So today, I call on the people of Bit Tech to point me in the right career direction. I currently work at the advertising arm of a well known media company (think, the opposite of the BBC) as an account manager. In the past I’ve also done some work in Desktop Support and account handling in a bank. I also have a 2.1 Degree in Criminology from Southampton University. My main interest outside of work is (surprise surprise) technology. However, I am now totally and utterly bored of my job, and I have not even a little bit of interest in doing my managers job, which is even more dull than mine. That means a change of career is due! I’ve tried a few times to move into the mobile technology department here at *** (can you guess yet?) but the department is small, and the two roles I’ve gone for have been filled by people with prior project management and mobile systems experience. After some very positive feedback from the Manager who interviewed me, he suggested I should look into joining the advertising technologies team, as obviously had a vast technical knowledge that wasn’t being utilised. Trouble is, that, to me, doesn’t sound that much more interesting that what I’m doing now. I have also thought about going into Insurance Broking, and focusing specifically on Cyber Terrorism (combining my degree and interest in tech?). My housemate is an underwriter, and thinks it would be an interesting path. What jobs do you guys do? Do you enjoy them, and if so could I get into the industry?
Just finishing up my degree in Computer Networking & Distributed systems at the end of December. Worked for both the NHS and a software company in Edinburgh during my time at uni. Really happy with the experience I have picked up on the way. Hopefully it will set me apart from other graduates when I finish. I worked quite hard to get them while I have been at uni and I now have year and half of industry experience before I have finished uni. Although my degree is in networking I have become fascinated with open source projects and Linux. Starting learning C++ in my spare time really want to start putting something back into community that gives me all the tools I use. My thoughts are if you don't like you job mate go for it. The only reason I get my work done is because I enjoy it. Otherwise I would be doing something different. Given im totally out in the big bad world like you but principle is still there ha. I have learnt more from the jobs I have had in my brief stint in tech industry than I have at uni. Bill
I work in the Mobile Technology department of said company, although a different Mobile Tech dept from the one you are referring to.
I have just resigned from my current job (sales assistant for grinding machinery manufacturer/supplier) and have two weeks to go before I move to Scotland and change my career. Boredom does not even begin to describe my job. I am really amped to get back to working with my hands as an Electrician's mate to begin with, and later as an electrician. My advice? Go for it! Your job is going to take up 1/3 of your day for the next 40 years. Do you really want to be bored or unhappy for that long?
I'm an engineering officer in the merchant navy, after graduating uni where I studied electronics I was looking around for design jobs at large multinationals, siemens, phillips and even intel but it was just as the recession hit and people werent taking on; and those that were hired the guys who had just been laid off because they had experiance! Bit of a shitty situation really. So joining the merch really wasnt where I expected to be, but here I am Compared to uni it's not very demanding academically, we get to travel the world and get paid to do it and we don't pay income tax, which is nice I guess like you I had or have a passion for tech and I really wanted a job where I could use that, but doing something completely unrelated has give me the best career I ever could of asked for. I suppose what im saying is, don't get too hung up over finding what you think is your perfect job, there are a lot of career paths out there, you might suprise yourself!
I work for an IT Security Reseller, in a 2nd line support / consultant role. Very wide range of products and customers to deal with, every day is different and genuinely enjoyable. This was my fist full-time job after I left uni, 1st in Computer Networks and MSc in Data Networks and Security. Mike
I work as a Software Development Manager for one of the world's largest audit firms (with an even longer name). In my spare time, I run a marketing company that also builds websites - that's where the passion's at in my case.
I'm a Retail Manager and would dearly love to get out of retail and have weekends off. I work 60 hour weeks and on my feet for at least 10 hours a day. Would do anything just to have my weekends off.
I work as a Technical Lead in one of the biggest technology companies in the world, and I massively enjoy it and find it stimulating as it offers multiple different projects to move around to, and I can try out different technologies. For example, I was a Java/J2EE Developer for 8 months, and now I am an Application Specialist/Technical Lead utilising Websphere MQ, and other various technologies. I reckon you could get into it, but depends on experience with technology (unless you want to come in as a graduate, where they don't care about your experience).
Same situation as you. And I also considered creating a thread just like the OP to ask the same question. One of the perks of my job is that I get to go out and drive vans quite frequently, and although I have never done anything like it before I really enjoy the open road. So I am considering sitting my C license (will cost about £1200) so I can drive rigid 7.5 tonne lorries. Do that for a year and then deicide if I want to do my C+E and drive the big rigs. Would be a massive career change as I have worked in the games industry as an artist, a data analyst for the biggest telecoms company in the UK, a restaurant and retail manager and I also was a freelance IT support technician (successfully) for a few years. Shame my qualifications and bulk of experience has been written off due to RSI in my hands leaving me unable to use a computer for any length of time. Hence the retail industry and the potential switch to driving.
You should PM TrueGamer. He might be able to give you a few pointers since it sounds like he's already doing your ideal job. My current job is very admin/numerical and looking at excel spreadsheets all day is not what I was put in this world to do (I can do it, but I don't enjoy it at all). What I guess I'd REALLY like to do is PR for a tech company, in much the same way as Bindi, or new forum member xBourneX (who works for BitFenix). I'd be very good at it, as I'm good at helping people, communicating and I'd already know what I'd be talking about. Its so very hard to know what you would enjoy until you try it though. Maybe I should do as Tibby suggests and apply for some graduate schemes, as they move you around until they find you a department your suited to.
I work as an installation planner for the US Navy, helping get things built and stay repaired on base and such. Probably not terribly interesting to you as it's not very related to anything you've mentioned. But one similar aspect which you might consider looking at is geographic information systems, or GIS. Basically comes down to taking geographic data and all sorts of other data depending on what you're trying to do and assembling it all into a map that best portrays whatever it is you're trying do to. It's a bunch of messing around with computer programs mixed with graphical design aspects of cartography.
I work as the Technical Design Manager for a design company, I get to deal with the IT issues, all technical projects and I love it Worked hard to get it!
I do marketing for a Satellite Communications company. Which is nice. Pays the bills. Nice to be involved with some techy people. But I quite like web design and have been getting in to the web scripting fairly recently. I might after a year learning and building/maintaining sites for colleagues and friends whilst improving my works site and features, jump ship to a more hands on web role. Hell, if they let me at the company I work at, join some of the development team in the future under some of the minds they have there, I would be well up for it. I have a business just starting up that can do hosting and such... but it is small fry at the moment. My fiancée(autocorrect lol) just got a job as a junior web designer at hobbycraft. Satcoms is fairly niche, but big business. The maritime sector is huge and there is plenty of scope for learning; especially if you enjoy (computer)networking. However, it is a fairly small and is intrinsically unexciting as a business - you are dealing with military, shipping companies, enterprise and governmental customers mostly and the scope for fun is low; they are serious people. Marketing for me mostly involves re-writing brochures, working case studies, manuals, composing and editing banal technical documents or helping on the web end of things. However, for some, there is a hell of a lot of travel involved. So it could be good if you are in sales perhaps.
.. whiiiiichh is almost exactly what I do Senior GIS survey and mapping technician for a chartered surveyors, started 6 weeks ago after spending 4 and a half years as a GIS analyst for a highways agency contractor. It is surprisingly interesting this whole cartography malarky. The previous job was day to day data processing more than mapping but now I do a lot more design oriented work. Fairly techy and I also get to dabble in a bit of Python and SQL. Right now we're mainly involved in the planning of off-shore wind farms which I am enjoying Quite a good thing to get into if geography floats your boat as it has it's uses in everything from local council surveys to global logistics etc.
I would also recommend asking for training, I have always had some form of education from work. It makes the job worth doing.
I am a Junior at a small IT consultancy, mainly dealing with server support, infrastructure (laser links, wifi links, cabling - all outsourced but we overlook and design the networks), deal with some desktop support for some clients. My main job is to look after my clients, my boss sells services, which then me and him deliver. Its hard work, there is only 3 people in the company, 1 doesnt deal with IT very often as he is a web software developer and me and my other boss deal with nearly all the IT, we have about 20 clients with varying degrees of support, all together I think I look after about 600 workstations/desktops and about 50 servers, not including individual server installs and network installations that we do as one off job's. I don't really know how I landed this job, the company is growing well, so I feel I am in a really good position, but I would say look to alternative recruitment avenues as I found this job through an email list for technologist's in brighton, and they specifically specified they weren't interested in recruiters etc.
Operations manager and surveyor of overhead power lines. Awesome job, I walk/hike 30-50kms of powerlines a week and organise cutting teams to deal with any dangerous trees as well as arranging access and dealing with the landowners. There's not a lot of tech involved although Im trying to introduce tablets to cut down on all the paperwork that's required. Anybody can do it, after a few utility arb based courses. The rates of pay are really good. Some areas of the country pay up to £90 per km, The hours are long 12-16hr days so its not for everybody but if you love being outdoors its great. Its not quite so fun when the weathers ****, hence why i want a digital way of recording info, its really difficult writing on soaked paper. A really angry landowner can ruin your whole day as can having an air rifle pointed at you but those issues are few and far between and it far more likely ill fall in a stream or get chased by goats!
At moment my role varies as I'm knowledgeable of our system and business, am a Frozen Food Buyer, Seller, office support, our chinese depot support and new system tester and general IT support. I'd like to focus on one job but least I get diversity. Have had my moments with hating it but I always go though these phases, it's an easy job with decent perk of cheap food. I do miss IT based work but everyman and his dog is getting good at IT, my job is harder to learn so I'm more indespensible
