Being in the IT game for 3 years looking for the next move.

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oneroom

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#113292 12-Jan-2013 11:22

Hey Guys,

I have being in the IT feild for 3 years now,

First year I did desktop support work and the last two years pure system administration work.

So did a little bit of everything from servers to networking to bit of end user work.

I also have a MCSE and currently I am employed at a company and make 48k.

I am looking to hop as I have being here for 2 years and yeah its time.

I will be on the hunt for system engineering role or network administration or other consultant based role within the infrastructure space.

For someone like me what could be the next salary?

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#743722 12-Jan-2013 11:24

I am not familiar with salaries, but make sure you keep an eye on Geekzone Jobs...

JamesL

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#743745 12-Jan-2013 12:53

3 years isn't enough experience to be a decent consultant in my opinion

You need at least 5+ years plus you also need more up to date certs like MCITP as generally you're designing for new technologies rather than 2003.

If you move over to a vendor then as a Sys Admin you could get at least 75k

BuzzLightyear

411 posts

Ultimate Geek

#743746 12-Jan-2013 12:56

For your first Engineering role don't expect a big increase. It will be more an opportunity to prove yourself. Entry level Admin / Engineer probably another 10 - 15k more to start although honestly take the step up even if its only $5k more. If you prove to be good at what you do and specialize in a particular stack you can expect to move above that in 12 months - easily.

oneroom

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#743756 12-Jan-2013 13:34

JamesL: 3 years isn't enough experience to be a decent consultant in my opinion

You need at least 5+ years plus you also need more up to date certs like MCITP as generally you're designing for new technologies rather than 2003.

If you move over to a vendor then as a Sys Admin you could get at least 75k

Wow I can make 75k with 5 years of experience or just 3 that I have?

freitasm

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#743769 12-Jan-2013 14:36

oneroom:
JamesL: You need at least 5+ years plus you also need more up to date certs like MCITP as generally you're designing for new technologies rather than 2003.

If you move over to a vendor then as a Sys Admin you could get at least 75k

Wow I can make 75k with 5 years of experience or just 3 that I have?

I put bold underline for you. It's after five years, moving across as Sysadmin and having more up to date certs.

oneroom

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#743786 12-Jan-2013 15:53

Lol so if i work as deskto support for 2 years anf 3 years as sys admin can i make 75k ciz 5 years of it experience or does it have to be 5 years of pure sys admin experience

BuzzLightyear

411 posts

Ultimate Geek

#743790 12-Jan-2013 16:34

oneroom: Lol so if i work as deskto support for 2 years anf 3 years as sys admin can i make 75k ciz 5 years of it experience or does it have to be 5 years of pure sys admin experience

I think that would really depend on the person. A good sys admin with a couple of years experience could be worth $75k esp with Linux/Unix experience.

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Mark

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#743863 12-Jan-2013 20:47

Spend more years working .. 3 years is to little to jump to an engineering or consulting position, you could try but during the technical part of the interview you'd probably get shredded (unless you are an uber-genius :-), and with NZ being such a small IT market pretty soon everyone will know you got shredded ;-)

What you can do though is try a move to a good name vendor and spend some time/years in their services division, that'll give you some nice hands on with kit with various customers of that vendor, that also gets you known by more people/customers (if you do good .. don't stuff up cause they'll remember that too!) and opens the door to jump further .. plus vendors should train you up as well.

oneroom

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#743891 12-Jan-2013 21:42

Mark: Spend more years working .. 3 years is to little to jump to an engineering or consulting position, you could try but during the technical part of the interview you'd probably get shredded (unless you are an uber-genius :-), and with NZ being such a small IT market pretty soon everyone will know you got shredded ;-)

What you can do though is try a move to a good name vendor and spend some time/years in their services division, that'll give you some nice hands on with kit with various customers of that vendor, that also gets you known by more people/customers (if you do good .. don't stuff up cause they'll remember that too!) and opens the door to jump further .. plus vendors should train you up as well.

Then if your 3 years in IT what are you suppose to do?

Titles do not matter,

It is what you do that matters,

There are graduate consultants, junior consultants, Intermediate consultants and senior consultants

Also there are junior system engineers and intermediate system engineers and senior engineers

To me years in IT do not matter it is what you have done that matters.

I have done alot of heavy server/networking work as well as design work and have consultted and gave advice to members in Client environment and they all listen to me cause I am confident and know what I am talking about.

boby55

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#743908 12-Jan-2013 22:35

oneroom:

To me years in IT do not matter it is what you have done that matters.

I have done alot of heavy server/networking work as well as design work and have consultted and gave advice to members in Client environment and they all listen to me cause I am confident and know what I am talking about.

Then put that in your CV and try your luck with higher paid positions, But I think you will find alot of companies will opt for more experienced members for the higher paying jobs VS somebody who is fresh out of Uni / relativity new to the industry.

amanzi

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#743917 12-Jan-2013 22:59

oneroom: I have done alot of heavy server/networking work as well as design work and have consultted and gave advice to members in Client environment and they all listen to me cause I am confident and know what I am talking about.

There are a lot of softer skills required with consultancy. You need to have at least 5 years of strong technical experience, but it's usually the softer skills that will enable you to move into consultancy. Being able to relate to all levels of customers, from end-user to senior management, is essential. You should also have the ability to write with correct grammar and spelling, and then be able to present your ideas to a room full of customers.

From my own experience, the best technical experience you can get is by working as a field engineer for a vendor. You'll be thrown into all sorts of different environments, you'll learn to think on your toes, and you'll gain experience with a huge range of technologies and products.

Mark

1653 posts

Uber Geek

#743921 12-Jan-2013 23:19

oneroom:

Then if your 3 years in IT what are you suppose to do?

Get more years in IT ?

I'm real sorry but unless a person is stunningly good at their chosen field (you know ... PHd, written papers on the subject, recognised nationally etc) then they are not going to walk out of uni, do a little stint at helldesk and then magically switch over to an uber-$$$ consulting job, for starters HR would bounce the CV as it won't have the correct keywords in it or the employment history profile of someone who can do the job.

It doesn't take long to be in the position you want, just need to do it in steps that are short enough for your personal goals but long enough to not look like a job hopper :-)

3 years experience .... me personally, I'd say the person would need a few sev-1's under their belt to brag about how they saved the day or doomed it in the first place :-) And some good experience in enterprise environments always looks good on the CV.

oneroom

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#743924 12-Jan-2013 23:38

yeah most people who work in IT learn on the job they do not know jack about the job they learn overtime, thats what basically IT is, if you can grunt it out then all good :) thats how the game is

zimbonz

96 posts

Master Geek

#744003 13-Jan-2013 11:07

Ok, I will bite... I haven't quite decided if you are trolling, or serious, I will assume you are serious. If you are, then let me give you some advice. When online, your personality is driven to a large extent by your grammar and punctuation. If you are to be a senior consultant, earning the big $$$, your communication skills need to be spot on - as has been mentioned above.
You are posting in the IT Pro (i.e. a Professional) forum of this website, not a gaming forum. You need to present, or at least practice presenting to us, like you would be a potential employer. Actually I am a potential employer (and several others here are too), but if I am honest (constructive criticism here) I haven't been impressed by your attitude or your communication skills. These are soft skills that are critical to your career development, regardless of your profession.
Also, for someone in the industry for 3 years, claiming to know "how the game works" is laughable. You have a lot to learn - hopefully you will get the chance to. Confidence is a good thing, when it is controlled, and used tactfully.
With regards to your last post - that may be true of some people, all professions have that to some extent. However, if you want to move up in the industry, then it is going to take a lot of effort and hard work. IT is not a get rich quick scheme, where you can wing it, and move up the ladder of your career. Especially in NZ you will be found out, quickly.

Anyway good luck. Get some more experience, update your qualifications, and throw some feelers out. Make sure your written communication gets some polish too.

oneroom

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#744077 13-Jan-2013 14:23

Dude I was using my windows phone when writing my messages.

Go Figure.

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