Job Opportunity

[colinjm]

I currently work in a desktop/server support role, i'm in a team of 6 supporting about 800 users. We do pretty much everything WinXP/2K/2K3 related, I personally also do MSI packaging, and some basic SAN cluster work due to a big NT-2K3 data migration project.

Anyway, i've had a phone call today asking if i'd like to be considered for a role in the Unix team working on the new HP SAN system thats being put in on a different site nearby.

I told the guy that i've not used Unix before, but he said it'll come with training for Unix and SAN, and that my name had been put forward along with a few others as having the technical expertise to learn and take on the role.

This is all internal, and I know the people involved, so I know that he wouldnt consider me if he didnt think I could do it.

I said i'd be interested in being considered for the role, after all it doesnt hurt to find out more about it. I'm also thinking that specialising like this may be better for my future career than sticking with the wintel support role. Is Unix/SAN a better field to be a specialist in than Wintel Support??

The other thing I need to consider is that in the next year, our team will be downsizing and moving to this other site, and although i've been told my job is safe (there are others asking for redundancy), it's still going to mean lots of changes.

Any opinions on this would be greatly appreciated, as it's come as a bit of a shock, after all this morning i wasnt considering changing my job, but now i'm wondering what oppertunities may come from this.

Thanks

Colin

Edited to change the title spelling, but i can't - That's what mods are for

Edited by colinjm on Tuesday 12th December 14:23

Edited by on Wednesday 13th December 09:39

[puggit]

It's got to be a good move - every man and his donkey knows Wintel support - including those carrying out this support remote in India.

Adding Unix skills to your windows knowledge can only benefit your CV - and SAN knowledge is also sought after. A lot of my current customers are implenting SANs without the required knowledge!

To be honest, I can't believe you're asking...

[sneakyneil]

Do it man, it sounds cool!

[spivvy]

you will need sandals and a long beard
to join the UNIX enviroment

:d

[ThePassenger]

spivvy said:

you will need sandals and a long beard
to join the UNIX enviroment

:d

I always through it was "Jesus boots and egg stained shirt"

[SlidingSideways]

We can't get hold of a decent unix SAN "expert" for love nor money, the wintel desk is fully staffed.
I'd be biting his hand off.

[rich1231]

Storage is a growing market, take the job.

[arfur]

Take the job ... simple as that. Been in and around the Unix arena since the '80's ... never been without well paid work

[zumbruk]

What arfur said.

The only caveat I would make is that learning Unix properly is a *big* learning curve.

(I was going to put a scary bit of shell programming here, which looks like transmission line noise, but the PH code mucks it up...)

[puggit]

rich1231 said:

Storage is a growing market, take the job.

I just left storage...for virtualisation

[sneakyneil]

puggit said:

rich1231 said:

Storage is a growing market, take the job.

I just left storage...for virtualisation

Someone was telling me about an ESX demo they saw today - sounds frikkin awesome. Apparently a video streaming server(for example) can move from a highly loaded box to a less loaded one on the fly, without a client dropping a frame

[m12_nathan]

VMotion seems to drop about one ping packet from a continuous ping when we've used it. Clever stuff!

Application virtulization is set to take off too. Microsoft buying Softricity so they can bundle Softgrid in the Vista enterprise management pack should push it further too. Another awesome product.