Calling IT people – need some advice

[RusskyParticipant 13503]

I wanted to ask batcave for advice, but I’ll ask all of you instead.

My main plan in life right now is to get a career in IT and grow it into my own consulting gig – this is my retirement plan. IT field is VAST, so I don’t know where to start and what to aim for. Maybe someone could point me in a right direction.

Here’s some background
I am 36yo born in USSR, grew up in Lithuania, living in US for last 15 years.
I am the living example of underachievement.
When I was a kid – I was a wiz-kid. At the tender age of 4 I didn’t only read and write, I could also play chess pretty well, knew some history and knew geography – I could tell capitols of every country by heart. In my school of 4000+ kids I was always an example teachers would refer to. In the beginning of a school year I would get all the text books and study them and finish in about a week. I read a lot of classical literature, played musical instruments and danced on my hind legs (joking). All of this attention f~~~ed with my head big time of course, and everyone hated me (no wonder)
My father took me once to a computer lab of a nuclear power plant where he worked, and I saw cabinets processing perforated cards and a first PC, on which I played a snake game – I was blown away. Later on Atari gaming computers came out (Boulder Dash, River Ride anybody?) – I spent all my free time just watching other people play. When ZX Spectrum came out – I begged my father to get me one. I was loading games off cassette tapes, then started poking them, which introduced me to programming. I got really busy with it and started writing code (in 7th grade??). I remember I wrote a graphic interface for ZX Spectrum which used a cursor moving through the screen using directional keys (I haven’t seen a mouse then) – my father was blown away. Fast forward a couple of years – we had informatics classes in school. I was better with computers than anyone else (including teachers) – so they let me be a school’s systems administrator (9th grade). At that time we had dial-up internet, my informatics teacher was a good friend of mine, so I had keys from the classroom and could come there on weekends and browse the internet.
When I graduated from school, I made the biggest mistake of my life – I went to a business school. I had IT as my second major, but I never graduated, because I moved to US in 2000. My goal was to get into investments business, so I got masters in Economics and went for CFA designation. In a meanwhile I was working for Emerson in intercompany accounting. It was so unrewarding and boring, that all I was doing, was writing excel and outlook macros for work automation.
It turned out that there was no way for me to get into investments, especially after 2008, and the job I was doing – I couldn’t handle the complexities of it.  I ruined my career in finance and hit rock bottom hard (fired, no references). Now I am staying humble, working a manly job with no deadlines that pays 13/hr and living in the basement of my own house.

I want to switch gears and go back to IT, but I am not sure where and how. Schools is a kindergarten for adults and a scam financially – I don’t want to go there. I feel I could study on my own like I’ve always did. And I already know all the stuff they was going to teach me anyways – so why bother. I feel that a degree is not what’s really needed, it’s the knowledge- degree or not. I don’t need no stinking brick and mortar school to study something. I feel that I could study and pass tests for certificates on my own.

What puzzles me is where I should focus my efforts. Because I worked in finance, I think that Oracle cert would be a good bet. Or becoming a DBA
There seems to be a strong demand for IT specialists in accounting/finance. I know that IT people in our dept. were basically prayed on.
On the other hand, I always dreamed of being a actual games developer. But maybe writing high frequency trading algorithms is the way to go?
I am not sure if I am ADHD or not (at least that’s what I’ve been diagnosed with), but I heard that a lot of IT work is actually very structured and boring. Everyone is compartmentalized and there are deadlines and s~~~ like that. I am assuming that IT work can be somewhat exciting and creative, but I am afraid that most of the times it is not. I know I love data and coding to the point where I could do it for free, so I am pretty sure boring won’t be an issue, but it still makes me worried – what if I choose a wrong track and regret it yet again.
What part of IT do you guys see as unboring and promising going in the future? Because this is where I want to be.
I suck at writing long and coherent posts – if I keep going I am afraid I’m never going to post this.
Please let me know what you think, ask questions and maybe we could have a back and forth using this topic.

Thank you all so very much for reading this and any suggestions.

proud carrier of the 'why?' chromosome

[RusskyParticipant 13503]

I don’t even know if I should focus on software development, systems administration or hardware.
Ideally, I want this to be a job I could do remotely anywhere in the world.

proud carrier of the 'why?' chromosome

[RoyDalParticipant]

Good luck with that. I wish you every success.

On the plus side, I can say I witnessed a company going through a layoff. The IT guys were cut, and within a few weeks hired back. They could actually do things, unlike their white collar betters.

On the down side, I think you will have lots of competition from places like India if you want to do it remotely.

I heard this about on the radio yesterday:
Schnurman: Fossil sells out its tech workers

Society asks MGTOWs: Why are you not making more tax-slaves?

[RusskyParticipant 13503]

My main question I never asked is:

If you are in IT and you were starting everything from scratch – where would you go and what would you do?

proud carrier of the 'why?' chromosome

[chirParticipant]

F~~~ college for IT unless you want to specifically study programming.

Industry certifications are the way to go.

Start with:

Cisco networking engineer, VM ware certifications, Microsoft certified engineer

 

 

It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, it is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning; it is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

[lonestar77Participant 406]

I’m an IT systems admin for a bank. I can’t program worth a s~~~, so the admin side was for me. College did NOT prep me one bit, it was all hands-on experience. Get your MCSE if you want, but experience seems to be the key here.

As for it being fun, it can be sometimes. I don’t mind crawling under desks of hotties while they flash their panties at me. I just smile and walk away. No way I’ll fall into one of those traps! Been there done that…

 

Good luck with your search

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me

[clint englandParticipant 341]

Hi mate,  I think if you look around here batcave has already given advice on what, where and how to get started.

I’m in a similar position as you, although i’m a construction worker who at 35 years old is looking at less physical ways of earning an income.

So far as i can make out, Batcave’s philosophy is to learn all things tech and produce your own projects on the side of your day job which if you put the effort in will be in developing eventually.

I think the main take away i get from him is to have a colossal work ethic and really go for it. Get so good, you’re not easily replaced by any prospective company you work for. As a mgtow you should have the time to dump into what will be a long haul but will grant you an extremely rewarding future.

Put your energy into your projects, and don’t waste it chasing women. Good luck to you, me and thank you Batcave.

[ThomasQuinnParticipant 50]

Russky wrote:

My main question I never asked is: If you are in IT and you were starting everything from scratch – where would you go and what would you do?

 

IF I was just starting out in IT. I would go for the 3 basic certs (A+,Net+,  and Sec+) and then look at what part of IT you actually like doing.

I couldn’t stand dealing with code or any programming languages at all. You mentioned getting <span style=”font-family: ‘Open Sans’, sans-serif;”><span style=”font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;”>an Oracle cert. That is also a good idea. You can hopefully use your unrelated masters in lieu of experience or it may help you stand above other applicants and those newly acquired IT certs simply show your new commitment in that specific area. </span></span>

 

I work in IT but I would much rather be serving beer on a beach everyday instead if I could make it happen. A retired friend of mine is doing that at the moment in costa rica and it sounds like the dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lazarus LongParticipant 365]

@RussyKGB First off I want to say that I am in the IT field now. My personal suggestion is IT security (Still an under appreciated sector of IT but growing fast.)

I also want to point out that while I believe in most cases colleges are a complete scam I will recommend that you take a look at WGU (Western Governors University) it has some advantages over regular college. Firstly it is all online but it is a regionally accredited college and has accreditation by microsoft, cisco, CNSS etc.

They have terms that are not strictly college terms, they are 6 month terms that essentially start whenever you start and the term is a flat rate of $1500.
They give credit by your passing industry certifications, so as you get through learning the material at your speed you schedule to take the certification (Covered by the $1500 term fee) and you pass you can now start another class. Basically you can do as many classes as you can pass as fast as you want.

For instance completing the IT security bachelor will give you the bachelor degree and the following certifications
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA®)
Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA® Security)
CompTIA A+
CompTIA Network+
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Project+
CompTIA Linux+

So to sum up, IT security and check out WGU.edu and see if it is anything you are interested in.

Also if you go into IT security you should consider the CISSP certification it is pretty much the one everyone is looking for in IT security at the moment.

Willfully turning aside from the truth is treason to one's self. -Terry Goodkind

[Anonymous 11]

There is a lot of opportunity in IT. It can be very stressful at times, but if you are good at solving problems, learning quickly, and troubleshooting you can make a decent living. Even with the outsourcing, one can find a niche. One of my client’s headquarters outsourced the corporate IT support. I now get to bill 4 times as many hours to get them to do anything for us than when their corporate support was in house.

I’m a self-employed enterprise IT guy so I have to deal with pretty much everything under the Sun. I have not done much programming lately, but I used to write programs that processed scientific data. That was really fun work, actually. As BatCave stated, you’ll need to get lost in the books.

If you’re going to go solo, you must also develop your soft people skills like networking and sales just as well as your technical chops. You also must be able to handle Executives. First they are in charge, and once you get their approval the employees will roll right on over for you with no resistance allowing you to get your job done. Also, you’re only as good as your last backup.

I don’t do residential work, but I know guys who do.

I took some MCSE classes and have degrees in Management and a Physical Science plus tons of on the job experience.

[KeymasterKeymaster]

College is form of controlled education. It prepares you for jack s~~~. In my first tech job…. at least 90% of the people who worked there didn’t go to college or university. They were the kind of people who stayed up until 5AM solving a problem or finding a needle in the haystack. I come across countless examples of this. Three weeks ago, a person with a “BA” or “masters” in computer science wanted something VERY challenging and specific. She didn’t even know how to do it herself…. but someone who did NOT have a degree solved the problem.

The flip is you have f~~~ing morons in HR, lots of WOMEN too. Women who don’t know anything – about anything – and ask the dumbest questions. It’s hard enough out there already, and you have to stumble over these piles of morons just to get anywhere. “We’re looking for more of a developer….can you adjust your resume to reflect what you’ve done with a more hands on approach???” Then the same RETARD turns around and says “they want to see more project management on your resume”.

I swear to everything that is holy, they stand in the way of companies finding the right people.

Just like a woman, they don’t look at / for what you DO.
They look at what you DON’T do.

Russky wrote:

I don’t even know if I should focus on software development, systems administration or hardware.

Wouldn’t focussing on ALL of it make you 3X as marketable? You can be just as employable as a “jack of all trades and master of none” and it really opens up your options.

Since you want to start your own consulting gig, create some free stuff then sell the services for support. There are all kinds of developers who create plugins and software and then sell training or custom implementations. Just throwing it out there.

If you keep doing what you've always done... you're gonna keep getting what you always got.

[ScandinavianParticipant 590]

Depends quite alot on the job KM. I used a few years studying at uni and I’m heading back in a couple, having tried different walks of life. My saying would be that a work in behaviour “science” or management would do just as well with a well oiled mouth as a degree in bulls~~~. But construct a bridge or provide critical care to a patient? There I really do suggest some prerequisites are needed, or else it will cost people their lives before the apprentice learn his or her trade.

[KeymasterKeymaster]

Scandinavian wrote:

But construct a bridge or provide critical care to a patient?

Well that’s and entirely different story. For that, yeah, you need a degree. But you also need a degree to be a shrink, and you’ll often find they are extremely f~~~ed up and can’t even keep a marriage together – but they still bill clients at 0/ hour. I’m being light-hearted here of course.

Success in IT depends on math and science and you don’t need a degree, you just need to be right. That’s what I love about it. It’s not opinion based. – like art, history or literature. You’re right, or you’re wrong. And you don’t need a degree to outperform others WITH a degree. This is how you get 19 year old app developers who made a f~~~ing fortune with a stupid game. They don’t have a degree. They just started coding when they were 14.

Here’s a 14 year old MGHOW. Meet the next Bill Gates?

Love his mother’s reaction when she says “he’s not into clothes or girls” like her own son is “wierd” because he spends his time coding instead of chasing tail. For someone like this university is very suitable because it will hone his brilliance.

If you keep doing what you've always done... you're gonna keep getting what you always got.

[Biggvs_DickvsParticipant 3725]

Russky wrote:

My main question I never asked is:

If you are in IT and you were starting everything from scratch – where would you go and what would you do?

DBA’s are in extremely high demand and hard to find. My company just hired one at $140K to start and were willing to wait a month for him to start. Not real exciting work but it pays well and is in very high demand. Might be a good part of Stealthy’s plan – the “tool” job that pays the bills while you get your own thing going.

BTW Stealthy – I LOVE the “slay the .com dragon” thing!

"Data, I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I'll let you know." --Captain Picard,

[ScandinavianParticipant 590]

@KM: my mother has a BSc in social psycology, and she fully agree that shrinks in general are bulls~~~. So does my former shrink ironically. I went to see him as a result of fear of dentists, and he helped me alot with cognitive behavioural therapy. But he said that in his 5-year psycology studies this was THE only clinically proved treatment method. All others were just theoretical.

The reason I called that card was that mechanical engineering was my main field, and nursing is what I’m aiming for. Thus I had to fill out some blanks. But I fully respect and understand what you are saying in regards as to computer science. I have a friend who hasn’t even completed mandatory schooling, but he fooled around with Linux for years, he sent a few samples (though completely unrelated) to Apple and got a VIP CS 2nd line at Cork Ireland. He spent two years there before he went home and got a tech support job for Volvo IT. A few years later he started his own business and is making great money. Without schooling at all….

[Biggvs_DickvsParticipant 3725]

Russky wrote:

I don’t even know if I should focus on software development, systems administration or hardware.
Ideally, I want this to be a job I could do remotely anywhere in the world.

Just always keep in mind that if you can do your job remotely for X dollars, there’s some guy in ChIndia that can do it for X/2 or X/3 dollars and managers are very aware of this. Having a job where you show up in an office every day is not necessarily a bad thing.

AVOID RELIGIOUS WARS ON SOFTWARE: OK.. do NOT get sucked into the “My platform is better than yours.”

go with Microsoft for a few reasons…all companies run it. There’s an ocean of books on their s~~~.

Everything Stealthy said was pretty much bang on from my experience. I would offer a word of caution on Microsoft though – After 2+ decades in the IT business I gave up on Microsoft because I got tired of investing a ton of time learning some technology from their universe only to have it be superceded by some new and completely retooled version making all that hard won knowledge basically useless.

The open source world on the other hand tends to heavily re-use and build on existing foundations as a development model. The book “The Unix Programming environment” was published in 1984 and pretty much everything in there is not only still valid, but actually still useful in the Linux/Unix world. Think about that for a minute.

There’s a reason 94.2% of the world’s supercomputers run Linux. Just sayin.

Stealthy is totally right though – stay away from the religious wars and go with what interests you. I just wanted to make the case for open source – there’s some truly amazing tools available out there completely for free adn they come with the source code if you want to build them from scratch yourself. It’s what the internet was originally designed for, and still runs most most of it (67%, 79%, or 98.2% of servers on the internet are unix/unix-like systems depending on who’s stats you believe).

"Data, I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I'll let you know." --Captain Picard,

[007 (Reborn)Participant 1672]

Keymaster wrote:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=DBXZWB_dNsw%3Ffeature%3Doembed

This kid is awesome. “No, I’m not interested in dating girls at all. I find that It’s a tremendous waste of time.” Faith is humanity restored!

Pursuing Happiness and Freedom.

[Author]

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