Fed up?

[crumthwacket]

Any other grey beards out there ready to throw in the towel? I've spent more on toys than retirement planning, so I still have to work, but it's getting harder and harder to face this on a daily basis (which service provider started the insane policy of finger pointing?) I'm turning into a curmudgeon and a cynic and I need to separate myself from this foolishness, but I don't think at this stage of my life that changing careers is a viable option. How are you guys handling this?

 

[jml2665]

crumthwacket, I've been in your shoes.

The best thing happened to me about 30 months ago. I was layed off by Avaya. Like you I did not think I wanted to nor could make a change. But being forced to change was a blessing in disguise. It has brought me a new perspective plus a fresh attitude. Yes I have to work with the young'ns who think they know everything, but what they know from books us "gray beards" know from experience. What I find most rewarding now is to teach and to be taught. What I give to these young pups in experience I get back with the technical knowledge they provide back to me. So if you can make a move, go for it, it sure helped me.

 

[Sympology]

Know how you feel and I'm no grey beard. The thing that winds me up is the fact it's 80% admin, 20% work and of that 20%, 19% is clearing up other peoples mess ups.

As for serive providers, we have a list of excuses on the wall and we have bet's on which one will be used this time. In fact that reminds me....must phone and get the excuse for last nights outage, bet they say it was our hardware or an "exchange fault"

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[Deweyhumbolt]

I started with Pacific Bell on poles in 1980. Got my Contractors C7 in 1991, went to work for a Nortel partner in 2000. Pretty much seen it all, there were still hardwired home phones that we had to replace with modular.

The choice has become, VoIP or no VoIP. If you want to be viable in this field for the next 5 years, you'd better learn it. It ain't that hard.

I agree with jml2665 learn TCIP from the pups and show them how to find the IDF's, punch a 625 pr. cable, or climb a slick pole with hooks.(like they'd even try that.)

It's all about Karma.

 

[jon24422531]

After several years traveling & working with VMX/Octel/Lucent/Avaya Voice processing systems I found myself up a dead end as far as contracting work went and I got out to work full time with PC's in a help desk environment. I hate it. Stuck at the same desk every day, dealing with the same users who have the same printing/Email/Network etc problems.

I have saved enough money to invest in a couple of VoIP courses and feel ready to take the plunge back into contracting with new VoIP products.

Am I crazy?

Jonathan

http://www.telecom-stuff.com

 

[Dexman]

Someday, VoIP will become the preferred method of communicating; however, it seems to still be a "work in progress".

TDM will be around for quite a while and there will be a need for people familiar with traditional telephone systems, such as the Partner ACS, Merlin Magix, and the Nortel Meridian.

 

[jml2665]

go for it jon24422531, that would be a good change if you can.
And I am intrigued by that VMX,Octel,Lucent,Avaya background, seems I went through that same path, beginning in 87 with Octel theough the lay-offs at Avaya in early 05

 

[jon24422531]

jml2665

I started as a trainer for the old VMX 100/200/300 first with National Power and then with VMX in the UK, only as a contractor (with no contract!). I stayed right through the various transmogrifications into Octel and Lucent and finally Avaya ending up as an engineer installing, configuring and repairing them along with the Octel VPS 250/350. Demand for them (and my services) dried up to the point where I couldn't make a decent living. So I had to move on, and now play with and pretend to be a SQL DBA and general PC techy.

I still say that the old VMX 200/300 was the best, and why in god's name was it not developed further........

Sorry to bore you all!

Jonathan

http://www.telecom-stuff.com

 

[Deweyhumbolt]

I concur, go for it jon22422531. If you have PC skills your golden. The problem the greybeards have is no PC skills, and they don't want any. With your background and PC skills you'll have no trouble getting to speed. Just don't wait to long.

 

[DigitelD]

Thank God for grey beards! It is you who have taught me alot. I started before I had grey hairs. The only issue that I have is the attitude that I have gotten from many older techs. They didn't know me and they assumed that I was just a young punk. They didn't realize that I admired them for their experience and I wanted to learn from them. Don't give up! Even though technology is forever moving quickly, we still need to know the things that you guys know! My hat is off to you!

SHK Certified (School of Hard Knocks)
NCSS

 

[EddieDuece]

Thank God for grey beards!"....Amen.... I'm with you on the attitude from the older techs though DigitalD. I started this industry right out of school (summer job on my way to college). The thing is, back in 1991, there was such a cabling boom here in Washington, and I picked this stuff up quickly and my company threw more and more money at me to stay. So needless to say, I stayed with the trade rather than going to college, and eventually graduated from the infrastructure installs to the system installs and on to Government work. I have been through just about every Nortel class, and love the product. It's like a second language to me. I do get fed up with things though, but remind myself that there are alot of worse jobs to have.

jon22422531, I just got rid of a VMX 200. That was a strange beast to learn. I will say liked the command line interface though. It was alot like the Nortel administration. I was more used to the OCTEL 100, 250, and 350 platform. So when I started this last job and had to learn VMX, it was quite a challenge as we had no docs to refer to. Anyways invest in the VOIP and keep on truckin. This has been a great industry for me and my family.

 

[KE407122]

What was the question again?

When I started; I had hair, was just married, no kids and lived paycheque to paycheque.

Now; No hair, happily divorced, grandkids around the corner and oh, hell, money would only ruin me.

1A2, VoIP, what difference does it make? As the architect told me when he left me about 1 square foot on the wall for his entire phone system,
"It's just a little tiny box!"







KE407122


When I find myself on the road less travelled, it just means I'm lost.

 

[AlmostMe]

Not a greybeard, not a youngie, somewhere in between.

What I've decided as a raw generalisation in the last minute while reading these posts without much deep thought on the matter so I may change my mind in the next minute is the older fella's tend to be able to interpret, understand and memorize manuals a bit/lot better than the youngies.

It's so easy these days to just use the search button on an electronic document to find what you're looking for where if you're flicking through hard copies you tend to come across things you're not looking for which but that can be quite useful to review while getting to where you're actually going. Oh to have the time.

 

[jerryreeve]

started out in military "Tech Control" aka Systems Analasys, Wideband and narrowband end-to-end troubleshooting. 20 years in voice, data when 1200 was High Speed and 9600 was a special, satellite, tropo, oceanic cable, microwave, copper cable(anybody remember how to use a wheatstone bridge?), T-1's and up to -48.

telephone system administrator, service tech, installer, etc. etc.

I also preferred the hard copies to CD's and search engines, and back then it was nice to have the room for a library in the van and in the shop.




----------------------------
JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com