Anyone Else Planning on Leaving the Tech Field?

[Jediab]

Greetings all.

I have been planning on leaving the tech industry to try to find a job that can make decent money.

In the downturn of the economy, techs have been laid off all over the place. With the large flux of unemployed techs out there and the small amount of jobs available, companies can pick and choose who they want to hire. We have all of a sudden become a dime a dozen. It has become too tough to compete with the thousands of people checking the same want ads, the same job boards, and going to the same interviews. Certifications really dont mean anything any more. Not even MSCE, CNA, Cisco, MOUS, or A+. It is really depressing when it seems that the only thing I get a call for is helpdesk paying crap. Even then I dont get the job because some other unemployed slob who has a NASA class education needs a job, and gets hired instead of me.

So, I was thinking that maybe I can get my Class B driving liscence and drive a garbage truck. LOL! Not something that you might want to put up on your profile, but it pays really really well.

I want to have enough money to purchase a house, and get a dog that my wife wants. For that I need money, and in the tech industry I dont see it happening any time soon.

If I do leave, then I will do the tech stuff as a hobbie, but not as a career. So that means I can still give useless advice on this post!



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I am not clever enough to put anything of any interest in this spot

[NooNoo]

Whatever you find to fill the monetary gap, I hope its something you enjoy. Having the money without any job satisfaction is as bad as having no money and loads of job satisfaction. Good luck!

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Never ever approach a computer saying or thinking, "I will just do this quickly"

[Cobra]

Nope, for better or worse, I'm stuck in the tech business.

I started off in retail. I hated it.

I went to a corporate environement. I hated it worse, because I had structure & rules I had to obey.

Now I'm back in retail. I still hate it.

I'd like to get out, but the only problem is that computers are the only thing I'm good at that I could actually make a living at. So I'm stuck here, like it or not.

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LET THE PANTIES HIT THE FLOOR!

[ad3p4]

Same here.

I seem to have a "sixth sense" at times with IT systems.

I'm drawn to it like it's a bad habit.

Doesn't pay enough, but I feel good doing it, so...

Good luck in your new career, though.

I hear with the current economy one can expect to switch career paths at least 3 times in a lifetime. I'm up to my fourth one (at 31)!

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"Expect the unexpected"
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[tazdrummer]

Well, here is my two pennies worth....

I have had an appetite for this stuff since the Atari 65XE. For a few years I was off the track and when a wise supervisor showed me the "forest" that I couldnt see because all the trees were in my way. I am finally on the path. I pretty much live breathe and eat this stuff everyday. Some of the IT department at the hospital that I work at (my company is contracted by their IT department) I have overheard them say that once they get home they dont even want to touch or look at a computer. NOT ME!! =)

Sometimes I think about going home to mess up this thing so I can be challenged to fix it... (but since I married Morticia she told me that if I break it again for just giggles sake she will beat my a$$!!!)

All I can say is if you love this stuff, just hang in and you will find something that pays good. It took me two years.

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If it aint broke, tweak it!!
When in doubt, throw it out!!!

[This message has been edited by tazdrummer (edited September 28, 2001).]

[bad_mojo]

<font face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva" size="2">Originally posted by jediab:
So, I was thinking that maybe I can get my Class B driving liscence and drive a garbage truck. LOL! Not something that you might want to put up on your profile, but it pays really really well.
</font>

Have you actually looked into this?....I'll tell you that it's not that way around here at all.......I am currently a tech and I have a Class B CDL....the best rate for garbage truck drivers around here is $10-$11/hr......I have found jobs driving Tri-Axle Dumptrucks for as little as $7.50/hr. to $12.00/hr tops......I currently make $15.00/hr. as a retail tech.....so I kind of have to stay in the IT field......better pay, even though I hate it and would rather be driving a truck!!!!

If you want to drive a truck and make the big $$$$$$$.......go get your Class A and become an OTR driver.......that's where the $$$$ is.....providing you don't mind being out of town all the time!!!!!!!

[Sowulo]

Summers are usually a little slow and things pick up in September. Nothing has changed. Sept. has been a good income month. I expect that if the recession lasts, this could be a banner year over the next twelve months. When the economy is slow I sell a few less systems but pick up a lot of new clients trying to keep the old systems alive a little longer...the profits on billable time are much greater than hardware profits.

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Note to self: Re-index brain cells, database corruption present.

[AbSoLuTeZeR0]

wow, im in the tech field i work help desk, im starting out, by next year i willl have one year computer experience. the depressing part it i get paid 10 bucks an hour
im going to try to stick with it and see if i find something that pays more, im still not certified, im reviewing some books and then going to dish out the cash to get certs.
i pray i will one day land a good paying position.
i was offered a job at target as a supervisor but was offered 10 bucks also , i dont really want to go back into the retail gig.

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I am the dreamer, You are the dream

[Darren Wilson]

How can people hate doing what they love??? If you didn't like doing what you do then why post on here?????? Think about it. Anyway the more people that leave the Tech field, just enable the ones who stay in it to earn more money as there will be less people fighting for the jobs. It will be the ones who stay in it that benefit opverall..... Oh if you want to find out what the hardship of being a Tech is, come over to the UK and work, then you will REALLY know what it is like..... especially if companies in America are actually creating jobs for British techs to go & work for them...

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System Specs
Abit KT7A-RAID (Rock F'n Solid!!!) - AMD Athlon 1Ghz (10x100) - 1024Mb PC133 SDRAM - ATI Radeon (AGP4X) - Maxtor ATA100 30Gb - 2 x Seagate ATA66 (RAID 0 totalling 26Gb) - Toshiba SD-1202M DVD - Plextor PlexWriter 2410A (Buy One!!!!) - Creative Labs SB Live! Value (No Pops , Hiss or Crackles here) - 20" Eizo Flexscan Monitor - Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM Final Release

[AbSoLuTeZeR0]

well i personally like computers and am not leaving the field, but since techs are getting laid off, is it possible to start like a union for techs or something like that?

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I am the dreamer, You are the dream

[pumpkinhead77]

<font face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva" size="2">Originally posted by Cobra:
Nope, for better or worse, I'm stuck in the tech business.

I started off in retail. I hated it.

I went to a corporate environement. I hated it worse, because I had structure & rules I had to obey.

Now I'm back in retail. I still hate it.

I'd like to get out, but the only problem is that computers are the only thing I'm good at that I could actually make a living at. So I'm stuck here, like it or not.

</font>

I thougt you worked for an isp

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If it's not broken....Fix it!
http://www.underauthority.net

[Cobra]

<font face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva" size="2">Originally posted by pumpkinhead77:
I thougt you worked for an isp

</font>

That would be my venture into the corporate world which I noted above. Me & my employer both agreed it would be in both parties' best interest for us to part ways after I refused to comply with a few policies.

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LET THE PANTIES HIT THE FLOOR!

[Darren Wilson]

<font face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva" size="2">Originally posted by Cobra:
That would be my venture into the corporate world which I noted above. Me & my employer both agreed it would be in both parties' best interest for us to part ways after I refused to comply with a few policies.

</font>

Yeap both parties told each othe to 'P**S OFF' literally


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System Specs
Abit KT7A-RAID (Rock F'n Solid!!!) - AMD Athlon 1Ghz (10x100) - 1024Mb PC133 SDRAM - ATI Radeon (AGP4X) - Maxtor ATA100 30Gb - 2 x Seagate ATA66 (RAID 0 totalling 26Gb) - Toshiba SD-1202M DVD - Plextor PlexWriter 2410A (Buy One!!!!) - Creative Labs SB Live! Value (No Pops , Hiss or Crackles here) - 20" Eizo Flexscan Monitor - Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM Final Release

[Spork]

I thought about leaving the tech field. The people I support here and driving me insane to the point where I don't even want to use my own computer when I get home from work.

I dunno, I've been told before that I should become a writer. Apparently this girl I know thinks I have really good writing skills.

Another thought was being an architect. But too much math kinda killed my flavor for that.

The other thing I thought of was doing graphic arts. A friend of mine really wants to do it and she wants me to go to school with her for it. It sounds like it would be fun, but it would totally clash with work and I'm not about to take night classes for 5 years to complete a 2 year course.

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"Damn the man. Save the Empire" Mark - Empire Records

[thirdfey]

If I were to look for an alternative vocation other than computers I would probably be a mechanic, probably auto even though I would rather work on motorcycles. I hear that moto mechanics don't get paid as weel as auto mechanics. Either way I still need to get the proper training which I plan on doing anyway next summer.

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I'd rather be riding my motorcycle