IT Career [Weekly] What would you like to know Wednesday? General Question Thread |
- [Weekly] What would you like to know Wednesday? General Question Thread
- In way, way over my head at my new job. Not sure how to bring it up to boss or if I even should.
- I currently work in first line support and have an interview to work in second line at a different company.. whats the difference?
- My company is constantly joined by women who come here to settle and form a family, leaving me in serious trouble. How can I avoid this from happening?
- Tattoos in the work place
- How much does a degree really matter in the IT field?
- Company internet
- I want to get into Big Data...
- English
- Is an A+ cert still worth it?
- Question about my experience.
- After 2 Years of HelpDesk, what other roles/certs can I take to get a higher pay?
- [UK] Is this recruitment agency trying to scam me?
- Applying for 1st Sysadmin spot. What are the top 10 daily tasks/things every sysadmin should check or work on?
- Just a general question about power cords
- I have a disability which makes typing very hurtful. Which of these career paths involves less typing?
- Anyone in Pre Sales or IT Sales?
- Really want a specific job, should I reach out to the hiring manager via LinkedIn?
- Responsibilities of IT Director vs Sysadmin
- How is it working as a database administrator?
- MSP to internal IT - Counteroffered and conflicted
- Anyone work for Seeq as a Productivity System Administrator?
- Is an IT degree (Undergrad) harder or easier than CS?
- Mid-career IT manager looking for advice on path to CIO
- I want to move from QA to BA. Can any one guide me from where i need to start?
- IT jobs in Nashville as a sex offender
| [Weekly] What would you like to know Wednesday? General Question Thread Posted: 29 Aug 2018 01:12 AM PDT Not every question needs a backstory or long explanation but it is still a question that you would like answered. This is weekly thread is setup to allow a chance for people to ask general questions that they may not feel is worthy of a full post to the sub. Examples:
Please keep things civil and constructive! MOD NOTE: This will be a weekly post on every Wednesday. [link] [comments]  |
| In way, way over my head at my new job. Not sure how to bring it up to boss or if I even should. Posted: 29 Aug 2018 06:26 AM PDT Posted about a week ago, got some pretty great responses, but any advice would be appreciated. Sorry for all the questions this is my first IT job. I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to be recognized, but a couple weeks ago I was hired by a Robert Half-esque staffing company that's local to my area for a state government contract position for 12 weeks. The job was described as a laid back 9-5 position where I'd be essentially inventorying office equipment in several state warehouses. I didn't apply for this position, but I have my resume on Indeed and Monster and the staffing company very aggressively pursued me for about two weeks (I assumed it was a scam because the pay was so ridiculous compared to the description). It was explained that any previous technical knowledge I had would be helpful but that the only knowledge I'd need going in was 'counting to three digit numbers, knowledge of the difference between a desktop and laptop computer, and the patience to stand around at job sites all day recording numbers'. Pay is very good for my area, there's no drug test, no interview process, and starting on the first day I can just walk right in and start working. Sounds like an absolute dream, right? Prior to this I had worked in supermarkets, libraries, bakeries, small scale web development (like making myspace/tumblr themes), and my most recent gig was Geek Squad sales, where the most technical thing I'd had to do was explain to people how to install Malwarebytes over the phone. I'd never made more than $14/hr. I should probably point out that it was pretty clear some technical knowledge was required (how to use a computer, how to use google, typing with keyboard, knowledge of Microsoft Office, things like that), but that it wasn't specified as an IT job. The recruiter described it as 'a step or two below helpdesk, for people who are not sure if computer work is for them but want to give it a try'. I went back to double check for clarity's sake and the resume I'd given them was very clear that my only technical experience was Geek Squad. Well, first day on the job it turns out the boss of this project requested that this team put together a team of 'elite IT professionals' and that this is a very serious time sensitive project because a massive corporation is investing heavily in our state's infrastructure and we're the spearhead for this project. Most of the guys on my team used to be systems administrators and almost all of them know serious programming. That should have been my cue to bow out but the boss had just finished giving a huge speech on how long he'd been waiting for this team to be put together and how much money had been lost so I figured I'd stick it out and see if I could learn the material on the job, I figured worst case scenario they fire me later on and I can collect a few paychecks, but that I'd try my hardest to keep up. I'm currently on my fourth week and I feel like an absolute dumbass. I'm incredibly behind, my boss has made it very clear both privately and publicly that I'm the worst performing member on the team, and I'm pretty sure he just thinks I'm a lazy ass. I bought some technical manuals and A+ cert guides and I've been working through them but they take away from the amount of time I can spend actually working so I get less done than the rest of the group. At lunch all the guys are just sitting around talking in depth with the boss about what their favorite Windows was to try to reverse engineer and I'm just over here like "yeah the most technical thing I've ever done is install a DOS emulator on my Macbook so I can play Xargon's Fury". The actual work is pretty similar to what was described, except I'm supposed to have a homelab, I'm supposed to know how to use a VPN to hack into my office from home, I'm supposed to have a powerful desktop PC with a multi-monitor setup at home, and I'm supposed to be able to write python or powershell scripts on the fly to help with the database stuff. It takes my coworkers 1-2 hours to inventory 100-150 items, it takes me between 8-9 hours or more to do the same work, partially because I have no idea what I'm doing, partially because I'm doing it all manually, and partially I assume because I'm doing it on a 2012 thinkpad I bought specifically for this job, having never used a Windows PC before. Boss is really getting on my case about how the other guys all have 3-4x as much work done as I have. I have no idea what to tell him, or if I should even tell him anything. Maybe I should just wait until they fire me. I feel like it's too late to say "hey so I have no idea what I'm doing" because it's too late for him to hire anyone else. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 04:38 AM PDT Is second line support a big jump from first? Essentially first line escalate to us but this worries me as my experience is being the escalatee not the escalator. What things should second line support know? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 07:37 AM PDT Ok, I don't want to sound sexist, but my problem is simple: I own a company where women come after 30-something years of age when they are ready to have children and settle in life. I currently have 10 women working for me, 6 of which already acted like that, and one of them virtually threatened me to leave and leave me without a few clients if I refused to give her smart working almost everyday. They joined the company, under performed a lot and passively refused to improve by stating, implicitly, that they came here "to settle", so the company has no right to demand anything from them. At the same time, they waited one or two years and then, oh surprise, they turn out pregnant. At one moment, we had 3 women on maternity leave. This is frustrating because they expect the other employees to carry the company's weight while they just clock in their hours and wait it out because who cares, "they are here to form a family, not work". I'm not against women having children, I'm against women who keep their work output low and refuse to get involved and then decide to have children and disappear for months. What am I supposed to do, not hire women? Ask them if they intend to form a family? Come on.... Does this happen often? Is there a way to recognize this sort of behavior? I want to hire women, but I can't keep going like this without stressing myself out and risking the company I built... [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 04:27 AM PDT I was wondering if anyone here that is in the field has any visible tattoos? Are there people in your office that have tattoos that are visible? Do you know how your company feels or your boss feels about them? I'm curious because we live in a time now where almost everyone has a tattoo. A lot of which are in places that can be seen. Whether it be hand tattoos a sleeve or even a neck tattoo. Working in this field for a company is a new concept for me. So I'm curious as to everyone's experience with this. If you have visible tats or someone in your office does please comment. Even if you don't but you have thoughts on the subject please leave them. Im in South Carolina which you all know is still stuck in the dark ages. [link] [comments]  |
| How much does a degree really matter in the IT field? Posted: 28 Aug 2018 03:33 PM PDT I mean does a degree really count for much in the IT field, or does a higher degree mean a higher position, or does it guarantee you a pay raise. Please explain the significance of an IT degree [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 08:49 AM PDT If I connect my iPhone to my company's internet by using my already connected laptop as hotspot can what I do on my iPhone be monitored? [link] [comments]  |
| I want to get into Big Data... Posted: 29 Aug 2018 08:49 AM PDT ...or at least I think I do. I've been doing system admin work for a long time. Something about doing things with all the data the flows into a company is a bit interesting. But is it as interesting as it seems? What does the day to day off a Big data engineer look like? What are the many areas of Big data that folks can get involved with on the backend? How much complex coding is involved? From a financial staff point, how would you assume the transition is from senior systems admin to a job in Big Data? What might I be missing and what questions should I ask myself before i start studying? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 08:24 AM PDT Hello r/ITCareerQuestions! I'm going into my junior year of highschool, and have been making some adjustments to my schedule. I dropped my AP English class in order to take AP Compsci. I understand compsci is vital for IT, but what about English classes? Will those be necessary/practical when considering a career in IT? Thanks! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 07:31 AM PDT Hey all. I'm currently working in a weird roll(s) as an internal IT coordinator between our MSP and our company, desktop support, and a bit of sysadmin. I've been doing this for about 2 years now. I'm looking at getting my A+ cert. The company I work for has offered to pay for it, but I'm wonder if it's still worth getting? Should I aim to get something more focused like network+ or security+ or maybe an MCSA? Eventually I'm wanting to eventually go the route of network administrator or systems administration. With this said, what would be my best option for getting certs? Thanks for the help! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 07:20 AM PDT So I would love nothing more than to finally get into the IT field and do what I love which is networking administration of some sort. Now I'm currently working for ATT as a internet, TV and phone installer and I'm curious as to how much IT experience I have for example when they ask how many years. Now I've always been the family computer guy and ive built several computers, I know this isnt relative to getting a job but I'm very familiar with tech. Ive been at my current job for 4 years now I'm age 25 btw and I feel as if it has alot of IT related experience that I should be putting on my resume for a potential entry position. So about my job I'll just mainly list what I think is IT related about my job. CatV and Cat3 and coax are my best friends I've terminated thousands of rj45 and punchdown blocks. Also have plenty of experience with fiber and putting SC connectors on fiber. My job requires when I connect the internet that all devices be connected and verified working as well, now this is where I feel alot of experience comes in because I've connected and trobleshot everything from modems, basic switches, routers, WAPs, printers, desktop PCs, laptops, VOIP phones you name it. Alot of the time it was actually they gave me a pile of devices and cords and I plugged everything up for them. Ive dealt with alot of weird shit from technology troubleshooting wise. Lastly what I would consider the biggest experience is about once or twice a month I would go with a network admin of sort, contracted by ATT and I would help him setup a commercial buisness like setting up the equitment rack putting the VOIP phones and printer and PCs in the right place and I would enter the IP, Subenet and DNS that he gave me in everything and ensure connectivity. Now after all that (thanks for reading) I would like for any input as to what I can put on my resume, because I've been doing this for four years now but I dont think I can safely put down four years IT experience. What would you put? Also if it matters I should be A+ certified in like a month or two tops but I'd like to start applying now to jobs, should I put that I'm pursuing my A+ or what? [link] [comments]  |
| After 2 Years of HelpDesk, what other roles/certs can I take to get a higher pay? Posted: 29 Aug 2018 06:46 AM PDT I know that certifications don't guarantee a job and the main thing is mastery over a subject. Just wanted some suggestions as I was considering developing my skillset to be able to get more lucrative positions like Network Engineer, Salesforce Admin, or Security Analyst. [link] [comments]  |
| [UK] Is this recruitment agency trying to scam me? Posted: 29 Aug 2018 10:19 AM PDT I recently had a phone call from QA Consulting saying they had an opportunity that matched me CV. I assume they had my CV on file from when I was mass applying to jobs on indeed. As the conversation went on I became more and more suspicious as it seemed too good to be true. The basic summary of what they were saying to me is BAE Systems has paid them money to find people and train them to be full stack developers and once the training by the consulting firm is completed I will have a guarenteed position at BAE. They have said while getting trained I will be making £20k pa and this will go up to £26k pa once I have completed my training. Now I am aware of many consulting firms trying to charge candidates to have this training as part of a scam. But this particular offer doesn't seem to be charging me for the training. Is this actually a scam? Should I continue with the process and keep an eye out for anything? I have recently completed my studies in Comp Sci at uni so a job at BAE would be great for me. However, I don't want to waste my time if this is a scam. Any advice? If you need more info please let me know. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 09:12 AM PDT I'm trying to think of how to be efficient without being overloaded with things I don't know about yet. Off the top of my head:
Obviously it will highly depend on the culture and type of place you're working in. This is a restaurant/brewery network so I will be working across time zones too [link] [comments]  |
| Just a general question about power cords Posted: 29 Aug 2018 08:50 AM PDT I work IT at a small office. We use to have a second location. I was tasked with go getting the switches and some other hardware. All of our power cords were bundled together with cords from other offices so I just unplugged our stuff and took it and left the power cords there because I was in a hurry. Is it dickish of me to cut the zip ties on the cord bundle and take our cords? Should I re zip tie the bundle after I take my cords? Or just leave it? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 29 Aug 2018 08:34 AM PDT My hands hurt more the more I type. It is a disability that does not have a cure. The only way to lessen the pain is by not typing, or taking frequent breaks as I'm typing. Given that, I am a recent CS graduate, and I am trying to decide whether to make software engineering/programming OR database development/database administration my career. Whichever career involves more thinking instead of more typing, and whichever career allows more rest for my hands in between typing, I am going to choose that career. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks. [link] [comments]  |
| Anyone in Pre Sales or IT Sales? Posted: 29 Aug 2018 08:28 AM PDT Hi everyone, Recently started to gain interest in the field of Pre Sales in IT. Does anyone have any experience in this. What's the path you took to break into sales. I am a senior in college obtaining a BS in Computer Information Systems soon. My degree is very business heavy at my University. I have done 3 internships so far in Help Desk/Support related roles.. but want to get out of the technical side of things and move into a more "business" side of IT. Anyone have any experience or tips for me? [link] [comments]  |
| Really want a specific job, should I reach out to the hiring manager via LinkedIn? Posted: 29 Aug 2018 07:21 AM PDT I'm kind of at a crossroads in my career. I've been an IT Business Analyst for a while and love the work, but want to get into a managerial role. There's a job posting that completely fits my experience and seems like exactly what I want (as an Information Systems Manager). I'm afraid of just applying online and my resume disappearing into the aether. I really want this job (it's 1.5 hours closer to home, it's 50 times smaller than my current org and has a community feel about it that seems amazing... Plus the description is exactly what I love doing). Would it be presumptuous to reach out to the guy i'd report to directly after submitting through the proper channels? Or are there other suggestions that I may be able to use to perhaps get a leg up? Thanks! [link] [comments]  |
| Responsibilities of IT Director vs Sysadmin Posted: 29 Aug 2018 07:06 AM PDT Morning all, just wanted to get a feel from the community regarding this. I have been the sole sysadmin for a 50 person company for the last year and a half with no direction or real management. We just hired a Director of IT, and I am curious what that position means in your company? Where is the line between Director and Sysadmin responsibilities? Anyone else been through this kind of transition? [link] [comments]  |
| How is it working as a database administrator? Posted: 29 Aug 2018 06:55 AM PDT I've searched google for answers to what a database administrator / analyst does but I'm asking for more anecdotal experience on what being a DBA is like. I imagine the job involves running queries to keep data clean and correct, taking requests for database "pulls" and writing short scripts to extract data. Maybe writing code to make data corrections within the database as well as writing code to add additional information/columns to the database? Is that the jist of it? Is there more or am I wrong about something? Additionally, does the job tend to operate mostly on project completion by specific deadlines? Meaning, would I be given X number of projects due at Y date(s) and if I got through these projects prior to the due dates I can more or less use my time liberally (work on side projects, inconspicuously browse reddit, or even leave early)? I am looking for work focused on task completion where my effort is rewarded either with time off or greater pay. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to address my questions. [link] [comments]  |
| MSP to internal IT - Counteroffered and conflicted Posted: 29 Aug 2018 06:47 AM PDT Feeling the stress and miles of driving, I started searching for work in city - received an offer for a small company (20-60) employees, that's right on the commuter rail line, and would be very convenient to get to. My current job is as an MSP engineer- driving +100 miles a day to go between customers, as well as juggling phone tickets from other customers while onsite somewhere else. Current job is paying 53k, new job is 60. When I put my notice in, the MSP counter offered me 67.5 to stay with them. I'm seriously conflicted here- the smaller company is quiet and growing, with really good benefits and a solid 5k a year raise structure built in, but the short term cash increase would be really nice too. [link] [comments]  |
| Anyone work for Seeq as a Productivity System Administrator? Posted: 29 Aug 2018 05:52 AM PDT I found the posting for it under virtualvocations. Anybody have any experience with it? It looks like they are rated well under Glassdoor. Can anybody speculate as to what the salary would be? [link] [comments]  |
| Is an IT degree (Undergrad) harder or easier than CS? Posted: 28 Aug 2018 04:32 PM PDT Which one would you recommend if interested in problem solving and quite talented in sixth form Computer Science and programming, but also very lazy to put in too many hours of studying. And also not a huge fan of Math. [link] [comments]  |
| Mid-career IT manager looking for advice on path to CIO Posted: 28 Aug 2018 11:10 PM PDT I apologize in advance for the long post, but I've spent the last couple of nights reading the questions and feedback, and have a lot of respect for the knowledge, experience, and interest everyone in this community shares with each other, so I'm posting a thorough account of my background and questions, in the hopes that I can get some sage advice from those that have gone before me. A little background-- I'm mid-career, with about 20 years to go before retirement, and I manage a small IT team and an implementation team for a mid-sized software company ( 50-100 employees) in the healthcare sector. I've been managing both teams for about 5 years, and have initiated IT/business projects that have improved business continuity, disaster recovery, IT governance, and various other business specific objectives. For the preceding 5 years, at the same company, I was a (pre) sales engineer who also did implementation work in our product, created and conducted paid training curriculum, and contributed to product management processes via user story stakeholder activity and QA activity on upcoming features. Prior to my current company, I have about 7 years of various technical/computer related jobs, from technical support rep for manufacturing companies, to ERP implementation team member. In summary, while I never worked in IT "proper", I've been IT "adjacent" for a long time, and have a long history, at each stop, of being the guy that is asked to help IT with their projects during office moves, personnel shortages, etc. Education wise, I was a physics major at a state university, and I received a great job offer as I was about to start my senior year. Money was tight, G.I. Bill benefits were running out, I was raising a small family, and decided to postpone school to provide for my family. Which brings me to my current crossroads. Given my lack of degree, varied professional background, and 5 years of IT/Implementation team management experience under my belt, I've recently decided that I'd like to pursue an executive level position in IT. My objective would be to retire as a CIO-- but CISO is also an intriguing option. I feel that those roles are the logical summit to my long career path, as while I love technology, my true passion is in leveraging technology to increase business value, and in leading teams of highly intelligent people. My issue is this: without the benefit of having the background of experience of the IT guy "in the trenches", I have little to no expertise in system administration, network administration, technical security, or any other "pure" IT core competency. My specialty is in building and leading effective teams, providing strategies that align with (and ideally, create) business goals, and being the liaison between the technical experts I lead, and the executive team. So, my question to the executive level IT folks out there that have walked this path, or for anyone that has first-hand knowledge (e.g., HR or recruiters) of how these scenarios typically play out-- given my experience and background, what is more important at this juncture:
Following completion of either undergraduate degree, my next move would be to immediately enroll to complete my MBA in IT Management. Thanks, again, for your time and consideration! [link] [comments]  |
| I want to move from QA to BA. Can any one guide me from where i need to start? Posted: 29 Aug 2018 02:25 AM PDT Hi All, I have 3.5 years of experience in Manual and Automation Testing. But i dont think there is much future in the QA. So now i want to move to Business Analyst profile. Please let me know how to prepare for the BA profile? [link] [comments]  |
| IT jobs in Nashville as a sex offender Posted: 29 Aug 2018 06:02 AM PDT Obligatory throwaway for obvious reasons... My legal facts: I am a convicted sex offender for a misdemeanor sex offense. No prison time. Probation only. Probation is complete, and I have ~3 years left that I'm required to register as a sex offender. My wife and I moved to the Nashville area to be closer to family and rebuild my life. I have completed sex offender treatment and have a letter from the state of my conviction stating that I am extremely low risk to reoffend. This is also my only offense. I've not had so much as a speeding ticket since then. However, in TN, there ARE no misdemeanor sex offenses, and everyone is looked at as if they're the ice-cream-truck-pedophile. The stigma is real, folks. My education: Since my conviction, I have gotten a BS and MS in Computer Science from a State University and will be completing another MS in Business Intelligence and Analytics in December. I have had excellent grades, and would be able to provide excellent references from my professors, some of whom know about my past. Once this second MS is completed, all of my veterans education funding will be gone. I haven't done a lot of projects outside of class (I know, I know...), but have started working on things to put in a portfolio that I could show potential employers aside from my resume. My problem: With my resume, I have no problems getting interviews. I haven't since I started applying for jobs after undergrad. The problem has been two-fold: either I get an offer for a company that is in an exclusion zone (1000' from a park/school/library/etc - pretty much all of Nashville-Metro), or they run the background check and I'm disqualified. I have since stopped applying to organizations within exclusion zones, or if I'm REALLY interested in them, I tell them that I could work for them as a 1099 employee (self-employed/contract). I am now also upfront with people about my past. I'd rather hear the "no" before I get my hopes up. Still, I almost never hear back from people, and if I do, it's usually a "we'd love to have you, but we just can't" situation. All-in-all, I have had better conversations with potential employers this way, which I consider a win. For now, anyway. I know what kind of work I'd LIKE to do (data/databases/analysis), but it really feels like a "beggars can't be choosers" kind of situation for me. So, for now, I've just been shotgunning applications to anywhere that's hiring in my geographic area, as well as sending some applications outside of the area for jobs that I'm actually interested in. My questions: If you were in my shoes, what more would you do? If you saw an applicant in my situation, what would you do? What technologies/skill sets could I spend the next few months really mastering to better my employment chances? What other advice do you have? If you've read this far, thank you very much for your time. It's not a fun situation by any means, but I have a great support system of friends and family. [link] [comments]  |
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