I work IT for the Air Force. I have worked helpdesk and field technician roles on the client end of my work. I have some experience with troubleshooting AD. Will have four years of experience in the client side.

I will be finishing my degree in a year and a half. I have A+, Network+, Security+, Project+, ITIL 4 foundation, and AWS cloud practitioner. I will have Cloud+, LPI Linux Essentials, AWS Developer, AWS Solutions Architect, and AWS Sys-Ops around a year and a half as well very likely.

I also have getting to writing scripts in Powershell to try to automate some tasks on the client end. There's an opportunity to get CCNA through the DOD, and another opportunity to get some front end developer experience.

Not sure what my prospects are. I don't really care about the pay that much, but I do want a job troubleshooting interesting things. I find my current job fulfilling. I am going to focus on the certs and degree for sure. What prospects and roles do you think I can get with my resume and skills?

This is going to be a long post. Over the last year I have been working as a system admin at a university. It's a very toxic environment. I have a desktop support manager that shoots down any of my ideas and yells and screams at you when something goes wrong.

I work but don't report with our technical director who refuses to give things up even though they fall in my responsibility. He purposely sets up me to look bad into our CIO.

Over the last month I have been dealing with a lot of family issues. Back in 2010 my wife had a serve brain injury because we were involved in a bad snow mobile accident. So in September we found out that my wife needed another major brain surgery. I was very upfront with my boss that I would need to take some time off to be with my wife. I had the personal days to use. I told them I would take the day of the surgery off and work the rest of the hospital stay remotely. My boss said that was ok and whatever time I needed was fine. We ended up staying with my inlaws so that I could go into the office everyday after my wife's surgery. I was in the office everyday after my wife's surgery minus a day I had to take her to get her staples out.

About 2 weeks ago I got really really sick. Could have been me holding all the stress with work and my wife's surgery. I took a sick day but I was planning on coming back to work to fight through it because I didn't want to abuse the work from home. We had a patch update on Tuesday night and the technical director o work with told me just to work from home the rest of the week because he didn't want me to get him sick. I sent my boss an email asking if it was ok and I never got a response.

Last week right before they let us go home early for thanksgiving break she tells me you have to cut it with the WFH or you going to have serious issues going forward. I said I understand but you told me it was ok and I have doctor's notes for all the days I worked from home or was out. I was surprised by this because she told me to take the time I needed and we would work with WFH schedule. Not once until Tuesday did she ever say it was a problem. No warnings nothing.

At this point I'm just done with this toxic behavior. I started looking for jobs. Had three phone interviews last Wednesday. I have been working in the field for 13 years and this is the first time I have ever experienced a toxic work environment like this. It's honestly 3 weeks before Christmas and I feel stressed that I'm going to get fired

So I really want to start my career in IT and eventually software development. Problem is I still have a year left of school and no certifications. Also not much work experience outside of customer service. My question is: what can I do right now to increase my chances of landing an entry level job? I'm incredibly stressed out about this because I'm in my 30s living with my dad and I feel so far behind. I've applied to multiple jobs and only had one interview. I'm willing to start out at a low wage help desk job or internship.

I don't know how is the screening process at the moment, I don't know if nowadays a person is looking quickly at every resume that is submitted for a company or if is analyze by a program or AI to approve it or discard it so a real person actually would look a it, but my question is that if it is better to have a simple resume, in black and white with no logos or anything, just letters in it, or if something with more creativity and color would stand out, maybe some graphic analitycs and stuff, do you have any insides about this?

If it helps, the area that I am looking to apply is on the IT field

Sorry if I am being to vague, I am new to this

I feel ive narrowed down my options to these 2 A.S. programs at FSCJ. Which program do yall think has a better career outlook? The curriculum linls are on the bottom. Thanks for the input!

Background: Recently moved to Jacksonville and trying to get a degree in a computer related field. Im thinking an associates for now then bachelors at a later point in time. Ill be using the full gi bill (im a vet) so money is no issue. Also, if anyone has any suggeations on other schools/programs, im all ears. Ready to put in the effort if its difficult

https://catalog.fscj.edu/programs/2153?_gl=1%2auqi6oa%2a_gcl_au%2aMTcwNTg0Mjg4MC4xNzMwNDAwMjk1LjE4NTExOTU2MTYuMTczMzA3NTY1Mi4xNzMzMDc2MDIy

https://catalog.fscj.edu/programs/2156?_gl=1%2abujngv%2a_gcl_au%2aMTcwNTg0Mjg4MC4xNzMwNDAwMjk1LjU5ODkwMDEwOC4xNzMzMDc4MTI5LjE3MzMwNzgxMjg.

Next year, I'm planning to study abroad my country so to help myself financially I'm trying to pass the Net+ exam to get a part-time job, Help desk, IT support, junior technician...(entry-level jobs)

So pls tell me if it can get me a job or I'm wasting my time

And thak you everyone !

Sorry if this isn’t the best sub to ask, but I’m starting a degree in network engineer and security. Looking for something to listen to while I’m at work to increase my knowledge and help me learn.

Hey,

I just started a new job as a Cloud Engineer, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to get up to speed. My work mostly involves managing Azure/M365, migrating on-prem apps to the cloud, optimizing costs, and making sure everything is secure and compliant. I also do some mentoring for the service desk team and help out with bigger projects.

What’s been helpful for you in a similar role? • Any learning platforms you’d recommend (A Cloud Guru, Pluralsight, Microsoft Learn, etc.)? • Certifications worth going after? • General advice for tackling cloud migrations, cost optimization, or staying on top of everything?

Appreciate any pointers. Thanks

Hello! I am going to graduate soon this year with a Bachelors in CS, and I wanted some advice on what I could do. 6 months back I got an internship for being a help desk intern, and honestly, I have really enjoyed it. I’ve learned a lot and its helped me choose a career I could see myself doing. My question is, what should I do to make sure I keep progressing and don’t stay stuck here? My coworker got his CCNA recently, and while im studying for the A+, he’s shown me some of the labs he’s done on switches our network engineer has given him, and overall helped me learn a lot. I want to go into networking because it seems interesting, and he’s recommended I start studying for the CCNA after the A+. Its a massive leap but I feel as though it is possible, even my network engineer says to go for it if I really want to do networking. Im just curious on ideas, so I appreciate everything! (Also ive been doing some very small home labs like a network drive, any ideas are also appreciated!)

I’m getting ready to graduate with an IT degree and have been applying religiously to jobs including entry level IT and software development. Problem is that I live in a bad state for this field and there are hardly any jobs. I’ve had 1 internship which was in my state. I also interviewed for entry level roles at 3 other companies, all of which are in my state. I see this as too much of a coincidence, given that in my state, I’ve only applied to like 20 jobs max and my total application count is around 400 and have gotten zero interviews for out of state companies.

Do companies just not hire out of state? How do I get a job thats out of state?

Hi guys,

Currently, I have a pretty rewarding role as a senior software engineer (15 years exp.) that spans a broad scope, blending full-stack development, data science, research, hardware and some non-profit work that requires political gist. However, the highly specialized nature of my company limits opportunities for IT career growth.

Recently, and somewhat unexpectedly, a public institution approached me about a senior cybersecurity specialist role. This position requires a strong software development background and involves national-scale cybersecurity projects. It appears to be a highly responsible, well-compensated job with a fast-tracked career trajectory. The scope is broad, encompassing software engineering, cybersecurity, legal responsibilities and R&D related to things like AI/ML and cryptography.

While the opportunity is exciting, I am concerned about potentially losing the hard hands-on, technical edge over time. However, considering the increasing saturation of the software engineering field, particularly post-COVID, this career shift could be a strategic move with long-term benefits.

Some context - I wasn’t actively seeking a change, as my personal life is quite demanding right now (kids, wife dealing with burnout, family living far away).

I’ve spent a couple of days thinking about it and still can’t make up my mind, so maybe one of you internet folks can help tip the scales in one direction or the other. :-)

Cheers!

Are there any free courses in computer trainings? Like programming or anything related to computers. Need a certificate of it for a job application. Where it says the duration I did it. Thanks guys in advance

Hello Reddit

I'm looking for a well-rounded book or study resource to help me become a skillful and efficient network engineer.

For context, I passed the CCNA in January and am looking to level up my knowledge and skills in the field; I've completed over 60 labs and enjoyed configuring routers and switches to pass the exam. Unfortunately, I don't have any personal experience besides Packet Tracer labs and following Jeremy's Playlist.

Some networking topics I thoroughly enjoyed learning include TCP/IP, VLANs, STP, dynamic routing, network security, and wireless networks; my personal favorite topics are dynamic routing and network security, through ACLs, port-security, ARP Inspection, and DHCP snooping.

What beginner-intermediate books would you recommend for someone looking to become a skillful and efficient network engineer?

I am finishing my PhD in Computer Science (non-AI, quant user studies), and I am thinking about where to go next. My dream job is something related to market analysis, but as far as I can see, those jobs often require a lot of communication and are better suited for onsite work. Also, one needs to be fluent in the local language (German in my case). At the same time, even though these analysts can significantly help a company grow, the compensation is not really that high (often up to ~150k in the US, waaay lower in Germany).

I like working with data and eliciting insights, I can also elicit insights from research, and I have experience with user studies and statistics. However, I really prefer remote work. On top of that, since my German (I reside in Germany) is far from fluent, I won't be able to land a local market analyst job any time soon. I will probably take a gap year to build a strong portfolio. What field should I aim for? To sum it up, I want to maximize my income, work remotely, and work with data and research.

EDIT1: 200k salary is the goal in ten years, not for the first job.

EDIT2: I'm okay with communication with the team and, occasionally, with stakeholders. I actually enjoy presenting my results. However, I’m not okay with commuting to work every day, traveling, or constantly communicating in person to gather additional requirements.

EDIT3: I am not that interested in Data Engineering positions.

So I've been working as help desk for 3 years now. In the meantime I have obtained A+, N+, Sec+ and AZ-900 certificates. Currently I'm studying for the CCNA. My employer counts over 7000 employees in Germany and recently they have faced fierce competition which is forcing them to cut down on some onsite offices and move the people around other projects wherever they deem fit.

We have been covering an extra onsite position that is in a city 180 km away from our central offices. So someone from us (team of 5) has to go there 1/2 times a week to troubleshoot tickets and pick up some remarketing hardware. We are strongly against this situation, but the employer says that if they assign someone permanently to this remote position, we will have to have a smaller team at the central office. I'm getting to the point, stay with me 😉

I have applied internally for a position of a junior network engineer in a network consulting role. My direct contact for anything job related, like a link between me and the company, says I am eligible for the role, but doesn't have any info to give me as to wether I'll be accepted for the role or not. I want to make an ultimatum since I am the most certified/qualified technician they currently have for this client - ask to be transferred to the network consulting role or else I'll change jobs (the market has moved on, other companies now offer 30% more than what I currently get). Question - do you think I have some leverage here? Is the company willing to loose me and not respond to my ultimatum? Getting the network consulting role would be great since it would give me a great leap into a better position/wage. But at the same time I don't know how long I will have to wait and time is money.

Hi I am starting a new position as a IT support technician at a school in London. I graduated a year ago with a law degree but decided I want to take a different career path. I would like to break into the tech sector but I am unsure on what particularly I would like to do. However I am open to suggestions and would like to know what courses I can do to get ahead preferably not a 3 year long degree.

Hi all,

I worked in an IT company for more than 5 years on L1 support projects. Over the past 2 years, I started learning Pega, completed the Pega Certified System Architect (PCSA) and Pega Certified Senior System Architect (PCSSA) certifications, and worked on a small project using my personal edition.

Recently, I got a job in a Tier-1 IT company by showcasing 4 years of experience in Pega during the interview process.

Now, I am looking for advice on how to manage work in an Agile methodology and effectively contribute to my team.

For those who joined a company with zero real-time experience, how did you adapt? What tips can you share to survive and succeed in such a situation? What key points should I keep in mind while starting this journey?

Hi

I have done my BSc(IT) and now I have 6 years of experience as mentioned in title. Currently I'm currently working as a Service now developer(just started 3 months back so learning it).

I wanted to do some Post Graduation(MCA/MBA) but I'm not sure what to chose as I can't quit my job. Also I did not have Maths as a subject in my 12th so it's more hard for me to chose. I'm not sure if I even need a PG or just some certifications are needed to do big in my career.

Please suggest some good career options after my current stage and what can be learnt frome here. All suggestions are welcomed.

Extra Notes: I chose PCB(Physics/Chemistry/Bio) in 12th but then took BSc(IT) in college. So, I think that's where I messed up things. Just to let you know I'm not much of a competitive person but I've decent technical skills and good presentation related stuff. Also I'm ready to learn if it helps.

Hey guys,

just got an interview in a few days for junior IT support role. if there's anyone here that have done interviews for similar roles can you please let me know what questions do they ask? ik it's different for each employer. but just having an idea of what might be asked is a good idea to make myself well prepared.

i moved to australia recently and english is my 2nd language. i'm not trying to make an excuse here, i still can communicate perfectly but for the interview i'm kinda scared as i sometimes can't think of an answer immediately on the spot in English especially when i'm nervous. TIA!!

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I currently work helpdesk in healthcare. I am a jack of all trades whether it be PowerShell, o365, python, sccm, Linux etc..... I have been at my current job for nearly a year and am making around 60k cad. I hold azure fundamentals, Linux +, cysa, a+ , sec+. It is a fairly corporate environment and I want to move up however I would have to wait a long time for that to happen. I also don't know if I would have significant pay raises. I'm thinking about going into private sector for more money however I'd lose my pension and tenure at current org. Would you wait to move up or move out for money? I'm in my early 20s and am looking to have a family in my early 30s. What would you do?

I searched but couldn’t find anyone talking about working remotely in Southeast Asia. Is there anyone in here doing it right now I would love to ask you some questions. Thanks

I know that someone in my team was told ‘or you reach the 80% rate of tickets resolution within the next 3 months or you are fired. Another colleague who was constantly below minimum (60%) was instead got to explore some different aspects of the role other than tickets and got promoted as an SME instead?

Hello everyone I Finally landed my first job in tech as a Tier II IT Technician for a governmet county . Although I've only worked for two days so far, the job itself seems relatively fine, but the commute is extremely long. (1hr 30 going there, 2 hours going home). The job is 8am-5pm m-f in person too so it takes away basically my entire day with the long commute. The pay is really good too, about $31 an hour before taxes. Everyone there is okay so far, but I'm a 25year old Male and all my co-workers are 50+. so it's hard to really relate with them but hopefully overtime it gets better. I was wondering if theres possibilities for this to open doors for me later on after I've gained some experience? Looking for advice on how I can utilize the position I'm in for my future later on. I hope to be able to find something closer to where I live or a hybrid/remote role?

Hi fellow IT people,

I (early thirties, from Europe) am in a pickle of a tough decision.

I'm working as an Engineer for a reputable cloud service provider utilizing a tech stack that is 95% Open Source which I love and value for myself. My salary is ok but nothing I want to stay at long term and the company already announced a current top cap for personal development in my department. So my chances for a promotion in the next 2 years are slim, because there are people before me in line (I'm dreaming of home ownership and mortgages are crazy). I aspire to be a senior in DevOps one day, maybe even DevSecOps, and I would love to be able to keep working with Linux. Besides the typical annoyances in corporations that are going sideways, I'm enjoying it so far.

All of a sudden I get this offer from a Fortune500 that pays almost double the salary for a consultant role. When it comes to the tasks I'm more engaging with the customer(s) and consulting them on the "big next thing" This is quite a different field of work in IT and I'm not sure if I A) will get along with my Teamlead and B) if I can make use of their promised personal development plan and learn stuff on the side C) most of the stuff I'm going to be working with will not be Linux related, although they have somewhat of a department that has that (cannot go into detail without revealing anything)

So it's the age old question:

• Should I take the offer for the salary and learn my favored tech stack on the side and transition back in a few years?
• Or stick with my current job and believe in the mission.

I'm not sure if companies are eager to hire a former consultant to suddenly do DevOps, regardless of certificates. I don't have kids to feed and I'm not in financial trouble. So this offer is just a "luxury". I'm not sure what would set me up better for the future.

Any meaningful insight is highly appreciated. Thanks in advance

I am a 52 year old teacher assistant for exceptional education since 2014. I don't want to switch careers completely. I am interested in working in a part time position to increase my income.. I am 6 credits away from getting an associate degree in IT Network Administration. Are there opportunities for working part-time remotely for IT? I appreciate any advice you can give me.

Here it is

29 year old guy, Net+ certified, graduating from a CCNA program at my local community college in May.

I've applied to less than 100 jobs, had one interview, so as of right now I'm not stressing TOO badly about the lack of responses.

My ideal long term goal is healthcare IT, but I'm currently not too picky. I'm open to any critiques.

I have a bachelors in Biblical studies and 2 years preaching experience. I had a contract job for a Halloween Company doing a Technical Support Specialist role. I now have a full time Service Desk (Helpdesk) role at an MSP. As I look at SysAdmin and Networking jobs a lot require a bachelors in a tech adjacent field. I have an A+ and will have Net + in February. Is it worth me considering getting a Bachelors in CS or IT or can I use my bachelors and get a masters to get past HR gate keeping when ready to move out of Help Desk in 1 to 1.5 years.

I was speaking with one of my former colleagues and were discussing this and wanted to get some feedback sampling from other professionals.

Working at large companies with massive infrastructure, data centers, online cloud instances, and various sites distributed worldwide. Some time working for big tech companies as well, and now faced with career options. You're presented with a few offers for jobs but are struggling to see what the next step is career wise for some.

A smaller state run organization with competitive pay around $140K USD, remote role pension that vests after 5 years, few promotional opportunities, and an infrastructure that's hybrid on-prem and cloud but potentially fully going to the cloud with a total company users of about 50 people. No chance of layoffs or buyouts as the agency is static in appropriations.

OR

Another tech company based in the bay area, remote role with solid pay, decent benefits, small 401K match but no pension with pay around $160K USD, with lots of career growth and promotion opportunities. The infrastructure is expansive as it's hybrid but heavily leaning on the cloud with a company user base of 15-20K. No layoffs have occurred in nearly 6 years so they appear to be stable.

OR

Federal government position with an agency, but the pay is lower than civilian market but pension and investment account TSP are strong values. You'd come in at $90-100K, but would have to obtain a clearance (isn't too hard since they sponsor), and it is fully on-site. There is substantial opportunity for advancement, healthcare and retirement benefits are best of the best, and you are generally insulated from layoffs, or buyouts so your job can be more secure. It still may be 1 month before the final hiring process is completed.

Questions:

Would going from working in large enterprises, with large infrastructure to a small company with small infrastructure have an adverse impact on your career long term as Cloud Engineer, Principal Engineer or moving into a Cloud Architect or Enterprise Architect role?

Have those who've gone from small enterprises to larger enterprises had challenges being recruited and securing those roles after leaving a small enterprise?

I have almost three years of experience as a full-stack developer. I used to work with Angular and Spring Boot/.NET, but for the past year, I’ve been working with some very niche technologies from SAP. As a result, I am no longer as familiar with Angular and Spring Boot, and I’m unsure whether I should start relearning or focus on something else.

My goal is to improve my chances of getting interview calls and successfully passing them. Do you think I should dive deep into learning Angular/ Spring Boot, or would it be better to focus on more general concepts like algorithms, system design, design patterns, etc.?

I have to admit, I find learning specific technologies on my own a bit tedious, and I’d prefer a broader, more general approach. However, I’m worried this might hurt my chances during interviews.

Additionally, I’m considering pursuing an AWS certification to boost my CV. Do you think it’s worth the effort?