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In What Areas of IT/Tech can you expect to work 9 to 5?
Greninja
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I thou of going into Information Technology but like some jobs where theres good work life balance and you are not on call?
Any IT jobs that fit this bill? Where you can leave work at 5pm and come back the next day?
Any IT jobs that fit this bill? Where you can leave work at 5pm and come back the next day?
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IME most IT jobs have pretty good balance.
If you're doing entry level helpdesk/NOC you might get stuck with one of the overnight shifts
If you're a higher up sysadmin you're probably going to get on-call shifts.
But most desktop support and other hands-on types roles are 9-5 for the bulk.
It's really going to depend on how each individual business runs their IT. If they're running short staffed you might get stuck with whole months on call.
If the IT management is bad you're going to get called in more cause everything is always breaking.
How every if they have their shit together your on-call times will be spaced out as everyone on the team takes their turn, and even you'll hardly get called in because things work right, and management didn't let every system become business critical.
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Do not sign a job that can be known for crazy hours as an exempt employee. Do not accept comp time as a substitute, that will not be payed out if you leave the company for any reason.
I worked quite a few 90+ hour weeks in the past without anything to show for it at the end. I will never do that again.
Now, if you're just getting IT, it'll most likely be something like helpdesk, where once you're done you're done.
Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
Forget it...
Really?
Some of the clinics I been in my area close at 430
A 24/7 hospital yea I can see that thou
So desktop support seems to be 9 to 5 thanks for the help man
But does this only happen in government jobs?
This is not possible in private Sector or a non profit?
Help desk is 8-5 M-F, no additional work is required outside those hours.
On call is opt-in and is 24/7 for critical issues(server being down).
Primary technicians do extra after hours work and get compensated with time off - this is mainly for running updates on servers.
If all you want is a 9-5, look for a help desk job that supports companies 9-5.
Most of the devs I work with (I'm the business side) on Prod Support as well as pure Dev are mostly 9-5 type schedules. There are always fire drills, but we do our best to avoid them. At least in fortune 100's, most of the "endless hours" positions have shifted over to contractors or offshore firms, as when you have scripted work, it's easier and better quality to have 2-3 people on shift rotations vs. one really tired guy.
I've never encountered a (US) company that actually had a 9-5 shift. Most companies these days have an 8.5 or 9 hour work day.
In any case, software development, web development, web design, end-user support, and desktop support are your best bets.
System administration and networking are your worst options. Lots of system maintenance has to be done after hours, even in mature environments.
Keep in mind that there are plenty of positions out there even in these categories where employers will expect you to work overtime. At my work, for instance, our end-user support staff works an 8.5-hour day, but a few times a year we ask them to come in on a weekend for a special project or to work an extra shift to cover an absence.
This depends a lot on company culture and you can't trust what employers say in the interview. The best way to figure it out is to get a read on other employees at the workplace. Are people relaxed or stressed out? Do people seem tired? I've found that my instincts about a workplace mean far more than any employment contract.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Work-life balance means a lot more than just working a reasonable shift. I personally don't mind working long hours, but I hate it if I can't schedule my own breaks. (I eat lunch when I'm hungry, dammit, not when the clock says it's time for lunch.)
One of the top predictors of unhappiness at work is commute length. I'd rather spend 2 extra hours at the office if it saves me 1 hour in the car.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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It basically depends on what your company's needs are. As a developer, I'm in the position of "usually a 40 hour week, unless something happens." In which case, I've spent an evening on a 4 hour call. But they're really good about trying to keep that to a minimum.
I saw his other thread and was wondering if his third post will be asking how to apply for a US work visa.
Found a job doing Tech Support level 1 its day shift but no weekends or nights or on call
I hope to full a full time job with no weekends or nights in this field
Exactly. I remember a co-worker and I cam up with alternative lyrics to a well know Queen song during a short coffee break sometime during a 110 hour week. Imagine singing "Who wants to work forever..." and realizing it is more sad than funny.
In general I think the risk of long hours is worst at start-up IT companies and while many also offer lots of perks the reality is the hourly pay is often not great when one does the math.
Not a bad place to start. Kudos.
Eh I guess Ill have to avoid start ups or anything open 24/7.
My health and social life is more important that some long hour abusive role or company.
It's not about IT specifically--it's about the company culture at any particular place.