I'm on the hunt for a new job and have been thinking about a total career change as a possibility as well. I currently work as an IT engineer (network/server admin) and I am bored out of my mind. Outside of working on projects when I truly have work to do and am engaged I probably work less than 5 hours a week. I work for a decently sized accounting firm with over 40 offices and on a day to day basis there just isn't work to do. I know a lot of issues I have with IT are from my current position, number 1 being that I am completely isolated and can go months without seeing a fellow IT worker in person ( everything is conf calls and IMs through skype). I worked for a college previously and was bored there too but at least IT was centralized and the comradery aspect was there.
As crazy as it sounds I'm looking for something that is going to give me more work to do and actually engage me. I just got a job offer for a signal maintainer for a local railroad and it sounded amazing but it was too much of a pay cut in year 1 and no PTO for 2 years so I had to turn it down. I like working with my hands so something along those lines would be cool as well as something that could involve outside work but not a requirement. I'm basically looking for ideas on something that involves spending time away from a desk as that's my main requirement.
Right now I look on indeed for any jobs at like 55k and apply to things that sound interesting but I know there are plenty of places that don't advertise on there so looking for ideas I haven't thought of yet. Not looking to relocate but I have a pretty wide area of PA to search from Wilkes-Barre to Lansdale/Norristownish. I have a BS in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Business Admin and 7 years full time progressive IT experience.
So DFD what careers haven't I thought of or what companies should I look into
Those of you that like your jobs, what do you do?
- ChrisoftheNorth
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Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- NeonJonny
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OP You're an IT engineer? Get a job with a wastwater agency like me. That kinda job sounds like you'd make 100k here. trade off with the 500k houses though. Always new challenges with any position in this field. I post enough shit on snapchat.
- goIftdibrad
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Mechanical Engineer. Pays bills. Wish i was busier and / or had a more interesting job.
Previous job checked alot of those boxes but pay was not aligned with industry, gov contractor BS, company was being badly mismanaged.
Previous job checked alot of those boxes but pay was not aligned with industry, gov contractor BS, company was being badly mismanaged.
brain go brrrrrr
- dtraill27
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The title is a bit more glamorous then the position actually is. I make 63k currently, cost of living is pretty low in my area though. It's plenty of money for me but I'd rather be happier at work and possibly taking a pay cut. Watching the clock and wasting time has gotten incredibly old after 7 years. A local county actually has a wastewater position open but same BS about needing certs/prior experience.
On a side note the whole industry trend to not include salary or salary ranges in postings is infuriating. How is this not a huge waste of time applying/interviewing and then finding out it pays crap.
- NeonJonny
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I can't imagine. Yeah its a tough field to get into if you've never had exposure to it. I'd never be able to be an engineer. My brain is much to small. Don't get me started on electrical engineers.
That's complete bullshit. It should be transparent. Don't stop looking. No one is holding you to where you are.
That's complete bullshit. It should be transparent. Don't stop looking. No one is holding you to where you are.
Try wedding planning!!
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:58 pm At the risk of being sucked into your wedding planner decorative vortex, that is kind of cute.
strangest most lucrative job to date: damage assessor. ~$40-50/hr w/ a lot of over time for a VERY simple job that many people cant do correctly. I just ended a 6mo stint at that. Made up for the lack of work for the past year.
Took a pay cut to work with and in the industrial world, trade off is corp office gig. i get to think and have job stability.
Took a pay cut to work with and in the industrial world, trade off is corp office gig. i get to think and have job stability.
[user not found] wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 12:26 pm I had a job I loved and they took it away from me.
- stripethree
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or a drastic reduction in job stress. Not being on call 24/7 for an jerk CEO has been wonderful.[user not found] wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 12:37 pm I'd take a small cut for stability and regular pay, for sure.
- razr390
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You could always become a or FireFighter
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:05 pm DFD. The forum where everybody makes the same choices and then tells anybody trying to join the club that they are the stupidest motherfucker to ever walk the earth.
- Desertbreh
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By way of example in career shifting, I just set up a corporation yesterday for a guy. His previous job was "Head of Diversity Management" for United Airlines in Chicago. Basically making sure United wasn't all white or all straight. He set up the corporation to start a new business. The business? Washing out the goo from residential trash cans and dumpsters. About as basic as it gets, but the same rules for growing/succeeding in business apply and he becomes his own boss. Is the subject matter stimulating? Nope, and hedtraill27 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 10:17 am I'm on the hunt for a new job and have been thinking about a total career change as a possibility as well. I currently work as an IT engineer (network/server admin) and I am bored out of my mind. Outside of working on projects when I truly have work to do and am engaged I probably work less than 5 hours a week. I work for a decently sized accounting firm with over 40 offices and on a day to day basis there just isn't work to do. I know a lot of issues I have with IT are from my current position, number 1 being that I am completely isolated and can go months without seeing a fellow IT worker in person ( everything is conf calls and IMs through skype). I worked for a college previously and was bored there too but at least IT was centralized and the comradery aspect was there.
As crazy as it sounds I'm looking for something that is going to give me more work to do and actually engage me. I just got a job offer for a signal maintainer for a local railroad and it sounded amazing but it was too much of a pay cut in year 1 and no PTO for 2 years so I had to turn it down. I like working with my hands so something along those lines would be cool as well as something that could involve outside work but not a requirement. I'm basically looking for ideas on something that involves spending time away from a desk as that's my main requirement.
Right now I look on indeed for any jobs at like 55k and apply to things that sound interesting but I know there are plenty of places that don't advertise on there so looking for ideas I haven't thought of yet. Not looking to relocate but I have a pretty wide area of PA to search from Wilkes-Barre to Lansdale/Norristownish. I have a BS in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Business Admin and 7 years full time progressive IT experience.
So DFD what careers haven't I thought of or what companies should I look into
- dtraill27
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I've actually looked in to both, considering volunteer firefighting with my town since they need people. I was really interested in law enforcement and my brother in law just became a state trooper in SC. I got diagnosed with UC back in the fall though so from what I've read its a lot harder to get into the academy with it. I also was really considering the Coast Guard OCS for IT but now thats out because of this stupid disease
- dtraill27
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I have an application out for a property adjuster with Erie insurance. My friend works there and passed my name onto the manager so hopefully I'll be getting contacted for it. I have an interview next week with a community college for a network admin position but I feel like that is just going to be more of the same.dubshow wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 12:30 pm strangest most lucrative job to date: damage assessor. ~$40-50/hr w/ a lot of over time for a VERY simple job that many people cant do correctly. I just ended a 6mo stint at that. Made up for the lack of work for the past year.
Took a pay cut to work with and in the industrial world, trade off is corp office gig. i get to think and have job stability.
- razr390
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Check out opportunities with Air Force if you’re more IT baseddtraill27 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:08 pmI've actually looked in to both, considering volunteer firefighting with my town since they need people. I was really interested in law enforcement and my brother in law just became a state trooper in SC. I got diagnosed with UC back in the fall though so from what I've read its a lot harder to get into the academy with it. I also was really considering the Coast Guard OCS for IT but now thats out because of this stupid disease
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:05 pm DFD. The forum where everybody makes the same choices and then tells anybody trying to join the club that they are the stupidest motherfucker to ever walk the earth.
- CorvetteWaxer
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I agree with you on the salary ranges, but to be honest, everyone applying would be insulted if they weren't offered at the high end of the range.
I have a big problem filling positions with my recruiters for this reason. I always start off with the recruiter asking them to find out what the candidate is looking for (it is now illegal in California to ask what they are currently earning, or previously made... ).
The recruiters almost always come back with something at the top end of a certain career level, so let's say the range is $90k - $139K. The real number in that range would be something close to $120k to be at market value and anything over is 1.0+ market pay percentage. In order to be 1.05+ market you need to be ranked in the top x% of the employees of the business unit. There's almost no way I can bring someone in at that high of a salary because at the yearly review I won't have any head room for increases, and I can't promote them to the next career level that soon, or solely based on salary desires. Most of the time the recruiter comes back with "They are looking for $134K, which is in range!!!!" Uh, no... And if I were to bump the career level up to get the salary and they can't perform those duties that are required, I get in trouble when it comes to my resourcing needs.
Think about it, if you heard a position paid between $90-139K, would you be happy getting an offer of $105K if you had only 1-2 years experience? If you said yes, you are a and I thank you for being realistic... most people aren't ant think they deserve the most for the least experience..
- SAWCE
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I expect to come in low-mid range and prove myself while working over a few years, climbing up in the range, and hopefully earing a promotion to the next level as I do so. Anti-CorvetteWaxer wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 3:59 pmI agree with you on the salary ranges, but to be honest, everyone applying would be insulted if they weren't offered at the high end of the range.
I have a big problem filling positions with my recruiters for this reason. I always start off with the recruiter asking them to find out what the candidate is looking for (it is now illegal in California to ask what they are currently earning, or previously made... ).
The recruiters almost always come back with something at the top end of a certain career level, so let's say the range is $90k - $139K. The real number in that range would be something close to $120k to be at market value and anything over is 1.0+ market pay percentage. In order to be 1.05+ market you need to be ranked in the top x% of the employees of the business unit. There's almost no way I can bring someone in at that high of a salary because at the yearly review I won't have any head room for increases, and I can't promote them to the next career level that soon, or solely based on salary desires. Most of the time the recruiter comes back with "They are looking for $134K, which is in range!!!!" Uh, no... And if I were to bump the career level up to get the salary and they can't perform those duties that are required, I get in trouble when it comes to my resourcing needs.
Think about it, if you heard a position paid between $90-139K, would you be happy getting an offer of $105K if you had only 1-2 years experience? If you said yes, you are a and I thank you for being realistic... most people aren't ant think they deserve the most for the least experience..
This job, for example, range is 50k-90k here. I was brough on at 60k, and I've busted my ass over the last year, and my boss has told me he's put me up for a 10k increase when reviews with out CEO come up next month.
- CorvetteWaxer
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SAWCE wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 4:02 pmI expect to come in low-mid range and prove myself while working over a few years, climbing up in the range, and hopefully earing a promotion to the next level as I do so. Anti-CorvetteWaxer wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 3:59 pm
I agree with you on the salary ranges, but to be honest, everyone applying would be insulted if they weren't offered at the high end of the range.
I have a big problem filling positions with my recruiters for this reason. I always start off with the recruiter asking them to find out what the candidate is looking for (it is now illegal in California to ask what they are currently earning, or previously made... ).
The recruiters almost always come back with something at the top end of a certain career level, so let's say the range is $90k - $139K. The real number in that range would be something close to $120k to be at market value and anything over is 1.0+ market pay percentage. In order to be 1.05+ market you need to be ranked in the top x% of the employees of the business unit. There's almost no way I can bring someone in at that high of a salary because at the yearly review I won't have any head room for increases, and I can't promote them to the next career level that soon, or solely based on salary desires. Most of the time the recruiter comes back with "They are looking for $134K, which is in range!!!!" Uh, no... And if I were to bump the career level up to get the salary and they can't perform those duties that are required, I get in trouble when it comes to my resourcing needs.
Think about it, if you heard a position paid between $90-139K, would you be happy getting an offer of $105K if you had only 1-2 years experience? If you said yes, you are a and I thank you for being realistic... most people aren't ant think they deserve the most for the least experience..
This job, for example, range is 50k-90k here. I was brough on at 60k, and I've busted my ass over the last year, and my boss has told me he's put me up for a 10k increase when reviews with out CEO come up next month.
90%+ of the younger people today with 0-2 years experience are looking for salaries that when converted for cost of living are more than I made 10 years ago with 15+ years of experience.
- ChrisoftheNorth
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Took me a while to figure this out. When I got my last pay grade bump, They showed me the range and I was at the bottom. Not a huge bump from my previous lower level.CorvetteWaxer wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2018 3:59 pmI agree with you on the salary ranges, but to be honest, everyone applying would be insulted if they weren't offered at the high end of the range.
I have a big problem filling positions with my recruiters for this reason. I always start off with the recruiter asking them to find out what the candidate is looking for (it is now illegal in California to ask what they are currently earning, or previously made... ).
The recruiters almost always come back with something at the top end of a certain career level, so let's say the range is $90k - $139K. The real number in that range would be something close to $120k to be at market value and anything over is 1.0+ market pay percentage. In order to be 1.05+ market you need to be ranked in the top x% of the employees of the business unit. There's almost no way I can bring someone in at that high of a salary because at the yearly review I won't have any head room for increases, and I can't promote them to the next career level that soon, or solely based on salary desires. Most of the time the recruiter comes back with "They are looking for $134K, which is in range!!!!" Uh, no... And if I were to bump the career level up to get the salary and they can't perform those duties that are required, I get in trouble when it comes to my resourcing needs.
Think about it, if you heard a position paid between $90-139K, would you be happy getting an offer of $105K if you had only 1-2 years experience? If you said yes, you are a and I thank you for being realistic... most people aren't ant think they deserve the most for the least experience..
My boss at the time explained that it was actually a good thing because it gave me room to expand. Sure enough, each year has been nice pay raise. Nice incentive to keep upping the game.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.