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Career switch into the IT field, advice needed
zhen_rogue
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hello all:
I'm considering a mid-career switch from my current vocation (Architecture) into the vast world of IT.
Basics:
-I'm 34
-Have practiced architecture for 15 years
-I currently work from a home studio as an independent contractor
-I have a knack/interest for troubleshooting and improving/streamlining PC systems for friends, family, and co-workers of firms i've worked for in the past. Somehow, I always became the default go-to guy when someone had a virus/malware, wanted to research new software, wanted to buy a new system/component/peripheral, had to troubleshoot an error message, etc.
Main Interests:
-Troubleshooting and maintaining/improving/streamlining PC systems, ideally in a network situation for a large or mid-sized firm.
-Researching/testing new software options for productivity, security, communication, etc. for eventual deployment.
-Communicating directly with clients, co-workers, meeting people in-person.
-Anything that can make collateral use of my background in architecture/egineering
-Staying on the cutting edge of technology; through seminars, continuing education courses, personal research, etc.
-See post #7 below, two career options listed there are VERY interesting to me
Not as interesting:
-Soldering circuit boards, hardware repair, pulling cable, extracting gummy bears from DVD drives
-Writing code and/or programming all day, every day (I don't want to develop software as a code monkey)
-Working in a "tech support" exclusive business (e.g. geek squad) - I want to be staffed in an architecture firm, engineering firm, accounting firm, university, medical center/hospital, large business, etc.
Goals:
-Dynamic environment with lots of variety in my day
-Completing the minimal schooling required for the maximum potential placement options
-Job security
Needs:
-What schools (online? in-person?) are reputable, relevant, cutting edge, and fantastic?
-What online schools/training courses are a "waste of time"?
-What curriculum(s) are MUST haves? What are secondary yet very desireable?
-What advice can people in the IT field give someone in my position about to start schooling?
-What nomenclature best describes the type of work/curriculum i'm shooting for? ("IT" is a pretty broad term...)
Thanks in advance for any input!
I'm considering a mid-career switch from my current vocation (Architecture) into the vast world of IT.
Basics:
-I'm 34
-Have practiced architecture for 15 years
-I currently work from a home studio as an independent contractor
-I have a knack/interest for troubleshooting and improving/streamlining PC systems for friends, family, and co-workers of firms i've worked for in the past. Somehow, I always became the default go-to guy when someone had a virus/malware, wanted to research new software, wanted to buy a new system/component/peripheral, had to troubleshoot an error message, etc.
Main Interests:
-Troubleshooting and maintaining/improving/streamlining PC systems, ideally in a network situation for a large or mid-sized firm.
-Researching/testing new software options for productivity, security, communication, etc. for eventual deployment.
-Communicating directly with clients, co-workers, meeting people in-person.
-Anything that can make collateral use of my background in architecture/egineering
-Staying on the cutting edge of technology; through seminars, continuing education courses, personal research, etc.
-See post #7 below, two career options listed there are VERY interesting to me
Not as interesting:
-Soldering circuit boards, hardware repair, pulling cable, extracting gummy bears from DVD drives
-Writing code and/or programming all day, every day (I don't want to develop software as a code monkey)
-Working in a "tech support" exclusive business (e.g. geek squad) - I want to be staffed in an architecture firm, engineering firm, accounting firm, university, medical center/hospital, large business, etc.
Goals:
-Dynamic environment with lots of variety in my day
-Completing the minimal schooling required for the maximum potential placement options
-Job security
Needs:
-What schools (online? in-person?) are reputable, relevant, cutting edge, and fantastic?
-What online schools/training courses are a "waste of time"?
-What curriculum(s) are MUST haves? What are secondary yet very desireable?
-What advice can people in the IT field give someone in my position about to start schooling?
-What nomenclature best describes the type of work/curriculum i'm shooting for? ("IT" is a pretty broad term...)
Thanks in advance for any input!
zhen_rogue on
0
Posts
Optimizing systems isn't that prevalent due to the following:
1. Hardware cost - since most large orgs. use a master disk for their images, you just update the image. Computers will typically be rotated in and out as they wear out etc. Customized images/user setups are generally frowned upon or not supported.
2. Hardware structure - A fair bit of large-market IT equipment is either pre-setup or requires coding to modify setup.
3. Software - New software is generally decided on based on need/cost from the group that needs it. Global decisions in a workplace are made by the CIO or upper architects based on support contracts, future plans etc.
Not to dissuade you, but the no gummy bears + no coding means you don't want to be an IT guy at all. Business support is about how to keep things up and running with minimal day-to-day interaction (as something will always be breaking that needs attention). That requires a fair bit of coding know-how if you want to be effective.
It sounds like what you want to be is either an institutional sales person for a software company or consulting house (see upper end PC Connection/Greenpages/any other number of vendors), or work on the business end of development (testing/req gathering/customer service). There's a lot of options open there, but it's not truly "IT".
Also understand that few companies want to be on "the cutting edge" as that sword cuts both ways. Usually for that you have to do a lot of trial and error, which takes time and system resources, which costs extra money they have to make back from their clients.
I'm not opposed to coding as a part of my career, I just don't have the desire to be the guy who writes lines of code all day, every day, writing software.
Knowing coding/programming on a basic or intermediate level is a-ok.
Coding/programming exclusively as a software engineer/designer/architect/whatever is not what i'm after.
Hopefully that clears some things up.
1) Dedicated help desk (Tier 1) - Fixing email issues, PC issues and hardware issues (printer doesn't work).
PROS: Always positions available, when your day is done, you can leave your work at work
CONS: All incoming problems and you will get the gummy bear issues. As well, you do NO planning. You fix the exisiting infrastructure and you are a grunt.
2) Specialized Support (Intel Server Support, Unix Server Support, Application Support) - This is what I am. Each team has a dedicated skillset that they went to school for and have trained in. Either Unix/Intel or as a programmer and expert in either a custom created piece of software or configured app from out of the box. 60% of my job is writing code and then 30% is doing escalated specific fixing to our app and 10% planning.
PROS: large amount of people needed, we have 100+ of these people and always could use more. Definatly need to care about your job and be open to on-call, work weekends, etc
CONS: Minimum, these have a diploma and most App support a degree in Computer Science. You will do coding / scripting of some sort in these positions.
3) Planning/Architect - Researches new technologies, newest releases/versions of what we already have, plans for server size/location/needs.
CONS: fewer of these positions exist. In our 2000 person company, we have 2 of these people. They are both IT veterns and have degrees. As well, your more of a researcher and less of a day to day support person.
My best advice is look at job postings NOW. See what different companies offer in terms of what the company wants you to do VS what kind of education you need. Try to find a happy medium in what you want to do.
Say I run a fairly large business, big enough to have my own dedicated building, and I need a network. Computers, fax machines, phones, printers etc. I go to a communications company and talk to a guy. He takes a look at my building and suggests what kind of topology to use, and how one might go about installing it to make it look as good as it can with a pricetag in mind. You could be that guy.
You could also be the guy I consult while designing my building to have these things included as I build. You could be the guy within the communications firm in charge of expanding the in-house network to include a new client on that network. In a telecom (phone, data or cable) you could be the guy who figures out what is going exactly where during city and residential expansion.
With your background, you probably wouldn't need much more than a computer sciences degree/diploma on the side, and even then, if you could prove you knew your stuff, you might be able to skip that. The IT side of things is pretty forgiving about where you learned your stuff as long as you have it down pat, and a firm or business large enough to have guys like that are going to have a proprietary system or method of doing things that they will expect you to learn from them.
Avoid ITT and other trade schools, you're better off taking your money, and shitting on it, then lighting it on fire. I had to basically teach myself and search for my own field, and you have to be highly motivated to succeed there. Same is true with any school, but they are, without a doubt, a waste of your time and money. You could probably get the same kind of job offers you'd get after graduating just by going to apply to those jobs now.
I mean if you want to work for the geek squad and have a 2 year degree and are $40,000 in debt and that sounds appealing, go right ahead.
Both of these suggestions are solid gold (or lime, whatever). Thank you.
If there are career opportunities that are along these lines, then these are definitely on the right track.
More advice on these types of roles, and similar roles, and what schooling/training would be applicalbe, would be VERY appreciated.
I will update the OP to reference Sarcastro's suggestions in my "Main Interests" section.
Unfortunately, subcontractor listings as a part of the design team aren't readily available online when researching "who designed the building".
Short of calling google's (or any other company's) corp offices and asking to speak with management team members, i'm not sure how to pursue that one.
Maybe i'm better off just searching directly for IT/systems design consultants.
I'm sure they published in any number of arch. and tech journals. Anything important or impressive, people will have their names all over it so when people say "I want a data center like google" they can find the consulting group that did it.