NoahzBurnt

iTrader: (10)

I was in teh same industry......just get a crappy, "no-pay" start-up job doing what you love...dedicate your time and effort in that job for a year or so and move up the ranks!

ntwillie1

iTrader: (3)

I'm in IT as well and I had a couple of corporate jobs in NYC for financial and media firms but left it last year for consulting. Although I never disliked any of my jobs, i can't say any of them are as cool as consulting. Consulting is the Man. Sweet hours, travel (if you want it), you work with world class engineers, and the pay is great. I'm in the networking/systems side of the operation. I can honestly say going to work is like playing with the coolest toys ever. I get to work from home at least 50% of the time, the other 50% I am at client sites and or schmoozing with clients or potential clients. Try consulting, i think you might like it.

btw, if you want a total career change, try and see if you can get into some type of sales. As long as you have a good set of social skills and you learn your product well you can be successful at that. I have a relative that sells pharmaceuticals and that guy is rolling bank, and has hours like mine. Another one sells elevators like Otis and some other brand and she does pretty well too. Good luck.

kurt213

iTrader: (5)

So consulting seems to be where it's at! haha I'd love to get into that, I just don't know how feasible that will be. I don't think there are too many consulting companies around here, and I have a fiance who would not be very happy with me traveling...honestly I wouldn't really like it either. I guess I'll just keep checking the job sites, keep applying and see what happens. Thanx for your help guys.

Diesel350

iTrader: (6)

Ya and it's REALLY easy to lose alot of money. 95% of people that get into daytrading for themselves eventually end up doing something else. It really is that hard to consistently make money at it year after year. I've known people that made $300,000 in one yr only to lose it all the next day. You really have to know what your doing and be patient with it.

sry110

iTrader: (17)

I am in a similar boat as the OP. I got a degree in engineering and now I have a job as a project / design engineer, but I am really unhappy for various reasons. One of my managers is bi-polar and verbally abusive and the other managers don't do anything about it, my job stresses me out and leaves me feeling uncreative at the end of the day, but the money is good and I am tied up in the townhouse I just bought, the car, the other bills I have to pay, etc. I too love playing music and used to be good at it, but I feel so drained at the end of the day that I just don't play like I used to. I have always been a good writer but I don't think I could bear to do that as a living. I have a feeling that I would be successful in advertising in the capacity of coming up with slogans and jingles, but I don't know where to start in that industry and it would probably entail workin in NYC if I wanted to go after a high-paying job in the field.

My advice would be to keep your head down and do your best to ignore the buttholes that surround you at work, at least for the mean time. Hopefully you can find something better at PSU if you really like working there. It is incredible, yet consistent, that most IT nerds are somehow over-confident and treat everyone else like a moron. It turns out that the joke is on them because they are denying themselves many of the tangible luxuries and emotional freedoms that we all should enjoy, and subconciously they are tearing you down because misery loves company. Good luck in finding a new position there.

By the way I graduated from PSU in 2004 and I must say that I am a little jealous that you get to work there! Are you in general IT or do you work for a particular educational department, etc?

kurt213

iTrader: (5)

I love music too....what kind of stuff do you play?
Right now I work in the Outreach dept. I help create/maintain the World Campus (Penn States online courses). It really isn't a bad job, just the people really make it hard. I'm the only IT who isn't like a programmer. I support the Instructional Designers (basically I'm their *****)...while all the programmers just ******** about nerd things all day. It gets old...not to mention they all make twice what I do, yet I do ten times the work.
I actually would rather do something physical that keeps me moving and stuff. I used to work in a factory, and the days just flew by. Unfortunately theres not really much room for growth or satisfaction in a factory. I've bid on a few more internal jobs...we'll see what happens.

kihun

iTrader: (21)

Join the Marines with me.. Oorah.

supertikkigod

Its tough out there but keep at it. The best advice I can give you is always keep an eye out for new opportunities. I also graduated with an IT degree, but currently work on the business / compliance side of things at a large pharma company. Don't limit yourself to just straight IT jobs. Maybe look into jobs that help translate IT talk to business talk. Then both sides will need you.

Another good way to focus on what you want or want to do moving forward is to find someone already in that field or position. Ask them what it took to get there and maybe start to apply that to your situation.

Don't worry about school, larger companies will sometimes pay you to go back (I'm currently back in school for an MBA on the company's tab). Feel free to hit me up if need help with anything.