Moving away or staying in my current job... HELP

[Pig benis]

Hi chaps, just after a bit of job advice;

I have been working in IT for over a year now. It is always what I wanted to do, but I left it until I was 25 to kick my backside into gear and stop day dreaming about being an IT technician (lame I know). So far it has been a fantastic decision, I work for a great company, I get to really push myself, I'm learning a phenomenal amount and it has been my best decision to date.

Over the past year I have sat the following courses -

Storagecraft lab + exam
Cisco CCNA part 1 + exam
Apple OSX technician + exam
CompTIA plus - exams in two weeks

However I have a dilemma, I am not being paid very much for the amount that I do/know. This really does bug me a lot, however I am doing a lot of courses which are really helping me. However I can't help but look at how much I could be getting paid and that makes me think. Now I have always wanted to work abroad or in a big city (I currently live in the middle of no where in Wiltshire). My life at the moment is tie free, no girlfriend - no car finance etc.

So what I am wondering is as I can't make this decision - from someone else's point of view, would you follow the path of moving to London and being paid more, having more of a social life and living in an awesome city or, stay in my current job where the pay is rubbish (15k for a 1st/2nd line technician) where I can knuckle down and really learn the trade?

I really would appreciate your input

[APanda]

If you're thinking about it now and you stay in the middle of nowhere then you'll drive yourself insane thinking what if.

You only get one go at life - experience something different.

The single best thing I ever did was move away from my stty little town, that looking back now seems really inbred and stagnant. Everyone is still doing the same stuff they were doing when i left 7 years ago.

Also IT skills are transferrable, it's not as if you need to be in the middle of nowhere to do your job.

I think you answered your own question in the second to last paragraph really.

[Pig benis]

APanda said:

If you're thinking about it now and you stay in the middle of nowhere then you'll drive yourself insane thinking what if.

You only get one go at life - experience something different.

The single best thing I ever did was move away from my stty little town, that looking back now seems really inbred and stagnant. Everyone is still doing the same stuff they were doing when i left 7 years ago.

Also IT skills are transferrable, it's not as if you need to be in the middle of nowhere to do your job.

I think you answered your own question in the second to last paragraph really.

APanda, you're totally right. It is what I would like to do and I need to crack on with it.

I'm not sure if you work in IT, but a lot of jobs seem to ask for a minimum of 2 years experience. Now I haven't got the two years, but the amount that I have learnt is easily worth 2 years of experience. If that makes sense?

[APanda]

Pig benis said:

APanda, you're totally right. It is what I would like to do and I need to crack on with it.

I'm not sure if you work in IT, but a lot of jobs seem to ask for a minimum of 2 years experience. Now I haven't got the two years, but the amount that I have learnt is easily worth 2 years of experience. If that makes sense?

Not in IT but advertising and marketing. I guess the thing to do would be to really talk up your skills and responsibilities on any CV and application and bear in mind the problem when you write it. I had a similar issue with having more responsibility than my experience suggests (I'm 25) and as soon as you're in front of someone you can talk to them and explain.

Another question to ask yourself I guess is if they asked you to go into a role that was below what you do now, with a look to move up and more opportunity, would there still be a considerable pay jump?

[bga]

Pig benis said:

APanda, you're totally right. It is what I would like to do and I need to crack on with it.

I'm not sure if you work in IT, but a lot of jobs seem to ask for a minimum of 2 years experience. Now I haven't got the two years, but the amount that I have learnt is easily worth 2 years of experience. If that makes sense?

I don't mean to sound an arse but with your limited (but rapidly growing) experience in IT, how can you be sure that what you have learned is worth 2 years experience.

You've done lots of good new stuff, are being trained up and given opps (which is all good) and are still heavily into the learning stage. As an employer in the IT industry I specify x years experience to reflect that we want to see people really being operational with those skills, seeing things work, seeing things break etc. Over the course of 1 year you simply aren't going to be able to get that over a range of different areas.

A way to mitigate your lack of tenure in the industry is craft your CV so it demonstrates repeated experience in doing the things that the job ads are asking for, preferably in different scenario's or against different requirements.

Lastly, your current employer is investing time and money in you. If you go to another firm as an experienced hire it is highly likely that they will be paying you for what you know. You need to balance that against the higher salary that a move to a more senior role and a city (both will have uplifts) will bring.

good luck!

[craigjm]

This is a typical safety vs risk decision.

If you were now 90 and sitting in a nursing home looking back on your life having not made the move would you be thinking what if? if the answer to that would be yes then you need to make the move. Remember if things dont work out then another door will open and your life will take a different path.

We are all going to get to that point where we look back on our lives and to avoid the what ifs you need to listen to your gut and intuition. Follow your heart and find what makes you happy. You might fall on your face a few times, go through some pain, feel like you have made a mistake etc at times BUT all of that is better than sitting there at the end realising you have lived someone elses life because of constraints you have put on yourself and thinking what if?

Good luck

[edc]

Are you really going to earn that much more money? A bit like cars, advertised salary is not necessarily the same as actual salary. Also, moving to London or similar will probably entail higher living costs so if your aim is to have more cash saved in the bank you may not actually achieve that. If you are moving for the non-work aspects then go for it.

[shtu]

My initial reaction\advice would be to knuckle down for a year, back up the qualifications with some experience, and spend the time in between considering a specialism to follow, which is your route to a real career. The days of the "all-round computer bloke" are gone, except in the small business and domestic end of things, and nobody gets rich in that market. (and I say this as someone who has taken pride in being an all-rounder for almost 20 years)

You may, in the meantime, be able to wangle some more pay out of your current employer, but taking the training\exams then buggering off straight after is a fairly poor form - they are investing in you, it's good form to repay that investment. If you get a reputation as a job-hopper it can be hard to persuade the next employer to take you - "yes, I know I've only stayed six months in my last 4 jobs, it'll be different this time..."

(That's assuming they have paid for all this training. If you are doing that on your own money, screw 'em.)

[craigjm]

If they have paid for all the training have you signed anything about staying with them for a set period or repaying costs should you leave?

[Pig benis]

bga said:

I don't mean to sound an arse but with your limited (but rapidly growing) experience in IT, how can you be sure that what you have learned is worth 2 years experience.

You've done lots of good new stuff, are being trained up and given opps (which is all good) and are still heavily into the learning stage. As an employer in the IT industry I specify x years experience to reflect that we want to see people really being operational with those skills, seeing things work, seeing things break etc. Over the course of 1 year you simply aren't going to be able to get that over a range of different areas.

A way to mitigate your lack of tenure in the industry is craft your CV so it demonstrates repeated experience in doing the things that the job ads are asking for, preferably in different scenario's or against different requirements.

Lastly, your current employer is investing time and money in you. If you go to another firm as an experienced hire it is highly likely that they will be paying you for what you know. You need to balance that against the higher salary that a move to a more senior role and a city (both will have uplifts) will bring.

good luck!

No you don't sound like an arse. Well in the past year I have been exposed to 1st to 3rd line level work. On a daily basis I get sent out to diagnose faults on site or even installing new kit, whether that be Cisco, Netgear, Lenovo etc. I am not overlooking the fact that experience is king, but I do think that I have been involved in an awful lot of scenarios.

Now that is something I am not so great at. My CVs have always been fairly terrible, however I am willing to pay someone to write it for me. Once I have a good base, then I can tailor it myself.

That is very true and as another poster has mentioned, it is bad form for me to just up sticks and leave. However I really do dislike the area I live in, nothing happens around here and I am forever commuting to London to see friends, or just to socialise. I appreciate that living costs in London are so much higher, however that doesn't stop me from wanting to go. There are far more vacancies there and I love the place, minus the tube.

As for my contact, I am not entitled to staying in my job for X period of time after my training, but morally I know it would be wrong and I certainly don't want to burn my bridge with my boss as he is a top bloke and I have a lot of respect for him.

Today I was approached by my boss about doing some sales/marketing for him. This would involve going out and introducing other businesses to the company and I would get commission for a referral and then 10% of the annual support cost when they sign up. So this is another way for me to boost up my wage, but I left sales for a reason - I cannot stand the not knowing how much money I would be on each month. However my boss likes my confidence and thinks that I would be good at it, I am far happier just fixing computers, but this could open more doors later on in life, plus who I am to turn down the extra money.

So plenty of food for thought. Last week I had 100% made my mind up that I would hand my notice in next month, now it is looking doubtful. What a pickle...

[Pig benis]

Ok guys over the past few days I have made my mind up. I have decided to move away, it seems like my life is on hold where I live and I can't seem to get away from an ex girlfriend and her new boyfriend. So I need a fresh start, I feel if I don't do it now when life is extremely boring, well I never will.

I do have a question though - when applying for jobs which require 2 years minimum experience, am I likely to be put forward for an interview?

Over the next couple of days I will be spicing up my C.V and I plan to be out of my area by the end of next month.

It is safe to say that my boss will be very angry, as he has just paid for to attend a few courses recently which have cost him well into 4 figures. I really don't want to upset him as it isn't personal to him or his business, it is something that I just have to do. So should I tell him my predicament or just address the issue when I get another job?

Sorry for all the questions

Many thanks
P.B

[craigjm]

Pig benis said:

Ok guys over the past few days I have made my mind up. I have decided to move away, it seems like my life is on hold where I live and I can't seem to get away from an ex girlfriend and her new boyfriend. So I need a fresh start, I feel if I don't do it now when life is extremely boring, well I never will.

Good choice, look forward not back and if it doesnt work out then at least you can say you tried.

Pig benis said:

do have a question though - when applying for jobs which require 2 years minimum experience, am I likely to be put forward for an interview?

Where are you seeing these jobs talking about years experience? Employers are advised to avoid such phrases as they are potentially indirectly discriminating on the basis of age. Ignoring that I personally would interview you if you met the essential criteria regardless. If they dont want to then you dont really want to work in such a place

Pig benis said:

the next couple of days I will be spicing up my C.V and I plan to be out of my area by the end of next month.

Drop me an email for my CV template and guidance which has gone down a storm in another thread with over 60 requests for it.

Pig benis said:

is safe to say that my boss will be very angry, as he has just paid for to attend a few courses recently which have cost him well into 4 figures. I really don't want to upset him as it isn't personal to him or his business, it is something that I just have to do. So should I tell him my predicament or just address the issue when I get another job?

Wait til you have another job

Good luck

[Pig benis]

I do feel really bad for even considering moving jobs because my boss is such a nice guy and he has invested a lot of money in me. But not only this, he also took me on when no other IT company would do. If only I could move my job to another location, but that is impossible and I don't fancy commuting miles to get to work.

Thank you very much, Craig. I just need to dig out my CV, I need to change a few things on there and I will send it over.

craigjm said:

Where are you seeing these jobs talking about years experience? Employers are advised to avoid such phrases as they are potentially indirectly discriminating on the basis of age. Ignoring that I personally would interview you if you met the essential criteria regardless. If they don't want to then you don't really want to work in such a place

I have noticed it on a lot of IT job boards, so far I haven't applied for the roles, however in the job description I have the knowledge to do what they require. So I would have to word my CV very carefully so the recruiters can see what I am about.

Anyway, thank you for your kind words. This will be a very nerve racking couple of months, however it will be worth it in the end.

P.B

[edc]

If you don't meet the criteria for the initial CV sift then you will need to be very proactive and speak regularly to your recruiters, impress them at that interview stage.

There are few recruiters I trust but when one of them champions somebody who may be a little wide of the requirement then there is good cause for it.

[Pig benis]

edc said:

If you don't meet the criteria for the initial CV sift then you will need to be very proactive and speak regularly to your recruiters, impress them at that interview stage.

There are few recruiters I trust but when one of them champions somebody who may be a little wide of the requirement then there is good cause for it.

That is very true and it is exactly why I am trying to not use recruitment agencies. Plus I have never had a single good experience from them, I'd rather do the leg work myself.

[craigjm]

Dont rule out recruitment agencies. Find out who the good ones are for your area of work and work them hard, get to know them well.

[shoggoth1]

Speaking as someone with 17+ years experience in IT - but as an analyst/developer (which may not be your case) and someone who's been an interviewer - don't load your CV with this that and the next thing.
Experience, as others have said, is key.
If you've only got a couple of years experience then listing half a dozen 'key' skills could well raise eyebrows/doubts about how much actual experience you have in any of the given areas.

[Pferdestarke]

Good choice. Well done for making such a hard decision.

Sell yourself well, keep living costs to a minimum until your job security builds, embrace everything this change throws at you and you will never look back with regret.

Keep us posted.

[MagicalTrevor]

I've been in your position and I understand why you need to leave where you live. Despite your quick advancement I think that you've been given an excellent opportunity to learn (and learn quickly). I'd urge you to try and stay for 2 years before leaving. It'll look better on your CV, believe me!

However, why not go for a few interviews and see what happens? Get the interview practice

[edc]

Pig benis said:

edc said:

If you don't meet the criteria for the initial CV sift then you will need to be very proactive and speak regularly to your recruiters, impress them at that interview stage.

There are few recruiters I trust but when one of them champions somebody who may be a little wide of the requirement then there is good cause for it.

That is very true and it is exactly why I am trying to not use recruitment agencies. Plus I have never had a single good experience from them, I'd rather do the leg work myself.

I'm writing as a hiring company rather than job seeker and advocating using a select few but sticking close to them.