for those who have computer jobs...

i was just wondering if those of you who actually build/troubleshoot, etc. computers for a living as well as for fun would say that you like to do it still. let me explain what i mean a bit more.

i just got laid off from my job and by 7am when i get off of work, ll be officially unemployed. i want to take this as a chance to find a job that i like, preferably a computer related job, but i am still on the fence about that. do you still like messing around with computers on the side? i would think it would be the greatest job in the world, but i worry that the uneducated doing stupid things and being clueless might make me a bit bitter and will not enjoy building computers as much as i do now.

p.s. if anyone who reads this and who happens to live in north carolina knows of a computer tech job or similar jobs opening up, could you let me know? thanks

The market is TIGHT, payscale is DOWN. Those of us who have jobs now are thankful and lucky. I wouldn't try to break in the biz now. Damned companies sending jobs off to India............Don't even get me started on that....... you DO have the advantage of being in the same state as Reseach Triangle Park which is pretty much Silicon Valley East, though.

craigslist.org may be able to help you find a job. I dont know if they have your area though on their database.

It's still as fun as ever as far as I'm concerned, though I think it's getting harder and harder for new people to break into this field. Good luck though.

svnrd said:

i just got laid off from my job and by 7am when i get off of work, ll be officially unemployed.

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Sorry about the news.

On a positive note, if you want to do something in the computer related field I say give it a shot, give it your all...you might just find something you are looking for. Good Luck.

thanks. i found some promising leads, but considering how hard you all are saying it is to break into the market, my lack of professional training in computers will hurt me. i've found one job that looks kind of promising. it's basically setting up and maintaining networks. starting salary is 35,000 to 55,000 a year. that's about as much as i could expect. i think i'll send them my resume. thanks for the help

Good luck on that.

In the next few years more jobs are going to be opening up to what I've heard. When it was the huge boom in the 90's places were hiring anyone they could find, even if it meant they didn't know a damn thing.

So now it's a toss up between they either kind of know it or know so much about the field it is disturbing. Retirement is coming soon for some of the old techs & will be replaced.

By the way sorry to hear about your job, I am sure you will find another though. May I recommend Independent work or well being Self Employed? Everybody is different, could be worth a shot if you have some good ideas.

Setting up network can be alot harder then it sounds! but heck give it a shot!! if u dont know - u can always learn.

Good luck on the job! Just keep in mind that with no experience in the field, it will be very tough, and you'll likely get the low end of the salary range. Heck, I've got 12 years of experience doing this professionally, and as an IT admin (only IT guy in the company as a matter of fact) I am at $55k per year.

I don't have a college degree though, which is a limiting factor in my pay.

Well I have held a few IT jobs. From small companies to working on one of the largest websites in the world. I have also owned my own business. I got really really burnt out (after about 12 years) and started hating anything to do with computers. The computer at my house would literally stay off for weeks at a time. I am now in the midst of a career change (thanks the working wife)

I will say for the first 5 or 6 years I really enjoyed it. Then eventually the market got flooded and I found myself dealing with "paper" experts all the time. Alot of good talented people were pushed out of the industry by idiots. Also the mass exodus of good jobs to overseas people really clouded me. I walked away from a 100,000 a year job because I was finding myself pissed off everyday. The little time I actually got to see my kids I was always in a bad mood, or thinking about a work issue.

I now have a very small business that I will not grow. I use it just to have "beer" money and pay for my hockey. I am happier than I have been in years and I am actually getting to enjoy my kids, in fact when they get home from school today we are going to ride our 4 wheelers. I love that.

I know that this may have been more than you asked for but it just came out. Just remember to keep things in perspective. Remember to balance your career life with your "real" life and anything you choose should reamain enjoyable. There are "uneducated and clueless" people in every field the trick is learning how to deal with them.

OK I'll shutup now

Working for a large company as a computer/network guy usually equals working on call. Good if you have a life you can put on hold (not many of us).

Self employment is great if you don't mind the stress of job security and if you are self-disciplined and have good ideas.

In the IT world I would have loved to have a $35k a year job, would have kept me from jumping on the Telco bandwagon. $35 is good, about $45-50 is average with a few years experience, most start out around $20-$25k. Hope it works out well!

svnrd said:

i was just wondering if those of you who actually build/troubleshoot, etc. computers for a living as well as for fun would say that you like to do it still. let me explain what i mean a bit more.

i just got laid off from my job and by 7am when i get off of work, ll be officially unemployed. i want to take this as a chance to find a job that i like, preferably a computer related job, but i am still on the fence about that. do you still like messing around with computers on the side? i would think it would be the greatest job in the world, but i worry that the uneducated doing stupid things and being clueless might make me a bit bitter and will not enjoy building computers as much as i do now.

p.s. if anyone who reads this and who happens to live in north carolina knows of a computer tech job or similar jobs opening up, could you let me know? thanks

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Im only 16 and I make >$50/hr around here fixing computers for people as a side hobby...

I plan on going into computer engineering instead of troubleshooting/repair though..

I dont have a problem with doing it all the time- I find 90% of the problems easily fixable. But, just doing basic stuff, i would get bored out of my mind-- so thats why I overclock/tweak/mod. I just fix things when people need it, and go home to my computers where im free to mod/tweak/overclock freely.

Then again, I'm about as far from a normal computer geek you can get... Ive been doing this stuff since i was 8 or so, and i'm to the point of making my own volt mods for unique/rare hardware, and working on a custom phase change.

It all depends on how much fun you have, how good you are at it, and if your wife/GF has a problem with it..

My GF sees how much i make and doesn't mind me spending 3 hours soldering something, only to not have it work

(no, she doesnt get a large portion of the $$ either )

BeerCan said:

There are "uneducated and clueless" people in every field the trick is learning how to deal with them.

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Simple example:

Kids at school think their 3ghz water cooled northwood is TEH 1337!!

I show them my 3ghz air cooled AXP screenies, and 2900mhz windows shots.

They shutup. Quick. err.. well.. jaws drop.. but yea..

Just make them think you are g0d and they will shutup forever. LOL

Setting up network can be alot harder then it sounds! but heck give it a shot!! if u dont know - u can always learn.

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yeah i know(had issues erasing a domain, without wiping the hard drive, from an old network i was on), but the only said 1 year of computer experience needed. not any more specific, so i figured it involves training.

If you have to deal with users you're going to burn out or go postal.