Career change?

[screwloose]

Voluntarily withdrawing from the IT payrolls is something I have been considering for some time. After 10 years in IT, with 5 years doing nothing but Unix System Administration, I have become bored with it.

Maybe someone could suggest a way to remove the boredom from the job, but at this point I have to think that if I perform this job for even another 6 months then I am going to go insane. It seems that even if it is a different area of technology I see myself giving the same ho-hum that I do to my current tasks. Maybe it is burnout from doing it for ten years. Maybe if I could do something else other than just Unix administration I could spice up the daily grind.

The one thing that would be very hard in changing careers is the amount of money that I make currently, which is in the $70k range. Changing to another career would probably mean a pay cut of $30k/year which would be extremely hard. Because of the downturn in IT, my pay was $15k less than 2 years ago and $9k less than a year ago, so in the past 2 years I have made $24k less – and taking another $30k pay cut?

If anyone has any thoughts I would like to hear them.

Thanks.

 

[EBGreen]

Here is one idea.

thread654-822665

 

[screwloose]

Why give me a link that I have already replied to?

And obviously the original poster to that thread has a COMPLETELY different background and situation than me.

 

[EBGreen]

How is his background completely different? Do you mean becasue he was programming as opposed to Adminning?

 

[screwloose]

No I believe it has to do with education (master's) plus the fact that I wanted to work in IT and Unix administration was my goal, whereas it doesn't sound like that individual had any goals.

 

[EBGreen]

So, is your boredom the product of not having enough to do or more a matter of being busy all day every day but the work is so well known you can do it in your sleep?

 

[Stella740pl]

TomThumbKP ,

The poster in the thread you are posting the link to (for some reason, I beleive it's a she, not he) is a young person which "never had a chance to do something for a long time to become an expert in any field", and now doesn't have any job at all. Besides, she chooses "to hate job which will bring me financial stability", even though when she is developing, she is "really into it", and "just hates bench-time". She needs to find a job, fast, and looking for possibilities, since she has nothing to lose in her current situation.

screwloose, just the opposite, had enough time to become an expert, currently has a job which brings him relative finacial stability, and has been there long enough to feel that he would be going insane if stays there for at least 6 month longer, but he is reluctant to leave, because he actually has what to lose. (I understand, I would be, too, I've got a family.) Possibly (not sure though) the educational level of the two posters is different.

Do you feel the difference now?

screwloose,

I you sure you are so tired of your job or it's the monotonous part that you denounce? Do you think that it would happen to just about any job that you would be doing long enough or you suspect that it could be different
if you found that one and only job suited for you? How long have you been going without vacation? Do you spend your own time also doing work-related tasks? Is it possible for you to study on the clock?

I would suggest that you take a vacation as long as you possibly can, and listen to yourself. Do you miss your job at all? Try to study something new on the job. If you think of leaving the IT altogether, possibly go to a career counselor and sort it out. Visit, if possible, your friend's jobs. See something you like? Check out job sited on the internet and see what's now hot on the market where you live. Does this interest you at all? If so, try to find out more, talk to people doing that. Besides, does it require special education/training and years of experience? Are you ready invest your time and money into it? Can you family bear the burden of it? If you answer all those questions to yourself and do your homework, you would undersatnd better, what is it that you are tired of and whether you ready to take a big step. Maybe you just need a rest and a long trip to a far away place?

Stella

 

[Stella740pl]

I should have proof-read my post better. I found all the mistakes after I pressed the "Submit" button. But I think you would understand anyway. Screwloose, it should have read "Are you sure ...". Sorry.

 

[screwloose]

Thank you for your comments. To answer the question, ”is your boredom the product of not having enough to do or more a matter of being busy all day every day but the work is so well known you can do it in your sleep?” It is both, my current job does not have enough work to keep everyone busy and beyond that, I do know it so well that I can do it in my sleep without any thought involved. As a Unix admin I have always been the “go to guy” for answers.

To answer “Are you sure you are so tired of your job or it's the monotonous part that you denounce?” I know I am tired of the monotonous part, it has become a rut and so tiresome doing the same thing. Really, beyond any real problems, which realistically, there are none, a monkey could be trained to do the job because it is really is check this report, check this log, etc.

“Is it possible for you to study on the clock?” I have enough time to spend time studying, however, it would have to be work-related. A coworker was doing night class studying and was shut down because of complaints from others.

“How long have you been going without vacation?” I was laid off last year and took a month off before even looking for a job, and at the time spent a little time looking for a job in another field (corporate trainer – which never came through) and then found a job a short time later, after which accepting the position I still took some time before starting. So in all it was 2 ½ months off.

As far as my friends, they all work in IT. That is, all the friends where I live. My friends from my “home” don’t do anything IT.

If I had more to do and had a hand in more things like when I started in IT, where I was a generalist and had to run the gamut of all things IT, then maybe I would not be so bored and seem in such a rut.

And going to a new career would be difficult since my pay would be cut in half, and as I stated before, having my pay cut an average of $12k/year now, I know what changes it makes in lifestyle.

As for other jobs, I am not sure what I would like. I did apply for a Market Researcher position yesterday because it seems it might be interesting. Research was my favorite grad school class, too. But other than something like that, I don’t know what. I like teaching (grad teaching asst. and adjunct lecturer before) but without a PhD the chances of getting a 4-year college job is basically nil. And I wouldn’t be a tech trainer because they have to travel, which I do not like to do at all. Being a curriculum/course developer would be a nice job, but very limited in availability. Started out an architecture major in college and then switched to art before leaving the arts and sciences completely for business and then education. So if I could make a living as an illustrator, that would be ideal, but then again with the advent of technology, there are not many true illustrators left today. Looking at the magazines from a few decades ago, the ads were all hand-drawn and some much more “alive” than the computer generated ads of today.

I don’t really believe I am management “material.” Sure I could do it, but is not something I desire to do. My personality type is that of an INFJ (if I remember correctly), too, for additional info.

Thanks.

 

[EBGreen]

Are you in a position to make yourself the generalist go to guy again? Can you find ways to use your knowledge to streamline other peoples projects? This is what I do when I find I am in a rut. It almost always leads to my learning something that I wouldn't have learned if I had just stuck with doing what I was doing.

 

[screwloose]

At my present job I have made suggestions but nothing is ever acted on, so I have given up on that.

I was incorrect, my Keirsey temperament survey is an ISFJ.

 

[Stella740pl]

screwloose,

So you already know what you can or would like to be doing to spice the things up. You seem to just need a go.

Maybe you could try to find a job in a small company to be a generalist (I am not sure what they pay, though, and the market is not that good now).

You should probably start doing something else in your spare time and keep the job, at least for now. While chances of getting a full-time college teaching job are low, sometimes even with PhD (and not all the colleges pay good money, by the way), you might be able to find some adjunct position with your Master's (you used to do it once, so you can again). In many cases adjuncts can develop their own courses - sometimes all they need is to ask, instead of assuming that they are not allowed.

You can start studying for your PhD at night, it's never late to do it if you are really determined. I know of an engeneer in a good position who studies for his PhD just few years before his retirement (and I guess that you are much younger than that), because he wants to do some teaching when and where he retires.

You can try to find some illustrating contracts. I am not sure if you can make good living from it unless you have a name, but you should start first, and you would see, how it is going. As for the new technologies, you are an IT person with some art background - who would be in better position to learn and apply them all? Or your hand-drawn designs, or mixed techniques might be even more successful - you don't know until you try.

The problem arises, of course, if you spend too much time on the job, and don't have time for anything else - is it the case? Can it be resolved?

What INFJ stands for, by the way?

Stella

 

[Stella740pl]

Or ISFJ, for that matter?

 

[EBGreen]

I don't typically bother with suggestions. Here is the normal scenario.

I am in a meeting and coworker X complains that they have an SQL database that has the AD information for the corporate network in it but it is annoying to have to go into it and write queries to get information out. The next day I email an HTA to the X that will let them provide a text list of users and select information that they want retrieved from dropdowns. The app then generates the query and outputs the requested information to a text file that the user specifies. I get to sharpen my data access skills and X gets their work streamlined.

If i'd made a suggestion for this, it probably would still be being discussed in some meeting.

 

[screwloose]

ISFJ is one of the personality types derived from the Keirsey Temperament Survey. It stands for Introverted (vs. Extroverted), Sensitive (vs. iNtuitive), Feeling (vs. Thinking), Judgmental (vs. Perceived) which represent the 16 personality types.

I have seen the ISFJ described as “I Server Family Joyfully.” Only 6 of 100 people are the ISFJ type – so rare! I am O-negative in blood type, too (another rarity). Hmm, I see a pattern .

I have thought of going back to school, and in the time I have thought of it, I could have completed a doctoral program of study. Going back to get endorsement to teach history and geography are also something I have thought of.

However, in public school teaching, just starting out, my pay would be much less than if I switched to say, marketing research. I know that money isn’t everything and doesn’t necessarily make people happy, but at the same time, having the security of a higher income is something that cannot be ignored (especially these days.)

 

[RiverGuy]

A. If you want a new career, don't quit until you have the new job.
B. If the only new career path leads you to the reduced rate, then evaluated your current boredeom versus the stress of having less cash, and pick the one that is easier to live with.

 

[DTSMAN]

You should scroll back through these threads. Many others have posted similiar situations. Lots of good stuff to be found. But it all comes down to what you want to grow old doing. I have mentioned quiting to go mow grass, but I doubt that will happen. I am keeping my ear to the ground for something else also. I call this the "Office Space" syndrome. I saw the movie when it came out on video and bought a copy the next day and have seen it many many times. Every one goes through it. I work with restaurant and retail software packages and I run into engineers and other proffessionals trying to open restraunts and other ventures. Good Luck to you.

 

[willir]

screwloose

First, let me congradulate you on achieving a high degree of skill. Although system admin can be as boring as heck - especially true if you are good at your job (better at your job - scripts for everything, no outages, and there are only so many passwords resets one can do before going nuts)

You have also learned what I call tranferable skills, and subject matter expertize.

Ask for a sabitical. Some companies will support this.

Not all good system admins are good at managing people, but one logical step is management -- operations manager, project manager type of stuff.

Consulting is another direction. But be warned, this is a tough road. Occasional / too many lean times, and requries a lot of self determination, strong drive, business sense and a real test of character.

Move to a new technology. Active Directory and 2003 servers is pretty hot. Same hat, different toys - kind of like a change of scenary. Plus, those with integrated skills can add a lot of value in a mixed environment.

Volunteer work. Look at your current job as means to an end. I work to make money, but your real life is away from work. Join a non-profit board of directors, fund raising or some such thing. You will find that the change will be very stimulating - new skills, totally different environment, new people.

Just some rambling thoughts to consider.