I think at some point that'll be big enough to support one of us full time, although I'm not sure that's the job for me either!
Either that, or I'll get lucky with some cryptocurrency I hold, will buy a farm and spend all of my time moving between different hobbies that I get bored of
not sure what to say actually here... i figured there may be a couple of people in agreement but it's 2 pages worth already! Is it a good thing or a bad thing... at least i'm not alone! I guess the only real option is to start my own business - and then it just comes down to, in what. I am pretty disinterested in starting a new career as such - just feels too daunting and too much of a salary drop etc. My wife is currently changing career right now, and will spend 3 years from next Sept back at University before she even hits entry level... this is her 2nd career change. There is a part of me that feels it would be nice to not be the breadwinner and to be able to just pretty much do what i like with my career, but here we are. That's another topic.
Blown2CV said:
not sure what to say actually here... i figured there may be a couple of people in agreement but it's 2 pages worth already! Is it a good thing or a bad thing... at least i'm not alone! I guess the only real option is to start my own business - and then it just comes down to, in what. I am pretty disinterested in starting a new career as such - just feels too daunting and too much of a salary drop etc. My wife is currently changing career right now, and will spend 3 years from next Sept back at University before she even hits entry level... this is her 2nd career change. There is a part of me that feels it would be nice to not be the breadwinner and to be able to just pretty much do what i like with my career, but here we are. That's another topic.
I suppose you and your wife demonstrate the different approaches to the dilemma of what to do when you become dissatisfied at work. You seem to have accepted that IT isn't a perfect fit but are at the point where the salary/expertise can't be chucked away lightly.
Your wife, perhaps, prefers to get out of unfulfilling roles earlier. While that avoids the trap of becoming stuck doing something she grows to hate, I guess there's a risk she might become disillusioned searching for the perfect career. No offence to your wife though - two career changes is hardly Mr. Benn-level indecision!
Edited by Risotto on Friday 18th June 12:13
Risotto said:
Blown2CV said:
not sure what to say actually here... i figured there may be a couple of people in agreement but it's 2 pages worth already! Is it a good thing or a bad thing... at least i'm not alone! I guess the only real option is to start my own business - and then it just comes down to, in what. I am pretty disinterested in starting a new career as such - just feels too daunting and too much of a salary drop etc. My wife is currently changing career right now, and will spend 3 years from next Sept back at University before she even hits entry level... this is her 2nd career change. There is a part of me that feels it would be nice to not be the breadwinner and to be able to just pretty much do what i like with my career, but here we are. That's another topic.
I suppose you and your wife demonstrate the different approaches to the dilemma of what to do when you become dissatisfied at work. You seem to have accepted that IT isn't a perfect fit but are at the point where the salary/expertise can't be chucked away lightly.
Your wife, perhaps, prefers to get out of unfulfilling roles earlier. While that avoids the trap of becoming trapped doing something she hates, I guess there's a risk she might become disillusioned searching for the perfect career. No offence to your wife though - two career changes is hardly Mr. Benn-level indecision!
Edited by Risotto on Friday 18th June 12:12
Blown2CV said:
I don't really feel that passionate about it. I am not a lifestyle nerd or a gamer. I don't build apps in my spare time.
Let's face it, whether it's not the industry but what you're doing in the industry. "IT" is such a broad term - you could be doing project management with databases, being paid to play games, putting network cables in ceiling cavities or commentating on an "esport" event. As it happens, you're at the boring end of the scale and doing stuff that people only really do because (1) they're good at it (2) it pays well, hence you've hit that point in your life where you don't give a fk about it. And let's face it, it's also no more interesting or exciting than marketing or putting in a sink on a new build. It is also not matching your values - it's just a job, making more money for shareholders.So your next step is to figure out what you do fancy, put together enough savings, and perhaps do something more worthwhile to you or society.
Unless you can convince yourself that what you're doing in a very roundabout way does help society (yes, yes, financial services... liquidity... money for businesses to grow... does it really make you feel good?).
PS I worked in IT (web consultancy) until just after the dotcom bubble popped and was already thinking it was a bit boring. Paid for the cars and house I guess. Wasn't enough.
Olivera said:
rustyuk said:
Role is fully remote for life...
In my previous IT role I worked for over a year remotely (2020-2021 like many). Initially I enjoyed it. However after a year I felt fed up staring at the four walls of my home office, and a hectic work schedule curtailed even lunchtime walks.Im future if I was working full time remotely I would have to ensure I had enough break/lunch/free time to actually get out of the house for an hour or so every day. I would even consider working a few days a week in some shared office space, or in a friends office space.
Edit to add - seeing tossers from work on Zoom doesn't count as worthwhile social interaction
At lunch I sometimes walk into town and grab a coffee and sit in the sunshine. Take the dog for an extended walk etc etc. There is no need to sit in a bedroom for 8 hours.
Only downside at the moment is I get to see all the holiday makers blocking my drive during the day!
This is like a support group for over 40 IT professionals. I love it!
I'm 47 at the end of the month and have worked in IT all my adult life. Left school, did IT at college then uni then into my career. I started out as a developer and was pretty successful at it for many years. I was the go to person for any and all IT production issues and in house software developments. I had a sense of purpose, was appreciated and created software which was used and gave value.
Fast forward and a few promotions later and I ended up being the IT Manager. That was a horrendous job. 9 sites to look after, several staff to manage and it was all about reports, spreadsheets and being at the beck and call for any and all incidents day or night. My boss was also incredibly unsupported which caused a lot of stress. It deskilled me to the point where I wouldn't get a job as a developer anymore. Why pay me who twice the salary for less current knowledge than people half my age? I wouldn't employ me. There's no way I'd ever go back to management again. Seriously for all who do that, I salute you.
I'm lucky in one way that I'm an IT Consultant now. I'm not as busy as I was and have little responsibility anymore but I get more salary and twice the bonus. I'm European based now so work from home full time and travel a lot (or I did pre Covid) It's literally the only reasons I'm still here.
I've no interest in IT at all. I'm not a Nerd and apart from a few call of duty social nights with friends, I don't read up or get involved with IT outside work.
I'm not qualified to do anything else and I'm not a risk taker so I know I'm not going to give it up and do something else anytime soon. I'm not good enough or serious enough about any of my interests or hobbies that I could make a career out of them. I couldn't make half my salary doing anything else.
My only hope is that I have managed to squirrel away 6 figures in savings and bonds and I've upped my salary sacrifice pension contributions and will continue to do so with each pay rise. I want to retire at 60 but the plan at the minute is to work until 55 if I can stand the grind and then do something part time or less skilled for 5 years. I'd rather deliver parcels than this.
I'm 47 at the end of the month and have worked in IT all my adult life. Left school, did IT at college then uni then into my career. I started out as a developer and was pretty successful at it for many years. I was the go to person for any and all IT production issues and in house software developments. I had a sense of purpose, was appreciated and created software which was used and gave value.
Fast forward and a few promotions later and I ended up being the IT Manager. That was a horrendous job. 9 sites to look after, several staff to manage and it was all about reports, spreadsheets and being at the beck and call for any and all incidents day or night. My boss was also incredibly unsupported which caused a lot of stress. It deskilled me to the point where I wouldn't get a job as a developer anymore. Why pay me who twice the salary for less current knowledge than people half my age? I wouldn't employ me. There's no way I'd ever go back to management again. Seriously for all who do that, I salute you.
I'm lucky in one way that I'm an IT Consultant now. I'm not as busy as I was and have little responsibility anymore but I get more salary and twice the bonus. I'm European based now so work from home full time and travel a lot (or I did pre Covid) It's literally the only reasons I'm still here.
I've no interest in IT at all. I'm not a Nerd and apart from a few call of duty social nights with friends, I don't read up or get involved with IT outside work.
I'm not qualified to do anything else and I'm not a risk taker so I know I'm not going to give it up and do something else anytime soon. I'm not good enough or serious enough about any of my interests or hobbies that I could make a career out of them. I couldn't make half my salary doing anything else.
My only hope is that I have managed to squirrel away 6 figures in savings and bonds and I've upped my salary sacrifice pension contributions and will continue to do so with each pay rise. I want to retire at 60 but the plan at the minute is to work until 55 if I can stand the grind and then do something part time or less skilled for 5 years. I'd rather deliver parcels than this.
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