Figuring out next steps in IT career or change?
October 5, 2015 8:37 AM Subscribe
Have a general bachelor's degree and coming up on 10 years as a Helpdesk technician. I work for local government and make pretty good money (for a Helpdesk field tech guy... Probably 5 bucks more an hour than industry standard). However, I'm bored out of my mind and my motivation is definitely waning. Thinking of programming but not sure whether I would benefit more from an Associates or a dev bootcamp.
I hate theoretical stuff and much prefer hands on work. I'm an ISTP (the mechanic) so am very good at troubleshooting. However, I just so rarely run into new problems anymore and a lot of my job is the stuff I hate doing like equipment placements. There's no real thought involved.
I have my A+ and recently Network+ because of work. I really struggled getting any motivation to study for the Network+. I wasnt overwhelmed with it but just no initiative to actually do it until the last minute (and honestly, I didn't really care if I passed or not even though work was paying for it. So bad, but the truth) I have discovered that while I enjoy hands on stuff, I really dislike theory. I've also found that I'm just not as technically savvy as my coworkers. I'm great at my job and finding solutions but a lot of my coworkers really live and breathe IT. I just don't. I'm a troubleshooter and love having a problem in front of me to fix. The problem is often that I solve them very quickly and then find myself back in idle mode. I need to be constantly busy/challenged or I languish. My motivation has been dying at work and I know my bosses see it but the customers love me. They adore my speed and service so I think they overlook my increased laziness and lack of motivation. I repeatedly win service awards at the various employers so I get leeway often I think. I'm pretty sure I'm burnt out on Helpdesk but don't really have the theoretical interest to work on higher certifications. I've had programming suggested to me often through career testing and did alright in my c+ class in college. I'm a logical person so it makes sense that it would be suggested. Still trying to come to a decision but would I benefit more from a dev bootcamp or going back for an Associates? I'm still paying back my student loans so another Bachelors isn't an option (plus I've read that a CS degree is largely theoretical and that'd make me crazy. Give me a hands on problem lab every day of the week. Hoping some other ISTPs, programmers or IT folks have some suggestions.
I hate theoretical stuff and much prefer hands on work. I'm an ISTP (the mechanic) so am very good at troubleshooting. However, I just so rarely run into new problems anymore and a lot of my job is the stuff I hate doing like equipment placements. There's no real thought involved.
I have my A+ and recently Network+ because of work. I really struggled getting any motivation to study for the Network+. I wasnt overwhelmed with it but just no initiative to actually do it until the last minute (and honestly, I didn't really care if I passed or not even though work was paying for it. So bad, but the truth) I have discovered that while I enjoy hands on stuff, I really dislike theory. I've also found that I'm just not as technically savvy as my coworkers. I'm great at my job and finding solutions but a lot of my coworkers really live and breathe IT. I just don't. I'm a troubleshooter and love having a problem in front of me to fix. The problem is often that I solve them very quickly and then find myself back in idle mode. I need to be constantly busy/challenged or I languish. My motivation has been dying at work and I know my bosses see it but the customers love me. They adore my speed and service so I think they overlook my increased laziness and lack of motivation. I repeatedly win service awards at the various employers so I get leeway often I think. I'm pretty sure I'm burnt out on Helpdesk but don't really have the theoretical interest to work on higher certifications. I've had programming suggested to me often through career testing and did alright in my c+ class in college. I'm a logical person so it makes sense that it would be suggested. Still trying to come to a decision but would I benefit more from a dev bootcamp or going back for an Associates? I'm still paying back my student loans so another Bachelors isn't an option (plus I've read that a CS degree is largely theoretical and that'd make me crazy. Give me a hands on problem lab every day of the week. Hoping some other ISTPs, programmers or IT folks have some suggestions.
You might like being a sys admin. It would keep you in technical puzzles, but there is also a fair amount of project work to do. Depending on where you end up, you could have a lot or a little interaction with those you server. Top end pay is much higher than help desk.
posted by advicepig at 9:38 AM on October 5, 2015
posted by advicepig at 9:38 AM on October 5, 2015
Development degrees aren't.... all that great in practice. If you have a Bachelor's already, just do a bootcamp or two and build up your experience. Places want a Bachelor's degree, but I don't think it matters much what it's in.
(I just finished my BAS in Internet and Web Development and many of the classes were on already outdated technology such as Flash (for my Associates in 2003 I had to take two COBOL Classes!), and only a few in things I really wanted like jQuery/JavaScript/etc)
posted by getawaysticks at 9:58 AM on October 5, 2015
(I just finished my BAS in Internet and Web Development and many of the classes were on already outdated technology such as Flash (for my Associates in 2003 I had to take two COBOL Classes!), and only a few in things I really wanted like jQuery/JavaScript/etc)
posted by getawaysticks at 9:58 AM on October 5, 2015
There have been a couple of questions about programming bootcamps asked here on the Green in the past year or so, with some good advice given; you may wish to review them as I think they are probably applicable. (Also see these tags.)
In short, for a bootcamp to be a good idea, you need to (1) be 100% certain that's what you want to do, because they're typically pretty expensive, both directly and in opportunity costs as they tend to be full time, and (2) be interested in the bootcamp-as-networking angle as much or more than the bootcamp-as-education angle, because the major benefit of most bootcamps is that they give you an 'in' to a particular industry / community or give you lots of experience with a particular toolset. As a general resume line they are generally considered to be weaker than traditional education, at least once you get outside the community that they are run by/for.
If both of those things aren't the case for you at the moment, I'd suggest perhaps looking into taking some basic software development classes at a low-cost institution (e.g. community college or even a nearby public university that has reasonable in-state rates). Even if you later decide to go the bootcamp route, the time spent getting a solid foundation will not be wasted.
Furthermore, just speaking generally, although it's true that a lot of the core classes of a traditional CS curriculum are "theoretical", that's not to say that they don't have practical application. Lots of core courses in a CS or CompEng program (or, for that matter... pretty much any STEM discipline) are theoretical. They're not included just for fun, but because they provide the basis for practical skills. Most people don't want to hire a developer with a weak background in CS theory for a non-trivial coding position, because of the risk that they'll waste a bunch of time reinventing the wheel or implementing a naive solution.
If you already have that sort of background from self-study, great, but if not, a few semesters of traditional CS core classes — particularly OO programming and data structures — might be worth your time and money, and let you get much more out of the bootcamp if and when you go.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:02 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
In short, for a bootcamp to be a good idea, you need to (1) be 100% certain that's what you want to do, because they're typically pretty expensive, both directly and in opportunity costs as they tend to be full time, and (2) be interested in the bootcamp-as-networking angle as much or more than the bootcamp-as-education angle, because the major benefit of most bootcamps is that they give you an 'in' to a particular industry / community or give you lots of experience with a particular toolset. As a general resume line they are generally considered to be weaker than traditional education, at least once you get outside the community that they are run by/for.
If both of those things aren't the case for you at the moment, I'd suggest perhaps looking into taking some basic software development classes at a low-cost institution (e.g. community college or even a nearby public university that has reasonable in-state rates). Even if you later decide to go the bootcamp route, the time spent getting a solid foundation will not be wasted.
Furthermore, just speaking generally, although it's true that a lot of the core classes of a traditional CS curriculum are "theoretical", that's not to say that they don't have practical application. Lots of core courses in a CS or CompEng program (or, for that matter... pretty much any STEM discipline) are theoretical. They're not included just for fun, but because they provide the basis for practical skills. Most people don't want to hire a developer with a weak background in CS theory for a non-trivial coding position, because of the risk that they'll waste a bunch of time reinventing the wheel or implementing a naive solution.
If you already have that sort of background from self-study, great, but if not, a few semesters of traditional CS core classes — particularly OO programming and data structures — might be worth your time and money, and let you get much more out of the bootcamp if and when you go.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:02 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
The IT infrastructure world is changing dramatically at the moment. Speaking as a non-programmer (well, I can script - given time), if you want to stay in IT, I'd suggest getting your head around Openstack. There seems to be a drastic shortage of experienced people there.
posted by Diag at 1:21 PM on October 5, 2015
posted by Diag at 1:21 PM on October 5, 2015
Help Deskers are often good candidates for QA. Might be an easier transition, and if you do some classes for programming on the side, could be a stepping stone to writing software.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:54 PM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by blue_beetle at 9:54 PM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you aren't already messing around with programming languages and tutorials on the Internet, I doubt you're interested in programming all that much. It takes a certain obsession to do well in that field. Many alternatives exist that others have suggested. Saying this now so that you don't come to the same conclusion $10,000.00 later.
posted by oceanjesse at 5:39 AM on October 6, 2015
posted by oceanjesse at 5:39 AM on October 6, 2015
Do you really want to stay in IT? Don't pursue programming if theory doesn't interest you. I say this in all seriousness: How about welding?
posted by LoveHam at 2:59 PM on October 6, 2015
posted by LoveHam at 2:59 PM on October 6, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm thinking that programming isn't a good idea for me. I have been researching trades and the QA bit as well. However, I think I'm pretty much burnt out on IT in general now. I think I'd like to detach myself from my desk. Thank you much for the ideas!
posted by guyarcher at 10:07 AM on October 8, 2015
posted by guyarcher at 10:07 AM on October 8, 2015
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posted by DarlingBri at 9:27 AM on October 5, 2015