Awesome IT jobs

[jaqu]

Hi all,

I was wondering what sort of IT jobs do you guys have? I have been trying to see what else is out there but job ads really don't give details on what sorta job it will be.

I have been in support for 6 years now and feels like it's not a challenge anymore. I really want to get out of support but don't see any jobs like that for someone with "lesser" qualifications like me.

Btw I have IT Eng. diploma and LPIC-2 for those who knows what it is. Though I won't be able to keep a senior Linux systems admin job (not enough exp.). And "junior" Linux sysadmin jobs don't really pay afaik.

So what else out there are in demand? Database admins, maybe virtualization pros?

[GroundZero3]

Virtualization is exploding because you can do more with less.

I work as a Network Administrator managing the daily issues with a Cisco network routers/switches, Cisco call manager, Exchange 2007, daily active directory issues, working with Vmware, and breaking our two firewalls. The thing that takes up most of my time at my job is trying to avoid the users.

[Steve R Jones]

As you know - Experience is a key factor.

I've been able to combine my experience. My background is in accounting where I worked in a specific industry for 16 years... I'm in my 14th year of doing support for a high dollar acccounting software for the industry I was in.

My first four years of support was working for the largest software company. The last ten years have been for a much smaller company where I wear many hats and have picked up a lot of other experience.

If your strong point is Linux administration you might want to build on that.

[de_day]

I agree with GZ, VM is the way it's going. I've worked at 3 major banks and still have friends at each and all of them are moving to a totally virtual datacenter. Our production and test application servers and their backend database servers all are VMs in a VMWare environment.

The VM host runs on top of RHEL, so Linux is still a needed quaility.

I work in Change and Configuration Management but my particular job might have me writing a Perl or VBScript one day and racking or reconfiguring some of our dev servers (still real because we "reallocated" the retiring servers) or setting up a new dev group or users... I like the variety.

[nemowolf]

I work in support and have been for five years now. As many may atest, i wear many hats and between my current and previous job i was a powershell scripter with my boss, did AV and cabling with our guy who did that, and now im doing more jr. admin work handling AD.

Id say that you need to not concern yourself with title changes like jr. and sr. but more look what you would like to do for work so it isnt depressing going to work everyday. You have the background so start applying! The worst that will happen is you spend an afternoon getting some experience interviewing or spend some of your cell minutes on a phone call. Eventually you will find something that fits you as much as you fit them.

[tony_j15]

Virtualization is exploding because you can do more with less.

I'm not in the industry but virtualization is all I hear about from friends who are in IT. I guess it's huge from all the savings on the hardware side, and I guess you can cheat somewhat on licencing too.

[nemowolf]

I'm not in the industry but virtualization is all I hear about from friends who are in IT. I guess it's huge from all the savings on the hardware side, and I guess you can cheat somewhat on licencing too.

No. You can't "Cheat" on licensing. Some companies have an established form of licensing that runs entirely off of physical quantifiers such as physical servers, number of physical cpus, and other physical quantifiers. Thus if you run VM's you pay the same as you always have but now run several different servers.

People feel like they are gaming the system because of this.

You cheat the licensing system when you falsly report the number of servers because you fail to mention that your 3 physical servers are running ESX and your actually running 12 VMs between the 3 physicals. If the company your paying licensing on has provisions for VMs and you dont tell them, then your not really cheating but just stealing.

[GroundZero3]

I don't understand what we are discussing about licensing and vmware? Are we talking about vmware licensing, os licensing, or something totally different?

[nemowolf]

I don't understand what we are discussing about licensing and vmware? Are we talking about vmware licensing, os licensing, or something totally different?

I realized after my post that this is a totally different tangent ...


As for "Cool" jobs in IT, i dont know of a job title that is specific to only working with VM. Typically your doing something and it involves VM.

[tony_j15]

People feel like they are gaming the system because of this.

IOW, cheating. Thanks for agreeing.

Are we talking about vmware licensing, os licensing, or something totally different?

Combination of running certain programs within a VM version of Windows and savings associated with it. I should shut up, because I don't know specifics and my eyes start to glaze over with the details until I'm told the cost savings, then I say "hell yeah, do it!" I guess that puts me in the "dumb management" category.

[pastakia]

I work at Blizzard, enough said dude. I'm the head programmer.

[nemowolf]

I work at Blizzard, enough said dude. I'm the head programmer.

and? Personally, that sounds like a crappy job. What makes your job "Awesome?"

[pastakia]

and? Personally, that sounds like a crappy job. What makes your job "Awesome?"

I get to work my own hours with a 6 figure salary, enabling me to be flexible with my family and community work

[nemowolf]

I get to work my own hours with a 6 figure salary, enabling me to be flexible with my family and community work

Yeaaa ... still not entirely clear what makes this a great job.

My boss makes six figures and is flexible with his family, hobbies and volunteer work ... Still goes home with a headache.


Instead of glossing over details why not share what your pasionate about your job. What do you work on that makes it awesome? Do you have an awesome team or boss or even just one coworker that makes going to work everyday worthwhile?

Do you get to work with cutting edge tech and play with nifty gizmos?





(Fine print: Anyone can say they make millions and do anything they want online and have nothing to back it up but their word. So show us something beyond the material and obvious ... getting it now?)

[Networker4321]

IOW, cheating. Thanks for agreeing.


Combination of running certain programs within a VM version of Windows and savings associated with it. I should shut up, because I don't know specifics and my eyes start to glaze over with the details until I'm told the cost savings, then I say "hell yeah, do it!" I guess that puts me in the "dumb management" category.

I have a cool job in IT in Sales. it's not a dirty word the way I do it. I am extremely comfortable on mahogany row AND with the technical buyers. Have been doing this 30 years having started as an engineer in telecomm.

My top 3 customers have been in business with me for 15 years. I am considered a partner, not a vendor. I solve very complex issues and do some fulfillment as customers may know they need another of something they already have or, want to add things like drives or VMWare licenses. But i spend a lot of time in server/storage/networking.

Many years of mid six figure incomes yet you get to travel around, make new friends and solve their problems. I have a great inside sales rep and subject matter dependent, many engineers behind me, or onsite with me. I love it!

[jaqu]

Thanks for the insightful replies

I do realize that I won't get a job doing just VM or whatever. So I guess a cool job for me right now would be doing VM + VOIP + SQL + Linux and NO DESKTOP SUPPORT whatsoever! Though that's like a fantasy because it's unlikely to happen. Other cool job would be just working on Linux servers, also unlikely not to include desktop support duties. Last awesome job would be to be a network security specialist though I don't have the required in-depth background in networking.

Working at Blizzard does sound awesome, but 1) I'm not a programmer so it does not appeal to me and 2) It kinda hard to take the word of a stranger (relatively unknown to this forum) who pops up saying he's head programmer at Blizzard...kinda seems like an un-"head programmer at Blizzard"-like thing to do...but if it's the truth, then good for you

[Networker4321]

Thanks for the insightful replies

I do realize that I won't get a job doing just VM or whatever. So I guess a cool job for me right now would be doing VM + VOIP + SQL + Linux and NO DESKTOP SUPPORT whatsoever! Though that's like a fantasy because it's unlikely to happen. Other cool job would be just working on Linux servers, also unlikely not to include desktop support duties. Last awesome job would be to be a network security specialist though I don't have the required in-depth background in networking.

Working at Blizzard does sound awesome, but 1) I'm not a programmer so it does not appeal to me and 2) It kinda hard to take the word of a stranger (relatively unknown to this forum) who pops up saying he's head programmer at Blizzard...kinda seems like an un-"head programmer at Blizzard"-like thing to do...but if it's the truth, then good for you

Is Blizzard the company that makes games? I googled it but all I could see was "Blizzard Store" and that's what they were advertising.

[nemowolf]

Thanks for the insightful replies

I do realize that I won't get a job doing just VM or whatever. So I guess a cool job for me right now would be doing VM + VOIP + SQL + Linux and NO DESKTOP SUPPORT whatsoever! Though that's like a fantasy because it's unlikely to happen. Other cool job would be just working on Linux servers, also unlikely not to include desktop support duties. Last awesome job would be to be a network security specialist though I don't have the required in-depth background in networking.

Working at Blizzard does sound awesome, but 1) I'm not a programmer so it does not appeal to me and 2) It kinda hard to take the word of a stranger (relatively unknown to this forum) who pops up saying he's head programmer at Blizzard...kinda seems like an un-"head programmer at Blizzard"-like thing to do...but if it's the truth, then good for you

Now the key is to GO FOR IT! As the yoga instructor in Couples Retreat would say "SO DO IT!!!! ENCOURAGMENT!!!"


PS, love the icon your using.

[nemowolf]

Is Blizzard the company that makes games? I googled it but all I could see was "Blizzard Store" and that's what they were advertising.

So i just did a quick search on this pastakia'a six posts and one of them is talking about how WoW is horrible and he would never play it.

Lame ...

Troll on dude.

[Networker4321]

So i just did a quick search on this pastakia'a six posts and one of them is talking about how WoW is horrible and he would never play it.

Lame ...

Troll on dude.

Yeah, i saw that too. But, I hear it's a good game from other players.