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Moving out of tech

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by house

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So which end of the stick are you holding? I've recently been crawling out of the tech room and into areas that are more directly related to the business.

I always thought that I'd end up being a true information technologist, but it appears that I am heading in the direction of management, corporate representative, and politics. Ack!!!

I am still a tech by trade, but I have been expanding towards public relations, sales, marketing, management, etc...

I have to say that it is a bit more exciting than sitting on a ISP / VoIP helpdesk.

Hopefully, we'll drop a satellite office in Toronto so that I can move out of this crappy little town.

So what's your preference? Do you deal with technical issues all day long, or are you directly involved in the business flow? Have you made this transition (either direction) throughout your career? Shed your insight.

10 replies

by sleepin'dawg

Believe it or not your tech skills will give you a bit of an edge over your less computer literate confreres but try to keep on the bubble. You don't have to be on the cutting edge but try to stay knowledgable and up to date. Somebody like yourself would be ideal as a corporate CIO providing you have the requisite management skills to go along with your tech skills. Best of luck.

Dawg ]:)

by oz_media

I went the other way, from management and corporate positions into IT. Then realized it was a complete bore and had no future other than 'more of the same', so I stepped back into more acive roles in business. But the IT skills help me understand other positions better and communicate and understand IT folk a little better.

Good for you, move forward and always be leasrning. The day you STOP learning is the day you need to change direction, as I see you have found from the help desk.

Well done, congratulations and make sure that when you've had enough, find something else, life's too short to worry about doing the same thing and becoming complacent in your career.

by jdclyde

Which ever way you go, make sure that is the way you will enjoy.

Too many people take a direction because it is least resistance or more money. After a few years they wake up every morning hating having to get out of be to go to "that place".

Best of luck which ever direction you take, even if it is in management instead of working for a living.

I personally enjoy the tech side. It is changeing all the time and I get to play with all the new toys and it NEVER the same old, same old.

jd

by jck

I couldn't be a manager in private industry. Most all of them I've experienced are driven by adminstrative agendas to produce profits even at the expense of product quality or labor livelihood.

I'm actually thinking about a change as well, but not in careers...but, to a different location. My friend in another country has a great possibility of becoming part owner of a radio station and is going to consider me for the IT position to do their custom apps, server administration, network administration and website development.

If he hires me, I'll be relocating to a country where you are expected to do your job...which doesn't mean IT works 24/7 there.

by featherman

... but as stated so well earlier in the thread, whatever you do, make sure it what you really want.

As for myself, I was involved in finance (direct report to the Treasurer of a publicly traded major women's fashion garment house) and handled in excess of $250,000,000.00/yr in negotiable instruments; tech is a second career for me and I'll do nothing else.

by salamander

Congrats on enjoying the change! Dawg is right...it is the Dark Side, but it can be fun.

As far as advice goes: observe the twenty-four hour rage rule...if somebody really pushes your buttons, wait twenty-four hours before reacting. That bit of advice has saved my bacon innumerable times. Of course...you may be less hot-headed than I, so take it with a grain of salt.

That and...listen and observe. You get more out of most communications by watching and listening than you will by talking. When you do speak, your words will carry more weight, as you'll have an understanding of the situation you find yourself in.

:D Good luck and enjoy the trip!

by hal 9000

You're defiantly going to the "Dark Side" God help you. :(

And watch out for all the mechanical implants that make you a "Company Man!" They hurt as they are inserted. ;)

But on a more serious note provided it is what you really want to do and you enjoy yourself that is all that is important.

I know my limitations and have refused many Management jobs that took me away from everyday work I'm one of those who will never ever rise higher than Section Management where I run the department and I'm more than happy to do this as I get to play with all the new play toys as they become available and at the same time pass on a bit of knowledge to some of the younger ones.

Just remember when your up to your neck in budgets forecasts and all the other rubbish that comes along with management the "Good Old Days in IT!" And how hard you thought you had it. ;)

Being the Old Fart that I am I like working for a living and honestly to me money isn't all that important but then again I've never applied for a single job and I really can not believe that people pay me for something that I'd do for free or even pay for but by the same token I couldn't live at a help desk either it would drive me nuts. :(

Let me guess it's OZ fault right? :p

No matter what provided you are enjoying yourself nothing else matters. So make sure it is what you really want to do and have a fall back position in place if it turns out to be something quite unexpected.

Just a little free advice here when you are in a high powered meeting/s where things aren't going so well as the others raise their voices talk softer that way they will all have to stop caring on so that they can hear what you have to say. It works a dream. :D

Col ]:)

by bfilmfan

Ya ever notice that Darth Vader looks like a bizarre cross of a CyberMan and a Dalek?

I kept waiting to hear "whoosh whoosh" and for a scarf to solve a thorny plot problem...

by house

It's not all as serious as it sounds though. Our business is fairly laid back, and even the partners are far from 'suits'. The other time that we really put on the corporate 'game face' is when we sign on or meet with potential resellers... other than that - it's fun and games for the most part.

by hal 9000

And look at them today. :p

God Gates has had his sense of humor surgically removed and instead of that drop out geek in the faded jeans and grubby T-Shirt look at him to day! ;)

Actually I'm quite happy or was just being a department head or as I was titled here Queers-land Service Manager {yes I deliberately spell it wrong} and even that position used to drive me nuts a lot of the time. One of the accounts did a study once and my company car was in storage for at least 6 months of the year and quite often more as I was never about to drive it. I would come into work one mourning and then be half the country away by midday and be stuck there for days/weeks at a time. Thank God for long term parking at the airports.

Then some bright spark who was Transported from the UK here came up with the bright idea that I drive everywhere as how hard could it be? He came from the UK and didn't realize that if I drove for 12 hours I might reach my destination but would be knacckered by then where as in Europe and the UK in that time frame you would have driven across half the continent. Being the very nice person that I am I suggested he do a trip for me and I handed him the keys and fuel card and pointed him in the right direction. He drove for half a day and only got a few hundred K's up the road and lost a few times. The mongrel flew back and I had to fly up pick up the car then finish the drive up and then after 3 hours sleep do the repair then drive back. I got back around 4.00 AM and about 5.30 AM he was on the phone to me telling me that I had an airplane ticket waiting for me at the airport for the first flight out in the morning being well and truly awake I just told him to F##K OFF and he had to ring back 5 times before I was awake enough to even contemplate that he was serious. I didn't even bother to worry about telling the Head of the company in AU to F off but I was never asked to drive anywhere again unless it was under 200 K away. :D

Col ]:)

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