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So want to leave I.T. and go back to driving Dump Truck

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Gotyour6, Jan 30, 2020.

  1. Jan 30, 2020 at 7:45 AM
    #1
    Gotyour6

    Gotyour6 [OP] New Member

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    I have been working I.T for the last 20 years and would like to go back to driving.
    Mainly road construction again.
    I did it for nine seasons while getting my PhD in computer science.

    I would take a big drop in pay but I am doing very well in that part I am just burnt out right now and hate what I do.

    I still have my CDL A but haven't used it in a long time. I just kept my Medical card updated as well as renewing it
    My resume is obviously filled with I.T stuff and my truck driving days are impressive (Over the road flat bed, hauling for furniture companies and of course 9 seasons of road construction) but i don't think places are looking at me due to the time since I drove. It could be my age as well. I am 51 years old but i am in great shape. (They can't see me of course but .....)

    Anyone else leave a well paying office job for something not well paying and not an office job.

    I just cant do this shit any more.
     
  2. Jan 30, 2020 at 7:49 AM
    #2
    7.62Tundra

    7.62Tundra Chromeaphilliac

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    Feel you. Jobs these days are nothing but nit-picking people and an office is the worst. Seeing the same ole whiny folks everyday gets old. I can imagine IT is full of soy boy types.
     
  3. Jan 30, 2020 at 7:55 AM
    #3
    Sas

    Sas Humor is everywhere

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    Lost track after #1.
    I hear ya. I'm in IT as well and I have no interest in being a 50-something IT-anything at this point. Trading currencies is what I'm currently working towards. I thought about learning a trade, but I'm not sure I want to do that at this point in my life either.
     
  4. Jan 30, 2020 at 7:59 AM
    #4
    Grumpy Uncle

    Grumpy Uncle Pushing string down the hall SSEM #10

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    For the last couple of years I have been entertaining the same thing. I used to operate heavy equipment out in the woods before I joined the Army many moons ago. Mostly logging and land management for the Forestry Service. Dozers, excavators, skidder's. It was hard work but, I enjoyed the hell out of it. thought about going back to it.

    System/Field Engineer, Training, responsible for the system health, deploying, babysitting, big brother, priest with the occasional SNCO flashback. Yeah, I'm ready for a change!
     
  5. Jan 30, 2020 at 8:34 AM
    #5
    ZappBrannigan

    ZappBrannigan The mind is willing but the flesh is weak

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    You are 100% not alone in this. I think that’s why the “F.I.R.E” “financial independence retire early” movement has been so huge recently.

    People are generally tired of an abusive system that keeps them on a treadmill of misery and will do damned near anything to get away from whatever their particular job of misery is.

    The beauty of a good economy and living in America is that you have the ability to make these kinds of choices. I say go for it. If you drop dead at 53 of a heart attack are you really going to care about the money?
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2020
  6. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:19 AM
    #6
    purplenova

    purplenova Not a new member

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    I.T. here as well and in my upper 50's. Been an application programmer since 94 on an IBM AS400, think they call it IBM Power System now.

    Currently trying to learn C# and its not real fun, but that is the direction we are going, so I guess I better pick it up. :D Never really thought of moving on to something else
     
  7. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:45 AM
    #7
    stuckinohio

    stuckinohio MGM Crue

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    Who doesn't enjoy a nice dump... truck drive?
    OP, i don't have anything to add other than phones are a major distraction on today's roads that wasn't an issue 20 years ago.
    Maybe try and pick-up weekend work or have a trial period before making a cold turkey switch?
     
  8. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:46 AM
    #8
    KB Voodoo

    KB Voodoo New Member

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    Get out of that office while you're still young. Office jobs are a prison.

    I quit my office job just over two years ago, and I will never, ever, ever go back.
     
    reneaux likes this.
  9. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:49 AM
    #9
    tylorert

    tylorert More than likely the youngest here (17)

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    None Yet ;)
    Off topic, but I'm 17 getting ready to go into IT... Any tips?
     
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  10. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:52 AM
    #10
    KB Voodoo

    KB Voodoo New Member

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    Yeah, don't.

    I mean, seriously, have you ever even seen Office Space?
     
  11. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:54 AM
    #11
    TXMiamiFan

    TXMiamiFan SSEM #3 and tractor extraordinaire

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    LOL
     
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  12. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:55 AM
    #12
    7.62Tundra

    7.62Tundra Chromeaphilliac

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    Learn to program PLCs for industrial process control systems and such. I left it 20 years ago and wish I hadn't some days. They pay is outstanding these days but it takes time to learn process control, instrumentation and controllers
     
  13. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:55 AM
    #13
    tylorert

    tylorert More than likely the youngest here (17)

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    None Yet ;)
    No, but my IT teacher talks about it alot lol. What don't you like about it?
     
  14. Jan 30, 2020 at 9:59 AM
    #14
    KB Voodoo

    KB Voodoo New Member

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    Sitting in an office sucks. Sitting in pointless meetings sucks. Having to answer to a bunch of nerds sucks.

    Watch Office Space, you'll think twice.
     
  15. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:03 AM
    #15
    Moon Puppy

    Moon Puppy I'm not new!

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    This!

    I'm CCNA Wifi and a couple others. Lately I've been traveling doing wifi surveys (did a 500,000 sf plant a couple weeks ago), if it weren't for the traveling I'd be nuts but I can also work from home to stay away for the functioning morons.
    @tylorert Find a niche skill that not many are doing. If you have to go into general desktop support find away out ASAP.

    @Gotyour6 Great job! You gotta do what's best for you. :hattip:
     
  16. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:08 AM
    #16
    chugs

    chugs New Member

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    I'm getting busy with python.
     
  17. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:16 AM
    #17
    7.62Tundra

    7.62Tundra Chromeaphilliac

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    Yep, that's where my big gap is now with everything changing to wireless over my last years ethernet was just starting up. Almost all I/O was twisted pairs. PC based was barely getting started.
     
  18. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:18 AM
    #18
    lsaami

    lsaami Let ‘er buck

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    I got my degree in IS and decided to stick with construction instead of working desktop support for another 3-5 years to try and move up the ranks of a company into a semi-decent job. Screw that garbage. I'd already had 2 years of DS experience when I graduated.

    6 months later I'm sitting here in my field office running a $3.5M apartment renovation instead of listening to some angry dufus who couldn't change a lightbulb tell me that his screen doesn't light up and that he's already tried turning it off and on again.

    And I still get to play with tech every now and again. I get to run the security camera systems at our office and job sites, and am also responsible for all the IT infrastructure of the entire company. #smallbusiness.
     
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  19. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:25 AM
    #19
    equin

    equin Texarican Tundra

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    To the OP, i thought there was a shortage of truck drivers and high demand for them? But maybe that’s for the long haul drivers? Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide!
     
  20. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:29 AM
    #20
    Gotyour6

    Gotyour6 [OP] New Member

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    I started off hand grading driveways and worked up to bulldozer operator and got 500 hours logged.
    I was working there during the summer and going to college in the winter when they laid me off.
    Left construction when I got my degree and became a systems admin. Got to I.T. Director and left that place to go back down to system admin again. I dint think i was happy there and when I dropped down I still wasn't happy.

    I applied to a construction company (Haven't heard anything yet) and the stress was amazingly gone when I thought about getting the job.

    My wife just retired at 51 years old but she wants to do something other than sit around the house making stuffed peppers for me for dinner.

    We did very well for ourselves but are now at the age and status of too young to do nothing and too old to put up with bullshit
     
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  21. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:30 AM
    #21
    Gotyour6

    Gotyour6 [OP] New Member

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    I applied at a construction company and they dont normally ramp up till March or April
    I just thought they would give me a call in 10 minutes. (Not really but you know..)
     
  22. Jan 30, 2020 at 10:36 AM
    #22
    7.62Tundra

    7.62Tundra Chromeaphilliac

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    I would think about buying my own rig and contracting loads as an independent. Try to stay away from making other people richer.
     
  23. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:01 AM
    #23
    TheBeast

    TheBeast The Beach

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    half of our IT and engineering is outsourced to India nowadays..so yeah..not seeing much future there..and you get what you pay for as far as quality of work..corporate wants to save $$ with cheap labor...they get cheap work in return imo.
     
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  24. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:11 AM
    #24
    Gotyour6

    Gotyour6 [OP] New Member

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    Get ready for dealing with idiots.
    I dont mean people that don't know I.T or computers. I am talking about people with less common sense than a fucking dog.
    They don't know how to pack a box or how many strips of tape to use to close the box. They will ask I.T for some fucking reason.

    When you tell them 14 times in a year that they need to upgrade their server or they are going to go down harder than a five dollar whore and they dont want to spend the money. Then they go down and look at you asking what you did or why did this happen.

    You are always on call. ALWAYS. You dont have to answer your phone but that fucker will ring all fucking day when you are taking a day off.

    They wont reboot their fucking computer.
    JUST REBOOT THE FUCKING THING ONCE A FUCKING WEEK YOU DUMB FUCKS, REBOOOOOOOOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You are not allowed to pick up a chair and beat someone to death with it.
    I dont mean one a day, I mean just once. Just one person I mean just pick up a chair and beat the ever fucking shit out of them with it. Nope, not allowed. You will want to, but you just can't.

    You will be taking care of a company one day. They will be making millions and you are in charge of it all. One virus from someone that clicks a link on some old ratty ass network that you took over where the admin gave them local admin rights is all it takes to make your life a living hell.

    When you go home you will be thinking of work, I know you dont think that. I know you will say that you can separate it it from personal and you do well now but it comes home with you. Like the fucking stink of wading through a sea of shit, you will have it in your fucking head.

    Other than that it isn't a bad career
    Good luck
     
  25. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:11 AM
    #25
    Moon Puppy

    Moon Puppy I'm not new!

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    Don't get me started...
    We lose a warm body here in the US, they hire 2 Indians to replace them. Doesn't make any sense. How can 2 people 12 hours out of phase do desk top support in Minnesota...
     
  26. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:18 AM
    #26
    Moon Puppy

    Moon Puppy I'm not new!

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    Yeah, when you wake up from a dead sleep thinking about how to fix whatever it is you have a brick wall on, that's when you know it sucks.

    Hardest thing we have to deal with is getting some mom and pop operation that just got absorbed into our group to understand that the Access based ERP system that some college intern created for them 5 years ago is just one microsoft update away from failure.

    Really depends on where you get. I really enjoy building new networks from the ground up but hate picking up someone else's issue and having to fix it for them. And then THEY get the credit when the system has been restored because it failed because they don't know their ass from a whole in the ground.
     
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  27. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:20 AM
    #27
    smslavin

    smslavin Behind a lens...

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    Some stuff
    so much this. if i'm not chained to my laptop for some useless skype meeting, i'm stuck in a plane heading to some other useless meeting. i'm not sure how i've accumulated 22 years in big corporate software without totally losing my shit. no, scratch that. i have totally lost my shit.

    you make it sounds so easy. it isn't. at least not for me. in the last 10 years, i've increased my salary (our only source of income), on average, about $1300/year. i was just given a 10% pay cut which nuked all of that and then some. sure, you can say that's my fault for not seeking out other employment but it's hard find more money when you hate what you do.

    don't. not IT. do something else. if you want to write code, great. just don't do it as an IT wonk. there is no future in US based IT unless you want to project manage. but, all the stuff you'd manage is in india or china and you will spend all your time on the phone at 3am arguing in broken english and then redoing all of the stuff that comes back to you.

    specialize in something. combine it with art. ILM, Pixar, Dreamworks, Weta Digital. they all need code monkeys.

    get good at breaking stuff. every software company needs good QA people that understand code and can break it, repeatedly. get into security. start hacking shit. microsoft is always looking for smart people who can break their stuff and the redmond campus is not a bad place to be. although, you may want to read douglas copland's microserfs first...
     
  28. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:22 AM
    #28
    Gotyour6

    Gotyour6 [OP] New Member

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    I would kill to be able to build a new network.

    From servers to switches and running cable

    Phone system, cameras the whole works.

    Only did it a couple times and they never complained and they are easy to maintain and update. So long as they update.
     
  29. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:23 AM
    #29
    tylorert

    tylorert More than likely the youngest here (17)

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    None Yet ;)
    Well, you are absoulutly right. However, I have built alot of patience. My grandfather who is in his mid to late 70's and he helps me manage servers and the home network. Does he know how to use a computer? Not at all. However with my guidence he can get a network up and running again. I love IT and ive been doing things with computers since I was like 5ish. Ill never forget it. I had a Windows 98 Machine and it was a gateway of some sorts with an AMD K6 3D NOW!. Had an old 8gb quantum fireball drive too. good stuff. My first laptop was a Dell Latitude CPx with Win XP.
     
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  30. Jan 30, 2020 at 11:25 AM
    #30
    Gotyour6

    Gotyour6 [OP] New Member

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    Oh to be young and fresh again.
    I envy you and feel bad for your future at the same time.

    Just remember, screaming in a pillow will still wake your wife up
     
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