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Hello All,

I have been working with and in IT for 21 verifiable years. I have yet to find a challenge that I could not be educated on/or read about - that has kept me down. Yet in my current position I am starting to feel like a Cog, not a innovator. I am not sure how much of this is my fault and how much comes from the Company.

Job searches have come up short mainly due to the fact that I have been here 12 years and the amount that I am compensated has been higher than the average norm for IT in my area. You can see a problem with that I am sure.

I have applied for positions I could have walked into, AS/400, PC/Network shop, and still have been looked over (I feel for younger, cheaper) talent. Sure, I have looked at my living standard and have came down a couple of notches in order to compete, but I am still being expensive compared with new College Grad’s who will work for more experience rather than compensation. And also my loyalty and the long term commitment I am willing to make - my jumping days are over (I like stability).

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

22 Spice ups
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Where are you located? Have you thought of relocating?

I mean you have been with your company for so long, its going to be tough getting the same amount of money to be the new guy.

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experience is key, but is that experience relevant? (man I have been using that word a lot lately)

What have you worked on in the past few years? major upgrades or more of the same? How current is your knowledge base and deep does it go? and finally, if you are current with the newest trends, are you advertising those effectively?

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I feel your pain. I used to change jobs every three years. Been in the IT business (paid, not as a hobby) since 1994, with experience going back to 1983.

I have been at my last job now for 15 years and while I love it, a new challenge would be welcomed. However because of my longevity I have higher benefits and other perks that make a move nearly impossible for the salary I would need to do so. To leave here I would need a 15 to 20k boost before making it worth my while.

Taking a new job while lowering my standard of living does not sound like a plan I want to partake in.

Tech companies prefer young and impressionable, not to mention cheap. People starting out usually land a job making 5 times their burger flipping salary so its easy to pay them $25k a year and they think they just hit the jackpot. I know I was one of them…

I would just keep trying. At our age we are really looking for more of a management position. One whose position hires the young talent…

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Thanks,

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Move to Texas…
Seriously, I, too, have quite a number of years under my belt (~ 40 years):
1970’s mini computers (IBM, DEC)
Early 1980’s IBM/PC networks: AT&T StarLAN, ARCnet, IBM PCnet (certified in 1983), Novell NetWare, NetWare for VMS (1988), 3COM Ethernet, IBM Token Ring, Proteon Pronet, LANtastic, Synoptics, Cabletron, etc., etc…

wait … is this an interview?

An approach during a face-to-face interview might include asking:
‘What is your biggest problem or something that you have been unable to remedy?’
Let the interviewer answer …
Then immediately provide the answer…
Or perhaps try to get an interview with the head of IT, not just the HR person.

Or do what I did: Start your own company. Find a sales partner…

I dunno … just my thoughts.

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Try not to get too hung up on the 30 years of IT experience, that is a damn good run, but anything more than say 15 years (that might be pushing it too) it irrelevant. We all know the speed at which the industry changes, don’t allow yourself to sound too out of touch with new tech.

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I will row the other side of the boat for you so we don’t go in circles. I have much the same turmoil in my career. Payed well at one place. The reason they pay you well is because they want to handcuff you. Any jump you make will mean a significant drop in pay. That elusive job on the other side of the fence looks good but will probably develop into the same cog mentality. Try to rise above the forces holding you back.

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Partook in the Windows XP to (7,8) upgrade, integrated new OS to AS/400 and ran 64bit driver searches. Specified new A/V product for the ORG. and implemented the strategy. Am chief removal expert for any malware, and attempt to prevent new products from getting a foothold. Yes, built and setup servers and set permissions for shares, VM’ed about all the Items we currently want to implement (boxes were getting room heavy).

Set cooling for server room, computed wattage vs. cu foot of space to specify BTU. I am not sure but this is such a small list of some skill’s I usually never really have to use.

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ChrisK -

It is good that you are loyal to your company and have been there so long but this could be a detriment to you. Skill sets tend to get rusty as we coast through fixing the same ol’ problems day in and day out. We sense when servers will go down - know when network outages will occur - become almost clairvoyant at the job and are applauded and have money/vacation/bonuses thrown at us. To move means being low man on the totem pole again and proving those skills to new bosses. Any, unless you are management and can justify the higher salary, you may have to take a cut to change employers. Management affords you the opportunity to move and get more money but being the tech guy - even if you are the BEST tech guy - is not necessarily a good thing for employers looking at cost vs. benefit of hiring new talent as opposed to experienced talent. It all depends on the company but most smaller shops are looking for jack-of-all-trades type guys cheap. Just my experience.

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Stay put and enjoy the ride while you can. Also, you may have to put in some extra effort, but you can always innovate where you are. Nothing is in your way - right?

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I found out the hard way that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere. One of my biggest mistakes of my career was walking away from a 15 year gig to a much smaller company that ran into financial difficulties shortly thereafter and all the projects I was hired to do were put on hold. After a year of doing basically nothing I was let go. I found it very hard to even get an interview until I realized that most places probably thought they couldn’t afford me. Once I dumbed down my resume I started getting interviews.

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If the company that you currently work for will foot the bill for certifications, take complete advantage of it. Companies care more and more about that slip of paper that is proof that you know what you’re talking about. This will also show that your knowledge is current/relevant, and that you ARE worth the compensation you are requesting.

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retire.

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If you mean, get the technical interview with the IT team and walk the walk and talk the talk, I don’t have an issue. Does not take long, even in my position, to ask a few questions and know the level of experience of the person I am conversing with. Have you ever had to interview potential candidates? Face to face tells you more about a person in what they don’t say with their body language and manner of communication than most other factors. If you apply, make sure you know what you are talking about, never fudge, your comments will stand out like a sore thumb.

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You might try working for yourself. It would challenge you, and your pay would be entirely up to you.

Also, my apologies.

Sincerely,

One of the young guys going in for experience over pay.

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No apologies, may the best man win!! Not like I have not been in your place B4, I understand your pain.

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never talk down to the interviewer either, you won’t get called back.

Here is what I have seen as a 3 year tech. Both generations view the other as arrogant, to a point, they both are. The older generation gets stuck in the cycle of “I have been doing this longer, I know better”. The younger crowd just wants to save the world, they are full of new information, and they question how stagnate the older generation is.

Now i am going to speak as the member of the younger generation (as i am) and as someone currently dealing with several members of the older generation who are standing in the way. The older generation does in fact get stagnate, or complacent. I hear the phrase “we have always done it this way.” far too much in my daily interactions. This is not a good thing, technology changes, we must move with it. Don’t take me as saying we all must be cutting edge, but bleeding edge is a good goal. Are you willing to accept change? do at least test out new technology? do you stay current on the trends? AS400 has been mentioned twice now, that would be a turn off for me. Yes I know companies still use it, but we in IT should not be encouraging the use of such an old technology. We should be driving innovation and upgrades.

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My thoughts, there’s nothing you can do to change people’s perspective. People look at your experience and conclude that you’re too expensive and if you’re willing to work for less, you’re probably desperate and will bolt as soon as a better opportunity comes along.

As a hiring manager I probably wouldn’t even call you in for an interview based on those two things. Dealing with a disgruntled employee and having to replace an open position is very stressful, especially in small shops. If you were applying for a management position, the story would be different.

If you can somehow dumb down your resume or convince the hiring manager that you’re just looking for a new challenge, perhaps they’ll give you a better look.

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that can be tricky, what do you cut and what do you advertise? this is why I am looking for a long term job now, I can’t imagine trying to jump jobs 20 years from now, 10 years might be an issue.

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