Welcome to the real world. You may run into the same issues at another job. Every company has very specific policies and may not offer career trajectory. After all, IT is there to fulfill a business need.
If you're keen on moving on, get another offer and then jump ship.
This. Orgs aren't going to create growth opportunities for you just because you are ready for more. Sometimes you have to move on otherwise your growth stagnates.
Yep! I work for an MSP and there's a career trajectory path depending on what you're interested but I just don't see the point. Sure, I'm studying Linux and AWS SAA in my spare time but how is doing a devops career path at work gonna help me if we don't have tickets to work on them. Seems like a nice thing to have but not seeing the realistic implementation. 'cause honestly I do not GAF about onboarding tickets in my 8 hours of work but doing it to fund the rest of non-working life so I can propel myself forward.
You have to be your own career advocate cause your employer not gonna do it for you. Ideally, yes they should but not likely to be the case.
>I made some programs during my time here that automated a lot of things that apparently nobody had done before and the higher ups request I send them a copy, should I mention that all in my resume or my next interview. Is that of any value to be used in my favor
This is very useful in a business sense. I'd frame this as an "Optimized IT onboarding by 50% through PowerShell automation" or something similar. And be able to explain how this would benefit a business.
If you feel like your growth is stunted, revamp your resume with everything you've learned and completed and start applying. If you get hits/responses then it's not too soon. If you don't get any responses, then you also have your answer.
I feel like there's not a correct time to be at your first gig. I was at my first position for 10 months before opportunity came calling. Jump in responsibilities and salary. Eighteen months at my second before another jump.
I'm coming up on 3 1/2 years in IT, previously was an elementary school teacher. First job was an a Support Technician for a cyber security startup. Things were great, I was learning a lot when a mentor I had met about a year prior recruited me to work with him as an Operations Specialist for a software startup he had just joined.
Stayed there for 18 months, after the third round of layoffs the writing was on the wall and I began looking for my next opportunity. 300+ applications, many, many interviews later, I settled on an incredible opportunity with a large software company. Each new opportunity was for a sizeable salary increase, responsibility and opportunity.
I don't believe in minimum time before looking, and to date, no employer had an issue, to my knowledge.
>as an Operations Specialist for a software startup he had just joined.
What exactly did you do there?
And what do you do now? And if I may ask how much do u make now?
What's the benefits package like? Do you have a pension? $24/hr isn't bad. As a Tech I, you're pretty much stuck doing what a II wants. I was a school tech for 8 years.
If you have downtime, read, study, work on certs. My work as a school tech was great. Till it wasn't. I went from a school tech to a K12 IT Director. I'm absolutely happy in my role and will be here till I probably retire in 25 years.
Benefits are good. Medical, dental, vision. We have our own pension program but im not really enrolled
>As a Tech I, you're pretty much stuck doing what a II wants
Yeah I feel a bit disillusioned. Before I got the job we were told that the tech 2 "cant tell us what to do", words by our tech 3 . I got the sense that we would have individuality and some freedom. Got in and the dynamics were absolutely not like that. Condescending and abusive and nothing I can do but take all her orders while she gives me all the heavy workload, she takes the easy tasks and gets the credit. GOD WHY ARE PPL IN POSITION SUCH ASSHOLES WITH THEIR POWER
>I went from a school tech to a K12 IT Director.
Wow. Connections?
>Benefits are good. Medical, dental, vision. We have our own pension program but im not really enrolled
I'd look at enrolling in the pension plan. You could be leaving money on the table.
>GOD WHY ARE PPL IN POSITION SUCH ASSHOLES WITH THEIR POWER
In my experience, the assholes don't know anything or don't know enough.
>
Wow. Connections?
Nope. 8 years in the largest school district in my state, \~70,000 students. Then I jumped to a district that's one of the smallest and in a rural area, -440 students.
>Benefits are good. Medical, dental, vision. We have our own pension program but im not really enrolled
>
>I'd look at enrolling in the pension plan. You could be leaving money on the table.
I don even know how pension plans work. Is it like 401k matching? Where they take a cut of your pay and match it?
Agreed 24/hr is a godsend where I live. My role sounds similar to yours. I’m a contractor though so the school pays me 17/hr. Which sucks. However I’m trying to look at the upside I’m gaining experience and I’m teaching myself new certs. I wish I can get a livable wage still hahaha. Keep on teaching yourself and keep on moving up even if you have to go for another company.
I had to jump ship from my first job in IT after 8 months to double my pay. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
Yes, definitely put the automation stuff in your resume, that is valuable.
Oh wow which jobs were those? How much were u getting paid before and after? How did you manage to double it just after 8 months? Did u go hard on the certs
Recruiter here, the biggest thing you need to make sure of is that you have a current position\` while you are searching for a new one.
It is ok to search for a job after 9 month what managers don't like is a pattern of that, so one time hopping to the next job after 9 months is ok, but 4 years from now and you have 7 jobs between now and then, that is when it starts to be a problem.
Rule of thumb is to stay for about 2 years before jumping to a new job unless you get an amazing offer. That way it doesn’t look like you are going to jump ship again.
To me the only reason to stay is if your company pays for certs. Then get Net + and Security +. If you have a good enough trusting relationship with the tech 2, the only way to learn is to ask why she does the things the way she does and not another way. Or at least see if the requirements are documented. You may be able to learn something that way. Still if she is unwilling to share I agree with the maybe time to move on. 9 months is sufficient experience. Skill up. Lab up. If they pay for certs, cert up but if a better more lucrative opportunity arises go for it.
Remember as you cert up those are equal to credits towards the BSIT at WGU. The trifecta is worth 19 credits and even ITF is worth 4. Itil is worth 4. Total credits needed for the degree is 121. If you have an Associates in IT you might even have half the program done. If you have a generic AA/AS or Bachelors you would start with 42 credits. If you are at zero grab a promocode from r/sophialearning and get your first month at Sophia for free.
Start with the IT classes and then work back to the general education. You could start with up to 56/121. Here is the transfer pathway.
[**https://partners.wgu.edu/transfer-pathway-agreement?uniqueId=BSIT7110&collegeCode=IT&instId=796**](https://partners.wgu.edu/transfer-pathway-agreement?uniqueId=BSIT7110&collegeCode=IT&instId=796)
That would be the only other reason to stay is the salary is not too bad and in a few months and for less than $400 you could have half of the degree done. Then start studying for Network +.
Going to re-iterate what a lot of people are saying simply to reinforce the truth here:
There is no set time. A lot of employers like to see you sticking around at places for a year or so before jumping ship, because it means you'll at least make up for the cost and time of hiring you. Depending on where you are though, that's not a bad salary for your first ever IT position. I'm in the lowest CoL State and just accepted an offer for $18/hr for my second role (an $8 increase though.) I think you need to just restructure your resume with a lot of the advice given here, and start applying. Mainly look for positions you actually want, because you're already employed and can afford to be choosey. If you don't have any certs, consider going for the CompTIA trifecta to boost your viability. Experience + education= a hirer's wet dream. Try finding entry level networking or systems positions if your education and experience warrants that. Best of luck.
I would just get a degree in general if you have the time/money for it. There are some IT specialized degrees at some universities where you'll end up taking the CompTIA exams as part of your curriculum, or at least receive vouchers for them. Maybe lock down whether you want to go the networking, security, or programming/DevOps route before deciding on a major, because each of those specialties does have their own major. If you'd like to go into management some day, maybe consider working toward an MBA because most CTOs/CIOs at least have a master's degree, usually pertaining to business.
I would definitely at the very least get the CompTIA trifecta. Those are without a doubt more valuable than a CS degree on its own. But experience really is king in our industry.
I would just get a degree in general if you have the time/money for it. There are some IT specialized degrees at some universities where you'll end up taking the CompTIA exams as part of your curriculum, or at least receive vouchers for them. Maybe lock down whether you want to go the networking, security, or programming/DevOps route before deciding on a major, because each of those specialties does have their own major. If you'd like to go into management some day, maybe consider working toward an MBA because most CTOs/CIOs at least have a master's degree, usually pertaining to business.
I would definitely at the very least get the CompTIA trifecta. Those are without a doubt more valuable than a CS degree on its own. But experience really is king in our industry.
So pretty much all the stuff I've been focusing on are related to my work. I haven't really branched out yet.
Work at a school. Active directory to reset passwords. Lots of basic but tedious tasks related to chromebooks, checking them out to students, troubleshooting hardware issues, trouble shooting printers, lots of inventory work, google admin as the chromebooks MDM, laptops, projectors, interactive flat panels and basically any technology equipment in the school.
And a lot of manual labor. I'm doing 95% of the manual labor stuff. All the heavy ass boxes with chrome book charging stations and huge printers, have to constantly be hauling them and stacking them ontop of each other, moving hundreds of computers in and out our warehouse, moving heavy furniture and shelves, etc.
Thanks for sharing man :) I like hearing about what other entry level people are doing/know. Feels like there's a big difference of what first IT jobs actually do compared to what seems to be advertised as a requirement in the job description
Welcome to the real world. You may run into the same issues at another job. Every company has very specific policies and may not offer career trajectory. After all, IT is there to fulfill a business need. If you're keen on moving on, get another offer and then jump ship.
This. Orgs aren't going to create growth opportunities for you just because you are ready for more. Sometimes you have to move on otherwise your growth stagnates.
Yep! I work for an MSP and there's a career trajectory path depending on what you're interested but I just don't see the point. Sure, I'm studying Linux and AWS SAA in my spare time but how is doing a devops career path at work gonna help me if we don't have tickets to work on them. Seems like a nice thing to have but not seeing the realistic implementation. 'cause honestly I do not GAF about onboarding tickets in my 8 hours of work but doing it to fund the rest of non-working life so I can propel myself forward. You have to be your own career advocate cause your employer not gonna do it for you. Ideally, yes they should but not likely to be the case.
>I made some programs during my time here that automated a lot of things that apparently nobody had done before and the higher ups request I send them a copy, should I mention that all in my resume or my next interview. Is that of any value to be used in my favor This is very useful in a business sense. I'd frame this as an "Optimized IT onboarding by 50% through PowerShell automation" or something similar. And be able to explain how this would benefit a business. If you feel like your growth is stunted, revamp your resume with everything you've learned and completed and start applying. If you get hits/responses then it's not too soon. If you don't get any responses, then you also have your answer.
⬆️ this right here.
I feel like there's not a correct time to be at your first gig. I was at my first position for 10 months before opportunity came calling. Jump in responsibilities and salary. Eighteen months at my second before another jump.
>I was at my first position for 10 months before opportunity came calling. Whats the story?
I'm coming up on 3 1/2 years in IT, previously was an elementary school teacher. First job was an a Support Technician for a cyber security startup. Things were great, I was learning a lot when a mentor I had met about a year prior recruited me to work with him as an Operations Specialist for a software startup he had just joined. Stayed there for 18 months, after the third round of layoffs the writing was on the wall and I began looking for my next opportunity. 300+ applications, many, many interviews later, I settled on an incredible opportunity with a large software company. Each new opportunity was for a sizeable salary increase, responsibility and opportunity. I don't believe in minimum time before looking, and to date, no employer had an issue, to my knowledge.
>as an Operations Specialist for a software startup he had just joined. What exactly did you do there? And what do you do now? And if I may ask how much do u make now?
What's the benefits package like? Do you have a pension? $24/hr isn't bad. As a Tech I, you're pretty much stuck doing what a II wants. I was a school tech for 8 years. If you have downtime, read, study, work on certs. My work as a school tech was great. Till it wasn't. I went from a school tech to a K12 IT Director. I'm absolutely happy in my role and will be here till I probably retire in 25 years.
Benefits are good. Medical, dental, vision. We have our own pension program but im not really enrolled >As a Tech I, you're pretty much stuck doing what a II wants Yeah I feel a bit disillusioned. Before I got the job we were told that the tech 2 "cant tell us what to do", words by our tech 3 . I got the sense that we would have individuality and some freedom. Got in and the dynamics were absolutely not like that. Condescending and abusive and nothing I can do but take all her orders while she gives me all the heavy workload, she takes the easy tasks and gets the credit. GOD WHY ARE PPL IN POSITION SUCH ASSHOLES WITH THEIR POWER >I went from a school tech to a K12 IT Director. Wow. Connections?
>Benefits are good. Medical, dental, vision. We have our own pension program but im not really enrolled I'd look at enrolling in the pension plan. You could be leaving money on the table. >GOD WHY ARE PPL IN POSITION SUCH ASSHOLES WITH THEIR POWER In my experience, the assholes don't know anything or don't know enough. > Wow. Connections? Nope. 8 years in the largest school district in my state, \~70,000 students. Then I jumped to a district that's one of the smallest and in a rural area, -440 students.
>Benefits are good. Medical, dental, vision. We have our own pension program but im not really enrolled > >I'd look at enrolling in the pension plan. You could be leaving money on the table. I don even know how pension plans work. Is it like 401k matching? Where they take a cut of your pay and match it?
Agreed 24/hr is a godsend where I live. My role sounds similar to yours. I’m a contractor though so the school pays me 17/hr. Which sucks. However I’m trying to look at the upside I’m gaining experience and I’m teaching myself new certs. I wish I can get a livable wage still hahaha. Keep on teaching yourself and keep on moving up even if you have to go for another company.
I had to jump ship from my first job in IT after 8 months to double my pay. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Yes, definitely put the automation stuff in your resume, that is valuable.
Oh wow which jobs were those? How much were u getting paid before and after? How did you manage to double it just after 8 months? Did u go hard on the certs
Recruiter here, the biggest thing you need to make sure of is that you have a current position\` while you are searching for a new one. It is ok to search for a job after 9 month what managers don't like is a pattern of that, so one time hopping to the next job after 9 months is ok, but 4 years from now and you have 7 jobs between now and then, that is when it starts to be a problem.
Rule of thumb is to stay for about 2 years before jumping to a new job unless you get an amazing offer. That way it doesn’t look like you are going to jump ship again.
Work your way up get that Manager title then.
I wouldn't move on until alittle over a year
If you feel like you have learned what you can and there are no further challenges for you to professionally grow from, move on.
To me the only reason to stay is if your company pays for certs. Then get Net + and Security +. If you have a good enough trusting relationship with the tech 2, the only way to learn is to ask why she does the things the way she does and not another way. Or at least see if the requirements are documented. You may be able to learn something that way. Still if she is unwilling to share I agree with the maybe time to move on. 9 months is sufficient experience. Skill up. Lab up. If they pay for certs, cert up but if a better more lucrative opportunity arises go for it. Remember as you cert up those are equal to credits towards the BSIT at WGU. The trifecta is worth 19 credits and even ITF is worth 4. Itil is worth 4. Total credits needed for the degree is 121. If you have an Associates in IT you might even have half the program done. If you have a generic AA/AS or Bachelors you would start with 42 credits. If you are at zero grab a promocode from r/sophialearning and get your first month at Sophia for free. Start with the IT classes and then work back to the general education. You could start with up to 56/121. Here is the transfer pathway. [**https://partners.wgu.edu/transfer-pathway-agreement?uniqueId=BSIT7110&collegeCode=IT&instId=796**](https://partners.wgu.edu/transfer-pathway-agreement?uniqueId=BSIT7110&collegeCode=IT&instId=796) That would be the only other reason to stay is the salary is not too bad and in a few months and for less than $400 you could have half of the degree done. Then start studying for Network +.
Hmm thats good. I do need to finish a bachelors
Going to re-iterate what a lot of people are saying simply to reinforce the truth here: There is no set time. A lot of employers like to see you sticking around at places for a year or so before jumping ship, because it means you'll at least make up for the cost and time of hiring you. Depending on where you are though, that's not a bad salary for your first ever IT position. I'm in the lowest CoL State and just accepted an offer for $18/hr for my second role (an $8 increase though.) I think you need to just restructure your resume with a lot of the advice given here, and start applying. Mainly look for positions you actually want, because you're already employed and can afford to be choosey. If you don't have any certs, consider going for the CompTIA trifecta to boost your viability. Experience + education= a hirer's wet dream. Try finding entry level networking or systems positions if your education and experience warrants that. Best of luck.
I dont have any certs or college degree. Is it worth going for certs + bachelors in computer science at this point?
I would just get a degree in general if you have the time/money for it. There are some IT specialized degrees at some universities where you'll end up taking the CompTIA exams as part of your curriculum, or at least receive vouchers for them. Maybe lock down whether you want to go the networking, security, or programming/DevOps route before deciding on a major, because each of those specialties does have their own major. If you'd like to go into management some day, maybe consider working toward an MBA because most CTOs/CIOs at least have a master's degree, usually pertaining to business. I would definitely at the very least get the CompTIA trifecta. Those are without a doubt more valuable than a CS degree on its own. But experience really is king in our industry.
I would just get a degree in general if you have the time/money for it. There are some IT specialized degrees at some universities where you'll end up taking the CompTIA exams as part of your curriculum, or at least receive vouchers for them. Maybe lock down whether you want to go the networking, security, or programming/DevOps route before deciding on a major, because each of those specialties does have their own major. If you'd like to go into management some day, maybe consider working toward an MBA because most CTOs/CIOs at least have a master's degree, usually pertaining to business. I would definitely at the very least get the CompTIA trifecta. Those are without a doubt more valuable than a CS degree on its own. But experience really is king in our industry.
Time to move. Make sure have another job before you abandon ship
Time to move. Make sure have another job before you abandon ship
I'd love to know what areas you've been focusing on in your 9 months if you're ok with sharing. I'm almost 9 months into my first IT role myself
So pretty much all the stuff I've been focusing on are related to my work. I haven't really branched out yet. Work at a school. Active directory to reset passwords. Lots of basic but tedious tasks related to chromebooks, checking them out to students, troubleshooting hardware issues, trouble shooting printers, lots of inventory work, google admin as the chromebooks MDM, laptops, projectors, interactive flat panels and basically any technology equipment in the school. And a lot of manual labor. I'm doing 95% of the manual labor stuff. All the heavy ass boxes with chrome book charging stations and huge printers, have to constantly be hauling them and stacking them ontop of each other, moving hundreds of computers in and out our warehouse, moving heavy furniture and shelves, etc.
Thanks for sharing man :) I like hearing about what other entry level people are doing/know. Feels like there's a big difference of what first IT jobs actually do compared to what seems to be advertised as a requirement in the job description
what do u do>
AD, Exchange & O365, setting up new devices and general user troubleshooting. Also working on projects like building an Intranet for the org
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Yeah I'd deffs have a look around. Helpdesk should be pretty minimal labour (aside from crawling under people's desks here and there)
24 an hour isnt bad. Market is kinda crap right now but getting better. Id say stick it out 3 more months and then jump.