Human resources and energy trading are completely different ends of the spectrum... I can't really help you, I'm trying to find what I like myself.
Well I'm just throwing ideas out there for myself. Or maybe I haven't given IT a real shot due to the fact I've pretty much started my IT career at the same company. Thanks for your response though
You're young- you got plenty of time. But let me tell you something about those fields you mentioned for someone that's in the careers industry- human resources people b**** all the time about having to deal with regulations, employee complaints, and they're generally underappreciated. In energy trading, it's extremely stressful- it'll make IT stress feel like nothing. So, you won't be getting into anything less stressful, that's for sure. You either do what you're good at and keep the thing you love as the lifelong hobby, or you do what you love and if it doesn't pay what you need, change your lifestyle. If you're good at IT but don't like the aspect of it, then get into IT in a different capacity- sales, etc. Most people change careers at least once if not more, so don't be too concerned about any career path now.
You're 21 and I assume you're single. What does forever mean to you? Go back to school and study what you want. Seek out different experiences. Be prepared to undergo economic deprivation while you're finding your way. Be prepared to change your mind and your interests several times. It is hard to go through life without changing careers a couple of times. Be flexible and open. You have at least 8-9 years of flexibility before you're dialed in to the rest of your life. Make some sacrifices over the next few years for a better chance at happiness during the last 60 years of your life. If it is any consolation, I didn't find the career I was meant for until my mid-30's and it took a few shots at other stuff before I ended up where I am. Hang in there and don't settle for comfortable.
LOL @ 21 :grin: Stopped reading here: Not a good way to live life if all you want is to get paid rich and quick. Find something you like and the money will fall later. Leave money out of this.
Do some xray. You can be prn, work 3days 12's hr, work at a freestanding clinic, do ct and MRI, get into management, be a teacher of radiology. I'm living comfortable but I want more.
If your a people person, go into project management or a BA. IT will always be a support function in any company. I'm not really sure what you mean by "I like consumer technology." Does that mean you just like to play with iPads? Also, you need to learn how to set your clients expectations if they always expect you to complete something right away. Or bring up your workload with your boss if you feel like your overworked.
Definitely a people person. I have built good rapport with multiple people at the company I work for and overall people like me. What I mean by consumer technology is not dealing with back-up solutions, microsoft exchange servers, p to V migrations, etc.
Great advice and definitely makes me feel better knowing that I apparently have a lot of time to switch it up.
I hate to break this to you but most jobs in the corporate world have this problem. Wait til you're a manager so you can wake up to 100+ emails! My suggestion would be to find a field you're interested in and pursue a necessary skill in that field. You may change jobs multiple times in your career so that may not always be the best way to decide what you want to do.
Saying you're in IT is like saying you're in business. It's such a big field. So if you don't like the support side of it, go do project work, be a project manager, or go into sales. IT is more lucrative than most other fields so don't give up on it quite yet. But if you truly hate it, life is too short so go do something else. There is also a very high likelihood it's the company you work at. I have friends who work 50-60 hours a week and complain all the time but they accept their 'fate'. They think it's normal. It's not. I've been in IT for 17 years and have averaged 40 hours a week (less since I take 1.5 lunch breaks often). It doesn't have to be bad. If it is, move to another company.
This is true. You could be from hardware installer to telecommunications specialist to help desk to system administrator or project manager, and they're all in IT. It is too broad. Good point. ^ Negative. He's going to turn this down. He wants FAST and NOW, without lifting a finger.
So what you mentioned is general system administrator type duties. Do you hate being on call 24/7 or the endless support requests? I'm assuming DBA work is out too since it's not all that different from what you mentioned (backups, exchange) and programming, that's pretty much the entire technical spectrum of IT. If you are still looking in the IT field, then that just leaves technical writing, testing, BA and project management with IT management down the line.
I cannot tell you what field you should go into. However I can tell you that if you live in Texas, and at your age you should make the jump quickly for a variety of reasons. For one, the economy in Texas is amazing.... it is FAR better than 95% of the rest of the country and what that means is that you right now will get opportunities you will not get when things inevitably slow down in Texas. Further, at this point you do not have a wife and kids to support, a mortgage, etc. It may not be possible for you to make the change in the future. Currently I have offices in Ohio, Chicago and abroad, and I can tell you that the economic climate, economy, etc is NOT like it is in Texas. Also, you need to consider what your realistic long term financial objectives are. Are you more happy making less but having a job you like?
