1

Hi all,

I am in a bit of a pickle. I have been working as a Systems Admin for the past two years and as IT admin the year before for the same company. I quite enjoy the job but made the decision about 6 - 12 months ago that I want to get out of this company for numerous reasons that I wont delve in to too much but basically I’d like to work for a bigger organisation with better career prospects etc. So with that in mind I started to apply for System Admin jobs as that took my fancy. I am in a good position of not hating my job or desperate to leave so can just apply for the roles that really take my fancy.

A recruiter got in touch with me about a Security Analyst role for a massive financial corporation. At first I wasn’t too keen on the role as I’d like to continue to be more hands on in terms of working with kit. This Security Analyst role is more of a project management, approval type role. I decided to go along to the assessment day anyway as I would love to work for the company and thought I could find out more about the role. Anyway I got offered the job and have asked for the weekend to think it over but as I suspected it is not a hands on role at all. The interviewer’s exact words were “you will never touch a router, switch or server again”. At first that completely put me off the job but the pull of working for the company is strong and I do like the sound of the job as I have a keen interest in security and I believe it would be a good field to go in to.

It is also paying very well, more than I am on currently and more than I think I would be able to get somewhere else working as a Sys Admin. I also have concerns with jumping ship as a Sys Admin role to another one at a different company as although mu official title is “Systems Admin” I am still learning all the time and am by no means the finished product. I often use my boss when I get stuck which is something I am trying to avoid. My worry is although I know this current network inside out (I have been here for 5years) I may struggle without my current boss to fall back on who is actually more of a friend than a boss.

Just to add more indecision in to it, I have a telephone interview today for a Sys Admin role with a massive computer company.

I am a bit confused as to what I should do at the moment. I do think picking a speciality to work in would be a good move and I can’t think of a better one at the moment than Security. I am literally 50 50 as to whether I take the job or stay here and continue to look for something similar such as a sys admin role. At the same time I think in the back of my head the reason I am not jumping on these opportunities is because I love it where I am.

Any opinions would be great.

Thanks

15 Spice ups
2

Sounds like a good opportunity for career progression to me. Being a decision maker in a large organisation with room to grow is only a good thing.

As for having your boss to fall back on - you will still have your best friend at your side - Google!

I say go for it. New opportunities are always a bit nerve racking if you don’t despise your current position/organisation/colleagues, but it does sound like a good step up.

1 Spice up
3

You can always keep up your sysadmin skills with the home network you build using the extra money you earn :slight_smile:

You’re damn right about picking a speciality being the route to the big bucks. Let’s face it, you can always move back to a generic sysadmin role later if you find you don’t enjoy the security/project gig.

1 Spice up
4

Thanks guys really appreciate your comments and it is helping me to get my head round what I should do. I think its hard jumping from a job I actually really like (just want to change company) to a job I’m not sure of and have never done. Suppose its the fear of the unknown.

1 Spice up
5

No guts, no glory. I say go for it!

If you think it sucks later on, just start looking for the good ol’ SysAdmin jobs again. But if you find it suits you, you may have gotten a very nice career ahead :slight_smile:

2 Spice ups
6

I’ve recently taken on a position that will be strictly remote only support. Like you I didn’t like the fact that I was no longer going to be hands on with tech. I’ve spent years, inside server racks and cabinets and it’s the part of my job I like the most, especially the server side of things.

However I looked at it as what do I need to do, as opposed to what I would like to do. Lot’s of companies are moving more and more systems to SAAS and the all the other AAS’s. Virtulization has reduced the amount of servers knocking about in most racks. Mobile computing and the way they are being designed is limiting the repairability of a lot of devices. So hands on work is being reduced, not everywhere of course. But personally I’ve seen a lot of it and in recent years and I’ve been doing a lot less.

Some of the most in demand and best paying jobs are those relating to, security and cloud services, it’s all the fashion at the moment.

When you look at it like that, you have the opportunity, to earn more money, work for a large company and have a job role in one the quickest and in demand positions. It’s almost a no brainer.

I was in the same boat to you, I like my current job and I don’t have a clue wether i will like my new job. It’s different to anything I’ve done before and the fear is ever present. But if you woke up tomorrow, with no fear, what would you do? You’d most likely take the better job.

7

Thanks leif2251, wise words. I am leaning towards the new job especially as I have mentioned before it is based on Security which is up and coming and in demand, I see it as a good career to get in to. There are definitely parts of the Sys Admin job I will miss but it has given me the foundation to build a career in a more specific field.

1 Spice up
8

Lief I think you meant SAAS and AASs, right? :wink:

9

I say go for it - it’s easy enough to go back of you need/want to.

10

Tauras - think of it on the long term. I am in a similar position but I at the end of the day there is only so much you can progress is one company. i think you did great to last 5 years and that in it self is an achievement you should be proud of. we all as IT specialists have to adapt ourselfs to the current market trends and one is security and as leif said cloud services. and its great having a boss as a friend but what happens when you have a new boss and your not in the same position. use his support and guidance to help you and I am sure if he is a good boss and friend he will tell you the same thing: i.e. take the new job in security.

1 Spice up
11

Cheers wow, I’ve corrected.

12

What it comes down, is what you want from your career. Do you work just to put money in the bank, food on the table etc. or are you looking for a career that will allow you to progress in the work that you do, skills you lean and satisfaction that you gain from the things that you do.

There is an argument that if you are not moving forward, you will fall back; and as you have been in your current job, you might be getting stale without realising it, as well as missing out on the chance to improve. But equally, there are those that simply want to do the best they can in their small area, but leave it all behind when they go home so that they can concentrate on the important things in their lives.

Personally, I’d always take the opportunity to move forward, learn new skills and grow in confidence. But there is nothing worse than moving on to a new role that really doesn’t meet your needs.

If you can’t decide, toss a coin (seriously). Whichever way it falls, you will know instantly from your reaction to this if it is what you want; and you should go with that.

13

Honestly, it seems you have already invested too much thought which is not necessarily a bad thing. The only problem is you start thinking of the negative side instead of the positive. Security is definitely a specialty where a SysAdmin has more range of motion. I think it will come down to preference but in my opinion Security is the way to. Lets face it, you would not be job searching if you were 100 percent satisfied at your current position.

14

I am seriously leaning towards the role I have been offered. I have a second interview for a Sys Admin role next week which I will go to as something to compare to (it is also offering more money but further away). Heads spinning a bit, I have been at the same company for 5years, this is the only company I have ever worked for since uni.

15

Well… security is a hot career path right now. Consider that the true system administrator role is going to be harder to get in the near future. With the move to massive data centers and rent a rack type scenarios I feel that the sys and network admin roles are going to become a rare breed soon. At the very least there will be a greatly reduced need for them in the SMB space. Most of these jobs will be transitioned to cloud providers which in my opinion will cut down on their numbers. Now is a good time start learning something else. Security and Data analytics are the two hot peppers right now!!!

1 Spice up
16

I am 90% going to take the Security Role pending the final offer coming through. I am also still going to go to the Sys Admin interview just to see what’s on offer and get it straight in my head what I truly want. Thanks for all your advice it’s really helped me decide.

17

I’ve spent a decade in big finance, I’ll PM you.

18

System Admin is very different from a Security Analyst for sure. Surprising that the Sec job mentioned routers and switches which are not related to System Admin at all.

19

I don’t agree. It’s a hot topic, not a hot career. Like nursing and teaching, it is the career that lay people know what it is and talk about. There is a huge gap between the jobs talked about by non-technical people and the jobs being hired for in the real world.

20

Big finance is a private club. Getting in the door is the hard part. Once you are in you have more mobility.