|
Happyjuice posted:Well I've had my first ever real IT job for the last 8 months, planning on keeping it for at least 4 more if the business stays open (its a little geek squad type place, but the owner is an alcoholic and doesn't come into work much but I'm not sure how much longer this guy is going to keep his shop running) Most outside IT services (helpdesk, server support, consulting) is a lot of guys that know a little bit about a lot of stuff but can think on their feet. What you have is a primer for moving into an entry level position at an outsourced IT company- do this. Find one, interview, and land a gig at 30-35k a year or so. While you do this, continue your schooling (because employers love to see that you are furthering yourself) and maybe get a Network+ certification or something. Keep living at home, that's always a good deal. Within a few years you'll have your degree and a high paying job and your experience will take you wherever you feel like going. Consultants usually interview well due to their high exposure to multiple technologies. Edit: What am I saying, IT support is hell. Sell your belongings, buy a rifle and an axe and pull an "Alone in the Wilderness". Check in ten years from now. Defghanistan fucked around with this message at 19:18 on Sep 21, 2010 |
#
?
Sep 21, 2010 19:15
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 05:11 |
|
|
Help desk isn't always awful. My favorite job ever was working at a campus computer lab during my university years. What was said above about thinking fast on your feet is true though. I would help users with Macs (that I never used) and Excel/PowerPoint (that I never used.) The computer guy is essentially someone who is willing to think about the problem and work towards the solution, as opposed to the guy who knows everything.
|
|
#
?
Sep 21, 2010 21:12
|
|
|
I need some advice. A reputable tech school (Steven's Institute of Technology) offers a Masters in Service Oriented Computing. The degree is very open and other than a few required courses, it lets you choose a lot. It also seems a bit more tailored to what I want to be doing. Courses include teaching stuff like Java, C#, ASP.Net, a course on HTML + CSS + XHTML, a course on PHP + MySQL + JavaScript, some interface design, Agile software development, etc, a wide variety. A couple of electives include courses I'd really like to take: Mobile Design, Social Network Desk, eCommerce. So, would a Masters like this be looked down upon like an Information Systems major? It seems way more tech-focused than an Information Systems, and specifically focused on things I'm interested in more. Good Will Punting fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Sep 22, 2010 |
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2010 00:24
|
|
|
You've already been to school. Why would you want to go to school again? Can't you learn on your own at this point? The only thing you're missing at this point is experience and initiative. HTFU.
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2010 04:32
|
|
|
Nija posted:You've already been to school. Why would you want to go to school again? Can't you learn on your own at this point? I am no expert but doesn't a masters degree require you to have X years of real world work experience to get in? Perhaps he has already been out on his own being a productive member of society. Beatladdius, if you have got your four year and you've already been working in your field of choice and want to go back to school to get your masters to obtain some higher position then by all means, it's a great idea. If you're going for a masters to avoid getting a job, don't do that. Now more than ever experience is winning over schooling. Companies want people that can get the job done, not just people who look good on paper.
|
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2010 16:00
|
|
|
Well, both posters above me, it's pretty evident that you didn't read my post on the previous page. I have a job that I hate and could not have any less interest in pursuing a career path similar to this one. I have had zero luck finding anything in "my field" or anything I'd be remotely interested in since February. And yes, I have been looking. I've been at my current job 4 months (since I graduated). Is that not enough to say I dislike it? I question how useful it is to hold a job in a field you really have no desire to go into. Sure I can say "Well, I held a job! I worked!" but when companies look for experience in areas I'm interested in, they will see nothing. There's a difference between hardening the gently caress up and going back to school for an extra year when the economy is in the shitter, you hate your current position, have the motivation + resources to do so + lack any serious financial commitments. But I guess I should just "HTFU" and not try to find something I enjoy/don't mind doing. Edit 2: Also, I'd obviously be interning while in school and getting experience at the same time. Good Will Punting fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Sep 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Sep 22, 2010 23:31
|
|
|
Beatladdius posted:Well, both posters above me, it's pretty evident that you didn't read my post on the previous page. Edit: Went back and read. My advice is to take a lovely job that will let you pick up experience and skills. University IT would fit the bill. Stevens Institute of Technology is reputable in the sense that it's not a community college. Maybe we have different standards, but when I think "fairly reputable" I think, say, Purdue or Georgia tech. But in your situation, I think you need to suck it up, take a low paying job, and learn some skills. It'll be a hell of a lot cheaper than a master's maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Sep 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 00:29
|
|
|
GregNorc posted:Edit: Went back and read. I have no problem taking a low paying job in something I'm interested in learning about. I'd even take an internship. My problem is that I'm having serious trouble landing anything I'm remotely interested in. There are too many people with more experience than me willing to work for less since the job market is just that lovely. As I (believe) I said in my other post, I'm just working to brush up and advance things I'm interested in during my off time, hoping at some point something will come up. Saving up the money I'm making here so if I do get offered a lower paying job/internship, I've got some cash to fall back onto. Good Will Punting fucked around with this message at 00:51 on Sep 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 00:49
|
|
|
Beatladdius posted:I have no problem taking a low paying job in something I'm interested in learning about. I'd even take an internship. My problem is that I'm having serious trouble landing anything I'm remotely interested in. There are too many people with more experience than me willing to work for less since the job market is just that lovely. If it'll let you learn, take it, even if it's minimum wage. You can't be choosy. If you have to move to find it, do it. Again, look at university IT depts. You might have to move, but you'll get more than minimum wage probably, health benefits, and learn a lot.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 01:13
|
|
|
I don't understand why so many "Entry Level" development jobs list experience in a million loving different things. Why the gently caress are these jobs listed as Entry Level? Doesn't entry level insinuate minimal professional experience in the field?
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 03:09
|
|
|
I've been out of school for 2+ years now doing general Linux IT work both at a retail company as well as a high frequency trading company both in Chicago. I really enjoy the work, I kinda fell into Linux when I was doing a few internships during my college years and have really enjoyed it, mostly the problem solving which I find challenging. I would like to move to a project management role some time though after I've had a few more years of development of my technical skills. At my current company I feel I could move into that role but would be more project management but garnering a senior title I think would be more advantageous. As for any systems guys looking for work, don't pass up anything in the trading industry especially if it involves high speed trading. You get to work cutting edge network and server equipment and pay and bonuses are top notch.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 03:23
|
|
|
Beatladdius posted:I don't understand why so many "Entry Level" development jobs list experience in a million loving different things. Why the gently caress are these jobs listed as Entry Level? Doesn't entry level insinuate minimal professional experience in the field? It's some stupid HR trick to filter out unambitious people. Whatever! What matters is whether you can hold your own next to someone who did those things for X years. If you have never been paid to write a Perl script but you can intelligently talk about hashes of anonymous subroutine references, go ahead and apply.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 04:25
|
|
|
Console Parade posted:It's some stupid HR trick to filter out unambitious people. Whatever! Or sometimes it's a posting designed to prove there are no "qualified" candidates so they can bring in H1-Bs. But much more likely, it's just a list of what they _want_, not what they expect. Apply anyways.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 05:08
|
|
|
Beatladdius posted:I don't understand why so many "Entry Level" development jobs list experience in a million loving different things. Why the gently caress are these jobs listed as Entry Level? Doesn't entry level insinuate minimal professional experience in the field? That or they want a high-quality candidate but don't have the budget to pay market rate for one. They might not really be after a grad, but apply away. And if it makes you feel any better, I've seen at least one ad for level 1 support technicians requiring "at least" a MCITP/CCNA "if not" a university qualification.  It's entirely possible they're trying to discourage completely unqualified applicants from applying, but requiring a cert/degree to do level 1 support is a bit over the top.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2010 09:06
|
|
|
I have been working as a ASP.NET/C# Web developer for around two years now, and I think I would really be happier being a sys admin/ network admin. I have some experience doing network administration while interning during college. I have a bachelors in Information Technology. What can I do to make myself a possible candidate for a sys/network admin position? Are these positions really all they are cracked up to be. The Sys Ads I have talked to seem to be really enjoying their job. I am getting tired of programming and would really like a change to something more hands on. I am a DoD contractor with a clearance if that makes anything easier.
|
|
#
?
Oct 1, 2010 22:46
|
|
|
Beatladdius posted:I don't understand why so many "Entry Level" development jobs list experience in a million loving different things. Why the gently caress are these jobs listed as Entry Level? Doesn't entry level insinuate minimal professional experience in the field? Having worked in development for a few years now I've also been sitting right next to my manager when they were drawing up job adverts and it basically went like this -  (manager, has no education past high school and no technical understanding) I'm writing up a job ad, what qualifications do you need to do your job? (senior developer making sure they sound important enough) *lists off a reel of technologies with multiple years of experience required for each one*(5 months later) They say there's a job shortage but nobody has applied for this job advert we wrote up?Obviously this is completely circumstantial, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's typical of how development job listings get written up.
|
|
#
?
Oct 2, 2010 00:21
|
|
|
Asspire posted:I have been working as a ASP.NET/C# Web developer for around two years now, and I think I would really be happier being a sys admin/ network admin. I have some experience doing network administration while interning during college. I have a bachelors in Information Technology. What can I do to make myself a possible candidate for a sys/network admin position? Are these positions really all they are cracked up to be. The Sys Ads I have talked to seem to be really enjoying their job. I am getting tired of programming and would really like a change to something more hands on. Have you considered looking for a job as a developer outside of government? Speaking from experience, leaving government was the best thing I ever did (after 6 years of misery).
|
|
#
?
Oct 4, 2010 14:45
|
|
|
Defghanistan posted:Most outside IT services (helpdesk, server support, consulting) is a lot of guys that know a little bit about a lot of stuff but can think on their feet. What you have is a primer for moving into an entry level position at an outsourced IT company- do this. Find one, interview, and land a gig at 30-35k a year or so. Just curious: would eight years of IT experience qualify me for an outsourced IT company? My bachelors is in Electronic Media (web- and media-based stuff, I've got F2F and tech writing experience) and spent most of my career so far keeping obsolete poo poo running. Non-profits, but I'm looking for something that could make me stand out and possibly bring in some cash. Any help is greatly appreciated. I don't know where to go IT-wise anymore.
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2010 02:37
|
|
|
Theonlydk posted:Anyone that is interested in the GS side of the house for IA I highly recommend getting the Security+ and then the CISSP. It is getting to the point where when we go to higher network engineers and they have to have it. For those that want to pursue the CISSP I recommend what Mighty_Ferguson mentioned with CCCURE.org. Cool, I'm just getting into the IA side of the govt. I'll take a look at those guides since I'm just about to start my training.
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2010 22:20
|
|
|
Asspire posted:I have been working as a ASP.NET/C# Web developer for around two years now, and I think I would really be happier being a sys admin/ network admin. ..... DoD IT is a pretty dull job for everyone that I've talked to. The grass is always greener on the other side when it comes to jobs, believe me. I was a defense software developer for a while as well and am now outside defense as a datacenter automation guy straddling IT and software development. It's worked swell for me, but I wouldn't be where I am without taking some initiatives in taking opportunities that were tangential to my job. It gets harder to do such a thing in a larger company, so a start-up may be appropriate for you.
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2010 05:53
|
|
|
Mad Doctor Cthulhu posted:Just curious: would eight years of IT experience qualify me for an outsourced IT company? My bachelors is in Electronic Media (web- and media-based stuff, I've got F2F and tech writing experience) and spent most of my career so far keeping obsolete poo poo running. Non-profits, but I'm looking for something that could make me stand out and possibly bring in some cash. Oh jesus yes. The only experience I had when I got my first network admin position in a consulting company was building crappy networks at LAN parties and building/troubleshooting my own PC's for years. I think I mentioned it earlier but consulting companies more often than not want to see that you are: 1. Personable 2. Confident 3. Smart (think on your feet) 4. Reliable 5. Mature (manage your time well and don't screw off when nobody is watching- I am posting on SA right now instead of doing disaster recovery documentation so clearly I do not meet this requirement) 6. Technically savvy. This is listed last because there's a lot that can be taught and very quickly. I went from a Geek Squad level PC guy (dont worry I never worked at Geek Squad) to a pretty solid admin in about six months. Avoid non-profits as much as you can. They tend to be a house of cards in terms of their IT infrastructure. I will never, ever consult for a non-profit again. Let me know if you want more specific help, but refer to points 1-6 for a basic primer on how to get on at a small consulting firm.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2010 19:14
|
|
|
Defghanistan posted:Oh jesus yes. The only experience I had when I got my first network admin position in a consulting company was building crappy networks at LAN parties and building/troubleshooting my own PC's for years. I'd love more help. I don't even know where to find these companies, much less get into them. Despite my years of experience the finer points of finding IT work outside of crappy non-profits are lost on me. Should we go to email for this or continue in the thread?
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2010 01:12
|
|
|
Alright, I'm a 'Systems Consultant' (server and network generalist) for a medium sized Canadian consulting company/VAR. I've been here 3 years, and in 'enterprise' level IT in some form for roughly 5 years now. I'm 25. I have no post-secondary (got in during the boom). I'm worried this may be holding me back from moving my career into Technical Business Analysis, or Account Management. Should I go to school, and get a Bachelor or Commerce or Business? Or should I continue working my sack off here? Honestly I'm not even sure what I want my career to look like in 5 years. I just know I enjoy client relations and designing technical solutions.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2010 17:11
|
|
|
So I'm currently an SAP consultant (functional side). I got into the job (technology consultant) thinking I'd be learning some technical things. I was very wrong - this job sucks. My passion is for computers. I was a business major (accounting and finance) but I really should have been a CS or MIS major because that's what I enjoy. So now I'm looking for a change of careers. I think I'd like to move into the CTO/CIO track. However, I have no idea how to get there. I don't have any formal experience with computers. I just really enjoy working with them and on my projects, I'm the guy who figures out how to do it better/faster with whatever programs/technology we've got (usually pretty tame tho - Excel, Sharepoint etc.) I don't even know a programming language. Sounds pretty bleak, but I want to learn and move on to that path. Any ideas for how to start? I was thinking of looking at like a CCNA cert for starts. Anyone have any advice?
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2010 02:43
|
|
|
This thread seems to be the place to ask short career questions, so here goes. I've a Bachelor in Comp Sci and have been a full-time codemonkey for a couple of years now. I like to think I'm decent enough at my job and I seem to be very well liked in my tiny company, but I'm realising that being a coder is making me depressed and is really not my thing. In my studies, I found the management and software engineering concepts the most enjoyable, and generally find myself much more interested in the management and business side of things. I've done a little bit of freelance work which helped me develop good personal skills and I'm after a job where I actually get to talk to people and not sit behind a glowing screen writing code all day. I'd love to go back to university and am considering a Masters in Business. Would that open any doors into consulting or management-related roles, or would it generally be a diversion at best and waste of time at worst?
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2010 22:30
|
|
|
Lowness 72 posted:So I'm currently an SAP consultant (functional side). I got into the job (technology consultant) thinking I'd be learning some technical things. I was very wrong - this job sucks. We seem to be heading in exactly the same direction. I work part-time as a broker at a very small company, and ended up on board for revising(read as: creating) their IT processes. This is essentially the role of the CIO, and I realized that would be a pretty cool path to be on. I'm currently pursuing a more traditional 9-5 to make some money, as they're really not in a position to pay for what they need right now. I'm looking at getting my CCNA to fill in some blanks in my skillset and try to make myself a little more valuable. I'm 29, and after a decade in IT, it's either move up or move out for me. I'd say it ultimately depends on what you want to do. A CIO is usually looking at internal business processes and trying to smooth technological roadbumps that come up, and implement whatever practices that comes with. CTOs are more likely to be working with customer-facing operations, and the company's public offerings. Either could involve hardware or software. I'd say just start with whatever you're interested in at the moment, get some experience under your belt, and play around with a few different areas of IT. It will be much easier to pursue a career path you can stand; don't slave yourself to networking, software, or whatever else if you want to jump out a window at 5pm every day. Develop(or refine) your problem-solving skills, figure out why businesses do the things they do. Ultimately, if you can help a business spend less/make more, they'd be hard-pressed to say no.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2010 08:33
|
|
|
Going to try to give whatever advice I can, but before I do let me give a brief history of my career so that you know how much salt to take this advice with. Graduated highschool with a decent GPA Dropped out of college after 8 months from Devry (attending Devry was a bad choice, dropping out was a good choice) Went back to my teenage job of concrete construction in my dads company Got a job at Circuit City in the Computer department Back to concrete While in concrete was in a coffee shop telling a friend on the phone how to install raid drivers and build a raid. Guy across the way stares at my while I am on the phone and gives me a job offer to work at his outsourced IT company. Worked as a network consultant for 1.5 years Left that job for my current position as Network Admin for a fairly successful financial institution in the Seattle area. Mad Doctor Cthulhu posted:I'd love more help. I don't even know where to find these companies, much less get into them. Despite my years of experience the finer points of finding IT work outside of crappy non-profits are lost on me. Should we go to email for this or continue in the thread? Google for outsourced IT in your area. Also contact head hunters and say you're specifically looking to be a consultant with an outsourced IT solutions company. That's all the advice I have for that but hopefully those two things can put you in touch with a few companies, and outsourced IT is doing really well in this market. Mightaswell posted:I have no post-secondary (got in during the boom). I'm worried this may be holding me back from moving my career into Technical Business Analysis, or Account Management. I am in your same position. It's so hard to decide if it's a bad idea or not to go back to college. Tuition costs, loss of advancement in your career, time investment and the biggest question I have is "Will this actually net me a $$$ return equal to or greater than the investment?". I have no answer for that. I think once you hit a certain point in your career without a degree, obtaining a degree might not open any new doors. Now an MBA is a different matter. Anyway I don't know. Lowness 72 posted:So I'm currently an SAP consultant (functional side). I got into the job (technology consultant) thinking I'd be learning some technical things. I was very wrong - this job sucks. Your business major will serve you well, so don't waste any time on regrets. CTO/CIO will both draw heavily on that degree. You have to remember that the higher you get in IT management the less your technical skills will be a road block and the more your management skills will be drawn upon. Even at my level, my IT skills are basically rotting away as my documentation/vendor management/compliance increases. Getting some certs will do two things, get you into a more tech minded spot to give you a firm understanding of the business and also show your employer or future employers that you are furthering yourself by continuing your own education. That's a big deal. Morning Bell posted:I'd love to go back to university and am considering a Masters in Business. Would that open any doors into consulting or management-related roles, or would it generally be a diversion at best and waste of time at worst? Yes it would. Do you have the time/money to pursue it? If you can pay for it in cash (or better yet have an employer pay for it) then go for it. If you will have to obtain loans for it then it becomes a slightly more complicated question, but the basic answer is that yes, it will absolutely open doors into consulting and/or management roles. Please take my responses as opinion and not gospel. I am not an authority on anything, I am just drawing on personal experience. Let me know if anyone has any further questions, and if you'd like please direct any email inquiries to albion9 at live dot com.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2010 18:29
|
|
|
So earlier in this thread it was suggested that I should look into becoming a business analyst and it seems to be a great fit with what I will have and what I want to do when I graduate in may. I am just wondering how realistic my job prospects are. I am attending University of Illinois Urbana Champaign for Computer Engineering. I have been working IT for two and a half years at a computer engineering research building on campus. Mostly doing help desk stuff I am the only person who admins our back ups for the building, we have one set using Backup Exec for most windows and normal debian servers and we use OpenAFS on alot of our debian machines I am currently learning all the ins and outs of backups with that. Other than that we buy/build machines for profs and manage the printers for the building. My GPA is roughly going to be a 2.3. As of now I plan on getting all of my application material in order before the start of second semester in January and I plan on spending most of the semester trying to find a job. The university has alot of engineering career fairs but I doubt that anyone there will be looking for business analysts and with a GPA like mine I wont stand a chance to most other CE majors here. So I plan on mainly applying online, while still going to both the engineering and business career fairs on the off chance someone does want to hire me. The way I see it I hope to be able to land a job based mostly off the college I went to and the fact I am leaving with 2.5 years of IT experience. I am not sure what pay I should be expecting but I have been assuming that I am looking at 40k a year on the low end 60k a year on the high end. Am I being realistic about my expectations for finding a job directly after I graduate? Edit: One other question. I noticed that in the engineering jobs that engineers from UIUC get tend not to drug test. I smoke weed, but I plan on stopping around march or april til after I get a job. I am just wondering if generally business analysts have a drug test when about to be employed. Thunder from Down Under fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Oct 21, 2010 |
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2010 23:46
|
|
|
I've got ~9 years of web application development experience with some DBA and Sys Admin skills. I have some level of experience with PHP and Java but the bulk of my development time has been spent in Python. Right now I'm working for a manufacturing company in a dying industry in a relatively rural area as the lone Software Engineer. I'd really like to get out of this career cul-de-sac but I'm kind of at a loss how to do that since there are very few Python shops nearby. I'd be more than willing to be a sales engineer, consultant, or manager but I'm not sure how to get there from here. Any advice?
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2010 23:58
|
|
|
So I posted above this, figured I'd give a status update a month later. I haven't gotten an interview for a single job I've applied for. I feel like it is my God-given duty to become some sort of Superhero that saves people from going for MICS undergraduate degrees. You really don't have the technical skills to do any sort of finance/accounting/development/networking work at all. It's really terrible. Not even internships want someone with as little experience in everything as I have. I will continue to quest on but poo poo, I'm so lucky I got my current job, even if it's not the path I want to go down at all, cause I'd be without work since graduation. Side note: MICS seems pretty great for an MBA if you were a finance/comp sci undergrad. Seems like there are some really useful graduate MICS MBA programs. Good Will Punting fucked around with this message at 01:50 on Oct 22, 2010 |
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2010 01:41
|
|
|
I don't know what school you went to, but they should have told you an MIS degree is not for development, it's for analysis and design. That's why it's a business degree. Have you been looking for systems/business analyst jobs?
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2010 03:29
|
|
|
I've been pretty fortunate in my career so far. Worked for a small business IT consulting shop summers in college, as well as junior/senior year running the university computer labs and Altiris infrastructure. Got hired right out of college into a field deployment role, managing and installing the it infrastructure for new locations. Been moving positions within the same company since then, up to now basically sysadmin with a desktop focus. Respectable pay (thought it could always be higher), a drat good boss, good people to work with. I'm getting thrown more and more jobs and responsibilities every week, so I must be doing something right. I may have a computer science degree, but it has gently caress-all to do with what i'm doing on a daily basis. At this point it's just a piece of paper and $xx owed to Sallie Mae. While I know I am in no way management material right now, eventually I'd like to do an MBA with an IT focus.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2010 16:26
|
|
|
Defghanistan posted:Going to try to give whatever advice I can, but before I do let me give a brief history of my career so that you know how much salt to take this advice with. Last question: any good head hunters? I'm afraid I'm not really that in tune with anybody who can headhunt for me. Is there somewhere I can start?
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2010 19:09
|
|
|
Lowness 72 posted:So I'm currently an SAP consultant (functional side). I got into the job (technology consultant) thinking I'd be learning some technical things. I was very wrong - this job sucks. My advice would be to work towards ITIL:F and either cisco CCDP or MCITP: EA or both. Then apply for leadership positions at IT consulting companies. My boss has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, and he's a 'Solution Architect' which is a very technical but still managerial role, and I think your education and goals fit nicely with that.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2010 22:40
|
|
|
devmd01 posted:I've been pretty fortunate in my career so far. Don't get an MBA unless your employer is paying for it. If you don't have room to move up at this consulting company, find one that has room to grow so that you can get some leadership and business experience. The important part is that you do have the undergrad degree + experience, which means you are marketable to any HR department.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2010 22:43
|
|
|
Twlight posted:As for any systems guys looking for work, don't pass up anything in the trading industry especially if it involves high speed trading. You get to work cutting edge network and server equipment and pay and bonuses are top notch. This is true. All the companies I've worked for since college have been in the finance/trading industry and they all pay very well. Some advice for people starting out in position they don't like - if you like the company you work for, look for openings or opportunities on different teams/projects. My first couple of months I was on a team I didn't like, but the benefits of the job were so good I didn't want to leave. Eventually I figured out that I had to fight tooth and nail to get on a different team doing work I actually wanted to do. I got lucky in the sense that a position was opening up and I knew about it in advance. I told them I wanted it and was willing to do whatever it takes. So, they gave me a few projects to work on and they realized that I knew what I was doing and switched me over. I am now 100x more satisfied with my job and gaining extremely valuable experience. My new boss isn't exactly the easiest person in the world to work with, but I knew that coming in and it doesn't affect my work whatsoever.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2010 17:11
|
|
|
Should've followed my heart and joined the military. Girlfriend at the time didn't want me to go away and I complied - she then left me for Uni (She was younger) and we rapidly broke up. Couldn't afford the pay cut now, but I have started training to do it part time.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2010 19:34
|
|
|
I've seen a few business analyst jobs in my search and it seems like it might be interesting. The most succinct description I saw in an ad was that the candidate would act as a liaison between business process and tech specialists. This reminded me of the guy from office space who talks to the clients so the techs don't have to. I'm curious: is business analysis an opportunity to facilitate a project and make sure it works for everyone, or is it a redundant paper pusher job (or is that a false dichotomy)? What is the difference between a business analyst and a project manager? Are there any "must read" books for someone in that job role?
Console Parade fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Oct 25, 2010 |
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2010 19:55
|
|
|
Console Parade posted:I've seen a few business analyst jobs in my search and it seems like it might be interesting. The most succinct description I saw in an ad was that the candidate would act as a liaison between business process and tech specialists. This reminded me of the guy from office space who talks to the clients so the techs don't have to. I'm curious: is business analysis an opportunity to facilitate a project and make sure it works for everyone, or is it a redundant paper pusher job (or is that a false dichotomy)? What is the difference between a business analyst and a project manager? Are there any "must read" books for someone in that job role? A Business Analyst is a relatively new job title and as such its duties are inconsistent amongst employers. What you've described is essentially the core of a BA's job, but there's much more than just "talk" involved. Primarily you will be collecting requirements through meetings which you facilitate (and there's specific BA methodologies to this), interviews, etc. Documentation plays a big part of this. The BA is different from the PM in that his/her primarily job will be collecting requirements and presenting them in a usable format. The job's responsibilities are all front loaded across the project's life cycle. The PMP's responsibilities are more evenly spread out amongst the entire project. If there's one must-read it would be the BABOK (Business Analyst Body of Knowledge). It's published by the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysts): http://www.theiiba.org/am/ I can answer a few other questions, although my knowledge of BA comes from working/talking with a group of them and being an IIBA member for a little under a year. Science fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Oct 26, 2010 |
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2010 19:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 05:11 |
|
|
Science posted:
I posted a few pages up with what I am leaving college with looking for a BA job, would you mind looking it over and telling me if what I think will happen is realistic or not.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2010 19:19
|
|