Need some career advice

[ATLien247]

I've been at my current job for going on seven years. I was hired as a network administrator, but I work for a small organization, so I pretty much do everything that is even remotely computer-related (except for the phone system).

The pay is decent, the benefits are great, and I am usually comfortable with my job. Lately, however, I've been itching to try something different. This would require finding employment elsewhere.

It seems that all of the IT job openings, at least the ones that pay well, are all either software development or DBA-type jobs. I have some experience in both areas, perhaps enough to be considered for an entry-level position. Were I to switch careers right now, it would most likely result in a 25% cut in pay, unless I can get hired on at a senior level. I can't really afford that unless my family and I make some drastic changes in lifestyle.

What I'm interested in hearing from you all is (1) which route, developer or DBA, has the most promise in the long run, and (2) depending on which route you recommend, how would you approach gaining the necessary experience. Self study? Community college? University? Professional training?

I look forward to your helpful responses.

Thanks!

 

[Roguestar]

Freelance hitman.

 

[tw1164]

just get a new hobby

 

[ATLien247]

Nothing that I would consider helpful so far...

Anyone else?

 

[akubi]

Originally posted by: ATLien247

I look forward to your helpful responses.

you must be new around town...

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

There are only two ways to go, stick with a boring job (this one or similar) or, take exciting opportunities as they come and realize you'll most probably be scratching for a living the rest of your life.

There's good things to be said for each approach but, for myself, if I'd chosen the safe and secure route, I'd have wound up in a clock tower somewheres.

 

[Descartes]

What I'm interested in hearing from you all is (1) which route, developer or DBA, has the most promise in the long run

1^20%, unequivocally, absolutely developer. You'll hear someone pull the "but they're outsourcing" card with regards to development, but the market is currently fantastic and the potential is limitless.

and (2) depending on which route you recommend, how would you approach gaining the necessary experience. Self study? Community college? University? Professional training?

That's tough. In your position, the best pathway would be to find a way to start doing serious development work at your current job. Couple this with disciplined self-study. A degree won't likely help you and will most likely slow you down; what you're after in your position is experience. That experience could then be used to get you into at least an intermediate-level development position elsewhere. Seek out the best companies that offer the best experience. Don't look for projects where you do one banal thing some part of the day and sit around the rest. Do something that throws you into the deep end of the pool and find a way out. Your path to peer competition is quality of experience.

A good software developer working full-time can easily fetch six figures (or close) in almost any market. A consultant with a strong emphasis in software can fetch a lot more, but that's a long way off as you need a lot more than technical ability to pursue such a career path.

 

[Mxylplyx]

What Descartes said, though both paths would be fine. I'm pulling well into 6 figures, albeit with 2 jobs, in software development, and I've been in about 7 years. Outsourcing has become more prevalent, but it still seems easy to find a job. Oh yeah, I'm in B'ham, AL, so thats alot of money here.

Also, you need to be good to succeed in this field. Lots of people came into this field chasing the $$ during the tech boom, and they are getting weeded out through layoffs or low pay because they mostly suck. You'll generally know where you stand after a few years. If your not at or in front of the curve next to your peers across multiple companies, you probably wont do that well. I say multiple companies, because the tech level can vary wildly from company to company. You might think you are all smart at one, and then move to another and discover that you really didnt know that much.

 

[spidey07]

DBA is tough - don't need too many of them and once you hit the Sr. level even a fortune 100 company only needs a few.

 

[Rudee]

I have a friend who was in a similar situation as a DBA, except he decided to learn how to become "the phone guy" and took a bunch of Cisco courses on CallManager administration and VoIP telephony and his skillset has broadened tremendously. He no longer does the DBA work and is exclusively into telecom now and he is happier then ever.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Rudee
I have a friend who was in a similar situation as a DBA, except he decided to learn how to become "the phone guy" and took a bunch of Cisco courses on CallManager administration and VoIP telephony and his skillset has broadened tremendously. He no longer does the DBA work and is exclusively into telecom now and he is happier then ever.

Not to side track, but if your friend (with his dba background) can master call manager/exchange and the other messaging applications he can make SERIOUS money.

Moving into a consulting role for this the pay is huge. You can't find true experts with this mix of skills.

 

[Rudee]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Rudee
I have a friend who was in a similar situation as a DBA, except he decided to learn how to become "the phone guy" and took a bunch of Cisco courses on CallManager administration and VoIP telephony and his skillset has broadened tremendously. He no longer does the DBA work and is exclusively into telecom now and he is happier then ever.

Not to side track, but if your friend (with his dba background) can master call manager/exchange and the other messaging applications he can make SERIOUS money.

Moving into a consulting role for this the pay is huge. You can't find true experts with this mix of skills.

An experienced data guy is good for a company, an experienced voice and data guy is 10x better.