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How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Locked

That’s the topic of this week’s TechRepublic poll. The three answers are:

Very satisfied – I’m not going anywhere
Satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers
Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

Tell us which one best describes you and why?

Topic

Very Satisfied but looking..

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Not really looking for a new job, per se. I love what I do. I work out of my house, I get to work with the latest technologies, I get to travel – just enough, I earn a decent income (6 figures but not extravagent), I set my own schedule most of the time.

But…

I am writing two additional books – one technology career related, one on hyperactivity – with two addtional book outlines ready to go. I am developing some web affiliate marketing partnerships, and have some additional career/professional aspirations I am investigating.

One of the challenges if being hyperactive is being highly focused on multiple areas. Some people call that scatter-brained… 😉

Satified but always looking

In reply to Very Satisfied but looking..

It’s never a bad idea to keep your options open. The world(and your company) changes quickly so to not even take the pulse of a changing market is equal to sticking your head in the sand.

good advice

In reply to Satified but always looking

Like many others here, I am very satisfied with my job. But I am an outsourced I.T. pro, and although I’ve been placed with the same firm for nearly 5 years, I never feel like there is any security there, so I keep my options open. Although I don’t actively pursue other jobs, I do keep my resume current and posted on a few I.T. websites, and most importantly, I keep adding skills to my resume to make sure that if the unthinkable ever does happen to me, I should be in a very good position to acquire another I.T. job very quickly. The only sure thing is that there is no sure thing. It pays to be prepared.

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Low pay

I’m in the same boat

In reply to Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

Very low pay and looking for another job. It seems employers are looking for a jack of all trades. Not only do they want a system admin but they want a developer.
I guess brain surgeons are suppose to be urologist and automobile technicians are suppose to be auto body collision experts.

same here

In reply to I’m in the same boat

Program in 10 machine languages, wire new equipment, then have to know how to repair all of the old equipment because our mechanic can’t figure out. Plus be the computer administrator, install new software, repair computer hardware. The fun part comes when we have someone that rewires a piece of equipment in the middle of the night and we have no prints to fix it with. Yep you guessed it; I had to wire it back right.
Oh and the average pay for my job is $78000 a year. I am only played 40 percent of that.

Same everywhere

In reply to same here

It’s the same in every company. Do more work with less workers, and pay them less, so the company can turn profits. I work in manufacturing. Same there. My wife works in the medical field. Same there as well and getting worse as we get older. I have A+,MCP, and since Monday, Network+ certs. I want to get into IT, but my job pays 58% of that 78,000. Making a leap to a new career very hard.

I don’t think any job doesn’t have it’s pro’s and con’s. But eating and living a decent life is better than the alternative. That’s why people stay at unsatisfactory jobs!

Thanks for letting vent!

Too many jobs-programmer or networker

In reply to I’m in the same boat

I agree. Everyone at this University wants a generalist rather than a specialist. I have to get out now before I get too old, if I’m not already. I am over 40 and need to really focus on a specialization. I’ve put up with the wearing 10 hats type jobs because I did a carrer change from journalism to IT just 7 years ago. I feel I have enough experience to focus on just one thing. My strongest suit is networking and LAN administration but I have a good amount of experience in web design, and Oracle/PL-SQL programming.

I’ve noticed this, too.

In reply to I’m in the same boat

Nowadays, people expect more skills crammed into the same body.

I think the uninformed in HR and elsewhere simply assume: “It’s all computer stuff, right? You can just learn that new thing and tack it right on.”

Admittedly, IT pros in the 80s and 90s were partly at fault– demanding ridiculous salaries for fairly basic work, so some of this is reactive to all that– “IT is expensive, so therefore we need fewer bodies.”

Not at all satisfied

In reply to Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

As a Canadian working on US projects, I am in high demand as I cost about 75% of my US counterparts. Thus, I am:
– unsatisfied with pay;
– unsatisfied with time off to recoup;
– unsatisfied with no pay for overtime (about 20 hours per week)
– unsatisfied with no pay for 10 – 12 hours of travel per week
– unsatisfied with proper preparation and training for new projects;
– but the work can be interesting.

As such, I am always looking around for a better consulting company than the one I have spent the past few years with, or a strong company with whom I will work internally for on their prject.

Very satisfied and not looking

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

My employer told me if I lived up to expectations they’d cerish me. I did and they did. I like people who keep their promises. I worked for a lot of people who fell far short of doing that.
Seeing as I’ve got to work anyway, might as well do it for someone who’s not a lying asshole.

You get what you put into it

In reply to Very satisfied and not looking

I.T. jobs can be rewarding or they can be a dead-end street. It’s all what you make of it. Just as with your 401(k) – DIVERSIFY. Show you have an interest in the bottom line – run reports, analyze data and provide unsolicited feedback. You’ll see your IT career expand onto different avenues and may lead you into a different IT-related position within the company.

VERY satisfied

In reply to Very satisfied and not looking

I’m very satisfied, but then I created my current job. I choose what I want to work on and how I’m going to do it. As a result, I’m much more productive, get great respect from everyone, and make several times as much money as I would anywhere else.

it is a people problem not company

In reply to Very satisfied and not looking

I have changed 2 jobs in less than 12 months
Even in this job the same is repeating
Strangest thing is that it repeats after exactly 5 months since I join a company x
I thought that it happens with only some companies but now I have realised that it is the team,your boss,how much work has been given ,whether u r forced ot do it or the work is matching ur skills and prev.experience

As per my experience ,most of the time it is due to people around in ur team and lack of cooperation and motivation

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

The main reason being low pay which I could actually live with if the company hadn’t completely killed off all training/education oppertunities.

That’s a bad combination

In reply to Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

Mean’s employee retention isn’t even on the list, usually works out that way too.
Still bird in the hand and all that. Anyone promises you greener grass on the other side, make sure you agree on the definition of green and that the vegetable matter on the ground is in fact grass.
Employers tend to be much better making promises than keeping them.

Not satisfied at all

In reply to Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

There should another option called “Extremely dissatisfied”

– Total compensation less than what I earned in my first job after university
– Low pay (much less than the previous person whom the company let go for incompetence)
– No benefits
– No bonus
– No training
– No exciting / challenging projects
– No possibility of becoming permanent
– No possibility of promotion / transfer
– My former boss left because of stiffing management politics.
– Some of my coworkers I liked the most have leaving.

Yet, the company can afford to compensate me fairly because it is doing so well financially and hiring new people into permanent positions. Most of all, my co-workers regularly praise my work and “reward” me with even my assignments.
Rest assured, there are things that I do to make sure I get some of my fair share. The abuse has become unbearable.

My only consolation is the employees (not management) are a pleasure to work with and socialize with, and the job market is improving.

Right now, I’m go through many interviews, which will hopefully result in offers.
I’ll accept the best offer, run with it and won’t look back for fear that I will turn into a pillar of salt. 🙂

mine’s a mixed bag

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Things I’m happy with:

my co-workers: All great people, laid-back, etc.
my hours: Haven’t had to work over 45 hours in a week yet.
my boss: He actually listens *and* understand technical issues and discusses them with me.

Things I’m not happy with:

pay: I am paid about 40% under the market, and even 25% less than similar jobs with other government offices.
administration: The upper administration are becoming a lot of blind sheep. They, for instance, had an audit done by a consultant of the whole government operation. Instead of sitting down and going over it and analyzing it themselves, they are simply taking the checklist summary and following it like lemmings and beginning to micromanage to a silly extent.

I’m happy with my co-workers…not with my upper management and administration…and, I’m burnt out on the field.

PC sales and repairs…here I come.

ironic twist – job situation update

In reply to mine’s a mixed bag

Gotten 4 calls from recruiters in the past week.

One was a call from a recruiter for a position with the IT department of one of the biggest grocery store chains in the southeast United States.

An IT department of 500+? They have a lot of selling to do before I consider working there, but I’m going to listen. They are renown for being a great place to work, great benefits, etc. But, I got out of the large corporate environment because of all the b.s. involved in big enterprise. They’ll have to assure me that they operate their business most effectively…not most profitably.

Only hangup is…I would have to sell and relocate 80 miles from where I am now.

Lots of thinking to do.

on the upside….

In reply to ironic twist – job situation update

you said a while ago you were considering moving home because of the hurricanes, so this could be your opportunity

(just trying to get you out of harms’ way, here!)

If you need a sounding board, you know where I am

GG

Hurricanes Go Inland too!

In reply to on the upside….

Lakeland might not be far enough inland to get around the Hurricane problem, but the town is nice, especially for families with kids.

That nice big grocer has a “best place to work” designation but I understand they are not too keen on flexible scheduling or working from home, if you care about those things. I have heard the people are very nice though.

Wasn’t satisfied, but…

In reply to ironic twist – job situation update

I just accepted a new position internally, with a raise and better job functions. Woo-hoo! I’m pretty happy, because I get to hold onto my 5 years of seniority, and still get that great discount at the cafeteria 🙂

not satisfied and looking

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

why? – well…

1. Moving goalposts
2. Bureaucracy
3. Dysfunctional boss

Rest of people great, pay ok, but too many policital battles.

GG

Satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers

In reply to not satisfied and looking

Basically I am bored to tears. With where I am living and where I am working.

I am not so myoptic as my pears as I come from a fine arts background. Life without discussion of things other than Cisco and Linux is getting tiresome

Look no further my dear

In reply to not satisfied and looking

I am sure we could sit around and discuss the first thing that pops up? As for being satisfied, I am warming up the bear skin rug….. ]:)

Don’t forget….

In reply to Look no further my dear

the batteries, my darling!

And the chocolate body paint, love cuffs, oh, and did you start using the Willy Weight Training Kit I sent over??

]:)

GG

Very satisfied, not looking

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I consider myself lucky.
The pay is good, bonues are above average, job security is pretty high, work is fun, boss is cool, coworker are ok, close to train station, etc

The only bad side is there is a lot of overtime, but i can live with that ($$$)

Hehehe

Satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

but I’d be a fool not to entertain other offers.

Satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

My current position is a contract position, with a definite end date. Well, my new child has a definite due date. I need something full-time, with benefits and all. So I keep my resume updated, and use several different means to get it out there. The company I work for is great, and a new position just came open, so I’m going to try and get in if I can, if not, I’ll be on the road again, looking for the next position for a possibility of hire.

Still Looking

In reply to Satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers

I really enjoy what I do now but, without a path of progression, or training, it’s just another dead end job with no future.

You would think that there is actually a company out there who would hire, and reward, knowledge and experience.

On the other hand it is cheaper to hire inexperience and ignorance and hope they learn OJT. Burn out is fast and turn over is frequent. Keeps the manpower costs low and the profits high.

Very satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I like it here; they appreciate me here, and as a one-man IT department I get to implement whatever technology that I assert will positively impact our operations. (Within a reasonable price range, of course.) The reasons that I’d consider employment elsewhere are: I don’t like the two-hour commute and I seek a higher salary than I think my present employer would be willing to pay.

Unsatisfied – Actively looking

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I got my current slot due to being in a bad job market and laid off for almost 9 months. It was supposed to grow into a management role, as I have an MBA and 15 years, but after 2 years, Top management changed out Middle management, and I’m going absolutely nowhere.

1. Every day is a firefight/panic as our infrastructure is shaky and we have to keep 6 remote locations running. Nothing purely positive happens to provide a sense of accomplishment – it’s always ducked bullets.
2. Management has no clue as to how difficult it is to keep everything running, and constantly beats us to death at the Budget game.
3. Family absolutely hates the location – probably the only place in the country that is both expensive and pure redneck.

Extremely unhappy ….

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I am quite sure that my situation is very common in today’s economy. I am a product of corporate restructuring. I began working for this fast-food corporation in the IT dept approx nine years ago…it was beautiful, the team dynamic was positive and the potential for advancement was definitely present. Then within the first year our brand consolidated with two other major food brands. That’s where the fairy tale ended. We started out with over 200+ IT staff at my location, we are now down to less than 15. Complete teams have been relocated and whenever a headcount becomes avail, it moves over there as well. My team was just involved with relocation opportunities, in which I stayed for a few personal reasons that were quite necessary at the time and transitioned from a third level support team to another first/second level team. I feel like a fish out of water and just being in this situation has broken my go-getter attitude. I am unmovitated and extremely depressed. The thing that concerns me in regards to looking for another job….how do you explain going from third level support to first level. The thing is I kept my salary so that was the only positive thing that transpired from the move.

Understandable

In reply to Extremely unhappy ….

You weren’t demoted to a first level, you chose to stay in the area. I find that very reasonable. The fact that you stayed at your current salary just proves that they still value your expertise.

Bill

In Irvine?

In reply to Extremely unhappy ….

Are you in Irvine, CA? I have been trying to break into IT and have found the going VERY difficult. I’m also 40 and living in a town near Irvine and I suspect that a lot of prospective employers are discriminating against me with ageism.

My only consolation is doing my own PC maintenance biz, which has become somewhat lucritive to begin with. Hey, if no one will hire me, then I have to hire myself.

I figure that if so many IT techs, LAN admins and developers, etc., are unhappy with corporate America, I might try something completely different. Although I don’t have a B.S. degree in MIS/IT, I have been trying to find a decent job in IT for the past 2 years with no luck!

Not Satisfied – I’m looking!!

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I was laid off in May as a technician. With a slow economy and a ?buyers market?, the jobs have been hard to come by.

Very Satisfied – Not Going Anywhere

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I work as a DOD IT contractor and am very content with my employeer and my work environment.

Very satisfied….but always keep eyes open

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Like my supervisor told me once, the only one who looks after your own career is you. Although I absolutely love what I’m doing right now and who I work for, I would not turn down a very lucrative offer if it felt right.

I can say, that although I would get paid MUCH MORE elsewhere, the benefits of enjoying who you work for and what you do are ENORMOUS.

It also helps when you have the freedom to develop and launch projects that are in the best interest of business. It’s great to see your company grow and learn, and even learn along with them as it relates to new technology. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not always able to move forward with my ideas, but at least I’m allowed to voice them.

If you’re unhappy, the only one who can change that is you. I know, I’ve been there and hope not to have to deal with it again, but that’s a part of life and you learn the best ways to deal with bad situations and also to get the most out of every situation you experience.

“Get busy living….or get busy dying…”

IT’S UP TO YOU

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Not only am I not satisfied, I’m being outsourced as of the new year. When I started this position I was able to write and update UNIX csh scripts, as well as working in a database. There was also some helpdesk work, which is not my favorite pasttime, but no job is perfect. Over the past year, the scripting and db work has been moved over to the devopment team and I am doing only helpdesk work. This is just not challenging enough for me, so I have been looking for another job for about six to eight months now.

(From Chile, SouthAmerica) Satisfied but…

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I’m satisfied with my work because pays well but I’m dissapointed because I’ll go nowhere in my technical carreer path. I miss to talk with people that knows what a good C++ program looks like. I miss to talk to people that really understand my technicals recommendations. But my new rol is all about siting in-front of MSProject and make calls to collect status. It’s the prize for be an good executioner: left the execution part to others.

Most Definitely . . .

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

. . . not satisfied and looking for another position. However, it’s not easy while still employed and there is a definite wall that I’ve been facing called “ageism”. Although in many of the interviews I’ve had, the end result was that I was at the top of their list of candidates at least until someone younger came along. How do I know? It’s a small world and everyone knows everyone and not to mention, when asking for feedback on how the interview went always gives it away.

I don’t mind making room for someone younger, that is, if their skills and capabilities are equal to mine. But in all cases to date these younger bloods have been no match. Yet their age seemed to be the qualifier. I don’t consider 40-something to be “old” and truthfully, when in my twenties I found my mentors to be those in their forties and fifties. Where are these younger ones going to turn to for a so invaluable duty that only experience can fill? There has to be some recognition on an employer’s part that not all “old” job candidates are stuck on COBOL and only “new” job candidates are leading edge.

Our laws are specific regarding ageism. However, try to enforce it when you are on the receiving end of so clearly the wrong stick. Let’s face it, if the technology world won’t meet this issue head on and adjust it’s attitude, then the whole aging “boomers” who are now the majority of the public will take on the cause. But will it be too little too late for some?

40 Something… try over 50

In reply to Most Definitely . . .

The interviews end as soon as I walk through the door and they see I am not 25 and willing to work for $8.00 per hour. I have been in the field going on 15 years and I am very proficient at what I do. I can do things in 1 hour that take others 4 -5 hours so I should be worth 4 to 5 times what they would be paid right? NOT. I work for my self and only do the interview thing to stay on my toes and keep fresh.

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

In a small company you wear many hats, and the move from Engineering to IT a few years ago seemed to be a positive career step…moving into the up and coming field…but after years of frustration and long evenings, its time to throw in the towel and look for another job…and folks I have been here longer then many of you have lived..(26 years) Its a field of inverse returns…where a generalist versed at many different functions…is worth less then a specalist, whos function can make or break a project…but if done right, the function is the responsibility of the generalist after that.
Of course the corporate ideology here, going from no computers to well over 100 in 7 years…with IT being equated on the same rung of the ladder as the maintaince staff…is not helping…
Moving goalposts? I wish I knew what endzone to point at…
Time to brush off the old talents and leave this field for those where I am better suited…but from reading the posts, many of those better suited with this field are as disenfranchised as I am.
One thing about IT…they have better seminars then engineers….but the burnout is too great.

Not Satisfied – Not actively looking

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I do not like my job. However, I would entertain offers if they were to come about. I really hate IT these days, especially in the Support Arena. There is not job satisfaction, no respect, you’ve heard it all before…

Reply To: How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

In reply to Not Satisfied – Not actively looking

I have found that you need to earn respect. It may take a long time but you will get there. If you have the skills and treat others as you wish to be treated you will gain the respect from your customers to your managers.

Sometimes….

In reply to Reply To: How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

There are people in minor managment positions who are scared of people smarter than them. I was in that position once when a person with the ability of a trained chimp was put in the position of group leader. And then started getting rid of everyone who he thought was a threat to his great leadership. Earning respect in that situation got people fired. Leaving that company was one of the best moves I ever made!

Respectability

In reply to Reply To: How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Respect comes in a couple of flavors: mainly technical competence, and social competence (trustworthiness, loyalty (yes, this still exists), helpfulness, friendliness, courteousness, kindness, cheerfulness) come to mind.
For both to be of use, you need to have a track record, and you need to be visible.

For a track record, you do your job, you go the extra mile, give 110%, your stuff works, doesn’t break, doesn’t need maintenance. If you’re working 45+ a week and not being paid well for hourly work + O.T. then you’re really a wage slave and it’s past time to move on.

The getting noticed part means doing presentations at professional seminars & meetings. If you’re the one up front putting on the show (and assuming you’re doing a decent job of it), you’ll get noticed. Same thing with providing help in the myriad of forums out there. If you’re a whiz at a special application software used by only a dozen to a hundred companies in the U.S. and they have a forum to discuss issues, be generous with the good advice. Volunteer for projects. Just don’t overextend yourself.

Satisfied with Job, not company, actively looking.

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

My job is great, people I work with are great, but I’m actively looking. Why? Because of the direction of the company and it’s management. My direct manager is awesome, but the people above him are really in over thier heads. All the way to the top, it’s incompetence and management by intimidation. It’s sad to see what they’ve done to the company in the 11 years I’ve been here.

satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I would also entertain other offers…as long as I dont have to relocate.

The internal politics of my department are beginning to wear on me, but, I am not giving up just yet. While it’s true that I have had more than a few knives aimed at my back, I have also gotten pretty good at deflecting them. Underpaid and overworked? You bet, but, I still get to work in Austin! =)

Very – I can’t believe I get paid to do this!

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

And I get paid pretty well, too…

The people are great, the work is fun, and I have the opportunity to keep learning and expanding my skill set. In December, I will have been here 6 years and I don’t see leaving anytime soon.

-Dell

Very satisfied – I’m not going anywhere

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

My employer is fairly relaxed, pay is about average (and I come from other IT jobs where I was very undervalued, so getting average pay is a plus), bonuses are good, 35-hour work week and overtime is rare, love, and am challenged by, my duties, boss and coworkers are easy to work with and don’t play politics, and I can telecommute on Fridays. If offered another job, I’m not sure I could risk going somewhere that is worse. How could it be better? (Okay, the company could relocate to Hawaii or the Carribian and pay my moving expenses… ;^)

Not satisfied, changing careers

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I’m burned out on IT in general. I decided to join the dark side and go to law school.

is our job necesary?

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

obviusly, I’m not satisfied with my current job and apparently I’m not alone. Why? not exactly money, more than personal satisfaction. after almosts lose myself on thinking that working is the meaning in the life, now I can realize that a person with a big tongue and a small brain is more confident than a hole year of hard work transforming a mess into a reliable data network. so, that’s the reason to my question.

Some days I am OK, some other days I hate my Job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I was initially hired to build the Network infrastructure in my school, and then manage the network and all related technologies in the district. Also, I ended up designing & writing all of the administrative management software. I was very much satisfied being the Network Administrator/Programmer. Now, it seems that I have been given so many other non-technical responsibilities that are not related at all to my job…What do I do? the IT market is very competitive, and I am finding it very difficult to get a job somewhere else taking into consideration salary, benefits, distance, etc.
It seems to me that that IT jobs in schools are vaguely understood. School Administrators have absolutely no idea what it entails, and how essential is the profession. I believe, that schools will eventually come to the understanding that if they want a technology program, they have to marry it with an IT person besides a Technology Coordinator, Technology Teacher, and an Intructional Technologist. These 4 possitions are essential for the proper implementation of technology in schools, and the success of it in the infusion with curriculum. I long for that day…right now I wait patiently!
Faisal Youhari

Not satisfied at all

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

There should be another option called “Extremely dissatisfied”

– Total compensation less than what I earned in my first job after university
– Low pay (much less than the previous person whom the company let go for incompetence)
– No benefits
– No bonus
– No training
– No exciting / challenging projects
– No possibility of becoming permanent
– No possibility of promotion / transfer
– My former boss left because of stiffing management politics.
– Some of my coworkers I liked the most have leaving.

Yet, the company can afford to compensate me fairly because it is doing so well financially and hiring new people into permanent positions. Most of all, my co-workers regularly praise my work and “reward” me with even my assignments.
Rest assured, there are things that I do to make sure I get some of my fair share. The abuse has become unbearable.

My only consolation is the employees (not management) are a pleasure to work with and socialize with, and the job market is improving.

Right now, I’m go through many interviews, which will hopefully result in offers.
I’ll accept the best offer, run with it and won’t look back for fear that I will turn into a pillar of salt. 🙂

Sounds like my SAP world

In reply to Not satisfied at all

– benefits okay
– bonus very, very poor… not worth thinking about or orienting your work towards
– getting any training is like pulling teeth from a wide-awake lion’s mouth!
– being told to say that I am fully certified when I have not been given any training
– projects are a little too challenging often… likely because of a lack of training…
– promotion is very good… so good, it promotes those who do not deserve it automatically based on time served
– 35% co-worker satisfaction rate only breeds further dissatisfaction
– focus is on new analysts… eperienced folks have a rediculous turnover rate!
– folks I have actually liked (who can talk about something other than work) have left.
– travel is 100%
– money is liveable but not what I would call sufficient to justify demands.

And the Company continues to tell us they are the best and that their profits show it! To me, the treatment of consultants and their comments on profitablity just don’t jive!

Very Satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I work for a city department and we are mostly separate from the main city IT department. This allows me to run the show and my supervisor is very supportative of what I do. The people here appreciate me a lot after the last two support guys. They pay me good money to play around with computers and give me money to buy new toys. What a great job!

Bill

My job r0x0rz

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Very satisfied – I’m not going anywhere

1. Great Boss – Lets me do my job and ins’t an
a-hole.
2. Good Environment – people are more or less friendly.
3. 10 minutes from home and pays as much as my last crappy job.
4. Jeans and a t-shirt to work.
5. Music in my office.
6. We have a budget!
7. Have two weeks vaction that I can actually take for a change.

Needless to say, I feel very lcuky and will be hanging on to this one for as long as possible. My last job was just about 180 degrees of this one.

No way

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I don’t mind the technical aspects of my job, but it’s a dead end. I work as a contractor, and all the host company seems to think about is cutting my salary, despite the increasing responsibility my boss keeps accepting for less money. They don’t care that I am saving them millions of dollars keeping a major product-development database running.

Am I looking for a new job? Absolutely. I nearly had one but they decided not to fill the position at the last moment.

Great job, need more $$$

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I love my new job, but we just had a baby 3 months ago and I just don’t make enough to pay for everything. (Yet… I hope). On contract with a non-profit org w/great staff/boss 3 more months, then ???
ROCK <====me====> HARDPLACE

Very Satisfied – But would like $$$

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I am very satisfied but could use some more $$$. And now I have been here so long, it would be hard to leave without a $$$ cut. Raises once a year, and no cost of living raise don’t quite do it for me.

best job in the world

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Was downsized out of a high pressure, long hour corporate job. I used my many years of accumulated unemployment to go back to college. I now teach IT at a small liberal arts university.

The pay is less than I would get in corporate but the job is wonderful. I am required to work only about 25 hours a week. 12 hours teaching, 10 office hours and another 2 or 3 in meetings. A week off in Spring, 3 weeks at Christmas and all summer. I set my own schedule of when to teach and come in to the office. Because we are a small school, my largest class has 20 students.

In reality, I spend more hours getting ready to teach and grading projects but still have a lot of free time. Free parking 20 feet from my office door. Free tickets to sporting events, concerts and theatre. I live on a tree and park covered campus a 5 minute walk from work. There is some politics but less than most private sector jobs. My university does not have tennure but as long as I do a good job, I have job security.

The best part is becuase we are a faith based university, I get to touch in a positive way the lives of students.

There is much more to job and life satisfaction than money!

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I’ve been in the same position over 5 years. Raises are not keeping pace with inflation. My job is being moved to Costa Rica soon. Need more?

I like the work I do but…

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I like the work I do but I don’t like my boss who is woefully inexperienced and has no leadership skills whatsoever. So he runs the place like a child who has all the best toys but doesn’t know how to share, listen or effectively delegate work. He values his relationship with the rest of the management team more then his relationship with his own staff. I’m sure the rest of my co-workers here also resent him, but don’t have the guts to speak up about it.

But the benefits here are good and it beats unemployment.

Just Looking

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

been playing hookie since April… time to get back on the horse :^O

Very Satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Enough said.
Tink

Very satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Best move I made was to work for myself building and mending systems for people. I now get to do what I love to do with no-one to answer but the customer.

Very satisfied – I’m not going anywhere

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Yes, there are occasional problems but not with my immediate co-workers. We range in age from 30 to 60+ and yet we are able to work as a team. The big plus for me is that people truly care about one another and that is worth a lot to me.

Between Satisfied and Not Satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I’m a 15 year IT veteran (not military veteran) and I’m falling in between full out looking and general satisfaction.

I took my current position to get out of working in the HUGE capital city (90+ commute). I work for an arm of a major corporation that’s 20 minutes from my house, and all the “cool” IT work that I could do myself is getting farmed out to another corporate location. For example: We need a new backup infrastructure at the local office. I could do this soup to nuts standing on my head while juggling sharp objects.

Nope… The folks at the other site are going to do this for us. I’ve realized that I have no career growth here and I’m at the point in my life where I need to be working somewhere that I can get that and have the firm realize what I can do for them and allow me to do it.

I guess what makes matters worse is that this is a place where I see everyone trying to do everyone elses job. Well, mostly everyone. I’ve worked in several shops and have seen things done many different ways, but this place has no desire to do anything right or make anyone’s IT work life better. I personally think they just don’t care here. Lots of folks have been here waaaaay too long and fresh ideas and new technology suggestions are just plain squashed.

I’ll put in the respectable year at this place and then look to move on to an opportunity that better takes advantage of my skillset.

Too old to switch

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Basically I’m Very satisfied – I’m not going anywhere.

That being said, if I were 15 years younger I’d be checking for better opportunities. Not that I’m unhappy. I like what I do, but I’d like to do more. Things here are too compartmentalized.

The last place I worked, I was hired as a Sr. Systems Analyst. I ended up being Systems Programmer, Database Administrator, Data Center Facilities Manager, Network Administrator, LAN Administrator etc. I loved wearing all the different hats. Unfortunately my position was eliminated as part of a cost cutting plan (no, top management didn’t realize everything I did) — they just saw that I was the highest paid person in my class and decided to cut.

I ended up looking for a job at age 47… NOT fun because of age discrimination — it’s alive and well.

I’d like to do more of what that position allowed me to do, but that’s not possible here. But I am happy. Besides, at my age, the last thing I need is to start a job search.

At Microsoft you are an expendable consumable!

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Why work for a company that no matter what you do, no matter how much you do, no matter how dedicated you are, no matter how much you learn it?s never enough. Microsoft has, in the last 2 years became the worst company on the planet to work for. I worked smarter and harder than I ever have last year and was constantly complimented by my piers and my manager only to be blindsided and reamed at review time. I am only there today because I haven?t found the right fit yet. When I do, Sorry BillG, and thanks, but my heath and my family wellbeing are much more important than Windows Vista is.

You have proven my theory

In reply to At Microsoft you are an expendable consumable!

I have long suspected that companies like MS like to hire geeks and convince them that they live for technology. MS also convinces them that having a fridge full of snacks in every floor, gym membership and the ability to work from home is part of the fringe benefits. But beneath all these is an agenda to keep the employee satisfied with little things and work even harder.

You get to announce to the world that you work in Microsoft. But the rest do not know the price that you pay.

almost a year

In reply to At Microsoft you are an expendable consumable!

I have been outsourced once and let go from my last job because of “falling sales”. I am working for an insurance company now. Thought I was doing well. Solving problems no thanks to the IT manager who won’t share info. He has no customer service skills which is why I thought I was brought in. Instead he says that he received a complaint from someone in management that I was having too much fun and wants me to now stay at my desk and solve all problems remotely even if the person is in the next room. Unless it is a physical problem with the PC or printer. So I sit and sit and sit. Users are now required to put in a ticket which they won’t do and when they ask me for help I have to tell them I need a ticket which ticks them off further.

Most of my responsibilities were taken away in the last 2 months. I am told it is because of SOX. To top it all off, Monday everyone, I mean everyone, got a christmas bonus. A number of people asked me if I got mine because I took Monday off and this being my first year they wanted to make sure. I was surprised at the question because I had not heard of any bonus. I asked my boss about it and he denys christmas bonus and even says he did not get one. I put the check on his desk myself.

He says that bonus are depend on contribution to financials well being of the company. He won’t even let me send out emails to users without clearing it through him with instructions.

Guess you could say I am not happy but jobs are very few and far between.

I’ve herd this one before

In reply to almost a year

I can see they don’t value you or simply don’t care. I hope you can find a job that pays you your worth. It’s pretty hard to go to work everyday with a jerk like that. Good Luck!

I’ve herd this one before

In reply to almost a year

I can see they don’t value you or simply don’t care. I hope you can find a job that pays you your worth. It’s pretty hard to go to work everyday with a jerk like that. Good Luck!

Very Satisfied . . . BUT

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

My current (nonprofit) employer just gave me a partial layoff. From full time with benefits to two-days-a-week contractor, effective Nov 16th.
Today I was hired as MIS for a nonprofit that advertised for a part time position, but has already optioned to renegotiate in January to bring me on board 30 (yes, 30, not the usual 32) hours a week with benefits.
I’m pretty sure the two day first gig will drop down to one day in January, but I’m going to push for that day to be Saturday so I can pick up other clients on the remaining open weekday. It makes for a full schedule, but it also pays the kids’ tuition (yes, I do mean plural kids) and will help put my hobby car back on the road.
To those who have been posting in other threads how dissatisfied they are, I suggest the nonprofit sector. It’s not the place to go for the big bucks, but us 40-something jack/jill-of-all-trades of IT are highly prized in this environment. And giving back to society is good for the ol’ karma.

Satisfied and Grateful

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I manage the IT needs for a 9 office opthamalogy practice where I can use my gifts, learn, grow, be appreciated and trusted to make necessary and wide sweeping changes, which is a blessing I could only hope for in the past. I previously worked for a Home Health Care organization which suited my need for serving technology needs in a broad scope to people I respected and an organization with a mission which I supported. I would still be there except I worked for a “psychological predator/techie snob” who made it unbearable to continue in my job. He wasn’t going anywhere so I resigned – a disappointment to me as well as my co-workers.

The work load is enormous but the trust, respect and opportunity to make good things happen make it worthwhile.

Not satisfied – looking but no success

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I work for a liberal arts college in upstate NY. Employees are a disposable commodity due to the poor job situation up here. Pay is awful but co-workers and OK benefits help make up for it. No promotion possibilites and training has to be done on your own time. I’m former Marine (15 years) where I did Logistics, Maintenance and Environmental, but have a double Masters in Management and MIS. I’m working as a level 3 Technician but making less than a Level 1 would make. Lots of skill in Desktop/customer support, set-up/install/upgrades, but don’t like to program. Reliable, dependable, honest, hard working, team builder/player….. If this sounds like a resume, it is. Get me the heck out of here!

I feel your pain

In reply to Not satisfied – looking but no success

I’m in a quite similar position and location. With similar education, but a bit differnt background.

Any jobs in Syracuse?

In reply to I feel your pain

I live close enough to commute and would entertain any reasonable offer. I’m really good at editing and technical writing, communications, organizing (anything), inventory, team building, project management…. At this point I would even do data entry! N

Very satisfied – I’m not going anywhere

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Good management makes the job. I was looking for a new job when my last boss came onboard. She is such a good boss that I decided to stay. She has since been promoted, and was the one who chose the new manager, who I report to now. He is also very good, and I am in the extraordinarily fortunate position of having two layers of exceptionally good managers. I feel that the company, in general, has gone downhill, and morale is generally worse than it was several years ago when I was looking for a new job. However, I am virtually untouched by this. I feel like I work for a much better company than I did a few years ago. I also like and get along with all of the members of my group. To me, this is extremely important, so for me to leave voluntarily at this time, a phenomenally amazing offer with a considerable pay raise would have to be dropped in my lap without my looking for it. Since that is not going to happen, I imagine I will be here for a good long time.

POLITICS!!

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

As a retired systems developer, my biggest disappointments occurred when management made big decisions for atrocious reasons (self-aggrandizement, brown-nosing, etc.) while important needs were ignored.

POLITICS

In reply to POLITICS!!

Well, having come from the medical side of the house, I look at it this way, POLITICS, POLI= Many (I know that’s not the spelling, but follow me along on this one_ TICS = Blood Sucking Insects.

Henry

Are you kidding?

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I’m not at all satisfied. My job has me jumping from site to site as a part time employee. I work for a school district and the job has changed so much in the past two years that I’m about to crawl out of my skin. I am a person of a certain age and finding another situation is not at all easy. Employers are looking for “young bucks” whithout taking into consideration that they are more likely to leave a position after a year or two than an “old salt” like me. I feel like I am stuck here until retirement rolls around. I think the phenomena that has IT’s less satisfied in their work situations is the repeated cutting of peers so there is always more work, less appreciation and lots and lots more stress.

Some interesting results

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Being an analyst at heart, and having 15 minutes between meetings, I compiled some quick and dirty statistics on all the answers. Consider that the data universe is unscientific, the compilation is subject to my own interpretation of individual answers, and the sample group is almost certainly not representative.

Very satisfied: 37.5%
Satisfied: 16.1%
Not satisfied: 46.4%

Surprisingly consistent, under these artificial circumstances, with what I’ve seen in other far larger and certainly more scientific surveys.

Reasons given for dissatisfaction in order of frequency (greatest number first):

Low pay: 15.4%
Keeping options open: 13.6%
Unhappy with management: 13.6%
Too much work: 8.3%
Layoff/outsourcing: 8.3%
General unhappiness: 8.3%
Politics: 8.3%

A big surprise. Most literature on research into Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs with regard to IT professionals indicates compensation in the top ten but at the lower end of the scale. Recognition and appreciation consistently rise to the top. In this group it seems to be the opposite…recognition and appreciation didn’t even make the list.

What does it all mean?

It means people appreciate

In reply to Some interesting results

being paid more money in recogition of their talents.
Depends on how bad the salary is doesn’t it, a regular cuddle from management might make you feel good, but you can’t buy food with it. Remuneration is poor compared to what it used to be a few years ago, those who entered the industry for it whether they got a piece of it or not, must feel they went wrong somewhere and hence disatisfaction on pay. If you gave them an ulcer creating mind numbingly boring git of a job, would they be happy, if not what would their top ten reasons for leaving be.

There was certain class of IT type who was disatified with money even during the boom. Personally I think management are getting their own back now. It must really annoy you to just about beg someone to work for you, pay them more than you get, and for them to sod off for some extra bucks six months later.
I used to earn my corn redoing what they started, some of them I think left before they got found out.

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job.

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

There is no prospect on site and are managed by a person who do not know the job and has bad management style, dogmatic and know it all type person. Hance bad salary with a dis-regard of skill and knowledge.

Always looking but very satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I love my job. I travel all over the US and to the UK and unless I’m overseas, I’m home every weekend.
But, I am traveling a bit too much right now and I’m not able to work on some development of new solutions to offer our clients – which is my very favorite thing to do.
Life is mostly good.

Not Satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Reasons are mainly low pay bare minimum, not enough to live alone.

soon to be hitting the bricks

In reply to Not Satisfied

finally getting laid off from a plant closing(they announced the closing in MAY) and now with my last server boxed up and sent back to corporate I am now able to look full time, hanging on this long seemed strange but pay was good and work was minimal and amassing 12 weeks vacation pay did not hurt any as well.

Satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

The bank I work for has recently announced a merger with a larger bank. It looks like the IT department for the branch I work at will be ‘centralized’ in a city 4 hours away. I don’t want to move to that city so I will begin looking for other employment soon after the conversion.

Same old Sh#t:

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I’m in my 9th year in the IT Industry. I left my last job because they put a 3 year wage freeze on everyone and they were laying off by the dozens. My current employer only believes in giving raises every 3 or 4 years! So, I’m screwed again. BTW they just grew 20% in 05. No budget, No Money, No fun. Same old Sh#t.

Not satisfied ? but also not looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Payment and environment is not so good, but I have a goal and project here. The project is interesting and now I at the middle of it. Just want to finish the project before move to other job.

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

Learned a Valuable lesson

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers
You need to look out for yourself. I thought I had THE job 8 years ago until my position was eliminated. My out placement coach told me to always keep the networking with others in the IT community working. This networking paid off when a recv’d a e-mail from someone I met 3 months earlier telling me about the open position I currently hold. This job never made the papers, in fact I was the first outside candidate (and only) they interviewed. 24 hours later I was hired.

Since I held a cake job, I shot for the moon, and it paid off. Almost everyone of my benefits and 100% of my salary request was approved.

I love this job, would like to retire from here, but also know, always keep your eyes open. In the IT arena, you are one sales reptile away from being outsourced!

Learned a Valuable lesson

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Satisfied – but I’d entertain other offers
You need to look out for yourself. I thought I had THE job 8 years ago until my position was eliminated. My out placement coach told me to always keep the networking with others in the IT community working. This networking paid off when a recv’d a e-mail from someone I met 3 months earlier telling me about the open position I currently hold. This job never made the papers, in fact I was the first outside candidate (and only) they interviewed. 24 hours later I was hired.

Since I held a cake job, I shot for the moon, and it paid off. Almost everyone of my benefits and 100% of my salary request was approved.

I love this job, would like to retire from here, but also know, always keep your eyes open. In the IT arena, you are one sales reptile away from being outsourced!

Look in discussions

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Have a thread there called $10,000 pay cut

That should answer your question.

Very Satisfied – Became a Contractor

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

After a string of jobs that fell into the not-even-close-to-being-even-slightly-satisfied category, I came to a realization that it might be me. I became a contractor a year ago, and it has made all the difference. The pay is decent, the office politics are avoidable rather than inevitable, and I feel I have just as much security as a contractor as I did as an employee.

Not Satisfied, Not looking yet

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I work for a E-Retailor/Catalog fullfillment company, and am not happy. I’ve suffered through equipment failure because of age of equipment, as well as the ignoring of evidence of other problems that need to be resolved.

After the first, I’m planning on finishing my MCSE Cert (MCSA:Messaging right now) and then looking for “greener pastures.” The job’s been what I needed after my last one, but the environment is taking its toll on my sanity.

Reply To: How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Satisfied.

I enjoy my position and the challenges I get to face. But the pay is low, the budget is non-existent and they are very wary of investing in any new technology (i get “what we have is working why do we need to upgrade?”).

I’m given lots of responsibilities which is great and get to manage myself. But along with the pay, there is NO training and the training I’m being promised is of little affect on my position or career for that matter (training in our proprietary banking applications, they won’t give me the WAN or security training I requested).

I’d definetley entertain other offers, especially if those offers carrierd a larger salary and better benefits.

Looking for more!!!

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

In my current position as a Helpdesk guy. It gets a little stressful sometimes, not that I don’t enjoy babysitting all that much! I find it to be monotonous. The job definitely has its perks, but I would really like to have a better income, especially supporting a family. Any Ideas on where I could go to find ways to beef up my resume? Advice anyone?

Satisfied, but options always open

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I’m quite happy with my current job. AM a network engineer working for a solutions provider. It has it’s pluses and minuses, but have a good boss which helps. He is very results oriented … so as a result, if the work is done, he doesn’t care where I am or when I come in as long as I let him know. That flexibility has allowed me to keep my billable hours up quite high so we’re both happy.
However, I do realize that this is a business and things can change rapidly. As a result, my resume is always up to date and have even interviewed for a few jobs and rec’d offers that I declined just to keep those skills up. Pay in this part of the country is never anything to brag about regardless of your chosen occupation.
That’s my 2 cents worth. Happy Holidays!

not satisfied at all

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

i work as a teaching-assistant(MSc.) in some university in egypt, for about 10 years. i thought it will help me to be more skillful but what happened is i became out of date to technology. when i decided to work again in IT market i found out that they don’t need someone with MSc. degree all what they need is someone with experience even without solid background of computer science. i don’t know to do to fix these problem.

Not satisfied – I’m looking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Not very challenging.

Very Dissatisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

My employer notified me that my post was to be made redundant, 3 days later verbally retracted that, then two days later issued me a letter saying they would let me know in the new year…

CV is with the agencies as we speak.

Not even close to being satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I have been in IT over 5 years, and I have seen job prospects in my area ( Northern Illinois ) all but dry up, and turn ugly. Low pay, little or no training, no promotions from inside the department, older employees being pushed out for younger labor appear to be the trend. There is no “IT” in team, but there is an “me”, and that is what you will find out there. It is all about “me”, and you will have to figure out what it is that I want.

You sell your soul in exchange for gigs that turn into ongoing nightmares, part-time positions with no benifits, or full time positions that require you to pitch a tent next to the server that has needed to be replaced for over 5 years.

Challenge is limited to dealing with vendors who are less than cooperative in technical support, and staying awake doing massive rollouts ( boot, reboot, modify, repeat ).

Certifications are a joke, lots of paper dragons out there, who test well, and are given management spots.

I think I am going to create my own IT commercial, that shows the real world of what it is like being an IT garbage man. Dealing with customers, and users that have borderline personality disorders, foot stompers who think of nothing to call you in the middle of the night because they can not get their ESPN to work on their computer. Letting the next generation see some poor slob press the same keys over and over again to connect hundreds of comptuers to a shaky network. Oh yeah, good times in the tech field boys and girls. Customers who do not call until their out of date broke down POS is flatlined, and then have temper tantrums when you tell them the price and why they should not buy whiteboxes from their brother in law.

Do yourself a favor, be a plumber, it is more cost effective in training, and folks are less likely to wait to call you if they have to smell their own crap.

I am looking for other career avenues. If any one is looking for a writer, please feel free to contact me.

VERY satisfied!! – I’m not going anywhere.

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Like a lot of people on this site, I thought I would never switch jobs…I ran my own consulting firm in a small city and although the hours stank, everything else was great.

Then, my wife contracted a lung disease that although treatable, required that we move to a large city where she could get specialized help. At 55, this did not seem like a very good time to be changing ones’ life focus, but there was little choice.

I posted my resume on several professional sites and within 24 hours had four job offers all in the large cities I had specified. To make a long story short, I accepted the best fit with a middle-sized firm and am VERY happy things worked out like they did. Good salary; four weeks paid vacation; training opportunities; interesting projects; interesting people to work with and respect for my abilities. One could not ask for more.

I have noticed several complaints about ‘ageism’ in this site…bear in mind that with a lot of the ‘baby-boomers’ now retiring, and fewer people enrolling in IT training, there is soon going to be a massive shortage of SKILLED IT people. In some cities like here in Calgary, that is already evident…the demand far outstrips the supply. (One company I know of lost a key worker…he gave them a full month’s notice and they could not find a replacement for him before he left.)

The key here is to develop your skills to the utmost degree. My current employer told me that they were very happy to find someone who held the number of certifications that I did (over 30) and had the experience to back them up.

For those of you in the older age ranges, remember that experience alone is not enough. You need the training (certifications) to show that you actually do have the abilities your experience suggests. You have to keep those certifications current also…no use having an MCSE in Windows NT any more UNLESS you have upgraded it to Win2K and Win2K3 – THAT shows any prospective employer that you value the knowledge and are willing to keep yourself current. Add to that recognized Professional Certifications like the I.S.P. (in Canada); the CCP (in the US); and the CNP. Don’t forget regional associations either. (I don’t know about the USA, but here in Canada, we have regional associations like ASET (The Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta) which have registered Professional Designations of their own (C.C.I.T.).

All of this adds up to a well-rounded individual that can demonstrate to a potential employer that he/she has the training; experience; and professional recognition that a first-class employee needs in todays’ job market.

For the old-timers (like me), there is little that the younger generation can provide to a potential employer that can outwiegh that sort of package. Of course, once you have the job, you will only get out of it what you are willing to put into it, so you will have to live up to your credentials to KEEP that job!

It is easy to blame ‘ageism’ for not getting a job, but remember, the ‘newbies’ moan about employers wanting EXPERIENCED individuals and constantly complain about how they are supposed to get experience if no-one will give tham a job.

The key here is that EXPERIENCE by itself, is no more useful than CERTIFICATIONS alone are. The prize employee is that individual who can demonstrate BOTH.

GOOD LUCK all, and Merry Christmas.

Earning without work at job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Hi I am working as a system admin for a company but for me there is no work or responsibility as such as a system admin must have

Security jobs are supposed to be easy to find, right?

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Not cross-country. I’m very dissatisfied with my job in CA and looking to move to one of the North Carolina metros. I’ve sent resumes, done “can I have your advice” calls and even had a phone interview or two, but no bites. I think since people don’t want to pay relocation they may be automatically rejecting applications from out of state. And a lot of the jobs I see listed (including on Dice) are with consulting companies that don’t care where you live and will push your travel to near 100%. Any advice?

Not Satisfied-ACTIVELY Looking

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I once enjoyed my job the first year and some monthsn. But when this year came in, I totally hated it. I became a “just there” employee. Nothing mattered anymore. I lost the joy and the respect of my job and where I work.

VERY Not Satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

The position I am in is a result of being corporate downsized. I was out of work seven months and had to take what I could get. I came from a ?dot com? and things were great. Good money, great benefits, very flexible schedule.
I accepted a position as the technology department manager. (One man shop) I am responsible for everything more technical than a pocket calculator (They do come to me when they have problems with them also). I am in a medium sized company with executives that are the owner?s family. No upward mobility possible.
The $$$ are not what was promised even after quitting and getting a promise of a raise to come back. As for the $$$, the pay level for any one of the responsibilities I have are more than the pay. Benefits are almost non-existent. Training is by whom management decides to send.

This position has served its purpose though to get my family by until something better comes along.

Hem and Haw
Who Moved My Cheese

Not Satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

The IT job market in the North East is DEAD. Now I’m making ready to go to Washington, DC. If nothing there, will head to the Texas area. Hope others are finding better offerings, but don’t waste time on New England…
Tom in Boston

Not Satisfied – I’m loking for another job

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

A career dead end at my present job definitely looking elsewhere.

Love Job – Need $$$ – Over 50

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

Small/Midsize Midwest Manufacturing with 60 workstations 1 network server. Old boy network (I’m not a boy 😉
Love wearing different hats programmer/administrator/help desk/educator/hardware/software/web administrator; but would love the pay to increase.
I’ve got a good 6-8 years left in me and would love to go where I’m appreciated financially. Is there jobs available for a talented (over 30 years experience) gal over 50?

Test the water

In reply to Love Job – Need $$$ – Over 50

If i were you I’d play it smart, take the time to draw up a comprehensive Resume detailing all of your skill areas-leave out your age in the personal details section-then send off your resume to likely looking jobs online. You’d be surprised how few really skilled peole there actually are, you are valuable to your company, probably saving them 10’s of thousands per year-let them know this!Take some sick leave and watch the company panic.
I moved from state government to the private sector-management is green, no respect for the level 2/3 support team, treated like school kids-I’m looking very hard for another job!!

Not in your wildest dreams!

In reply to Love Job – Need $$$ – Over 50

If you have a decent job where you are treated well and respected, DON’T leave it! The minute you walk in the door and are obviously “older” you get the “freeze” treatment (from the same who are so ecstatic on the phone over your qualifications before they see you! Ageism is alive and well in IT. Save you meaningful “feel good” time for doing volunteer work after you retire.

Very satisfied

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I am now more in the design side of Network Administration where the pay is great and the company is VERY staff supportive! That is a rare combination in today’s work force!! Get the hand grenade to get me out of there 🙂

low salary

In reply to How satisfied are you with your current IT job?

I think I am getting very little salary.

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