next career step [closed]

Question

I'm almost 40 year old. I've had a lot of different jobs in different areas. I've worked as truck driver, painter, help runner at a big banking company, i was self employeed (painting, construction, wiring etc.) for a couple of years. Now i work as a PC-technician in technician support group at an enterprise corporation and has done this in a couple of years.

I was wondering if anyone have any idea about a career step for me, the corporation have opportunities but this probably mean i have to go out of country and that is not an option.

I want to have more responsibility, I'm ready for more responsibility and can handle more responsibility.

Answer 1

It all depends if you want a lateral, or vertical step.

Vertical Step

It will be easier and faster for you to progress in your current career route, or in other words, move vertically. Within this career route, you have many options open to you but they will involve extra training or study. With extra technical certification, you will have access to the next technical tier. MCP, MCITP etc will all be very useful.

This in turn, over time, will lead towards management, if that's what you want. The key to this is to discuss with your boss(es) what it is you're planning to do, why you want to do it, and where you hope it to lead you. If you get them onboard, you may get assistance (financial and otherwise) from your company. Your bosses will also then be aware that you are career minded, you want to progress, and your name will come to mind in the future when opportunities arise.

Beware though - if you say you're going to do something, do it. If you fall through on completing training or certification, having already discussed it with your bosses, you will be condemned to the "all talk" or "unreliable" box for the rest of your life at this company. This would be exacerbated by the fact that you've changed careers so many times.

Lateral Step

So you want to change career? Or a different flavor of your current industry? This will involve retraining, certification, and study (again). You will end up being on the bottom rung of the ladder again for a while until you prove yourself in that field. This is definitely the harder route, but if it's a career you really really want, then it's something you have to do. Being a middle/high tier employee in a career you are indifferent about is definitely worse than being a low/middle tier employee in a career you love.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You're being too vague to give anything but a vague answer. If you're working for a large corporation, you need to specialize in something that is valuable/strategic to the company. If the company is getting ready to invest in a massive Linux cluster or some enterprise application or whatever, time to get involved with that.

If relocation is going to be required and you want to avoid that, you need to make a strategic leap, as you're getting old to be jumping from employer to employer. Depending on where you live that may mean looking at state/local government or education. Or another bank/insurance company/whatever. It may mean looking for the groups in your company where folks are getting ready to retire.

Figure out what you to do, then develop a strategy to get there. Do you want to be a director? Time to work on writing, speaking and political skills. Do you want to be the lead backup group technician in 5 years? Time to get yourself noticed.

Answer 3

Could become a group manager or team lead for where you are currently? This is moving up in the corporate hierarchy and may be a good move if you want to get into more of a management situation. This is my interpretation of Izzy's vertical change in your career.

Another idea would be to go for a different role completely. For example, if in doing a lot of troubleshooting as a technician you'd like to move into QA then you may go on to do testing and that is more of a lateral move as you aren't going up the corporate ladder at all. There may be other roles that have limited qualifications for you to be eligible to apply and have a chance at getting. Why do you think any other role would mean leaving the country? I don't quite understand that point.

These are the big questions if you want to get more meaningful answers, IMO:

• What are your strengths? What kinds of things do you do better than the average person?
• What do you like to do? What kinds of things boost your energy, drive or mood? What are things that as you talk about them, your eyes light up and you become more enthusiastic and excited?

Answer 4

A lot depends on your level of motivation - in my experience, the one key distinction between people who get on in an IT career, and people who really don't is the willingness to self study.

I have worked in a whole variety of IT positions. in some positions I have had training available, because it suited the company to do so (for having the right number of MCSEs, or CNEs on staff to hold a given partner status), but in every single one I have taken the exams and studied the materials to advance my career - on my own time and money if required.

It's also because I genuinely enjoy what I do. I'd probably be doing this stuff as a hobby if I could - doing it as a pro just means I get to work with bigger and better kit and technology.

if you wait to see what an employer will offer you, you will wait a long time. if you take charge of your own career progression, it's much easier to control what happens.

Answer 5

If you're interested in staying in the IT field then my recommendation would be to pursue IT related certification, consider getting at least a 2 year IT related degree, and find a position at a company that will allow you to stay local, if that's what you want. It's not enough to say that you're ready for more responsibilty, you have to prove it and furthering your education is the best way to do that. If you're serious about being an IT professional then you need to take your career seriously, and that means taking the neccessary steps to become an IT professional. I got a late start in IT like you, but it was the best career move of my life.