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Showing up on time every day whether you are wanting to die or not is over half the battle. I've had many days at less than 50%, but I was at work. My boss knew I was hungover/possible still a little drunk (Monday's😇), but I was there and did my job.
The Shop
If you are going down a Network Admin route, definitely go Cisco. Way more places use Cisco than the alternative, so finding different jobs is easier.
From the Systems Admin route, pick an OS and get REALLY, REALLY good at it, even master it. If you feel yourself getting bored with that OS, then move to another one while you are still working with the one your good at. Then learn another. Repeat, rinse, repeat.... The more you know and have experience with, the better.
I personally spent 4-5 years as a Linux/HP-UX/SAN Admin. That was in between Oracle DBA and SQL Server DBA work.
Knowing how I am now vs. when I was younger, I think I would have gone into more network admin work. You're less likely tied to a desk and the responsibility is just as equal any admin position. As an employee, it's probably a wash pay wise between a certified Network Admin and a DBA. I don't think System Admin make quite as much though. This definitely varies from region to region though. I live in small town America, so it's definitely different here.
Hammer 663s
My job is primarily to define and conduct lab and field tests on our engineering test units to validate system function, performance, and reliability. I do a lot of work with data analysis to develop load cases/profiles from lab and field which gets back-fed to design engineers for continuous improvement. We send machines all over the world to hit the customer conditions the product is expected to be sold in. Also dabble quite a bit in software, electrical, data automation, and hydraulics as my drive systems are typically controlled and/or monitored by these other systems. It’s a cool job!
Salary is more than comfortable 😊 (especially when you factor in our low midwest cost of living) and I have been earning a 5-7% salary increase every year based on my personal performance.
I think the thing I like most about working for a large company like John Deere is that I can switch jobs every 2-3 years and it can mostly be based on whatever interest I have / want to learn about next. Keeps things fresh and minimizes burnout. I expect to retire w/ John Deere at 67, which will give me 44 years with the company, and I am hoping I can experience 15-20 different engineering jobs during my time here.
Can't really give you any advice in going down that route since it's not really what I'm doing (danman seems like someone worth listening to though). What I'm doing is pretty much handling data. Our customers generates data and wants different things from it. A three word description of what I mostly do would be SQL Server, SSIS and SSRS/Power BI. But the core in pretty much everything I do is SQL. 3 months in and loving it so far.
Good luck though sounds like you're on your way to a career you'll enjoy
brett@l4frclothing.com
It was a tough slog the first few years. I think my first year I grossed $27k, but one thing I'm proud of is that every single year I've made a bit more.
The catch is now I finally have enough money to do what I want and I'm short on time lol. Have a 1 year old and a 2 year old at home.
Long story short, I got out of the defense industry as a toolmaker because it was always a rollercoaster ride.
Something going down in the middle east, redneck president.... Work as much as you want.
New president, peace breaks out, you are out.
I got tired of the ride, so now I maintain high speed bottling lines for a well known company.
I worked for so long at small companies in between DOD gigs, we did so much with so little, that I can now do anything with nothing.
That is apparently a hot commodity.
I work 2 on 2 off 3 on. On paper I work 6 months a year, but they want us working OT.
I get 5 weeks of vacation, 48 hrs of ppto, 3 floater days, and a pension.
Probably going to work until 65 though because of insurance.
Pit Row
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I made a major career change in my early 30's. I was an excavation contractor, and got tired of chasing money and not getting paid.
When I was starting, a good friend who has been in aviation forever told me "you'll never become a millionaire flying, but you get to live like one".
I also see some "Junior Sys Admin" and "Junior Network Admin" jobs and I figure that those are the ones that I should be applying to. Most just say 1+ year experience....which I have 1+ year experience personally but not in the professional world. I also have Linux (Ubuntu & CentOS) experience, Server 2016. I don't see many of these jobs saying they require a degree to be honest.
Any advice on what I should put on a resume for work experience? I obviously have my 5 years in construction but is that even worth putting on there? I know some programming as well.
Thanks for the reply though man. Much appreciated
As far as construction, yes, definitely put it on your resume for multiple reasons.
If you did any type of IT related things for that construction company, point that out.
From a hiring manager perspective, I like to see someone who works while going through their education. It shows dedication and willingness to do what it takes.
This could also help when going through interviews because you may not know what plans they have for the position. A good example might be that you apply for a Healthcare Networking position where they are planning on building a new hospital or clinic. Your construction background might help you get a foot in the door, even though it's not related to the position. You wouldn't know that when just applying for a job.
Definitely be confident in your resume, but don't embellish too much because it will come out when in the interview(s). I've seen it too many times. Also be honest if you don't know the answer to a question. If it's about something specific like a term or theory and you don't know for sure, just say so, but also explain what you think it may be.
In this day and age, you are 2 minutes away from a Google search to find a fix.
Good Luck. If you have any more questions, DM me. If you don't hear back, reply to this message with an email and I'll get back to you.
Do you 23 year old guys think a lot of your peers want to get in the trades ? What’s their current motivations? If not a management degree... Are they still mostly chasing management degrees ? My generation seems like the boom of managers that didn’t really want to work the job first. They acted Kinda Entitled because they got a degree. But I think it’s changing some now. Unsure though.
Post a reply to: What do you for a living. And what do you earn.